Nature Photography How To

The great thing about bird photography is that you can often make amazing images in your backyard if you don’t have a nature preserve nearby. In the video below you’ll learn five easy tips for shooting captivating photographs of birds, whether you’re at home or shooting in the field.

Nikon Ambassador Kristi Odom is an acclaimed bird photographer and filmmaker based in Longmont, Colorado. Part of what makes her work so special is that she’s very respectful of wildlife and knows how to capture emotion in her images.

In the episode below from B&H Photo Video, Odom provides five pro tips in less than five minutes that will elevate your bird photos beyond the typical wildlife portrait. And her advice is so easy to follow you can head outside and give it a try today,

Odom’s first tip is one that’s often overlooked by wildlife photographers; namely, “Do everything you can to become familiar with your subjects.” This important suggestion holds true whether you’re photographing birds or other wildlife subjects, and merely involves doing a bid a research before you go out to shoot.

Once you understand a bit about the behavior of your subjects, their feeding patterns, and how they interact with each other, great images are easier to predict and capture. Odom’s second suggestion is what she calls “flocking on your own.” This tip is useful when shooting in the field when several photographers are gathered in one spot because of an interesting scene.

By walking away from the group and shooting on your own, you may just find a unique scene that’s even more compelling, with subjects that are less skittish than those facing a crowd of photographers. As you’ll see, Odom captured one of her favorite images by taking this approach.

Odom’s other tips involve respecting wildlife in the field for more ethical photography, why shooting in rain or snow presents unique opportunities, and understanding your camera and the most appropriate settings to choose.

You can view a selections of Odom’s amazing work by visiting her website, and find more helpful tips and tricks on the B&H Photo Video YouTube channel.