Bird Photography for the Artists, the Ornithologists and the Birdwatchers

Over the years I have been requested to give lessons on photography – particularly bird photography. I never really got around to do it. A friend tells me that he is opening an institute sometime in 2024 and informs me that I stand booked – to give photographic lessons. Very optimistic – for all you know we could all be consumed by this raging COVID-19 pandemic – the epicenter of which is now bang in the heart of the country.

I am not sure that people understand why they would want me to teach bird photography to a bunch of novices. Firstly, it is a very difficult and tiring profession. I am unwilling to believe that there are many people who are willing to put in so much hard work. Secondly, it is an expensive affair. Thus even if I teach them the ropes, I do not believe that even 0.01% of the students will have the wherewithal to pursue the profession, beyond the classroom setting. Lastly, what you do not know is that the whole natural world is working very hard at obstructing you – it puts all sorts of obstacles on your path – to ensure that you have a hard time getting a good clear shot of the bird you are chasing. But if you do get the image you want, it can be very satisfying. Look at the following images – they are well controlled in terms of lighting, sharp, clear, perfectly framed, the positioning of the subject is spot on, and the birds have been perfectly isolated from the clutter on all sides. Best of all, I have managed to capture the twinkle in the eyes of every one of the birds. As in portraiture, bird photography is also all about the eyes. If you can get the eyes well focused and sparkling, you have done a good job.

Blue-fronted Redstart

White-browed Bush Robin

Scarlet Minivet

All the three photos above were captured during the last few days when we were/are in lockdown mode. I sit out every morning, afternoon and evening - to try and capture some birds as they galavant around.

But bird photography is not all about perfectly exposed or sharp images. There are a breed of people who don’t care two hoots about the quality of the images – for them record is what matters. Thus for those lot, I present the following images.

Looking at the bird from all angles - an ornithologist's delight!

As you can see, the bird is shown in four different positions – the right side, the left side, the front side and the rear side. For those lot who are called Ornithologists, they want to see the colors, the wing pattern, how they look from different angles, their flight pattern etc.. Same is the case with birdwatchers – they just need an image of the bird to prove that they have seen it – claim without proof sounds hollow. Thus, the bird may look like it was photographed in the thick of monsoon in London – but that will still qualify as proof and take the birdwatcher’s standing a notch up among his peers.