Home Forums Gear Photography Tips for capturing birds in flight

I saw a great image the other day here on the forum with some birds taking off and it captured some of the movement of the wings as well in a few birds. I thought I would share some tips on capturing birds in flight. I teach some classes at some of the larger birding festivals and the birds in flight classes tend to be the ones in most demand.

First decide on your gear. I use the Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD lens on an APS body, either the Nikon D7200 or the Canon 7Dii. I will sometimes handhold the camera utilizing the VC feature of the lens. When I do, I use a strap attached to the lens collar to reduce stress on the lens mount. I prefer to use either a monopod or a tripod with a Gimbal head for steady panning when desired.
Secondly decide on whether you want to shoot for slight movement in the birds or do you want to freeze the action? When I am shooting birds in flight I am preferring to shoot either in manual mode or shutter priority. If I want to get some movement I will shoot at shutter speeds slower than 1/60th of a second, preferably around 1/15th of a second. In shutter priority, the camera will choose the proper aperture to gain the correct exposure. In manual mode, I choose both which is fine in constant light. I am able to utilize a lower ISO as well since I am wanting a slower shutter speed. If I want to stop movement, I utilize the same modes but I will try to get shutter speeds upwards of 1/250th of a second. In order to do that sometimes the ISO will have to be pushed higher. I often select Auto ISO so the camera makes the adjustment as needed.

When you desire the taking off with slight movement, knowing the subject’s behavior can be critical. Birds will often give indications they are preparing to take flight. With Cranes, they will lean into the direction they are taking off. With birds of prey, they often “lighten their load” before they launch.

Hopefully these quick little tips will help some in your attempts to capture birds in flight. Please share some images in the thread. The great rebates continue until February 29, 2016 on the Tamron lenses like $120 on the Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD lens. Time to give Mark or Joel a call up at Camera Land and get one ordered!

The below images were made using the Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD lens on a Nikon D7200