How to Capture Bird Images

In response to a few.. ok several friends asking me to teach how to take photos of birds, I have started this blog to share my experience. But I will lay it down now, I am NOT an expert in Avian photography and everything I will write down here will come from me and me alone. If it works for you, great! If it doesn't turn out the way you wished it would, well there is not much I can do about that. You can however, post sample images that you have taken, provide some shooting info and I will do my best to see what went wrong.

Today I will start at where I think anyone should start... from the heart.

Bird photography, for me, has many forms. It can be a sport, a hobby, a simple way of relaxation or maybe a way to earn a living. Whatever it may be for you, what I think should be there first and foremost is a genuine love for birds.

Capturing birds in pictures is no easy feat IF you love and respect them. Because if you do, you will de everything you can without disturbing them or making them feel uncomfortable. If you go to the extent of catching a bird just to photograph it, then your love, in my opinion is questionable.

Skills needed. Of course to be able to photograph a bird, you need to be able to find them. This is not an easy task and takes a lot of practice. So be patient if you cannot spot birds at once. Here are some tips:

1. Pick a bird, read up about it particularly its diet and habitat. This way, you can go to a place that resembles the habitat, see if there are trees or insects that your 'target' likes to eat, and it is almost guaranteed that the bird will be there.
2. Go to a habitat and shoot whatever bird you see. :)

This will be all as the introduction. I will post about the gear you will need next.