Backyard Photo Studio
by Brian E. Small
There are so many different ways we enjoy birds and photographing
them in your backyard is near the top of my list. Backyard
birding includes so many ways to appreciate birds and their
activities. Observing, studying and researching, sound
recording, videotaping, drawing and painting, writing and listing
are just some of the things you can enjoy by creating a backyard
photo studio. Setting up a backyard photography studio is easy.
Basically all you need are some strategically placed feeders
and/or water features, some perches and your camera.
You do not have to be a seasoned professional bird photographer
to take magazine cover quality photos in your own yard. You
would be surprised by the number of photos you see in print that
were taken in backyards all around the country. Creating a
backyard photo studio is also the best way I know of learning how
to photograph birds.
You can experiment in your yard with so many different
photographic techniques and then apply what you've learned to
photographing in the field. It is much better to make your
mistakes in your backyard, than when your looking through your
viewfinder at that once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity in the
field. Through trial and error in your yard, you can learn a lot
about how to photograph birds and you will gain the confidence
you need to photograph in a variety of situations when you go to
that famous park or refuge you dreamed about visiting. Why not
set-up a feeding station the next time you camp in a wilderness
area or state park campground? A feeder or water-drip can be
set-up in a matter of minutes, so you could even photograph for a
single day. Remember, almost any kind of photography you do in
your yard can also be done while you are traveling to new
destinations!
With a little preparation and planning, it is easy to create
beautiful bird photographs in your yard without a great deal of
money invested. In fact, you may already own some of the tools
you need to begin photographing your backyard birds. The basics
would include a 35mm SLR camera, an 80-200mm or 70-300mm lens, a
sturdy tripod and some film. If you own a flash unit, a 1.4X
teleconverter or a 400mm lens then even better.
Assuming you have the camera gear you will need, it is time to
plan out what, where, when and how you want to photograph in your
yard. There are many variables to consider for a backyard photo
studio. Landscaping, feeders, water features, dust baths, nest
boxes, nesting materials, snags and perches, lighting, blinds,
backgrounds and season of the year are just some of what you will
want to think about. I know that sounds like a long list to
account for, but once you have a system you like, you will see it
is very easy to photograph almost any bird that comes into your
yard.
To get started, begin to set your feeders and other attractions
around the yard. Give the birds some time to find them and get
used to coming before you start your photography. Remember that
a variety of food sources will attract a variety of bird species
and you will notice that different birds will use different
foods. Try seed feeders, suet feeders and peanut butter feeders.
Many backyard bird species enjoy raisins, black-oil sunflower
seeds, peanuts, acorns, cracked corn, millet, thistle, safflower
seeds and a multitude of other foods. Always keep your food
sources clean because this will help you avoid the spread of
avian diseases, attract new birds and help keep your "regulars"
coming back for more. Take note of what birds come to what
feeders and which species are present as the seasons change. By
doing this, you can anticipate where and when to expect the birds
you want to photograph.
Landscaping your yard for birds is another great way to attract a
diversity of species for photography. A variety of flowering
plants, especially those that produce nectar, will surely bring
birds into your yard. Hummingbirds will certainly find
nectar-producing flowers, but don't be surprised to discover
orioles, warblers, vireos and others at your flowers. Also give
consideration to planting shrubs and hedges because they provide
food, cover and even nesting sites. Live trees can also provide
birds with fruits, seeds, cover, nesting sites and roosting
sites. I even know a few photographers that have "planted" a
snag or dead tree in their yard to attract woodpeckers and other
cavity nesting birds. If your yard borders on a forest,
woodland, marsh, field, desert or other natural area, you may be
able to take advantage of this adjacent property for
photographing as well.
Another great way to enjoy your backyard birds is to photograph
the progression of the nesting cycle. By setting up different
size nest boxes around your yard in spring and summer, you may
encourage a number of different species to nest on your property.
Bluebirds, wrens, nuthatches, small owls, swallows and kestrels
are just a few of the more reliable users of nest boxes.
Photographing courtship displays, territorial battles, nest
building activities, feeding of the young and other behaviors can
provide you with wonderful opportunities for dramatic
photographs. Along with nest boxes, try setting out a variety of
materials for birds to gather and then use as nesting material.
You can photograph birds collecting sticks, string, cotton, yarn,
wool and even dryer lint. A word of caution however, be very
mindful of too much disturbance of the birds during this
sensitive period because no photograph is worth causing a nesting
attempt to fail!
When you place your food sources, water features and perches for
photography, make sure to be conscious of the background area
behind the birds you will be photographing. You want to avoid
any hard lines, shiny spots or other distracting elements in your
photographs. A cluttered bush, chain link fence, window or other
brightly colored object will detract attention from the subjects
of your photos. You want the birds in your pictures to "pop" off
the film. In other words, the most pleasing compositions will be
those that isolate your subject from anything else. Therefore,
try to find an area in your yard that creates a medium-toned
background that has no distracting elements. Light greens, light
browns and blue sky seem to work best. Remember the old
photography adage that says "if it is not adding to the
photograph then it is subtracting".
Along with the background, you need to be aware of different
lighting conditions because this may be the most important
consideration of all. Bear in mind that the basis of all
photography is how you capture light. For dramatic crisp photos
that show lots of detail, you want to photograph in an area of
the yard that puts a near-equal amount of light on the subject
and the background. If your subject is in direct sun and the
background is more than two f-stops under that exposure, the
background may be rendered black and the resulting image will
appear to have been taken at night. Keep in mind that most
backyard birds are diurnal and photos of them having black
backgrounds tend to look unnatural. Also, your lighting
conditions will change as the day passes and as the seasons
change. It may require that you experiment some to get it just
right. A good idea that a friend recommended is keeping a
journal of your backyard lighting conditions, and what birds are
coming over the course of a year. This will provide you with an
excellent resource to help plan future work in your backyard
photo studio.
Next, you want to put perches near the various food and water
sources. Usually, I will place a perch for photography within
two to three feet of the feeder. For small perching birds, I try
to use a fairly small diameter perch. A small bird on a big
perch does not look that great! These perches will provide your
birds with a photographic staging area to land on as they
approach. The perch will also give you the option of
photographing the bird on something natural looking or on a nice
clean feeder or water feature. Putting your feeders close to
bushes, shrubs or trees is a good idea because you will be
providing the birds with cover before and after they visit your
yard.
Once you and the birds are comfortable with the backyard set-up,
consider where your camera will go. With a 200mm or 300mm lens,
you need to be fairly close to your smaller subjects like
chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, siskins, wrens, sparrows,
warblers and finches to produce a good sized image. For larger
birds like jays, woodpeckers, mockingbirds, thrushes, grosbeaks,
doves, cardinals, orioles and bluebirds, you can be somewhat
farther back. However, regardless of the species you are
photographing, you want to conceal you and your equipment so the
birds will approach without fear. The best way of doing that is
by using a blind.
A blind is simply something, anything that hides you and your
camera equipment. Blinds come in many shapes, sizes and designs
and I think the best bet is to make one yourself. For a backyard
photo studio, you can make a simple blind from a variety of
materials. One of the easiest and cheapest ways of making a
blind is by visiting your nearest camping supply or army surplus
store and buying some lightweight mesh camouflage netting. Just
cut a hole for your lens to peek out, throw the netting over you
and your equipment, and you have an instant portable blind.
Another idea is to build a more permanent blind out of plywood.
It should be small and lightweight so you can move it around the
yard to different feeding stations or water features. You want a
blind to be mobile so you can photograph at different times of
day in various parts of your backyard. As the daylight moves
around your yard, you can move with it. If you want to buy a
professionally made mobile blind, there are a number of
manufactures I can recommend. Nature's Reflections of Rescue, CA
(916-989-4765), L.L.Rue Enterprises of Blairstown, N.J.
(800-734-2568) and DB Designs of Lakewood, CA (800-496-3129) all
sell high quality ready-made blinds. Another great source for a
myriad of outdoor camouflage-type products is Cabela's mail order
of Sidney, NE (800-237-4444).
Once your blind is in place in the backyard, the birds will
quickly become accustomed to it. One important point to remember
is that birds are sensitive to sound and movement more than
anything else. Whichever type of blind you use, make sure it
does not have any moving parts flapping in the wind. Another
possibility is to photograph from inside your home or garage. I
even have a friend, and fellow WildBird contributor, who likes to
photograph out his bathroom window! The point is that as long as
the birds cannot see or hear you, anyplace will work.
Now that you are ready to photograph, I recommend setting your
camera at eye-level to the subject. By doing this, your creating
a feeling of intimacy in your photos and of having a relationship
with the birds. By looking your photo subjects right in the eye,
you are drawing yourself into their world. If called for, you
may even try setting your blind on scaffolding to get up high and
photograph birds in the trees. At times, I like to photograph
small groups of birds as well as single portraits. This way you
can capture how the birds are relating to each other. Also,
there is no rule that says you have to fill the frame with the
subject alone. An unusual perch, an interesting background, a
group of birds at a feeder, a fruiting tree full of birds, a pool
of reflecting water or even an unusual feeder can create
interesting composition in your photographs as well. Remember
that your backyard can be your own private nature reserve and
outdoor studio, and you can experiment with all kinds of new ways
to photograph there.
To produce the kind of sharp photographs that isolate your
subject and create a soft, out of focus background, keep in mind
the important relationship between shutter speeds, f-stops and
depth of field. The larger the f-stop (smaller number), the less
depth of field you will have, thereby creating an out-of-focus
background. If you want to include more background detail, use a
smaller f-stop (larger number). Remember that as you add or
subtract light by changing f-stops, you will be adjusting your
shutter speed accordingly. Try experimenting with slower shutter
speeds to create blurred motion photographs as well. Do not be
afraid to experiment with numerous combinations because you will
learn more about photography by trial and error than any other
way, and what your learn in your backyard can then apply to
photographing in the field.
Electronic flash can also be a useful tool in your backyard
photography. By experimenting on the birds in my yard, I have
perfected a portable dual-flash system that goes with me every
time I travel the country looking for new birds to photograph.
To get started, you may want to try using a single flash unit in
your outdoor studio. By placing an off-camera flash directly
opposite the direction of the sun, and aimed at your subject, you
can add light to parts of the bird that may be in shadow. Try
using the flash as a "fill" by setting it one or two stops under
the ambient light exposure and you will give your photographs a
more natural appearance. This is a great way to illuminate every
feather detail of a bird and to add some sparkle to your photos.
It is especially useful for dark-plumaged birds because your film
alone cannot register detail in very light and very dark areas of
the same photograph. If you decide to add a 1.4X teleconverter
to your lens, the addition of a flash can really come in handy.
By using a teleconverter you can multiply the size of your image
by 40%, but you will pay a price by losing one f-stop from your
exposure. To compensate for this lost light, you can add more
light by using an electronic flash.
Creating your own backyard photo studio will provide you with a
wonderful way to hone and refine your photography skills. The
backyard is also the best place to test out new photo equipment
and techniques. Your outdoor studio will give you total control
over your photographs and best of all; the birds come right up
close to you. Also, photographing the birds in your backyard is
a great way to document what birds are in your community, and I
have found no better way to learn what birds really look like
than by studying photographs taken in my backyard.
Brian E. Small
Phone: 310/440-9443
Mobile: 310/849-0306
E-mail: BSmallFoto@aol.com
|
