Birding - How to Capture Great Images

Birding takes dedication and persistance. I found my passion more than 10 years ago but I must confess it was greatly amplified with the purchase of my Canon L IS 100-400 lens I use hand held. A pretty heavy accessory for a small woman but worth every penny. Yes, the lens helps but it takes experience and lots of practice every day to be able to capture those fast flying (25-45mph) beauties. Photography is a great sport that is always surprising. An outdoor adventure that really gets exciting when you load your images into the computer. To Capture great images of the fast flying birds you must first know your environment. Choose an area that is open and accessible. A birds habitat changes from day to day and season to season. Yet as the habitat changes the fly ways tend to remain the same. For example note where the birds are landing. The trees and limbs they are the bridges through the fly way. Also note nests, feeding areas and other gathering places. Get to know every inch of where you are stepping and what is above you because when you know your outdoor space you will fell comfortable in it. When you feel comfortable in the outdoor space the birds also will become used to your presence and be less likely to flee. I have had hawks fly and land just 2 feet over my head and land just a few feet from where I was sitting. An eagle just 15 feet from me was more concerned with enjoying the sunset so I was able to be that close to it for more than 45 minutes. Some Predator Birds prefer to rest rather than flee. Rule 1 is to appreciate and respect your outdoor space and nature. Don't run or move too quickly. Don't hesitate to move closer. Consider carefully the space where you are shooting. Move around to where the best light is. Choose your background and foreground shots. Look for obstructions. Look for obstructions. You can't get that perfect shot with trash in the background. You will get your best inspirations on how to frame a shot by going to your local art gallery. There you can see how artists many years ago painted their shots. Today we have all the controls at our command and all the editing tools if we choose to use them but i will state here for the record the best shots are those that don't require any editing at all. That being said don't be afraid of editing and creative design in even a perfect shot. Rule 2 Always review all your shots in "Actual". More than a few of my shots were missed for months but I frequently go back to my discarded shots and review them. One that comes to mind was a extraordinary shot. The shot was one that I discarded but kept. Thank goodness I went back to review these shots by reviewing them in the actual size (viewed at 100%).