{"id":135317,"date":"2020-03-07T09:41:28","date_gmt":"2020-03-07T09:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amateurphotographer.co.uk\/?p=135317"},"modified":"2020-03-07T09:45:56","modified_gmt":"2020-03-07T09:45:56","slug":"wildlife-focusing-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/wildlife_photography\/wildlife-focusing-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Top tips for achieving sharper wildlife photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sharper bird photography – Guy Edwardes<\/h2>\n

When it comes to capturing great images of birds, Guy Edwardes is one of the best in the business. As well as being in steady demand as a workshop leader, his images are marketed by several leading agencies including Getty Images. He also manages a library of over 250,000 images and has been widely published (including several AP covers). He tends to stick with tried and tested gear and techniques, rather than jumping on the latest bandwagon \u2013 he\u2019s definitely sticking with his Canon DSLRs, for example. \u2018Soft shots are a killer with bird photography, and I have learned through trial and error how to keep images sharp. I\u2019m happy to share my hard-won tips banishing soft shots, both in terms of camera technique and gear.<\/p>\n\t\t

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Credit: Guy Edwardes<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

EVFs nein danke<\/h3>\n

For bird photography, I am not convinced by the EVFs (electronic viewfinders) on mirrorless cameras. When I was in Costa Rica recently shooting hummingbirds, the workshop attendees with mirrorless cameras were getting some really weird stepping effects in their EVFs, which was very off-putting. The refresh rate of the viewfinder screen just wasn\u2019t fast enough. I prefer to use live view on the back of the camera, as the high-res screen looks like the scene are you looking at.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Guy Edwardes<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Back-button focus lock<\/h3>\n

I always use Canon\u2019s AI Servo (continuous AF) for moving subjects. I don\u2019t use back-button focusing as I end up having to press two buttons with action shots; I simply don\u2019t get on with it. If I want to hold the focus, I will use back-button focus lock. So if a bird suddenly moves or perches I can hold focus, recompose and take the shot. This can make effective composition easier too.<\/p>\n

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Push the ISO as necessary<\/h3>\n

I will use higher ISOs for wildlife when necessary in order to cope with low light and keep up the shutter speed. On my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and 1-DX I will push the ISO to 6400 and sometimes to 12,800 and still get good results. It is better to have a noisy, sharp shot than a soft, low-noise one.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Guy Edwardes<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

The eyes don\u2019t always have it<\/h3>\n

While it\u2019s good to try to focus on a bird\u2019s eye, this is not always possible, particularly if the subject is quite a distance away. So focusing on the birds\u2019 chest or neck can be easier for the camera and lens, particularly if bright colours or lighter tones contrast with the background.<\/p>\n

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Be careful with stabilisation<\/h3>\n

For low-light shots or portraits, or whenever I am shooting with big telephoto lenses, I will use a tripod. However, I shoot handheld for fast-moving subjects and with smaller lenses. In these cases, it\u2019s important that I set a shutter speed that is as high as possible. I also turn off image stabilisation when shooting over 1\/1000sec. The stabilisation takes power away that could be used for tracking or other important AF features.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Guy Edwardes<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Make the most of central AF points<\/h3>\n

Remember that not all AF points are created equal and it\u2019s still the case that the central points tend to be the most sensitive for action and tracking shots, which is basically what a lot of bird photography involves. Again, using the focus and recompose technique via the back-button focus lock means I can make greater use of the central points.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Guy Edwardes<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Wait until the bird is right in the frame<\/h3>\n

When focusing on subjects in flight, I try to prefocus on the point the point that the bird is the right size in frame, carefully following it until it\u2019s in the correct position (even if it\u2019s coming from a long way off). When the bird is the right size in frame, I will then quickly focus so the AF snaps onto the bird without it accidentally focusing on the background. For static subjects, I like to use AF in live view, as it means I can magnify right in on the subject.<\/p>\n

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Kit list<\/h3>\n