What's RUINING Your BIRD Photography? PART 3

The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/stefanoianirowildlife0...
Part three of What's Ruining Your Bird Photography? Today's episode is the Stefano Edition. Which is revolved around issues that I had in my first year of bird photography. Many of these issues are focused on techniques and mindset. Hope you enjoy the video and pick up some helpful tips! Happy Birding!
What's Ruining Your Bird Photography?
Check out Part 1 here: • What's RUINING Your Bi...
Check out Part 2 here: • What's RUINING Your Bi...
Check out Part 4 here: • What's RUINING Your Bi...
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Table of Contents
0:00 - Intro
0:47 - Global Adjustments
1:49 - Technique Issues
4:10 - Bird Calls
4:47 - Same Photos
7:40 - Time Away From the Camera

[@StefanoIaniro]

The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/stefanoianirowildlife03211

[@n-rajesh]

“It’s not the gear that’s the problem, it’s you”. Oh boy! You’re just killing it with the honesty in this one Stefano! Great video 👌🏽

[@StefanoIaniro]

Haha thank you! I thought it'd be helpful since I was in the same boat and wasted so much time focusing on gear instead of just improving my techniques/field craft/mindset.

[@jeetdas3173]

The fact that you give us tips from your own lifelessons to help us improve our bird photography is testimony to the great photographer that you are. I m sure your youtube channel will blow up soon. Thanks for always making an effort to help us understand and analyse the nature which we want to photographs. Cheers from India!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much for the kind words! And thanks for watching 😊

[@DanBris]

that last waxwing bath clip is so good

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you! 😀

[@kilohotel6750]

I was going through my Lightroom catalog not long ago and was amazed at how bad my photos were from 5 years ago. It’s all part of the learning process.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Definitely! And no matter how good you think you are now, in a few years when you look back at your photos from today, you'll be surprised at how far you've come. Always fun to dig through old memories!

[@SkylarkFields]

The tips you gave are really helpful. I have fallen into all those 'bad' habits without even realising it! (You could have been describing my photography!!) I shall be looking harder at what I do and how I do it now, bearing in mind your excellent advice. And hopefully my bird and wildlife images will begin to improve! Thank you so much for this.

[@msyuan1124]

For me, probably the best bird photography tips video out there. Every one of your mistakes rang true with me. I’ve already begun to change before seeing this, but this video captures what I had discovered. I just wish I’d begun to break out of these bad “habits” earlier. Where were you 20 years ago? Thank you.

[@taekode]

You're so helpful and concise. You give me hope (lol) and I love how much your respect the birds! Thanks Stefano!

[@stephenelderphoto]

Thanks for some really useful tips Stefano. This is the true value of education - getting to learn from the experiences of someone who has already made mistakes and learned from them. Awesome!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! Really happy to help 🙂

[@pliccut]

I agree with your comment about knowing bird calls. Especially the common birds. If I don’t recognize the call immediately, then I’ll continue my “hunt”.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Yes, it's such an important piece to the puzzle! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@dumbarsechippy]

I’ve found you don’t need to know all the calls... you just need to recognise anything that’s different.... if it’s unfamiliar then it’s something new

[@pliccut]

@@dumbarsechippy Yep. Pretty much what I said.

[@lilanedaria]

I commend you for your series of insightful videos on wildlife photography. While I am a beginner, it is obvious that you speak from experience, and your recommendations seem full of common sense. Thank you

[@eerofi]

Excellent content and well presented, thank you! Plus the photos and videos look great. This might be my favourite channel for bird photography now.

[@StefanoIaniro]

That really means a lot, thank you!!

[@fillyphotos]

There really is SO MUCH to know passively during our photography outings. Learned a few things to kick myself with while I'm out there to make my sping birding much better! Thanks for this dude 👍

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you found it helpful! There really are many small decisions we need to make that compound throughout an outing. Thanks for watching

[@neildbarker]

Thanks for the great tips and I am breaking some of those habits. Mostly about planting my feet and ignoring things like branches in front of the subject. Sometimes, when I come across a bird like a Cedar Waxwing or others that tend to hide in hedges, I'm so happy and focused on the find that I forget to position myself for a clear shot. Going to work on those habits and focus more on maneuvering around for a clearer photo of the subject. Thanks again for sharing. Also, that pic of the Waxwing and the detail on the wings was really impressive.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! I still get that too, especially with a new species. I get excited and just start taking photos. But luckily, I'm a lot quicker now at realizing I need to better position myself. Back in the day I'd only realize once I got home and looked at the photos. 😅

[@Burer900]

I never comment on videos I like, enjoy or find helpful/interesting, etc. That being said, these videos are AMAZING and highly recommend anyone starting on this one to watch the other two. Literally turned me from an armature to a professional almost overnight.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Check out Part 1 here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIeVfWB3eax0isk Check out Part 2 here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWfJk3-KgbqAn6s Check out Part 4 here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHOpmXtso8qXgqc

[@Jace0241]

Your content is truly excellent. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@StephaanBOSS56]

You're absolutely right.

[@PascalDickhoff]

youre doing great stuff! THANK YOU :)

[@gojoe36]

I would say the BACKGROUND is the most important part of the photo. I have shot a lot of bird photos and every photo I have ever taken or ever seen has 1 thing that makes it GREAT....a good background. I focus more on that than anything else. Good tips for sure in this video 👍

[@StefanoIaniro]

The background really is what could make or break a photo! Another common term is "seeing through" your subject to the background. Which is a great way of putting it. Glad you enjoyed 🙂

[@Maxime_Ouellet]

Thank you so much for these great tips Stefano, have a nice day 😃!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed, same to you!

[@Diomedes642]

Your videos are exceptional thank you !

[@charlottedavies9379]

Great advice! Thanks Stefano 😊

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed, thanks! 😁

[@rosalieadlam9647]

Thanks for the excellent tips and great presentation.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed 🙂

[@fernandoish9194]

One minute in and I already agree! I know how to edit at a very basic level but as the years passed I’ve started to isolate the subject from the background more and more. Most of the times I end up selecting the subject and creating a layer just so I can edit them differently (brightness, contrast, colors and focus). If you do things properly before getting to the editing part you should have a nice soft and out of focus background and a bird standing out, so selecting the subject only takes a minute.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Very true! The editing process becomes much more time consuming when I mess up in the field. I find thinking of how you'll edit a photo while you take it also helps in getting a better final result.

[@ploverlittle532]

Love your don't plant your feet / cement feet tip!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@CarolineOrdHume]

Great tips. Thank you!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Happy to hear you enjoyed them. Thank you!

[@commenter8640]

Most USEFUL video EVER !

[@1985svk]

Very much thanks to you for guidance

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed 🙂

[@ggabovich]

Exellent video. Thank you!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks for watching 🙂

[@liv4swells]

Really good tips!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much 🙂

[@willrossiter5656]

Thank you so much this was so helpful!!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Happy to hear! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@Mencheperure]

I can agree to all of that and after two years(!) of doing basic bird photography I am now in that phase where I start to do quality over quantity and its really difficult because obviously you compare yourself to talented people like you are and get so frustrated. But its cool to hear that also really talented people started off at a different spot than where they are now. Gives me hopes I can do it as well.

[@StefanoIaniro]

You definitely will! It's always fun to look back on your old work and see how far you've come!

[@Jarvisltc]

Super great content! Still my fav creator on KZbin! =DDDD

[@UConn140point6]

Great content, thank you!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks for watching 🙂

[@Preacherski]

Great tips.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@filmowiec_tv]

Great shots 📷 Good job 👍

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much 🙂

[@Richcovephoto]

Great vid and great tips. It would be really great if you could do a series of Lightroom tutorials sharing your techniques. Thanks for you hard work putting these vids together.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed! And I'll keep that in mind, thanks! 🙂

[@rodrigofossati]

yesss!!!! getting out of the safety!!!

[@rijutapandey9140]

I have been watching your videos lately and they are amazing. All the experiences that you've shared here are so relatable since I am a beginner. I fixate on my bird and care less about the background but the thing is some birds don't stay even for 2 seconds on a branch. I have a very basic camera Canon 1500D with 55-250 mm lens. So it is hard to let that bird go for a proper blurred background. What do you suggest for this? Should I observe first and wait? Like for Oriental White Eye. It tends to hide into the leaves and branches, at least where I have seen them like in parks.

[@cindyskidgel383]

Great observations and tips! I'm still doing a lot of them, so I am glad to hear these. Do you think you will become a Skillshare teacher someday? Perhaps you have some tips on shooting speedy insectivores/warblers for a future video. That is probably a case of observation to notice favorite perches, etc., but there are so many leaves and branches in the way. They're speedy, hard to follow and find in the viewfinder. I've found that I finally enjoy spring before leaf-out for finding and shooting birds. Thanks and I enjoy your channel, Stefano!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you! That would definitely be interesting, possibly! I'm hoping I'll be able to do a bunch of videos photographing insectivores since I'll actually be making videos/doing photography in the summer. They're my favorite group of birds, so I'd love to focus on them 😄

[@SkyWalk27]

Hey! Great video. Thanks for the tips! I was wondering if you could create a video showing how you organize all your photos. I’m curious how you do it!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed! Honestly the way I organize my photos needs some work. My system works for me but it's not very practical. I need to set aside some time to figure out a better workflow for that!

[@rogerindr]

just,,, thank you!

[@PeterLariviere1]

I do think I solved my "planted feet" problem with gear! I have been shooting with a Sigma 150-400 which means i find a spot and then adjust the zoom as needed but I also don't move. I just got a Canon 300 f4 and on my first afternoon out with it felt I was moving around a lot more. I wonder if prime telefotos are not a good tool to force a photographer to move and zooms can make us a bit lazy?? Another great video. Really enjoying the quality content you produce.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Very true! I do think a prime forces you to move more. Thinking to when I do macro, I'm constantly moving and shifting. I think it's still easy to fixate on the subject with a prime or zoom. So either way we need to be moving around to get a cleaner shot or better composition with both types of lenses, but like you said I think a prime makes us more conscious of that. Really glad you enjoyed 🙂

[@CarlosBenjamin]

If you could, link things below the video (like the bird call apps). That way people can just click a link instead of pausing the video and writing them down. Pausing the video obscures them with thumbnails of other videos, so you have to move those out of the way, and then (in my case) turn off closed captioning before I can even see your list. It’ll help make your videos more user friendly. You’re already doing timestamping, and this would be more useful than that to some of us. Thanks. Just discovered you recently, and enjoy your content.

[@jacewesleybrasher337]

Thank you so much for all the videos. You inspired me to buy a sony a7r ii and the 200-600mm lens. It was by far my best decision ever. Keep the videos coming. Thank you so much!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you found the video helpful! Enjoy the new setup 🙂

[@jacewesleybrasher337]

@@StefanoIaniro will do! One thing that I have loved on your channel is the tropical bird photography and vlogs. I know it's hard to travel right now but I hope to see more of those soon!

[@StefanoIaniro]

@@jacewesleybrasher337 When travel is open I'll spend half the year in Canada and half the year travelling for bird photography. Can't wait to visit new locations and film videos documenting everything 😁

[@gossedejong9248]

great!!!!!

[@JeffWeymier]

Great content. Do you offer workshops. I’d love to do some shooting with you and pick your brain on some things like the a7R4. I tried a higher megapixel camera before but the images didn’t seem to have that pop of detail I thought they would.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! No, I don't have any workshops or meetups. Sorry!

[@ykchannel1370]

what lens do you use?

[@pablom463]

What camera under $1000 and lense do you reccomend?

[@BralioPT]

i can relate to all this , specially thinking that my gear is not the best , when is more than capable , i plank my feet as well and dont move. Using a Nikon d750 + 200-500 mm which is more than capable

[@StefanoIaniro]

Definitely! I've seen some incredible results with the 200-500!

[@BralioPT]

@@StefanoIaniro but the most relatable thing on this video is the editing 🤣🤣 as soon I heard that and the camera gear I was like , yup this video is for me

[@StefanoIaniro]

Haha editing really is a whole other beast! 😅

[@iMax1890]

Hi Stefano! Excellent tips!!! Thank you so much! They are really useful. I have some technical questions for you: do you use the A7RIV in Hi+, Hi or Medium? The other doubt: when taking these shots using 1/500 or less (1/250, 1/125, etc.) how many pictures are in focus vs the total pictures of a particular scene? I have the same combo and trying to make my bird photography a little better with it 🙏 I’ve recently got a monopod and this helped a lot! Thanks in advance for your response! Kind regards!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Hey, so glad you enjoyed the video! I never use Hi+, I'm always on Hi. Under 1/500, if I had to give a global average, I'd say 50% hit rate. 1/250 to 1/500 averages around 70-75%, and when I get to those really low shutter speeds like 1/60th, I average around 25-30%. Having a support can definitely help. I find also sometimes backing off to 400-500mm can produce a better hit rate. I recently noticed that shooting static subjects in silent shooting mode gave me some good results, too. There are downsides to using silent shooting, but as long as the subject isn't moving too much, you can get away with it.

[@iMax1890]

@@StefanoIaniro thank you so much Stephano! Truly appreciated! Keep your amazing work up! Cheers!

[@StefanoIaniro]

@@iMax1890 No problem!

[@jeffkingsfield1461]

Exited to be one of the first 30 views. Keep them coming!!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoy, thank you!

[@fixitright9709]

This belted Kingfisher I have come to know down by the creek is definitely a creature of habit, I know every Perche he uses but as soon as he sees me, he will become completely unpredictable

[@StefanoIaniro]

They certainly are shy birds!

[@fixitright9709]

@@StefanoIaniro yes they are shy, got a halfway decent photo yesterday at UNF of one skimming across the lake. Signed up at eBird yesterday, and your 'Edge effect' tutorial it's something I practice for years without even knowing its scientific application, thanks for all your videos, very informative.

[@mykolapinchuk]

what brand camoflauge clothing are you wearning for wildlife photography??

[@StefanoIaniro]

This is the Browning BTU-WD Parka. It's a double layer winter coat. First layer insulating, second layer shell. Quite nice!

[@masteryoda2268]

I was wondering where are you shooting in Montréal or close (Park open space etc)

[@StefanoIaniro]

I haven't been shooting much in Montreal lately. But I like the nature park in Ile Bizzard, the Morgan Arboretum, and Pointe-aux-Prairies always seems to have a few very interesting species pop up every year.

[@madhurema3332]

Supreb..ur vedioues 😍

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@SlyHatchet]

Any Idea how one could get there hands on the Thayer Birding Software? its appears to have gone free but they also appear to have closed. :/

[@StefanoIaniro]

Oh strange, I see what you mean. I checked the link recently when I edited this video and it was working. I hope it's just temporary and the site comes up again. That's a bummer 😕

[@garybrown9719]

I like shooting ducks so getting a different sense is going to help

[@StefanoIaniro]

Definitely! So much can change by slightly adjusting perspectives when shooting waterfowl.

[@arghyabanerjee2253]

Sir can u pls make two videos on my request : 1. As a tour guide and where to stay and to photograph birds in Ecuador 2. Photoshop tutorial for editing to get those bright bird colours coz everytime i edit my photos they become much dull instead of bright

[@StefanoIaniro]

Hey! I have a video on my channel of where I stayed in Mindo, Ecuador. I've only been once to Ecuador, so beyond that video I can't really give much more info. And I do plan on making more editing videos in the future 🙂

[@arghyabanerjee2253]

@@StefanoIaniro thank u sir so much ✌️

[@devikanilangani9590]

Hey Stefano, great video as usual. I have some birds around my neighborhood (they're not rare). We have a lot of trees too. What can I do to attract those birds? I want them to come to my garden since I want to do birding at home. The usual birds; White-throated kingfisher Black naped oriole Yellow-billed babler Red vented bulbul Oriental magpie-robbin Common tailor bird Thanks and i would appreciate your help. :)

[@StefanoIaniro]

Really glad you enjoyed! Wow, that's a great list of garden birds. The fact you have some trees is a great start. That will help provide shelter/cover. I'm not too familiar with these exact species, but based on the different groups, it seems like you have a pretty good diversity in terms of diet. So probably your best bet would be to provide a water station/bird bath. Water is the universal attractant so if you can set something up for them, I think that would be the simplest way to try to target all of them. What I'd recommend is keep the water source in the shade of your trees, so the water stays cooler throughout the day. Then I'd set up some lower down perches for them to land on before going into the water. Birds are vulnerable when bathing, so if you keep the bath near the safety of a larger tree or some bushes that they could fly into if need be, that will also make it more enticing for them to use. If you can get some type of flow to the water station, like trickling water, that will help attract more birds since they're often searching for fresh, flowing water sources. Besides that, I'd suggest doing a deep dive into their diets and whether or not they have any affinities to specific plants, flowers, trees, etc. If they do, you could plant some of those and that will also give you a better chance at getting these birds around long term. Hope this helps! It's hard to say what will work with 100% certainty since I haven't worked with these species before.

[@devikanilangani9590]

@@StefanoIaniro Thank you so much Stefano. This helped me a lot. Also the reason you are not familiar with these birds is because I'm from Sri Lanka and these birds are mostly common in South Asia. I'm gonna try this tomorrow.... Happy birding :)

[@StefanoIaniro]

I'll definitely be visiting that area sometime in the future. Goodluck!!

[@devikanilangani9590]

@@StefanoIaniro You should. We have some lovely birds here.

[@twiztedzero1685]

Eventually I'm going to have to find myself a partner with sharp ears, because that's the one thing I don't get to have in my toolbox.

[@StefanoIaniro]

I feel like the same idea can be applied to visual ID, as well. If a bird can't be visually identified either by its markings or behavior, then it would be the same thing of chasing common species accidentally. I'll admit this happened to me on many occasions where I would accidentally chase the more drab female birds thinking it was a different species haha 😅

[@whitepineoutdoors2362]

People’s judgement 😂

[@StefanoIaniro]

Hahaha, best comment 😂

[@jeffkingsfield1461]

Woohoo. First 30 viewers!!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Haha thanks for watching! 😀

[@thisisme1999]

I have enjoyed some of your videos quite a bit but your comment at the 8 minute mark is wrong. As a bird photographer I spend way more time observing the actions of birds than any lister who just goes out to collect a species. Bird listers for the most part are just concerned with numbers of species seen. A bird photographer spends as much time with the bird as it will permit without creating a negative situation for the bird. We tend to have a much greater understanding of the bird than most birders. That is not to say there are not exceptions, as there certainly are. There are birders who go out and do study the bird and it's behavior but they tend to have a more Ornithologist's background. Just as there unethical bird photographers who will do most anything to get a great shot, including putting both the bird and themselves in negative situations. When you make sweeping comments like that you create stereotypes which are just not accurate. Just like the common comment about "crazy birders" yes some birder lovers are a little overly passionate about their subject but they are no more crazy than a football or hockey fan.

[@foljs5858]

What's ruining my bird photography? It's mostly "birds" calling the police on me! (it's funnier if you're from the UK)

[@silvere36]

Good content. Only wish it wasn't interrupted by AI many ads! I had to view 6 ads!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed! And 6 is crazy, I'll have to look into that. I had it set to YT deciding ad placement, they may have added a bunch. Sorry!

[@Wightzebra]

Great clickbait title, didn't even watch the video

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks for clicking 😄

[@Wightzebra]

@Joj Washinton Good for you!