Fact: Bird photography is one of the most accessible forms of photography meditation you can undergo as long as you’re always speaking kindly to yourself. I say this being a legally blind Editor in Chief, too! Bird photography is something incredibly fun that you can do nearly anywhere. Whether you’re in a big city or in rural areas, bird photography is accessible to anyone these days. In fact, a big reason for it is because of scene detection in cameras like those from Sony and Nikon. And another big factor: the affordable lenses that Tamron makes. If you’re an experienced bird photographer, you’ll want to dive into these tips as we’re sure you haven’t thought about or really tried at least one of them.
This article is presented in partnership with Tamron. Check out their new 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD lens now available for Nikon Z mount before your next search for your best bird photos.
Your Gear Can Stand Up to the Elements
I remember coming out from a rain storm while photographing birds once and someone looking at my camera while screaming and being sad. They’d thought that my gear had broken down. But in reality, I knew better and reassured them. Let me be frank here, lenses like the Tamron 50-400mm and the 150-500mm are designed for things like this. If you find yourself out in a drizzle or some serious rain, the lens will stand up to it as long as you’re using a weather-resistant camera with sound judgment. In fact, we’ve done this many times with Tamron lenses and things like our autofocus performance weren’t affected one bit.
If I’m being my honest self, I have to say that I love going out when it’s rainy or snowing because I get photos that few other people make. And Tamron’s lenses have given me versatility at an insanely good price point that I don’t see anywhere else.
But don’t take my word for it: everyone who’s reviewed lenses here at the Phoblographer feels the same way.
Breathing Control: Inhale or Exhale?
Tamron lenses have VC technology — which stands for Vibration Compensation. It works as a type of image stabilization to ensure that you get photos that don’t have camera shake in them. And it also works in conjunction with your camera’s imaging sensor to ensure sharp focus and photographs.
But of course, that doesn’t mean that you should throw good form out the window. Lots of the really old school photographers know this, but did you realize that your breathing can affect camera shake too? Here are a few quick tips:
- Some of us become absolutely still when we let all the air out of our lungs. Think of it like a deflated balloon that isn’t moving.
- Other photographers become very still when our lungs are filled with air. Think of this as a dense balloon that’s smushed between other organs and doesn’t move because it’s so tense. This is typically how I shoot partially because of blood pressure issues.
- Still, other photographers find their most stability somewhere in between while holding in enough air to make their diaphragms half full.
Combined with Tamron’s Vibration Compensation, you can probably slow your shutter speed down and lower your ISO a bit more to make more creative images. Try it with panning the camera to blur the background and add even more drama to your photographs.
Too Far Away? Shoot Vertical!
Lots of photographers shoot vertically if they’re mostly shooting images for social media. But sometimes, our lenses aren’t long enough to get everything we want. Tamron’s 50-400mm reaches all the way out to 400mm and has a 600mm field of view with an APS-C camera or setting. Still, it’s sometimes just so tough to get closer. So in situations like that, change your perspective and shoot vertically to make things totally different. It’s worth experimenting around to see how you can create a more unique and intriguing image.