There will be loads of opportunities for everyone to try out bird photography. Just like all the different
types of photography, birding photography do require some preparations in terms of basic equipment and basic
techniques.
Here are some guidelines on the basic setup needed based on past experiences in SBWR shooting situations:
- Binoculars - A key tool for observation and choosing location to setup shop.
- Long Lens (Fast e.g f2.8, f4 ) - To enable longer each of frame filling bird shots, long fast lens is most suited for the job. As the hides and the
observation decks in SBWR are located opposite to the shallow mudflats where birds would normally land, for frame filling shots, higher focal length
e.g 400mm and above may be necessary.
- Mid Speed Long Lens - For hand held pannings and birds in flight shots mid speeds lens like the 300mm f4 or the 400mmf4.5 is well suited for handheld
bird shots.
- Steady Tripod - A good steady tripod is a must to have on hand to help take shots using large long lens lens. Also a great tool to help maximize sharpness
with slower lens like the 300mm f5.6 or 400mm f5.6 lens.
- Bean Bags - This is useful for the hole hides. Where you can just rest the lens on the holes on the hole hides.
- Utilize Cable release or 2 seconds Mirror Up function - get familiarized with using these features will again help in getting sharper photos.
- External Flash - As subjects may be far out from the hides, fill flash with External flash may be necessary. In some cases, a Flash Extender may be needed if the
subject is really far out of reach of the external flash coverage distance.
- Other Supporting Accesories - There are several supporting accessories like off-shoes cords for external flash, third party adapters, mini-ball heads etc. These are some personalized
tools that photographers use to suit their shooting style and needs. Proceed to these tabs below to explore some birding tips ...................
