Working on BIF Shots - All Critiques Welcome!

[suenewbie]

I know many of my shots are not in great focus (among other problems). I'm finding it especially challenging to get good focus on birds in flight - even these big slow ones! Anyway, here's a few I've shot recently:

These first three are of a pair of herons building their nest. I've included 3 of the many I took.

Male flying from nesting island to shore to find nesting sticks:
Lens VR-55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G @220mm; Aperture Priority @ f/5.3; Shutter 1/320s; ISO 100; Focus Mode AF-A using Single AF-Area Mode; Matrix metering

Venice Rookery_084 by smolnar18, on Flickr

Here he is landing on the shore:
Lens VR-55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G @220mm; Aperture Priority @ f/5.3; Shutter 1/320s; ISO 100; Focus Mode AF-A using Single AF-Area Mode; Matrix metering

Venice Rookery_087 by smolnar18, on Flickr

Taking the stick back to the female to add to the nest:
Lens VR-55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G @155mm; Aperture Priority @ f/13; Shutter 1/2000s; ISO 1600; Focus Mode AF-A using Single AF-Area Mode; Matrix metering; PP +36 Shadow Protection; +33 D-Lighting HS; +28 Color Booster (Nature)

Venice Rookery_097 Adjusted by smolnar18, on Flickr

Shot this Pelican from my hotel room in Naples, FL:
Lens VR-55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G @300mm; Shutter Priority @ 1/800s; Aperture @ f/5.6; ISO 100; Focus Mode AF-A using Single AF-Area Mode; Matrix metering

Naples by smolnar18, on Flickr

[pnodrog]

My favourite is #3 but you could add a little bit more at the top by increasing the "canvas" size and then cloning.

To help the focus you could try setting the ISO at 400 and stopping down to say f8.

[Clive Kirby]

Sue
I notice your aperture is either wide open or quite closed. Low f numbers will give a very thin depth of focus so you would have to be spot on with your focus. When the f number is high, f13, you will get a deeper focus, but most lenses tend to produce softer focus at higher f numbers. I would of thought that your lens would be sharpest around f8, suggested by L.Paul.
Also you have to get your tracking of a moving subject right as well.
It might be cold comfort, but I struggle to get sharp focus on moving subjects, especially when they are coming towards me. I find it very frustrating.
Anyway I can't see anything wrong with the second shot re focus. It looks good to me. The head and eye are sharp and it looks to be balanced across the wings creating a pleasing image. Good work.
Clive

[pnodrog]

Ooops I had not noticed the one I liked was taken at f13

[IzzieK]

Sue ... nice shots! My favourite is #3 too...Good job!

[deetheturk]

Sue,i like them too,B.I.F is something i have not tried yet but i would be happy with your results,keep at it.

[Shadowman]

Try shooting with focus set to AF-C (continuous) and as Clive says track or pan in the direction the bird is moving. If you can lock on focus one of the three or four shots your camera is capable of firing in will get you a clean shot, hopefully.

[bnnrcn]

They are all nice but I loved the third one:-)

[suenewbie]

To help the focus you could try setting the ISO at 400 and stopping down to say f8.

L.Paul, thanks, this is just the type of information that really helps. I'll definitely try these setting changes next chance I get.

Meanwhile, I understand the effect of changing the f/stop from 13 to 8, from what Clive said, but can you explain why a higher ISO might help with focus?

[suenewbie]

Try shooting with focus set to AF-C (continuous) and as Clive says track or pan in the direction the bird is moving. If you can lock on focus one of the three or four shots your camera is capable of firing in will get you a clean shot, hopefully.

John, thanks, I'll try making these changes next time.

[Saorsa]

A couple of things. I would shoot in shutter priority when attempting BIF unless the day is really bright. In most cases you will be at enough of a distance that DOF isn't going to be a problem. I would also use ISO200.

At the venice rookery, you have an opportunity to see where the birds are likely to be going as their mate will be at the nest. Try focussing there and waiting for the second parent to arrive. It gives you an opportunity for some dramatic interaction between the nesting pair. In fact, I've seen the nest builder trying to snatch an offered stick from the other even as they land.

Tracking the bird in flight can be easier if you keep both eyes open. It will take some practice but the non-VF eye will have a wider view superimposed over the VF image. It makes tracking a little easier.

I don't know all the capabilities of your D3200. I shoot other Nikons and one of the things that might help is to set your AF to 11 point 3D tracking. It's still best to use the center point if possible but the 3D tracking brings in a very efficient AF algorithm for focus while moving.

[Nancy Moran G]

I know alot of people say Aperture mode is the way and when I bought my 1st digital 18 months ago, that's what the store recommended also. And that's what I did for 12 months.
Then BIRDS came along!
I now find myself with Manual, high shutter speed of at least 640 but more if available. I look thru for my meter and 'thumb' my way to exposure. (Changing my f stop or SS) when those fail, I go to ISO to keep SS up.
Keep at it, learning here will take you far. Fast shutter speed has helped me as well as to remember to put it on continuous shooting mode.
Nancy
I hope that made sense.

[benm]

I know alot of people say Aperture mode is the way and when I bought my 1st digital 18 months ago, that's what the store recommended also. And that's what I did for 12 months.
Then BIRDS came along!
I now find myself with Manual, high shutter speed of at least 640 but more if available. I look thru for my meter and 'thumb' my way to exposure. (Changing my f stop or SS) when those fail, I go to ISO to keep SS up.
Keep at it, learning here will take you far. Fast shutter speed has helped me as well as to remember to put it on continuous shooting mode.
Nancy
I hope that made sense.

If you are using manual one can assume the light is not changing. But if you are changing SS and f stop anyway it's probably because the bird sometimes has a sky background and sometimes a dark background. But exposure should not have to change. Anyway, it's a lot to keep track of while trying to keep the bird in the viewfinder and in focus. I suggest keeping the camera either on aperture or SS preferred.

As suggested previously set release to AF-C. Play around with the various focus options (single point, and the different multi points). The least number of focus points that works for a given situation is the best one (the fewer the points the faster the camera computer can calculate and set correct focus distance).

Basically, it is practice, practice, practice. Even then the keeper rate is never very high, just the way it is for BIF.

[Colin Southern]

I know alot of people say Aperture mode is the way and when I bought my 1st digital 18 months ago, that's what the store recommended also. And that's what I did for 12 months.
Then BIRDS came along!
I now find myself with Manual, high shutter speed of at least 640 but more if available. I look thru for my meter and 'thumb' my way to exposure. (Changing my f stop or SS) when those fail, I go to ISO to keep SS up.
Keep at it, learning here will take you far. Fast shutter speed has helped me as well as to remember to put it on continuous shooting mode.
Nancy
I hope that made sense.

Hi Nancy,

There are only 3 things you can adjust, an in Av mode, you're already adjusting one of them (Aperture; usually wide-open to get the shutterspeed as high as possible). After that, the camera will always give you the highest shutterspeed possible for the ISO you currently have selected (the same ISO you'd have to select with manual metering mode anyway), so going to manual metering really doesn't gain you anything; at best it'll give you the same exposure that Av would have given you (which you can bias up or down using Exposure Compensation), but at worst, it's likely to give you significant exposure variations as you track the bird across the sky (ie all risk, no reward)

It's really easy to get shutterspeeds as high as you like shooting manual -- the only problem is they're likely to just be black frames unless you balance the exposure by other means ... and when light is changing rapidly (as when you're tracking across the sky), the camera can do that a lot faster than we can.

[Otavio]

Hi Nancy,

There are only 3 things you can adjust, an in Av mode, you're already adjusting one of them (Aperture; usually wide-open to get the shutterspeed as high as possible). After that, the camera will always give you the highest shutterspeed possible for the ISO you currently have selected (the same ISO you'd have to select with manual metering mode anyway), so going to manual metering really doesn't gain you anything; at best it'll give you the same exposure that Av would have given you (which you can bias up or down using Exposure Compensation), but at worst, it's likely to give you significant exposure variations as you track the bird across the sky (ie all risk, no reward)

It's really easy to get shutterspeeds as high as you like shooting manual -- the only problem is they're likely to just be black frames unless you balance the exposure by other means ... and when light is changing rapidly (as when you're tracking across the sky), the camera can do that a lot faster than we can.

Nancy, when using manual, as mentioned above, are you using AUTO ISO, with a limited superior value? If not, Colin explanation might be useful for you to think about it. If you are using AUTO ISO, then the ISO will do your exposure adjustment.

I use M mode (Nikon) for BIF when I do want a specific SS (to counter bird softness/camera shake) AND Aperture (to assure enough DoF for the bird to fit). In this case I choose, say, ISO 1600 as a maximum value and let the camera set it for me (from 100 to 1600). Of course, this range is much "thinner" than what SS or Aperture would do for us, but, again, I only use it if I do want, for example, 1/2000 and I want it to be F9. Specially for birds, under good and stable light, it does work. Joe Przybyla also do this for BIF.

As Colin said, be careful with rapidly changing light. In this situation, I would not use manual. Go to S or A (I would go "S" for BIF).

Cheers,

[ScarletBrown]

Sue, first of all i would like to say about your shots and tell you one of mine favorite photo from these all 3 images. I really like photo 3 because shot is too much clear that's why everyone like that photo again and again.

[Colin Southern]

Go to S or A (I would go "S" for BIF).

I've never seen the sense in using Tv for BIF to be honest because (a) you'll lose aperture control (so DoF becomes a lottery on the rare occasion there's too much light) (or in situations where you've pre-selected a high ISO, in which case you'll be limiting your dynamic range) or (b) you'll end up with under-exposure because the aperture can't open wide enough.

Ideally you really want high shutterspeeds (I prefer 1/2000th upwards) & normally since DoF isn't an issue, wide-open aperture - which lends itself to Av mode (pre-selecting ISO) or Av mode with Auto-ISO (set to (in my case) 1/2000th minimum). Or alternatively, manual, but with Auto-ISO on. You can use Tv mode, but again, you either have to "plan for the worst" and use a high ISO to start with, or use auto-ISO.

Safety shift can also be used if one would rather take their chances with a lower shutterspeed rather than an excessively high ISO.

[Colin Southern]

I know many of my shots are not in great focus (among other problems). I'm finding it especially challenging to get good focus on birds in flight - even these big slow ones!

One technique is to preset you camera ready for action - lock it on to the bird on the ground - and just walk towards it, "waiting and anticipating" the flight.

[Otavio]

I've never seen the sense in using Tv for BIF to be honest because (a) you'll lose aperture control (so DoF becomes a lottery on the rare occasion there's too much light) (or in situations where you've pre-selected a high ISO, in which case you'll be limiting your dynamic range) or (b) you'll end up with under-exposure because the aperture can't open wide enough.

Ideally you really want high shutterspeeds (I prefer 1/2000th upwards) & normally since DoF isn't an issue, wide-open aperture - which lends itself to Av mode (pre-selecting ISO) or Av mode with Auto-ISO (set to (in my case) 1/2000th minimum). Or alternatively, manual, but with Auto-ISO on. You can use Tv mode, but again, you either have to "plan for the worst" and use a high ISO to start with, or use auto-ISO.

Safety shift can also be used if one would rather take their chances with a lower shutterspeed rather than an excessively high ISO.

Hi, Colin.

As I said above, I prefer M, with AUTO ISO. I think it is the "safest" mode, for BIF. If I have to choose between S or A, I choose S for BIF. The reason: I prefer an under exposed shot, rather than a shaked/motion blurred one. I can correct the exposure, in many cases, in PP, while a motion blurred shot (due to slow speed, while in A mode) would go straight to the bin. Again, this is only when I have to choose between S and A. M, with AUTO ISO is my preferred mode.

Cheers,

[Colin Southern]

Hi, Colin.

As I said above, I prefer M, with AUTO ISO. I think it is the "safest" mode, for BIF. If I have to choose between S or A, I choose S for BIF. The reason: I prefer an under exposed shot, rather than a shaked/motion blurred one. I can correct the exposure, in many cases, in PP, while a motion blurred shot (due to slow speed, while in A mode) would go straight to the bin. Again, this is only when I have to choose between S and A. M, with AUTO ISO is my preferred mode.

Cheers,

Hi Otávio ,

I agree that we don't want too slow a shutterspeed, but even in Av mode one still shouldn't get that if auto-ISO is selected with an appropriate minimum shutterspeed (depending on camera of course).