Kings of The Sky:
Birds of prey are visually striking animals. Their imposing presence can be felt in the alarm calls of smaller birds as they seek shelter from a would be predator. There's nothing quite like watching a swooping kite or a diving hawk in their natural habitat. They seem to carry with them a sense of regal majesty, as self proclaimed kings of the skies.
Red Kite Swooping. Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm C @ f/8, 500mm, 1/1600 sec, ISO 500
Of all of the animals I've photographed, raptors are among the hardest to capture. You'll notice the Red Kite's huge fan like tail feathers. This allows them to change direction remarkably fast, much to the annoyance of the photographer on the other end of the lens. When dealing with birds such as these, the camera's autofocus can struggle to keep up, especially if they're flying against a complex background.
Coming to Land. Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm C @ f/6.3, 480mm, 1/1250 sec, ISO 1000
Prior to taking this shot, the autofocus had decided that the trees in the background would make for a far more interesting subject. I had to manually pull the focus back to the bird before allowing the AF to take over again. Keeping the Kite in the centre of the frame ensured that the camera utilised its cross type focusing points, enabling me to get the final shot. I won't go into great detail regarding the different type of focus points here, (this is a multi-part series so I'll undoubtedly cover that later) but remember that as a general rule, the centre points are usually the most accurate. Lens sharpness also tends to fall off towards the edges of the frame, so keep that in mind.
Moss Mouth. Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm C @ f/8, 500mm, 1/1600 sec, ISO 500
I know Steemit compresses these images even when viewed in full resolution. Though hopefully you'll be able to make out the striking eyes of the kite in this shot, and also the fact that he is carrying something in his mouth. Red kites often pick up moss or sheep wool to play with in mid air. They will transfer it from their beaks to their talons and perform other aerial acrobatics, people have even observed Kites playing with tennis balls. It is thought that they do this to hone their flying skills.
When photographing raptors it's important to realise that they have incredibly acute vision. They will almost always see you before you spot them, and they will most likely remain wary of you and move away. Using a wildlife hide is the best way of getting close to them, though decreasing the size of your profile by lying flat can help.
A Naturalist's Method:
I've personally found that the best time of day to photograph raptors is towards sunset. It's at this time that they are most likely fed and winding down for the day. You will however more easily spot them at midday, they'll be riding the rising warm air and hovering thousands of feet above you looking for prey. Even from this height, they will see you, and unless you have a telescope mounted on your camera, you won't get a good shot of them.
Winding Down. Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm C @ f/7.1, 500mm, 1/1250 sec, ISO 400
There are many technical tips that I can give you for photographing birds and wildlife in general. There are however too many to cover in a single article. As always, the most important aspect to good photography is how you choose to approach your subject. You could read a hundred books on how best to utilise your camera, but without understanding the core nature of what it is you're hoping to capture, your results will leave you wanting. I'd liken it to a mechanic who completely understands the inner workings of a car, yet doesn't know how to drive.
Watchful Hunter. Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm C @ f/6.3, 480mm, 1/1250 sec, ISO 1000
Nature photography can require you to be something of a naturalist, to have sympathy for the animals you're photographing. All of the images in this article represent birds photographed in their natural habitats. Great care was taken to ensure that they went undisturbed. The reason I'm saying this is because part of understanding your subject is in empathising with their natural state of being. Treading carefully helps to ensure a mutually beneficial dynamic; the birds get to go about their business, I get to photograph them, everyone's a winner.
Red Kite Gliding. Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm C @ f/7.1, 500mm, 1/500 sec, ISO 800
I'll be writing more on the subject of photographing raptors in the future. I'll be covering more of the technical side of things, such as what settings to use, and how to get the most out of your camera's frame buffer. This really is a topic I enjoy talking about and my portfolio of bird photos is always growing. I look forward to continuing this series in the future, I hope you enjoyed this instalment : )
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All images present in this article are © Alexander White