Photographing birds can be a rewarding experience as a photographer. But too it is very challenging, particularly birds in flight. There is more to photographing birds than simply pointing your camera and snapping away. Although you may get lucky using this method, you will not consistently capture quality photographs.
There is a feature on most cameras called AI Servo. I use a Canon but this feature is not unique to Canon. There are others that have a similar feature: Nikon AF-C Continuous Servo AF, and Sony Continuous AF (AF-C). You can test if this feature has been activated by simply waving your hand in front of the lens and it will continuously focus on your moving hand.
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Java Sparrow
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As illustrated in the above photograph one bird is clearly in focus and the other two are partially in focus. I have a vivid memory of taking this photo. The birds were fluttering in the water enjoying a bath. At one point they were just sitting and not moving. At that moment I knew this was my chance, but unbeknownst to me, they would not sit still for too long. They were enjoying themselves and were not concerned about me. This is one of those moments had I chosen the correct settings, I'm sure I would have captured an excellent photograph.
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Red-Tailed Tropic Bird
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The above photograph was taken while the bird was in flight. There were two of them gliding over the ocean and then would drift back to shore. It was a windy day so they made it seem effortless. Occasionally, they would swoop down and come back up, so it was difficult to predict where they would be at any given moment. I would have liked to have centered the bird in the photograph but I'll take what nature gives me. Because I was using AI Servo the focus was spot on.
AI Servo is not specifically for capturing images of birds, it can also be used for other subjects such as a running fox ect. This is just one feature that can be used to enhance your photography skills. I hope you learn something new from my blog or at least it reenforces what you already know. Please share and let others know about my blog.
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