Photographing shorebirds can be an entirely different experience than photographing birds in thick vegetation. While their visibility is not a great challenge in the former, there’re still plenty of other aspects that you must consider to make your shorebirds photography count. In today’s insightful video, we have photographer Simon d’Entremont who shares some useful tips and tricks that can help you improve your shorebird photography:
“Getting down low has a great way of putting the background and the foreground out of focus which really makes your bird pop out in the frame.”
Luckily, shorebirds spend a lot of their time on the shorelines. This presents us with the opportunity to photograph them from their eye level and establish a sense of intimacy. So, be sure to take advantage of this opportunity by getting down low when photographing them. In the video, d’Entremont also talks about a variety of ways you can photograph the birds from a lower angle. Make sure that you don’t miss it.
Next, how you approach the bird is also equally important. Since chasing the birds will deter them from exhibiting their natural behavior, d’Entremont suggests that you let them come to you. For this, you’ll need to understand their behavior, anticipate their next move and place yourself accordingly at a safe distance. Patience also becomes key as it may take the bird some time to get used to your presence.
Further, in the video, d’Entremont also shares some great tips on how you can improve your composition, and use backlighting to your advantage. For instance, instead of photographing just the bird, try incorporating other elements like water splashes, waves, or shells. Similarly, place the sun behind the bird if the sun is well low on the horizon. Doing so will create fantastic edge lighting and make the bird stand out.
There are a lot of photo examples and other tips that d’Entremont shares in the video. Make sure that you watch the complete video. You’ll definitely gain a lot of ideas that you can use to take your shorebirds photography to the next level.
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