Birds in Flight

Nikon Z9 with Z 100-400 zoom at 300 mm. 1/1200 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400

This Dark-eyed junco is a fine looking winter visitor to our feeders. But, how can we make this little guy into a better more attractive image. We realize that in photography, we are taking a two-dimensional medium be it photographic paper or a screen and trying to illustrate three-dimensions and action through electronic imagery. This is much easier to achieve when using video, but the real challenge is in conveying action and multi-dimensional events in a still photograph. Well, if your subject is sedentary, your task is almost impossible. You can’t convey action where there IS NO action! So, be patient and wait him out until he presents you with a better opportunity to make the image dynamic.

In a short period of time, my junco had enough “down-time” and decided it was time to move on. I had the camera on him the entire time and was ready to capture his escape using a feature on the camera known as Pre-Burst. This increases the reaction time of the camera so that in the split second it takes for the bird to take flight, you have already been capturing the initial moments of his flight. Now the image is much more interesting and tells a “story” which the viewer can relate to more easily.

Tech Tip - When anticipating the “launch” of a perched bird, make sure you have the camera focused on the bird’s present position and that you are in the “C” or “Continuous” mode. If your camera has a “3D” focus function, it is wise to try that as well. Your best chance is if you have a “Pre-Burst” mode as mentioned above. Be advised that more often than not, the bird is quicker than the camera or the photographer, so much of your success will be the result of good fortune. “If at first you don’t succeed….” is sound advice when trying to get a decent image of a bird in flight (Especially small birds!)