HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH SMALL BIRDS: PHOTOGRAPHY top pro tips (using my Canon R5)

[@prsearls]

I am not a bird photographer but after watching your videos, I tried to capture a pair of Bluebirds nesting in a birdhouse I installed earlier this year. They are too fast for me to try and track with my 500 mm so I used zone focus, high speed shutter, 1/2000 sec., f/8 and Auto ISO on my EOS R. I shot from a tripod about 70 feet away. Field of view gave me about a two feet space in front of the house opening with a shaded background. The Bluebirds would slow and often flutter just in front of the house. This was my opportunity and I blazed away at 8 frames/second. About 25% of the time, I got useable images and culled these to ones with sharp focus, pleasant wing positions, bright colors or interaction with other birds. I could never have gotten these without the tips and techniques you generously give us. A BIG thank you, sir! This same technique works on hummingbirds except I'm shooting from about 15 feet away. The detail the 500 captures is very amazing. Depth of field is very shallow so I'm shooting at f/11 or f/16 at 1/800 or 1/1000 second; freezing the wing motion is not important to me so long as I get the body or head in sharp focus. Covering the feeder's holes will direct the bird to the desired hole for focus. They are quick and I sometimes miss the shot when they momentarily hover just in front of the feeder. Photographing these birds has been really fun and a good challenge.

[@tmewborn1]

Thank You sir, All of your videos are very educsting, and interesting. I am an old guy age 82 with limited mobility, and will never enjoy rambling the woods again. Yet Your Video's are so entertaining just learning about various birds, their habits, Your techinuques to capture them. The seemless unefort ability to use your camera/lens as an artistic tool, while imparting so much information to those of us who love Photography. I use a walker to sit on in High School Gyms & on sidelines attempting to capture action sports. As I enjoy my hobby I shall be trying to use the information you teach in your video's. I appreciate all of your hard work to present these most excellent Professional Video's.

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks!

[@joesjourney9986]

Love this 'in the field" format

[@johnlangford7788]

i give you a thumbs up before video starts as i know i wont be disappointed

[@simon_dentremont]

Too kind!

[@OmarPadilla]

hahaha true, i do the same just to not forget it at the end. Simon equals quality always

[@rogermaioli]

For a recent channel on bird photography, yours has deservedly garnered a large following quite quickly! As the comments amply illustrate, you do a stellar job of explaining things. Also, your photos are beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

[@simon_dentremont]

Many thanks! Appreciate it Roger.

[@12Lionheart]

Great tips Simon. You are one of the titans of photography instruction. 🏆

[@lexd7159]

Well I'm implementing all of your tips, and my photographs are getting better and better thank you Simon for the great content

[@fatmangaming2720]

Glad I found this video.

[@CharlesGrimm-p9q]

I always find Simon’s videos to be concise and to the point. I have enjoyed watching his videos, and learned a lot. Thanks.

[@returntoharmony2727]

You are such a great teacher. Love every video you made. Please keep sharing all the beauty and tips with us. Very much enjoyed and appreciated.

[@flyingchickennugget6211]

Best Bird photography creator out there

[@stanpiper8158]

Simon....Very helpful video. Isn't it interesting how one begins birding deriving satisfaction from tack sharp images in classic poses. At some point, a photographer is likely to look at his or her portfolio, and recognize that their photos are worthy of publication, but are otherwise unremarkable. Then the fun begins. "“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” - Pablo Picasso

[@B-kl8vj]

The practical in field advice was very valuable.

[@rickdillon958]

After watching this, I now understand that the exposure compensation dial does work in manual mode if the ISO is set on auto. That's a game-changer for me! Thanks for more great birding photography tips and insights. Love your videos!

[@simon_dentremont]

Yes, absolutely. Thanks Rick!

[@KenToney]

Finger on exp comp dial, great tip.

[@KenToney]

@chuck b sorry, where is what explained? (If you have auto iso on then you can adjust exposure with the exposure compensation wheel. If auto iso is not on and everything is manual then exp comp does nothing)

[@marisagiglio8745]

Oh! I haven't known this issue till now. Thanks!!!

[@SetKat-Alex]

Doesn't work on canon 700d unfortunately :(

[@romy4593]

Well I have a window bird feeder and just in one day after I cleaned it inside and out....using your techniques at eye level I got crystal clear pics right thru the window! 8 different kinds of birds....great way to practice! House finch, male and female, Purple finch, Spotted Towhee, Old Country Sparrow, Songbird Sparrow, House Sparrow and a Chickadee also. Where I live we have the highest concentration of birds in our state for the size of the land mass. So I have all kinds of sea birds to take pics as well. I appreciate all your tips and will tripod my camera in the spring when my yard is FULL OF BIRDS! I can get them on flowers, branches and so on....so excited this year! I have finally mastered my settings to do this with the Nikon D5300 with the 70mm to 300mm zoom lens on it. My Sony A73 does not have the zoom lens that the other does...have to wait til I can afford it.

[@dougbottrell4751]

Another well thought out tutorial. What really attracts me to uour channel, is the fact you don't tell your viewers "they are doing it wrong". You merely state you prefer not to... (shoot in the high sun, for example). There are plenty of other photography channels that always say "you're doing it wrong". A bit like the chefs who rant about how we've been cooking roast potato's wrong for the padt 20 years. I like to think I may do something different, but that doesn't always make it wrong. Well done Simon, you manage to nail it every time. 👍

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks very much!

[@paulburille5630]

Shooting angles and overall composition helped me the most!

[@franktherabbit42]

I took 2 photos of a Wren the other day at the reserve I go to.. 1 of it sat on the top of a bare tree. A stick, essentially. I then took one of it sat in the middle of the tree where the reeds were taller and the tree had some growth. It was a completely different photo. This tip is 100% on point for taking better bird photos. It worked for me. I saw the difference between 2 photos and it clicked.

[@SueFerreira75]

Thank you for being responsible for peaking my interest in bird photography. In my late 70s, hiking into the wilderness with a backpack is no longer so easy, but my home is in an unofficial "nature park" with a beach in front of me and trees around me, so in the years ahead, I plan to photograph the wild life at my door - how lucky am I?

[@pcrytsgiangregorio]

I’m an avid bird watcher and have gotten lucky at picture taking. It’s a dummy proof camera. ( LUMIX dmc), with a decent 25-600 lens. But now that I’m retired I’m really trying to improve my photography and your videos are so well explained and you don’t talk so darn fast like some of the other videos I’ve seen on KZbin. Thankyou

[@captinktm]

Great video as always. I would add spring time is the best for colourful males which at this time have other things on their minds and are a lot bolder. Winter is good, nice contrast and the birds are busy finding food. I also find unless you are in a controlled situation where the birds are resident and stay in one area a tripod is a pain because of it's set up time. I up the shutter speed and walk about taking opportunistic type shots. For this you have to be fast. Once again brilliant video, thanks for posting.

[@susangreenlee2460]

Simon...I really appreciated your advice on backgrounds and best angles for bird photography. I went to a bird blind yesterday and didn't think about the fact that the feeders were up high in the air (so I got a lot of shots of belly's), and how the overgrowth of trees and bushes in the background caused my photos to look cluttered until I uploaded them and then watched this video!. I'm looking forward to finding better places to take photos of birds! Thank you so much for this video.

[@tmewborn1]

Simon, I enjoy returning to your channel, and watching videos again. I never find them boring, and always learn something new. Thank You so very much.

[@simon_dentremont]

Cool, thanks

[@DrLoneyDal]

As, always, a superb video. Any beginning bird photographer would benefit from visiting your channel first. You demo things clearly and simply in ways other KZbinrs tend to gloss over. I think that yours is truly the best bird photography channel out there. Keep it up Simon! Thanks.

[@simon_dentremont]

Many thanks!

[@malcolmstephens9999]

AGREE!!

[@simon_dentremont]

Malcolm Stephens thanks!

[@cristianmarcel]

I was looking for someone with the same love and passion for wildlife like me, i am so glad i found your channel ... photography is so calming, i love to watch wildlife and share it forward through photos. Thanx to you, all my photos are more interesting, i really learned a lot. Forever grateful, i wish you all the best regards, Cristian

[@simon_dentremont]

Welcome aboard!

[@dboyd8628]

Very informative! I am about 3 years into my bird photography adventure, initially starting with the largest birds/raptors I could find in my area, and realizing after a while that approach alone was becoming repetitive and boring. I started chasing smaller birds and immediately found it to be more challenging in certain ways and a lot more fun! Like everything else, it is a learning process. When I look back at some of my earlier attempts, I have to wince. A few thousand shots later, I find the whole process coming more into focus! Ha ha! Happily, on those occasions when the subject, light and composition all line up it is a truly an entertaining and rewarding experience. I look forward to your future videos. Thanks!

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks so much! Good luck!

[@leventimbenlast4971]

You always emphasize the importance of artistic value and photographic skills more than the birds and the equipment. That makes you the guru. If I follow your guidance, I can take good pictures of anything with any camera.

[@bigfootmm]

Nice video! I find my property to be pretty good for birding. One of my favorite methods is to get a hose and spray the trees and bushes. The sound of water brings birds right to you! Also, my deck is up kinda high, so I can shoot into the trees to get eye-level with the birds that come around to my feeders. I also tie interesting branches and perches to my deck for the birds to land on. Then I sit in a deck chair with my coffee and take pics. Great fun!

[@simon_dentremont]

Thats awesome. Never heard of the water-spray trick!

[@rayklahne7117]

You are really making your mark with these superb videos. Absolutely fabulous. Keep them coming!

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks, will do!

[@daveyboy13]

The tip you gave about shutter speed between the different kinds of birds from large slow ones to small fidgety ones is fantastic

[@edselharrison]

Excellent advice! Thank you for sharing these invaluable tips. God bless, Simon.

[@BryanNelsonca]

Good things to think about. Learning more about the birds and their songs and calls is very helpful. I often hear the birds before I see them.

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks!

[@mariwasa5876]

simple direct to the point tips .. keep sharing videos please.. beautiful photos!!

[@dennisplotzke467]

Great informative video. One of the settings I typically use is continuous focus mode and continuous drive mode set to low of medium. This helps improve my chances of capturing a unique moment of the bird in flight if it decides to take off.

[@georgemason2472]

Glad you showed up on Gavins channel. I also prefer the small birds. Totally agree with the shutter speeds, especially as distance increases or there is a breeze that can "rattle" the lens. Occasionally it affects my shot negatively, but a blurry eye or bill definitely makes a neat shot go to the trash bin. Definitely a difference between a birder and a bird photographer. I seldom look up as there isn't a shot I want up there anyway and as you point out, bright light or blue sky seldom make great backgrounds.

[@simon_dentremont]

agree on all! Thanks.

[@Ianf1x]

I don't own a big lens but my 300mm on nikon d5600 beginners camera has given great pic. I went to the forest every two days and put wild Bird food down and after a week took my camera to get pic of birds not feeding but looking for food. I was rewarded with many different types 😁. Thank you for the lessons I am learning so much.

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks for sharing! Excellent!

[@ericd468]

Great video--I'm glad I'm not the only one who faces the problems you note. Of course I have more questions, but knowing that small birds are difficult to photograph helps with my patience. And I love photographing small birds! Thanks.

[@luzr6613]

Ah yes... the good old days. Excellent content and pedagogy, but with half a million less subscribers and not quite the same self-assured polish to the delivery. You've worked hard, you've done great, and you've helped a lot of folk - self included - along the way, M. d'Entremont. Congratulations richly deserved - from a cabin a swamp in a rainforest in New Zealand.

[@simon_dentremont]

Wow, thank you!

[@margot6041]

Great tips! I enjoy hearing the birds and seeing those birch and spruce trees so common in Eastern Canada.

[@jvcarvay]

Hi! the whole idea of keeping the background in mind, and moving to the sides and find different options is a big, big take. Thank you!

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sunderrajan05]

Buddy, my love for small birds has grown even more after watching your video,nice tips buddy,thanks

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad to hear that

[@lindagray9276]

Excellent video. Thank you for sharing these tips...I think it’s been very helpful. I’ll look for more of your videos

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks Linda!

[@fstspirit]

Thank You, Simon! Your videos are very motivating and inspiring.

[@joverby11]

When you have a highlight on a tree which is too bright, such as the black throated blue warbler: after taking the desired picture, and before moving your tripod, take a second picture of the tree properly exposed and merge the two images together. ...or manually copy and paste the subject into the properly exposed tree image. Multiple approaches work to make that image something really special. Great videos.

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks for sharing!

[@philipphill9518]

I have recently started using the Merlin app and if you are as bad as I am at recognizing birdsong, it really helps to know what bird you are actually looking for when you hear it singing nearby.

[@tarjeijensen7237]

I have started to put a cheap birdfeeder in a suitable tree or on a stick. I use sunflower seeds in the feeder and rolled oats on the ground. If there is a suitable perch close by, I'll remove the feeder after a while and leave the seed content on the ground. The birds will sit around wondering where the feeder went. This works particularly well if the birds usually lands directly on the feeder. The next project is to paint the feeder so that it is discovered rapidly by the birds.

[@simon_dentremont]

Excellent!

[@markheatherington8367]

Thanks Simon!

[@smartiefox256]

I am so happy I am not the only one prefering small birds over large and iconic ones! Even for a more or less experienced photographer, these tips are a great reminder to think about the setting a little more. 😀 My additional tip would be preparation. If you don't have these amazing 500+mm f4 lenses, just observing the behaviour of the local birds helps so much. If you know where they typically rest/sit, you can position yourself way better and plan the shots. Great video, hope this might get some more people into the wonderful world of tiny birds 🤗 Greetiungs from Germany

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks smatieFox!

[@johnwicks2267]

Thank you , Simon . Very insightful videos . It is time to put your ideas to test.

[@rodge2479]

thanks for sharing your knowledge, just starting out.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad to help

[@eldergeek9416]

Really enjoy your videos, picked up some great tips and hopefully put them to use.

[@ravicholachagudda5912]

Thank you sir. You really make great videos about photography

[@simon_dentremont]

So nice of you

[@plittan]

Thanks for the very useful tutorial. Learning a lot from your channel indeed. Very much appreciated.

[@swapanmandal1658]

Your tips on including some interesting elements along with birds was very useful to me. Thanks a lot.

[@timothylee5824]

I'm always learning something from your videos. Explaining how your eye sees light in the environment is particularly insightful. Thank you for making them!

[@simon_dentremont]

Awesome, thank you! My pleasure!

[@QUARTERBAT]

Yet another great video, with very helpful tips and insight Thanks

[@neilcole3406]

I could watch this stuff all day!

[@paulharding1621]

I love taking pictures of small birds, though they can be difficult to find in good light and suitable angle. Great video, thanks. I use my hand held , Cannon 700D with 70-300 lens.

[@dominykastr]

Inspirational. Every video makes me want to go outside. And so I will :) Thank you.

[@galinswigart]

Love the Black Throated Blue photos. One of my favorite warblers, such cool birds. I have been a hunter and bird watcher for a long time and my full time job is as a photographer and videographer, but just recently combined hobbies and got into bird photography, your channel has been an incredible resource. Thank you for all the helpful info!

[@GrilledTofu]

Breathtaking photos. Wow.

[@simon_dentremont]

Many thanks!

[@CorteMakinVideos]

I've had a love/hate relationship with small bird photography and the first tip I've adopted is auto ISO - this instantly improved my "keepers" - I will now progress to improving backgrounds, lighting effects and hand on exposure compensation dial (I think that's a brilliant idea). I'm looking forward to watching and learning from your range of videos.

[@1997kumar]

Thanks a ton friend. I liked the Auto iso option, which saves time to adjust that part in the different light aspects

[@ashok5591]

I loved all the tips for bird photography.

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks!

[@stefanschneider3681]

Great tips and beautiful photos! Thx! Two things I would mention, but maybe you covered them in "introduction to bird photography": It takes a lot of time and patience outside, but just as much time back home going through the shots, choosing a few good ones, process these and get rid of the rest with ease ☺.

[@teetee5687]

Thank you….very helpful information I will apply to improve my photos.

[@svtcontour]

always excellent content. Thank you.

[@ChrisRenePlaylist]

I am your fan, absolutely. Your videos are beautifully done, the videos and the pictures of the birds are gorgeous and the way you explain is the best. You are a great teacher and I am so glad I found your channel. I also just upgraded from CanonR6 to R5 and love the detail it provides. Each feather and a little feature of the bird is illuminated. I will be watching all your videos for sure. Great job, have a great day.

[@simon_dentremont]

Thank you so much 😀

[@soarpurpose]

Bird photography is my favourite and I've gotten some very pleasing pics from an inexpensive camera. I like to take birds when go for my walks (in places where there tend to be birds).

[@juanitakelly3082]

Great tips augmented by examples. Talking about the background and the light was really helpful to me.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sparkling-starling]

As ultra beginner it helps me to practice by outside dinning areas, where there’re a lot of small birds and they aren’t afraid of people.

[@stevenrubin820]

Simon, thanks for yet another great video. It was nice to get a different perspective. The tip that’s always worked well for me is how you shoot. I also shoot manual with auto iso. I’m using the Canon R5 so typically with my 100-500 so I have the new collar ring (not sure if that’s the tech term but that’s what I call it) set up for changing my exposure compensation. This way I can change the compensation without ever taking my eye off the viewfinder. Truly appreciate your content.

[@johnwatson4429]

You’re my favourite teacher!

[@simon_dentremont]

Wow, thanks!

[@extremedoopy9972]

Your videos have helped me a lot improve my bird photos and fast thank you! Upgraded from a D3200 to a D750 so I wanted to try birds again since my older camera wasn’t great for birding and my new camera had better focusing capabilities and I wanted to utilize my 200-500mm more. Aiming towards birding and portrait photography in tandem. So far I’ve taken photos of Osprey’s, Hairy woodpeckers, Black capped chickadees, waxwing, northern flickers and blue herons. Im up in Alberta so I may try the mountains again soon. Definitely going to keep watching your content!

[@michaelsansom8416]

Another great video. Lots of great tips and suggestions. Thank you Simon.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you enjoyed it Michael!

[@brm209]

Dude, the magnolia warbler picture at 4:21 is amazing

[@chuckcarney2169]

Thanks Simon - another great video. I also did not know exposure compensation was available in manual mode when using Auto ISO. Please keep the videos coming.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jaganpannala8676]

Amazing photography 🙏🙏🙏

[@simon_dentremont]

Thank you so much 😀

[@yvonnebranderhorst7959]

Thank you very much for these wonderful videos full of tips and beautiful example photos. In my eyes you are a craftsman in making beautiful photos. Kind regards from the Netherlands

[@simon_dentremont]

So nice of you

[@ronironi9236]

as usual amazing!!! i take better bird photos tnx to you

[@stephengosda3178]

Great content!!! Love your videos. Keep them coming please

[@annesimons988]

Fabulous video, Simon. Thank you!

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Anne!

[@yoshiperspectives4880]

Wow! Perfect video for me! Literally in the middle of processing my small bird photos as I watch this! Can't wait to see what tips you bring! Always learning great stuff from you!💛

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jenniferdacreativeexplorer]

Thanks Simon for doing these video's. I love your video's. You cover great points. I'm just starting to focus on bird photos and your video's have been great. Thank you! Thank you, Thank you!

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you like them!

[@philipscourfield4585]

Nice video with original content focussed on the environment rather than the camera. I would love to learn more about taking the video that you show.

[@simon_dentremont]

Noted! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gl7TZ6ZomtOEeJosi=eSyKvAa-u_w6vdi4

[@fingerstylefan]

I've followed your work for awhile now and I'm so glad you started doing videos. You're doing a great job with lots of info. Thank you for the work you put into it.

[@simon_dentremont]

Awesome, thank you!

[@lophoto-net]

Another tip for small birds: since their wings generally move faster than those of large ones, increase your shutter speed. Btw, you're one of the best wildlife photography channels I found. Particularly impressive considering that such excellence started from your very first videos. Cheers from Montreal, Canada.

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks Laurent! I actually recorded a whole extra section on settings, but the video was getting too long so I cut it! Lol.

[@grahamfloyd3451]

Imo most bird photographers shoot unnecessarily fast and are sacrificing image quality to gain shutter speed. The optimum photo will have the slowest shutter speed possible that can still freeze the action. Take advantage of all this image stabilization available, pretty important for all the hobbyists who don't have 600mm f4's. Separately but related, what action are you capturing at 1/3200th that isn't sharp at 1/2000th? Even hummingbird photography doesn't need to shoot that fast.

[@Karkawry1970]

@@grahamfloyd3451 That is a fair point, always a thin line though it seems. We want to keep ISO low, but freeze the action at the same time, sometimes this just isn't always possible, so we then look perhaps to get more of an environmental shot

[@simon_dentremont]

Graham Floyd thats true in many cases, but at 1/2000 using a 500mm lens and 1.4x teleconverter I can still get movement on fast action like birds taking off or birds flipping food before the swallow.

[@verdaguerjaypee]

Love you videos! Thanks for the tips!

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you like them!

[@Matthews_Media]

Great tips!!

[@cditfurth]

Very, very good. Thank you.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you liked it!

[@GulfCoastInspired]

Thank you for the wonderful tips and ideas. I've learned so much from your videos!

[@simon_dentremont]

Welcome!

[@lvds5910]

Great video with some great tips! Have one other tip: while overcast weather isn't great for most bird photography, it works wonderfully for these small birds in my opinion!

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks for sharing! I agree. Much better overcast than bright sun.

[@randyschwager84]

Super advice! Thanks!

[@skywalkerair]

Outstanding presentation. Thank you!

[@FollowThomas]

Getting eye level is a good tip. It's like getting down for small kids. I like the next tip too to add some environment to the photo. I keep auto ISO on too, there is no time to change it often. Great video, thanks 👍

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks for sharing!! Welcome!

[@RodneyGmusic]

you have a great channel and your approach to education is excellent. Photography is a new hobby to me, but your tips and suggestions have certainly helped. thank you

[@simon_dentremont]

Welcome aboard!

[@attiksystem]

Great video, thank you. Very useful tips on how to manage light, subject & background in wildlife photography.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@eugeneho8879]

Thanks for these useful tips! I hv a humble sony rx10 m4 n i had been taking pics of birds close to a yr now. Your bite-sized yet detailed vids had been my go-to instructions for an easy to understand pro guide to taking better pics each time...

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kennylim136]

Thanks Simon, finally subscribed. Your video often reminds me not to go for boring "bird-on-a -stick" composition. After saying that, like you, I happen to love chasing smaller birds with my Nikon 1 v2/300mm pf f4 combo like Verdin, gnatcatchers, Kinglets, and Warblers. Thanks for sharing!

[@simon_dentremont]

Welcome aboard!

[@six66red14]

Merci pour ces conseils et très belle photo.

[@simon_dentremont]

de rien!