controls, use them to enhance
the feeling you are trying to
capture.
If it’s early in the morning and
you love the mist and the
dewdrops, a longer exposure or
larger aperture will let in more
light and give your picture an
airy feeling. A shorter exposure
will intensify the colors of
butterflies and flowers. Fast
shutter speeds can “freeze" a
bird in flight, while slow ones will
give the impression of
movement.
The angle at which you take
your shot is also important. By
varying your own height, and
thus that of the camera, you
can look down on your subject
or shoot up at it.
Taking pictures of wildlife at
eye level yields very intimate
portraits. Don’t forget that
your camera can be held in a
vertical as well as horizontal
position. Adjust it for taller
subjects, or to get a different
viewpoint.
Notice everything in the view
finder and change your position
to crop out unwanted elements
such as the corner of a house
or an unattractive blossom.
Certain configurations of
subjects are especially pleasing,
including s-curves, repetitive
patterns, a touch of bright
color in an otherwise neutral
scene, and three of a subject
forming a triangle.
Photographers often use the
“rule of thirds" when composing
a picture (see following
example). This involves imagining
your scene divided into three
parts, both vertically and
horizontally. Your main subject
should fall anywhere that two of
those lines intersect.
Often it seems that nesting
birds are good subjects for
photos. They are accessible, and
you know that they will return
regularly to the nest. However,
they are also at risk from
human intervention.
Be cautious
One of the riskiest times is
during nest building. Birds put a
lot of effort into choosing their
nest site and, if they are
frightened away, may not find
another place in time to raise
their young.
Once the eggs are laid,
keeping the adult away from
them for too long may alter
their temperature enough to
prevent hatching. Always leave
protective foliage in place, and
don’t uncover a nest if it will
leave it exposed after you
depart.
Although birds tend to be
most tolerant shortly after the
eggs hatch, scaring the young
into leaving the nest even one
day early can be disastrous.
Sometimes the best photo
situation is to provide a
suitable perch a short distance
from the nest, which the
parents will use coming and
going with food.
Feeding sites good
Bird feeders are easy to
place in convenient locations,
but avoid putting them in flower
beds. You might trample
blossoms when filling the
feeders, and dropped seeds can
be a problem.
Placing food and water
sources near shrubs or trees
gives birds a place to rest,
and these natural
backgrounds can give you
better pictures. You can also
attach branches directly to
the feeder poles or to a
nearby structure.
To get close to birds away
from the house, go to a
sheltered spot and take a
friend with you. Once settled,
have your friend leave. The birds
will assume that the danger is
gone and will return to the site.
A good pair of binoculars will
help you get a better view of
your subjects. Make sure that
the “power" (the first number in
the descriptive notation) is at
least 7, and that the second
number is at least 5 times
larger (e.g., 7x35).
Test them before purchasing
to be sure that they are clear,
easy to adjust, and not too
heavy for your hands. A good
field guide will also help with
species identification.
Insects are fascinating but
can be difficult to photograph.
Getting up early, while their
wings are still wet with dew,
