Bird Photography Near Feeders

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Bird Photography Near Feeders

A Guest Post by Lithuanian Photographer Tadas Naujokaitis.

Bird photography is quite difficult because birds don't do what a photographer wants. Moreover, it's often hard to get close to them. And when you have more experience in photography, you realize that it's even more difficult to take a good bird photo, because you need a good background and a beautiful environment. However, there are a number of ways you can improve the bird photos you take. In this article, I'll explain some tips on photographing birds near feeders.

The place

The place is the first thing you need to consider. You need to decide what bird species you want to photograph, and work out where you'll find that kind of bird.

Depending on your location, even your backyard can be a great place for a feeder to attract the species you're after. I wanted to photograph forest birds, so I chose a local forest. I searched for the exact place in that forest quite a long time—mainly, I needed to consider the background, and the amount and direction of the light that reached the feeder.

Ideally, your location will have a smooth background (when I search for a background, I use manual focusing at ~4m and take many test shots) and enough light. I've found it's best when the sunshine reaches the feeder in early morning. Also, be sure to ask for a permission to feed and photograph the birds if you are not the land owner.

The hide

Once you've worked out the exact place where you'll put your feeder, you need a hide. I recommend using a permanent hide, because birds will understand it as a part of environment, and you won't need to set it up and then wait while the birds get used to it each time you decide to take photos.

You can build the hide from whatever you like—even an old door can be very useful. I built my hide from the branches I found in the area. It required a bit more work, and it isn't waterproof, but I didn't want to use expensive materials because there is always the risk that your hide can be damaged by other people if you don't build it in your own backyard.

One more thing to note: the hide should be large enough for you to stay in it comfortably, because you may spend many hours in it. This is how my hide looks:

The feeder...

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