WATER AS AN ELEMENT IN A BIRD PHOTO
Water is a source of life for birds; it is also an interesting element in a photograph.
Like most living things, birds consist mostly of water and need to replenish regularly. Birds get water by drinking and from the food they eat. To regulate their body temperature, they lose water through their skin and respiration; the more they lose, the more they need to consume. The loss of water does not necessarily occur the most in hot weather; more is lost with physical exertion, which is higher than normal during courtship, breeding time, and migration—hectic times in a bird’s life. These are the times when activity around the drinking pond is at its most feverish. Birds arrive to drink and bathe because maintaining healthy plumage is very important.
Water is a very good way to attract birds. Water also looks good in photographs, unlike most other methods of attraction, which you would, for the most part, rather not have in your images. Water can be composed in the image in so many ways and is often an essential part of the theme. Read more about rain, snowfall, and fog, in the chapter “Use Weather to Your Advantage.”
When it’s cold enough, a bird’s breath steams up and adds a small but dramatic detail to your image. Try to compose the steaming breath against a dark background, and preferably against light, which will bring it out even better. Black Grouse leks offer good opportunities with cold mornings and the rising sun at a low angle. Note that the breath can be captured only in calm weather because wind quickly disperses the steam.
Reflections
Even if you work with a subject or a theme that has been photographed extensively, you can get a touch of something new or unexpected if you add water to the image. A reflection on water can help make an image unique. With low camera angles, the intensity and quality of light on the subject often matches the light on the reflection. A good reflection requires, of course, a calm water surface with no floating matter. Even the smallest bubble or ripple can distort the pin-sharp reflection and ruin the illusion.
Late evening backlight gilds the droplets around a bathing European Robin (Erithacus rubecula). The long exposure time turns the drops into arcs.
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 500mm f/4.0, 1/10 second, f/22.0, ISO 500, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head, blind. Pusztaszer, Hungary, July 2006.
With backlight, the Black Grouse’s steaming breath is etched against the dark background (Tetrao tetrix)
Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, 300mm f/2.8, 1/500 second, f/7.1, ISO 500, manual focus, ground pod, Manfrotto 501 video head, blind. Liminka, Finland, March 2007.
A few examples of how to use water as an element in your images include reflections of shapes and colors in the background; waves; surf spray; streaming water; or splashes caused by birds landing, taking off, or fighting.
Twigs and stalks often make an image appear restless, but the fascinating geometry of ice formations seems to please the human eye, maybe because ice is light and translucent, making the chaotic details appear as a harmonious whole. Frozen water, chunks of ice, and frosted branches push a photographer’s imagination.
A Common Chaffinch with its reflection (Fringilla coelebs). You need a low camera angle and a flat water surface to get a perfect reflection.
Nikon F100, 300mm f/2.8 plus 1.6x extender, 1/60 second, f/2.8, Fuji Velvia ISO 50, manual focus, Gitzo tripod and video head, blind. Pusztaszer, Hungary, 2001.
A Velvet Scoter charging ahead in a courtship frenzy (Melanitta fusca)
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, 800mm f/5.6, 1/2000 second, f/5.6, ISO 800, continuous focus with a central focusing point, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head, blind. Parainen, Finland, May 2010.
Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, 70–200mm f/2.8, 1/160 second, 200 mm, f/13.0, ISO 400, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Helsinki, Finland, December 2007.
Rock Pigeons against ice (Columba livia)
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, 70–200mm f/2.8, 1/800 second, 110 mm, ISO 1000, continuous focus with 45 focusing points, handheld camera. Helsinki, Finland, February 2008.
Water is a habitat to many bird species, and the underwater world is as familiar to them as life on land, if not more so. Yet there are few images taken of birds underwater. This is clearly an area for a photographer to venture into.
A White-throated Dipper plunging into the underwater world (Cinclus cinclus)
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 300mm f/2.8, 1/3200 second, ISO 500, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Lapinjärvi, Finland, February 2006.