Nature Photography How To

Bird photography is a lot of fun, even if your don't consider yourself a wildlife expert. A variety of colorful species abound throughout the year and they're very easy to find at a local park, nature center, or even in the comfort of your own backyard.

One common challenge faced by beginners occurs when photographing birds against bright sky backgrounds, and this holds true when the subject is resting atop a tall tree, or more specifically, flying quickly overhead  But rest assured that the method's you'll in today's tutorial will help you handle this familiar task with ease.

Instructor Mario Kilian is a globetrotting pro and a nature photography specialist with a particular fondness for birds. He frequently posts straightforward tutorials to help inexperienced shooters refine their skills by taking advantage of what he's learned in the past.

Kilian insists that anyone can capture stunning, detailed images of birds if they employ the techniques revealed below. He summarizes the lesson like this: "these four tip will take your bird photography to the next level by understanding how to manage lighting and exposure to achieve those crisp-and-clear images of birds with bright skies in the background."

The video begins with a quick overview of how a camera's light meter works to measure light reflected by a scene in a way that provides a "correct" exposure of "average" subjects; namely, those with a value of medium gray. That's why the meter is often fooled when a bright sky lies behind a subject that only occupies a small area within the frame. You'll also learn how specific camera modes factor into the equation—even if you're using Manual mode with Auto  ISO.

Hence, the typical problem occurs when you key subject is significantly underexposed because the meter was biased by an expansive sky, rather than targeting your key subject—namely the bird. Kilian covers a lot of ground in a hurry so you may want to jot down a few notes for future reference

Kilian breaks down his tips into four categories, the first of which is the technical aspect of configuring camera settings correctly. He then explains how to deal with different kinds of light, followed by simple tips for processing Raw files for the best possible results while retaining a realistic look.

The video concludes with the important (but oft-ignored) aspect of infusing images with your artistic vision so they stand out from the crowd. Why? "Because you are the Creative Director for each of your photo." This fact is emphasized often in other instructional videos on Kilian's popular YouTube channel.

Be sure not to miss the unique tutorial we featured recently with another accomplished pro who demonstrates when and how to to zoom your lens during long exposures to capture handheld photographs with attention-grabbing effects.