MOTION BLUR
Motion in the image makes a bird look more lifelike.
In normal light conditions you can quite easily freeze the movement of a flying bird with a modern digital camera. Yet I feel that an image of a flying bird is more natural looking when there is some movement, at least in the wings. Wildlife photographer Hannu Hautala maintains that birds become plastic when they are frozen in flight with a fast shutter speed. I try to completely freeze movement at times, but on the whole I prefer images that show movement and am therefore more likely to choose a slower shutter speed.
To get motion blur in the image, you need to consider the size of the bird and the rate of its wing beats when selecting a shutter speed. The larger the bird, the slower the shutter speed. A bird image can have motion blur from multiple sources; it doesn’t necessarily have to be flying for the image to have motion blur. Let’s take a closer look at a couple of examples of how to get motion blur in a bird image.
Motion in the Wings
Images such as the one of the Bank Swallows can be taken with or without a tripod. The shutter speeds are often so fast that it’s possible to handhold the camera, which is easier when photographing flying birds. For this image I wanted motion blur in an otherwise sharp flight shot, so I chose a shutter speed that would freeze more of the bird’s movement than just its wing tips.
Larger birds that are flying at a slower pace, such as cranes, swans, and large raptors, require shutter speeds at or faster than 1/125 second to bring out motion in their wings. To show some motion in the wings of medium-sized birds with fast strokes, use a 1/1000 second shutter speed, and if you want the wings totally blurred, use 1/500 second. With smaller passerines, there is movement in the wings even at 1/2000 second.
Motion in the Bird and the Background
In the image of the Golden Eagle on page 94, the bird’s head is sharp, but there is motion in the wings and the background. The latter is made by using a slow shutter speed while following the bird. Use a tripod and a good video head or side mount to make sure you can follow the flying bird steadily for as long as possible. The shutter speed really needs to be slow to get motion in the background. I have found that shutter speeds ranging from 1/60–1/125 second work well. Sometimes it takes slower or faster shutter speeds to get the best results.
A Bank Swallow feeding its young, with motion blur in the wings (Riparia riparia)
Nikon D3S, 500mm f/4.0 plus 1.4x extender, 1/500 second, f/8.0, ISO 800, one-shot focus with a central focusing point, beanbag, car as a blind. Liminka, Finland, July 2010.
A Golden Eagle about to land (Aquila chrysaetos)
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 300mm f/2.8, 1/60 second, f/4.5, ISO 400, continuous focus with 45 focusing points, Manfrotto 501 video head, blind. Utajärvi, Finland, January 2008.
The Whooper Swan’s head is sharp even though I was handholding the camera. I took the image when the swan took off against a background glowing in autumn colors. But when I got the Red-throated Loon image on page 96, I was onshore with my camera firmly attached to a tripod where I was photographing the birds taking off, and I was able to pan for long stretches. The success rate in taking this kind of motion blur image is directly related to the amount of repetitions—the more you try, the better your chances that at least one image will be good.
Motion in the Background
You need a slow shutter speed to get motion blur in the background, so you will almost always need to support your camera firmly. With very slow shutter speeds you should consider using mirror lockup because it helps eliminate any camera shake caused by the mirror moving inside your camera. Your finger may also cause vibration and undesired photo blur when using a slow shutter speed. This can be avoided by using a remote or a cable release.
Your image can show motion even if the subject is not moving—maybe the bird is asleep or still on a shore, but waves lapping up against the shore can add interesting motion to your image. Or if you have a chance to photograph a bird perching on a rock by a rapid, try taking motion blur images. Water motion blurs at 1/60 second. The slower the shutter speed, the softer the water will look, but don’t forget that your risk of getting motion blur of the bird increases as well. Lucky for us, digital technology lets us play with the possibilities and freely experiment with as many shots as we want.
A Whooper Swan against autumn foliage (Cygnus cygnus)
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 300mm f/2.8 plus 2x extender, 1/60 second, f/13.0, ISO 200, continuous focus with 45 focusing points, handheld camera. Siikajoki, Finland, September 2004.
A Red-throated Loon taking off (Gavia stellata)
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 300mm f/2.8 plus 2x extender, 1/125 second, f/9.0, ISO 500, continuous focus with 45 focusing points, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Valkeala, Finland, August 2004.
A White-throated Dipper and motion blur in the flowing water, with different shutter speeds (Cinclus cinclus)
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 500mm f/4.0, ISO 800, one-shot focus with a central focusing point, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Kuusamo, Finland, June 2009.
In heavy wind the swaying grasses and branches can add motion to the image, but the bird needs to be perched on something solid, like a still branch, the ground, or a rock. If the bird is perched on a branch that is swaying in the wind, your chances of getting anything sharp are slim at best.
With roosting birds you can try to get star trails in your image. I have seen some great images of this but have yet to try it myself. The shutter speed needs to be several minutes, or even longer, to create star trails in the dark sky. You could, in theory, take a spectacular bird image set against the blazing aurora borealis, but I haven’t seen it yet!
I was photographing a White-throated Dipper at its breeding grounds by a small stream in Kuusamo, northeast Finland. It kept returning to the same log time after time, and I was able to get fast-flowing water into the frame. It was rather dim in the hollow of the stream, making it easy to use slow shutter speeds. I tested many speeds—1/30 second made the water nice and soft, whereas 1/500 second froze the motion. Note the difference in the depth of field in the images, caused by different apertures.
Everything Out of Focus
Sometimes an accidentally blurred image turns out well, but you can also aim for out-of-focus images on purpose when you photograph flying birds and use slow shutter speeds. If you’re going for full-out blurred images, there’s really no need for a tripod. So what makes an out-of-focus image good? With beauty famously in the eye of the beholder, the answer is somewhere between relative and subjective. Whatever the answer, experimenting with out-of-focus photography can be fun—and bird photography should definitely not be too serious. If you have flying birds but not enough light, it is time to make art! After all, there are books made entirely with blurred images.
Red-crowned Cranes heading for their roosts (Grus japonensis)
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 500mm f/4.0, 1/15 second, f/10.0, ISO 500, continuous focus with 45 focusing points, handheld camera. Hokkaidō, Japan, February 2008.
I was photographing Red-crowned Cranes on the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, just after sunset, as the birds started to head toward their roosts. I wanted to emphasize the motion, so I photographed the cranes with a handheld camera and hoped that at least some frames would show the birds in aesthetically pleasant formations. I used shutter speeds from 1/15 second to 1/30 second, and the image shown here is pretty close to what I had in mind.
Zoom Effect
In a zoom effect image, the bird can be completely still; the motion is created by zooming the lens (also called racking the lens). You can apply the technique on flying birds too. I recommend using a tripod because zooming the lens is easier with the camera held steadily in place, but you can also get great zoom effect images with a handheld camera. The shutter speed needs to be slow, and the zoom needs to be racked fast enough to create the desired effect. A 70–200mm zoom lens works well for this, provided that the target is close enough. Try using shutter speeds of 1/5– 1/30 second, and remember to rack the zoom with a quick and snappy motion.
A zoom effect portrait of a Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa)
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 70–200mm f/2.8, 1/10 second, 125mm, f/23.0, ISO 2500, one-shot focus with a central focusing point, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Oulu, Finland, July 2008.