Shoot the birds!

Taking into account the burgeoning bevy of birders around the world, and more specifically bird clubs based at estates, two expert lensmen provide guidance to the wannabe nature photographers out there.

Time out at Timbavati

When catching up with Andrew Aveley, he had but a short window of connectivity from Timbavati Private Nature Reserve on the western edge of Kruger National Park, where he was hosting one of his popular photographic excursions.

There are reams of information and tips on his website, andrewaveley.co.za), but when chatting to Estate Living from the far reaches of Mpumalanga, Andrew shared some of his extensive knowledge to specifically inform residents in community living schemes.

Don’t rush ‘em

When it comes to approaching certain bird or animal species in the context of semi-suburban estates, as opposed to photographing them out in the vast wilderness, it’s imperative to be familiar with your natural surrounds.

You will most probably be footing it, and not riding on the back of a game-drive vehicle as may be the case when on safari. But certain rules apply to all types of wildlife photography, no matter what your shooting grounds.

‘Most estates have waterholes, dams and, in some cases, areas where animals are fed. The secret to photographing wildlife is patience. Take your time and, especially where birds are concerned, don’t rush up on them. Rather find a comfortable place to position yourself and then wait for an opportune moment,’ he says.

‘You’ll almost always find birds that are nesting. If you are careful not to cause a disturbance, you’ll be able to spend more time with nesting birds and capture different images to those when catching them in flight.’

Get into gear

There’s a myriad technologies and products to consider when pursuing standout nature photography, and Andrew waxes lyrical about APS-C sensors, mirrorless cameras, focal points and the like.

‘But ultimately, when considering the context of shooting birds or small game on estates, a good-sized zoom lens is an excellent starting point. A diverse lens with ample zoom will allow you to stand further away from your subject, also giving you the freedom to create different compositions.

‘Know how to set up your camera and perhaps do a basic course to understand how it operates. Then you can take the content you’ve captured and optimise it for a print, a book, or a website.’

Kommetjie-based Chris Vermaak is an award-winning steady-cam operator who has mastered a plethora of different cameras, from antique stills apertures to the latest in video tech. He reminds that shooting in high resolution affords a much better chance at success.

‘A resolution of 60 megapixels upwards will enable you to zoom even closer into your picture when cropping an image of birds – the little b*ggers always seem to be so far away! I recommend a camera with good auto focus, saving you the time of manually adjusting settings.

‘Timing is always of the essence, and the difference between that National Geographic feature shot and a hadeda pooping on your windscreen can be counted in nanoseconds.’

See the light

Chris, Andrew and their ilk all know that light is the foremost contributor to a good photograph. ‘In Africa, we have all this wonderful light, which is the one element that makes photography work,’ says Chris.

‘If we look at small, fast-moving creatures like birds, one needs to shoot them at high shutter speed – think 1000th rather than 30th of a second – to freeze their amazing colours and plumage and wings in flight, in the glorious sunlight that permeates most of our estates.’

Post-shot processing

Those new to photography and still honing their skills can always fall back on functions within their cameras. This also saves the expense of acquiring fancy software for the purpose.

‘Most cameras have different modes for picture styling, such as an edit in-camera function and settings like landscape, portrait, vivid or monochrome. Many people enjoy the ease of transferring images to their phones, where they do a quick edit before posting pics to social media.

‘To sum up: get to know the environment within your estate – the biome, vegetation, and creatures that naturally occur there. This is sure to give you the best head start.’