Trying to photograph birds in flight can be frustrating. It may seem like complete randomness at first, but there are actually a few techniques that will significantly increase your chances of getting a sharp photo, some of which are presented in this article.
Although there are many lens choices for photographing birds, our discussion will focus on the medium length hand-holdable telephoto lenses.
When using the medium length telephoto lenses (e.g. Canon’s 300mm f4, Canon’s 400mm f5.6, Canon’s 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 and Nikon’s 200-400mm f4), it’s always advisable to use a tripod for the sharpest photographs possible. However, one type of photography virtually renders a tripod useless: photographing birds in flight and in particular, fast moving birds like raptors!
How to hold your camera
The two photos above show the proper way to hold your camera and lens. It’s important that your hands and entire body are in a relaxed position and that your position allows you to pivot easily. Confine your position and you’ll compromise your ability to move accurately as a bird weaves across the sky.
You will see in these photos that I have one hand firmly on the camera and the other hand relaxed at or near the end of the lens. This is the best way to have full balance and control of your movements.
In the first photo, I’m holding the camera in a somewhat level and horizontal position. Many times you’ll encounter a bird perched, and this position will allow you to not only take sharp photos of a stationary bird but also be ready if it takes flight and flies close to the ground.
In the second photo, I’m holding the camera for a bird in flight. You will notice that the position of my hands is virtually identical to the horizontal position. Again, it is important that your stance allows you to move in multiple directions, even to the point of almost turning around completely. Fast moving birds like hawks and falcons allow very little time for adjustments. So, being ready for their sudden shifts in direction is vital.
How to setup your camera
The next thing to consider is what camera settings to use. There are two mandatory requirements for shooting birds in flight:
Use a fast shutter speed, but don’t compromise good exposure or depth of field. Shutter speeds of 1/1000 or faster are recommended. Using high shutter speeds helps compensate for any minor unsteadiness and will also freeze the motion of the bird.
Maximize the burst rate on your camera. To maximize the amount of photos you can take in a burst, switch your camera to JPEG mode. Since JPEGs are significantly smaller than RAW, they won’t fill up your camera’s buffer as fast as RAW. Here’s a series of six photos that illustrate why a fast burst rate is important:
This sequence of six photos was taken with the camera set at the highest possible burst rate of 6 fps. The entire sequence of this shot lasted only 1 second total.
In general, there are three things to look for in a good bird image: sharpness, exposure and natural pose. Although all these shots were perfectly exposed, only one photo (#3) was both sharp and with the bird in a natural position. Had I not used a high burst rate, I may have missed this shot completely. And trying to get a bird in flight with a natural pose with only one shot being fired is pure luck. Take most of the luck out by using a high burst rate. This photo was shot with a Canon 300mm f/4L IS USM lens with the camera set at ISO 400 and f/4 at 1/2000 second. Oh, by the way, the bird is a juvenile Northern Goshawk.
Personally I like to set my camera in manual mode and use JPEG only.
Manual mode allows me to not worry about the camera changing settings as a bird moves past visible terrain of various shades or when the camera’s light meter misreads the scene such as when a bird moves in and out of your frame across a bright sky.
Shooting in JPEG lets me use the highest burst rate without any chance of the camera stalling as it sometimes does with RAW bursts. But keep in mind these are just my personal preferences. Plenty of bird photographers use either aperture priority or shutter priority along with RAW and achieve amazing results. Experiment and see what works best for you.
Just remember that your time of opportunity with a fast moving bird may only be a second or less!
Oh, and if you’re interested in learning more about raptors, please check out my new blog, The Raptorphile.
If you enjoyed this article, and would like to read more, please signup for free updates by email or RSS.
About the Author: Vic Berardi is a raptor lover that lives in the Midwest. He is the founder of the Illinois Beach State Park Hawk Watch and every weekend of the year you’ll find him searching for hawks and photographing them. Several of his photographs have been published in a leading raptor journal and in articles he has written. During the year he gives presentations teaching others about hawks and hawk migration. Vic also photographs dragonflies and wild flowers and is always respectful of nature and its creatures.
Zack Jones says
Thanks for the tips. Shooting birds in flight is something I’ve been working on. Down here in the Charleston, SC area we mostly have seagulls, heron, and pelicans to shoot. It’s not often that I see any type of hawk. I haven’t been thrilled with the results so far but I think part of the problem is I haven’t been using a high enough shutter speed. I’ll tweak the camera settings so I can get a faster shutter speed (40D with 400 f/5.6L). Of the 6-shot sequence the only one I wouldn’t consider a keeper is #2. The rest of them are awesome shots!
Robert says
Great information for anyone from novice to pro…..I appreciate the time spent to put this one together
Vic Berardi says
Zack & Robert, Thanks for the comments! Appreciate your reading this article, we have more like it coming!
Bob Towery says
Great tips and excellent images. In flight photos are definitely a huge challenge. Your work is great.
Rita says
I really appreciate your time and information. Your articles are a great help as I get started in photography. I share the same interest in nature photography. I took some shots of a bald eagle when I first bought my camera (translation: I didn’t use the best settings), anyway this eagle took flight toward me and went directly over my head. I have a series of shots that I would love to improve as much as possible with editing, any tips would be wonderful. Do you have a preference for editing software? Also, do you have any suggestions for laptop specs?
Vic Berardi says
Bob, thanks. You’ve got some beautiful photos on your site!
Vic Berardi says
Rita, thanks for your comments. We appreciate them!
As for editing software I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 and Canon’s Digital Photo Professional v3.5. I prefer using a Mac and have an Apple MacBook laptop and a Mac Pro desktop. Good Luck with your photos!
Home exchange says
These bird shots are brilliant! Wish I could do that too 🙂
Rhonda Holcomb says
One of the best articles I’ve read about bird photography. Your how ” to” is useful, practical and easy to understand.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Roy Evans says
Simply beautiful!!!! I have been shooting raptors for about a year now. In seeing your photos, I see I have a long way to go. I am using a Canon Digital Rebel XT with a 70-300 lens. I have been pleased with a few but some really leave a lot to be desired. I will put your info to use on my next outing. Thanks!!!
bill butcher says
i was wondering is there a certain lens that you would recommend for raptors and birds and other wildlife photography? i was looking for what would do the best job and offer thebest image qaulity the 300 f4.0 with and without the 1.4 , 400 5.6 , or 100-400 ?
Vic Berardi says
Bill, I highly recommend the Canon 400mm f5.6 lens for both general bird photography and other wildlife. It is a super sharp lens and is the lightest in weight of the three. However, the other lenses you mention rank a very near 2nd and have unique qualities of their own. The 300mm f4 and the 100-400mm have Image Stabilization which will aid in low light situations that require slower shutter speeds. Both of these lenses also focus considerably closer than the 400mm f5.6 and are excellent for insect and flower photography. The 300mm f4 also works fine with a 1.4x creating a super insect/flower lens in addition to a great wildlife lens. The 100-400mm weighs the most of the three lenses but also gives you the additional focal lengths to work with for other photography.
John Walton says
I bought the Canon 450d and 400mmf5.6 in January’10 and they have given me flight shots I could never get with my Panasonic DMC-FZ50 with a 1.7 converter.
But I just did not know whether to use Raw or JPEG! Found your site and have not looked back!
Lots of good advise.
Thank very much for sharing!
Vic Berardi says
John, great combination and glad you’re getting better results!
Bina chaudhary says
Thanks for this wonderful information. I am amateur photographer & very keen in learning how to capture flight of any bird. Do keep sharing.
Harry Timmermans says
Thank you for the great instruction for how to stabilize your camera and lens in case of wild-life photography. I will try this with my camera.
Vic Berardi says
Thanks for the comments Bina and Harry!
Philip says
Just learned of your site and podcasts through a friend, really enjoy both!
DDolan says
Very nice information. I will sign up for your email feeds. I hope to learn more about both your camera skills as well as the birding info.
Thanks,
Dave
Vic Berardi says
Thanks Dave! I think you’ll find the posts here very informative, but not just centered on birds though.
Vic
Chris says
What are your preferred settings as far as auto focus? Do you use single point focusing or?
Vic Berardi says
Chris,
I use the AI Servo mode on my Canon body. Not sure which mode that is on a Nikon, but it basically follows the subject and continues making focusing adjustments.
Lynne Thomson says
Thanks for the wonderful information, I heard about you from a friend. I’m an amateur photographer, didn’t know we had so many lovely birds in our garden until I got my camera, it is a Nikon D3000. I’ve really enjoyed photographing them, some success, but others no, and now I am going to take your advice and try to take some of them in flight. Once again thanks for the great info.
Vic Berardi says
Thanks Lynne! And good luck with your photography!
Vic
Lynne Thomson says
Thanks so much Vic, I’m sure I will with reading about taking note of your information. Thanks, Regards, LYnne
Lynn Quinquenel says
just found your site. Very pleased with your info on taking birds in flight. I am a newcomer to dlsr and am going to a falconery tom to take photos. i didn’t have a clue about which camera settings to use, but thanks to you I am ready to go and have fun. Thank you.
Lynn Jersey Channel Islands uk
Rob Gofreed says
Great site… found you through a Flickr contact. I was up at Magee Marsh last year and saw a lot of bird photographers using the Canon 400 f/4 DO IS USM lens. I have since seen some of the photos they took and can attest to the quality of that glass. I know it costs considerably more, but for those who can afford to it is a fantastic lens and it provides the advantage of being able to add a 1.4x extender and still have AF. Wonderful shots Vic!! Thanks for sharing.
Vic Berardi says
Thanks Rob! Yes, the Canon 400 f4 DO IS USM lens is excellent. The extra f-stop and IS make a huge difference.
Vic Berardi says
Lynn, thank you too! Glad the article helped you!
kathy says
I’ve just started shooting birds in flight. I’m not getting these results, but I’m near a shore, so I battle winds, as well. I have an entry level camera and kit lens (darned budget!) Canon Digital Rebel xs and Tamron 75-300/f5.6 (older and no IS).
I’m very competitive – someone tells me I can’t shoot birds with this combo, then I shoot birds in flight! So, getting those, now I’m trying pelicans at the beach (during the most windy months, of course)
So, when birds are flying, the camera is pointed upwards. Not much stability, especially in high winds. Tips for shooting ocean birds in flight in wind? I do get sharper images with f7.1 and didn’t consider manual.
I’m near a shore and most parks in driving distance do have wind issues, from breezy to blow you back.
April Beach 2011 are my most windy attempts. Bay area is slight breeze birds on my flickr page.
Vic Berardi says
Kathy,
The only thing I can recommend is to use as fast a shutter speed as possible and take your photos in bursts. You should be able to get at least a few shots that are sharp that way.
cy says
thanks for your info.just started to like photoghrapy i have a canon T2I,lens sigma DG 28-300mm,canon EFS 18-55mm, and canon EFS55-250mm. in your opinon should i get another lens for your kind of photograpy or stay with my lenses and w/s one is best for bird and nature photogrphy.thanks and regards
ps,enjoy your tips aand it help me a lot.
Robert H. says
Thanks for the information regarding birds in flight photos. I love doing such, with VERY little experience and am extremely interested in successfully obtaining some in flight photos down here in south Floridas east coast as well as many other places we visit. I use the Sigma 50-500mm, w/Nikon D300 and do realize that such is not as fast, nowhere near, as such should be. Thanks again and this has definately built my incentive to try out what you have suggested. Thanks!!!
Vic Berardi says
Cy, sorry for this late reply! I generally consider 400mm as the threshold for birds in flight photography but 300mm works in many instances. The key is getting close and being ready and quick!
Vic Berardi says
Robert, sorry to you too for this late reply. Thank you! Hope you have much success! I know a few photographers that use that lens and it can produce very nice results!
Michael A. says
Vic
just discovered your page today and happy to see helpful advice . I’ve been shooting with the entry Canon Digital Rebel XT and a so/so 75-300 zoom and just this week stepped up to a Sigma 500mm with image stabilization (aka the Bigma). It’s a lot of lens and I’ve been chasing hawks here on Monterey Bay for awhile and felt I needed a little more reach.
Here’s my question: Do you recommend the same settings for this 500mm lens as you gave above: i.e. ISO 400, f/4, and 1/2000 sec.? What about setting the lens to infinity range on the dial?
I’ve got five feisty white shouldered kites with a regular hangout and would love to catch their unique flutter and fall arial displays.
Thanks from Coastal Calif.
Vic Berardi says
Hi Michael, glad you like what you’ve seen so far, thanks. Steve does a great job on this blog and I just contribute occasionally when I have something I’d like to share.
Hard to answer your question on settings because lighting conditions are so variable. Keep in mind though that White-tailed Kites (I think that’s what you meant?) are very white and will require stopping down an fstop or two. You might even want to consider going to ISO 200 on those birds. As for setting the lens to infinity, I do not recommend that. Depending on the distance you are from the bird, focus on the head and use an fstop that will get you good depth of field for the rest of the bird.
Jonathan Calvert says
Hi
Hoping you can help me. I have been visiting my local wildlife trust site for some time now and tend to only be able to visit at dusk or early morning. I have been lucky enough to spot a barn owl on several occasions at dusk as he seems to like hunting around 9pm. Well my problem is the lighting and my unfortunate habit of shooting in auto mode. As you will probably guess my photos of this magnificent bird hunting are incredibly blurred. I only have the basic entry level gear ( 55-200mm ) however the owls hunting path is very close to where I hide so no issue there. Any advice would be grealt appreciated.
kind regards and keep up the excellent work
Jonathan
County Durham
UK
Vic Berardi says
Hi Jonathan,
Not sure how much light you have to work with but all I can suggest is to use a higher ISO, maybe 800 to 1600. Personally, I do not use flash units for bird photography but that is another suggestion/possiblity.
VB
mathew jaya prakash says
Thanks for this wonderful information sir…
muthuswamy.A. says
Your birds photography tips are very useful.I just acquired Nikon 70-300 f 4-5.6 d Af and
Tamron 200-400 f5.6 D Af ,will make use of them in forthcoming migratory birds season
in south india (Nov.-Jan.) Thanks for your advice.
Vic Berardi says
Mathew, sorry for the late reply, thank you!
Muthyswamy A., thank you too! Good luck this fall!
jeevi says
I was just browsing and went to Google and typed how to photograph birds in flight,and there you are ,this site came up and I am thrilled to accidentally find you.I have read through some of the questions and answers discussed here,and its a good place to be,well i will be going through this site probably everyday day.I have been shooting birds for sometime,and use a Nikon 300,and the lens is 300mm.2.8,have successfully shot some good ones and of course this was through trials myself.There is so much of valuable tips and the contributions in this forum.I thank you for the teachings and looking forward to become a better photographer.I am a Malaysian and Live in the west coast in Penang.
Vic Berardi says
Thank you Jeevi! Glad you liked the article and the PhotoNaturalist! If you subscribe you’ll get automatic notification of future posts.
Good luck with your photography, great lens you have there!
Subramoniam says
Vic
That was a great read. Comprehensive guide to bird photography. Have seen through the comments that all are Can-Nikons. Perhaps I am an odd one out. I use a SONY 70-300G on a A200. Pretty sharp lens though it is f5.6 at 300mm. I am thinking if to get a Tamron 200-500mm to exend my reach. But at the back of my mind I feel G lens is more than enough only thing to upsize the photo. How to do it? Is it just to resize to 1.6 times to make it equivalent to 500mm? I don’t think so as FOV of 500mm is lesser. Any idea?
Dec. says
Hi Vic,
Thanks a million for all the advice above…..Cracking reading, very imformative……Just started a few months ago myself and loving it……Shoot with a a Nikon D7000 and just purchased a 70-200 2.8 which I find picks out the birds in flight very fast……HOWEVER I was thinking about adding a x 2 teleconverter to give me a total of 400mm @ F5.6……I realize this combo would make autofocus slower but what’s your advice regarding image quality with converters????
Thanks
Dec
jeevi says
I havent tried a 70 mm 200mm with a converter before,now I have 300mm.2.8 and might try a 2.o converter soon,to see how it works.cheers.
Vic Berardi says
Thanks for the comments Subramoniam, Dec. and jeevi!
Several photographers are having very good success with Canon’s 70-200 f2.8 IS II with both teleconverters. The combination gives you a lot of versatility and flexibility. However, some degree of sharpness and focusing speed will be sacrificed.
jeevi, I use a 2X on my 300 f2.8 and get very good results, especially if I can stop down a bit.
Mac says
Great advise. Eagles are now arriving in the Metro St Louis Area and it is good to find advise on capturing these birds in flight! Two things I would add, practice and more practice.
Ian says
i am so happy to have found you excellent article and pictures
i went eagle shooting with my fz150 and and LT55 tele lens
Some cam out semi well some OK
I have one that i dont understand what i needed to do to improve
can i send it to you?