Photographing Birds In the Backyard

Birds in the backyard… by which I am implying that this post is not intended for the avid nature-photographer who has some very advanced equipment and may camp out hidden in a camouflage tent for a couple of days just to get that fantastic shot of some rare bird…

Rather, I write this for those of us who like to make some nice snapshots of birds we happen to come across, and who don’t own any specialized equipment - just a regular digicam.

The picture of a chaffinch here, by foxypar4, is one example of what you can do.

Note how the photographer managed to get a calm, non-distracting background for this shot. Also with a telephoto setting it is critical to get the focus exactly where it belongs - on the bird’s “face”. (Generally, with both birds and people you always want the eyes to be in focus.)

Another pleasing aspect of this picture is that you are “leveling” with the subject - the bird is sitting at about the same level as the camera was held.


When making pictures of small birds like this one, you will have to use a long focus (telephoto) setting. The longer the better, really; even if the bird is sitting rather close to you. Typically, you don’t get closer to a wild bird than maybe three meters (ten feet) or so.

Of course, there are exceptions - like when my sister went out on the porch to feed the blackbirds on a cold winter day. Those blackbirds love raisins, and she was now filling up their raisin-supply in the bird feeder.

A whole flock of blackbirds had gathered, and one was so eager to get at the raisins that it perched on her head to get a good overview! Just too bad I didn’t have a camera with me right then. The blackbird picture here is again by foxypar4.

Some birds are larger than others, and those big ones can be portrayed successfully even with a wide-angle setting - if you manage to get close. Swans, for example… just a word of caution: during the breeding season, swans can become very territorial and agressive, and you may get closer to them than you really want!

In the winter, as in this fine shot by Stig Nygaard, those swans seem more docile.

Note, again, how the photographer made sure to “level” with the main subject - the nearest swan - in this picture. The eye of that swan is positioned at our own eye level.

The sun is out, and the birds are lit from the side; making their forms stand out against the white background and also casting interesting shadows.

Suppose you like to welcome those birds to your own back yard (maybe not the swans, but smaller ones) - how do you do that? Obviously, if you offer them something to eat (like with those raisin-loving blackbirds), then they will be more likely to hang out where you want to see them.

Put some type of bird-feeder in a strategically chosen place, where you will have the opportunity to photograph the feathered visitors from good angles where the view is un-obstructed. You get the best pictures if you can position yourself outside, maybe half-hidden behind a trellis or some other object, but pictures taken through a window may also be successful.

A bird feeder is often a rather un-sightly object, so you might want to make your own, more aestecially pleasing, or for instance hang an intact sunflower head from a tree for the birds to feast on.