How to Photograph Birds Against Bright Sky
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- Download my Photo Guide to Birds in Flight: koji.to/k/9vbB
How to Photograph Birds Against Bright Sky. In this photography tutorial I show you how to avoid underexposed images when photographing birds against the sky. I give you three techniques to help you obtain correct exposure and overcome this common problem.
Filmed with Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500.
Equipment: Canon 1DX Mark i, Canon 400mm f5.6 lens
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well done! fantastic images. thank! Paul.
Thank you, you gave me some great ideas here for exposure.
Having just moved into the world of DSLR camera's (Canon 80D) This has been just so helpful. Many thanks, and I know this info will improve my chances of a good shot.
Hi Steve. Lovely feedback, many thanks. It's nice to know my videos help with those who are newer to nature photography.
I love your tutorials. I find them so helpful as Im new to bird photography. Thank you
Many thanks Lorraine! Glad I can help.
Exactly what I was after thank you
Absolutely wonderful tips... Thanks...
Much appreciated Rao. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Red kite photo!!!! Wow!
cool, i was wondering why i was getting two lines on the exposure meter, didn't know the * button did that :) (new camera)
Your videos are so helpful - thank you!!👍
You're very welcome Elizabeth. Thanks very much for the feedback!
Nice advice thanks Paul. Graham 🕊🦜
Very helpful and clear video. I am just starting to try and achieve success with bird photography. Knowledge of your camera, settings along with determination and videos like this, you never know perhaps one day. Thanks.
Thank you, I do appreciate that Michael. All the best.
Thanks Paul,found this very helpful
That's great. Every situation is different but hopefully this helps some people out a little.
Fantastic shot of red kite , great tips thanks .
Thanks Debs. Nice to hear from you again.
Thank you sir❤️
Very nicely done sir.
Thanks for great tips & explanation
Very much appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Tnx again 👌
Great video nice
Great video thank you
Thank you Rod.
One technique I use all the time for BIF is bracketing with exposure compensation. Anywhere from two to five settings, depending of how variable the sky is. More effort in post processing, but it can save the day when an incorrect setting is unrecoverable even when using raw files. Similar approach when shooting white egrets against a dark background, where three negative exposure compensation values covers a range to get you just the right photo. Works great also for Bald Eagles, to not over exposure the white head against a bright sky. 🦅🦅🦅
Thanks for sharing your valuable techniques Joseph.
A very useful explanation Paul. I've set my 7D2 and 5D4 up to use the AE lock hold funtion as I've been getting some onconsitent results either blown highlights or blocked shadows. I generally use auto iso with centre weighted average metering. Would I be better using evaluative metering. The video you posted earlier really only covered spot and evalutive metering so I'd like a bit more explanation of all the metering modes if possible. Great videos and I'm learning a lot so thanks.
Dont use centre weighted because at the moment of exposure your bird wont always be right in the centre. Use evaluative always.
Kite pics a winner! Great vid bud...
Thanks very much!
Great video Paul
Cheers Adrian.
Thanks for doing this................
You’re welcome Robin.
Great info,👍
Thank you.
A great mode on modern sony alpha camera, Large spot focus linked to focus point. Works great on my side, when bird is in focus the shutter releases (if set to shutter priority) and exposure is measured around the bird and the bird itself depening on how close the bird is.
instablaster
I also use that
Bellissime foto!
Thank you!
I’d love to use manual but I can only use one arm. Even using a tripod is a process. My neighbors know me as the cursing photographer. Thanks for the tips.
If your shooting bald eagles or other birds with lots of white, I have found that using spot or center weighted metering and a single focus point or as small of an area as you can get away with works great if you meter for the whites, other wise I have found that you will end up with no detail in the white feathers
Thanks for sharing your technique. I guess spot metering is o.k. if the bird fills the frame enough.. and a bald eagle is pretty big!
@@PaulMiguelPhotography spot metering is great for birds, especially if you have highlight weighted spot metering(spot meters but wont let highlights get blown out). I hear what you're saying about "what if" you can't keep that af point on it but you should mention in the videos that is a limitation mostly on Canon camera's (aka no af spot metering, except on 1dx models). For example, every Nikon I've ever used from the bottom d3XXX up has this available.
The benefit is that you're metering off the bird or animal and nothing else.
Not bashing Canon just saying as a tutorial for all they should learn/know what features like that they are getting and if it's important to them.
Excellent explanation! How can you see on the histogram if the exposure is better when photographing black birds (cormorants, in flight) with a blue sky?
With black birds you really need to overexpose a little so I would aim for the histogram more to the right than usual
Im a wildlife photographer from Pakistan..... I either get overexposed or underexposed pics in situations like this
Great video with informative suggestions
this photo of the eagle is spectacular with very good detail, you can give me an opinion, I have a cropped 7d 18mpxls doesn’t compare to yours, of course, and I have a 70/200 2.8 lens which the lens with 2x extender only in height I lose the details of the bird that advises me and if the 7d Markll is a good option 6Dmarkll ??, thanks for your videos here in Portugal a hug
Personally I don't think extenders work as well with zoom lenses, but it will get you closer. 7D mark ii excellent camera. 6D I do not know much about.
its complicated what if its a dull day i was going to use spot when you sat pius one is that one click or one stop
You could do that, personally i prefer evaluative metering. It’s one full stop... as a rough guide.
I'll try the exposure compensation next time the Red Kite appears..
Thanks body thumbs up for you
Many thanks.
what tripod are you using with the slide plate head and what head are you using with the tripod
It depends which video you are watching. I'm using a Manfrotto fluid head now - on an Induro CT404 tripod.
Thanks for this great explanation! I tried to photograph a flying eagle against clear, blue sky, but somehow it was fully surounded by a violett blur on the image. Do you know what I have done wrong? (1/500s, f 5,6; ISO 100; 300mm)
It's difficult to know. Possibly it's the quality of lens?
@@PaulMiguelPhotography So it was not due to the wrong camera settings?
It’s either chromatic aberration (colour fringing) or your white balance was wrongly set. Difficult to diagnose without the photo.
The AE lock on my 80d shows the asterisk in the viewfinder, but following the first shot the asterisk disappears. Does that mean I’ve lost exposure?
Yes, if the asterisk goes away it will mean the exposure isn't locked any more. I think this was the default position on my camera. I had to go into menus and set it to stay, until I pressed it again.
Difficulty is AF on the bird on a blue sky. My lens is continuous hunting to focus. MF is not fast enough. I tried singel as wel multiple focusing points. Do you have tips about this?
Not sure, if you've tried both single and multiple focus points.. The main factor I think is the lens.
What camera brand are you using? I am a bird photographer with a D850 400mm 2.8 fl combination and tend to use group autofocus. I don't shoot in aperture priority , I prefer manual with auto iso.
blheron I agree with you. I prefer to use Manual + Auto ISO too.
When I go out, I’d like to capture a large bird in blue sky so I set high ISO so as not to get sillouette & fast SS but I wait a long time, at times a bird may come to the park trees& all my settings are useless bc park trees are dark background, I use tripod bc I can only use one arm so manual is out. I’m literally wrestling w/ camera& tripod & I just need some gr8 advice. Pls. Help. I have Oben gimball head & it’s not true one finger can get camera where you want. I’m terrified of Lens plant. I’ve had 2 sigma 18-300 lens’s faceplant when I was using ball head. Those lenses are now accordions. I also have a Sigma 150-600& my fear is high. I’m actually wrestling w/ focal length depending one on what lands near me& adjusting tripod to ensure another lens plant doesn’t happen. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you, sir.🙏🏻
Ooh, that sounds tricky. Gimbal head sounds safer. i would lock the tilt control and quickly unlock when bird arrives. And maybe a lighter lens is better for you, but then you might not have enough focal length.. Maybe Auto ISO would be best too.
This is very helpful! Do you do this as a job?
I do yes. Including photography tuition.
Does exposure compensation matter in manual mode?
It should only really apply if you are using Auto ISO. then the exposure compensation will work by changing ISO in some way.
Why no eyepiece on your 1dx?
Hi Lee. I go through periods where I do lots of low level photography with an angle finder - I just get fed up of taking it off and putting it back again. To be honest I just sometimes forget!
When I got my Canon I used full auto and didn't realise all these features I really like the* button and no longer use auto mode the Canon and I have become friends
Great stuff. I have to admit to forgetting this little trick. You've given me a kick to remember next time.!
What lens are u using here?
Canon 400mm f/5.6 lens. it's very old, but still decent.
too much exposure on your face
Air turbulence affected the audio.
why does everyone want o talk in hight winds very disturbing and I can't understand a word. useless vidieo
My best advice for this is DONT DO IT as there’s nothing interesting about a blue sky background.
Absolutely!!
Dont have to have an interesting background all the time. By definition it takes one's attention away from the subject in many cases.