Читать книгу Digital Photographer - Литагент HarperCollins USD, J. F. C. Harrison, Professor J. D. Scoffbowl - Страница 15

Wherever you live, there is a pretty good chance you will be able to take pictures of birds – possibly without even having to leave your house. Though you may not find exotic species like golden eagles in your garden, you will probably have sparrows, thrushes and robins around you in abundance. With a reasonably powered telezoom that goes up to 300mm, you will be able to get a decent-sized image – which subsequently may need cropping and enlarging in the computer to fill the frame. However, birds have far greater appeal when they are on the wing. But capturing them in flight can be far from easy, especially in the case of small species that travel at great speed, such as swallows and swifts. To get good pictures of birds like these, you need fast reactions. Your best bet, therefore, is to get out and about and find some larger birds, such as geese, ducks or gulls, which are slower and more graceful in flight.

Small birds can be tricky to photograph well, but larger species, such as ducks, can be photographed readily where there is plenty of water.

If you go to a park, the birds will be used to humans coming and going, and are consequently less likely to be scared away. This is a good way to begin taking pictures of birds and to accumulate valuable experience without complications. Toss the park birds some bread or seeds and you will be able to photograph them as they come in to land or take off.

GETTING UP CLOSE Move slowly and steadily and you should be able to get reasonably close to deer in parks and gardens. Very often they are quite used to people and will not scare too easily.

Always make sure you choose a vantage point in relation to the background and direction of light which shows the subjects at their best. All birds move relatively quickly, so you need to be prepared.

Exotic creatures such as this brightly coloured iguana lizard can make good subjects. Go to your local zoo or safari park and experiment.

If your subject is relatively slow moving, like this languid swan, it is possible to set up a shot in a more leisurely fashion, in order to make the most of the prevailing light and colours. The contrast here between the white bird and the black water is striking.

Pets are one subject where fancy techniques are not required; just fill the frame with your subject and fire away. Remember, though, that animals are not always the easiest subjects to work with.