I am not quite sure when I became interested in trying to capture birds with my camera. I first became interested in birds when we moved to Park City.  Our backyard at the time always had different birds and so we bought a bird book to identify what we were seeing.  We marked each page with the birds we had seen.  One of my favorites, a mountain bluebird is electric in color.  I have seen a few, but never have managed to photograph one.

If I look in my Lightroom Library, it seems the first time I made some effort to photograph birds would have been in 2007 on a trip to Australia.  It was not a photo trip; I was not doing those at the time.  It was a trip where I took photos.  I had a Nikon D90 (I still have it) and an old 80-400 (that was sold years ago).   We spent three weeks there and it was, as you might say, a trip of a lifetime.  (For some reason we have had many of those and hope to have many more.)

My bird photography was horrible.  Poorly framed, incorrect shutter speeds, nothing I would ever want to show anyone.  they were BAD.  The equipment was slow and I was slower. 

On a trip to Denali National Park in 2011, my photo skills had improved a bit (not enough) and I had better equipment, I bought a used 500mm f/4 on eBay (that I sold when I returned from the trip—cheaper than renting) that  I used with a Nikon D3S.  I know it is the person behind the camera, but I was able to take advantage of the better lens and camera.

Upon returning home, we were told about a sandhill crane and its colt living on the edge of town.  I was able to capture a nice image of the two.  Some happenstance photos in my backyard, an owl during the winter and hummingbirds the next spring started to pique my interest.  I became interested in making better photos, more than just a “mug” shot of a bird, something that conveys some feeling. 

Carol and I started going out to specifically look for birds.  There are many parks nearby, and the Great Salt Lake is an avian attraction as well.  We even made what I would call a pilgrimage to Bosque del Apache in New Mexico (we liked it so much we have been twice).  If you are a birder or bird photographer you know of what I speak.  It is on the migratory path for geese and cranes and if you have not been, you cannot truly appreciate it.  The cacophony just before sunrise as the birds await whatever internal signal they have to lift off is amazing.  

There are plenty of bird photos that will not see the light of day, but occasionally I would make a decent image, learned from it, and would go back for more.  It forced me to learn my equipment better.  There are so many things now to help the person behind the equipment use the equipment better.  Some might consider it cheating, but I don’t.  Being able to lock autofocus on an eye as a bird flys past, or have the camera start taking photos before you actually press the shutter release are game changers. 

I have also learned how to identify birds, but my skills are somewhat lacking still.  I have friends that can identify birds by their call. That amazes me.  I still rely on my bird books and on the Merlin bird app from Cornell University.  I am getting better with that as well, but my identification skills really lag behind my camera skills. 

Photographing birds requires patience, expert use of your tools and some subject matter knowledge.  These are all things that can improve your photography regardless of the subject matter.

Thanks for stopping by.