Picture of Still Birds: Monopod or not...

gerfoto

New member
Hello,
I went for a photo shoot and I had difficulty in taking pictures of birds. Some of the stand for 10seconds and they fly away, I am wondering if you use a monopod or not. But, if you do not use a monopod, you might shake your camera..

See attachment, as you notice is kinda out of focus...

Thoughts and thanks for your constructive criticism.
 

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Roy1961

Senior Member
Contributor
Birds i am afraid are not to cooperative most times, you need a good zoom and have to be quick and ready, some of the people on here that take birds shots make it look easy, i know its not, it just down to practise and slow movements, any i have taken have just been hand held.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
I've used monopods in some instances, but to be honest, with birds it's a crapshoot because just as much as you may want one perched somewhere you're bound to get one that's in flight that you want to catch.

I shoot primarily handheld with a Sigma 150-500mm with Optical Stabilization (OS). It works remarkably well and I've been able to get crisp shots as slow as 1/60 while zoomed to 400mm, but I try to make sure my ISO is such that I'm not shooting below 1/250, and preferably higher in case the bird moves. Shooting birds is the one time I will regularly find myself in Shutter Priority mode for just that reason.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I think getting good shots of birds is probably not that much different than shooting Dragonflies, a topic I can speak on from experience. Talk about uncooperative subjects...

Anyway, what worked for me was staking out a spot and then being patient. As in, "bring snacks and a thermos" sort of patient. Once you have a good location, you wait for the shot to come to you. Your job is twofold. 1. Be Ready: As in be ready take the shot in an instant. 2. Don't Swing at Every Pitch: This means you need to realize, ahead of time, that not every bird (or Dragonfly) that comes into view is going to make for a shot; much less a "killer shot". Let go of the impossible and wait for the right shot to manifest itself. If you do, it will.

One of my favorite photography mentors used to tell me over and over again, "Wait long enough in a good location and something interesting *will* happen." My experience, albeit limited, confirms this. I have suspicions he was also a Zen Master or a Jedi Knight but I can not confirm either.
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
A monopod helps out immensely. When I would shoot cross country I noticed immediately how much more stable I was. And the monopod allowed me to freely swing around.
 

STM

Senior Member
Monopods are great, they are a lot more transportable and mobile than tripods. They are great for sports. If I am shooting things with my 600mm Nikkor without the TC-300, they are fine. But if I add the TC and go to 1200, I find I really need a tripod, especially when the lights level are lower.
 

ktan7

Senior Member
The darker shade background blends the bird in the picture. As well the bird in the grassfield is a distraction. My eye was not drawn to the picture. Took me 1 sec to find the bird - just like finding Waldo. Try shooting the bird in a different background.
 
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