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<blockquote data-quote="Browncoat" data-source="post: 30588" data-attributes="member: 1061">I'm kind of surprised that we don't have a resident &quot;bird guru&quot;.&nbsp; Most of us have random bird photos in our portfolios, but I haven't seen anyone who is an outright bird fanatic.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.naturephotographers.net/birdphotography.html" target="_blank">Here</a> is a pretty comprehensive list of bird photography tips.&nbsp; That said, there's some sound advice here already.&nbsp; 1/160 is too slow for hand held photography in general, and especially for birds.&nbsp; 1/500 should be a minimum, and with a 300mm lens that's really going to be pushing it, especially when your subjects are small like birds. Nikon D5000
Shutter: 1/160
Aperture: f/16
ISO 800
With EXIF data like that, I'm inclined to believe you're either shooting in Auto or AP mode.&nbsp; f/16 is way too high for bird photography, as you typically want to control the DoF as much as possible.&nbsp; The exposure triangle is a juggling act, but mastering it will make you a better photographer.&nbsp; Next time, try a couple things:AP Mode - TwilightSwitch your mode dial to &quot;A&quot; and set your aperture as low as you can.&nbsp; Then meter your scene and check other settings.&nbsp; Is your shutter speed 1/500 or faster?&nbsp; Are you at ISO 200?SP Mode - DaylightSwitch your mode dial to &quot;S&quot; and set your shutter speed to 1/500.&nbsp; Again, meter your scene and check the aperture and ISO.Personally, I would start with shutter speed (especially if you don't own a tripod).&nbsp; During normal daylight hours, you should be able to crank up shutter speed into the 1/1000 or above range and still have a shallow enough DoF.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Browncoat, post: 30588, member: 1061"] I'm kind of surprised that we don't have a resident "bird guru". Most of us have random bird photos in our portfolios, but I haven't seen anyone who is an outright bird fanatic. [URL="http://www.naturephotographers.net/birdphotography.html"]Here[/URL] is a pretty comprehensive list of bird photography tips. That said, there's some sound advice here already. 1/160 is too slow for hand held photography in general, and especially for birds. 1/500 should be a minimum, and with a 300mm lens that's really going to be pushing it, especially when your subjects are small like birds. [INDENT] Nikon D5000 Shutter: 1/160 Aperture: f/16 ISO 800 [/INDENT]With EXIF data like that, I'm inclined to believe you're either shooting in Auto or AP mode. f/16 is way too high for bird photography, as you typically want to control the DoF as much as possible. The exposure triangle is a juggling act, but mastering it will make you a better photographer. Next time, try a couple things: [B]AP Mode - Twilight[/B] Switch your mode dial to "A" and set your aperture as low as you can. Then meter your scene and check other settings. Is your shutter speed 1/500 or faster? Are you at ISO 200? [B]SP Mode - Daylight[/B] Switch your mode dial to "S" and set your shutter speed to 1/500. Again, meter your scene and check the aperture and ISO. Personally, I would start with shutter speed (especially if you don't own a tripod). During normal daylight hours, you should be able to crank up shutter speed into the 1/1000 or above range and still have a shallow enough DoF. [/QUOTE]

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