Shooting with Nikon D500 and Sigma 150-600, 1/2000. 1/2500, iso 200-640
Photographing birds in flight is a skill that takes time to learn. Assuming one has their equipment set up as needed, which can vary, one's ability to lock on visually to a bird and then follow it through long enough to get the shot is what counts. It takes a steady hand and a lot of concentration to get sharp shots of birds in flight. I use a Nikon D500 and a Nikon 200-500, normally setting my lens wide open, f/5.6, so I can get the fastest shutter speed possible and the softest background. I move my focus point to the closest point near the eyes or to the eyes if possible. I'll usually follow the bird through to the end and move steadily around with it. You can see what I've shot on my website or, if you want, I can post images. Practice, practice, practice. Use the correct setting to shoot in successive mode and keep taking shots. You'll throw away a lot of shots as a bird photographer.
It doesn't appear to be camera movement, but rather focus. How many focal points do you have it set for?
zacksoccer wrote:
Thoughts and critique will be sincerely appreciated...beautiful mature bald eagle and juvie...I am struggling with getting sharp images...lighting is good, am using back button, continuous focus...is there a secret to birds in flight capture...have raised iso somewhat, to get higher shutter but these have lots of light...sometimes using a monopod, but basically these are handheld...I know that might be an issue as well...is the sigma 150-600 typically considered "sharp?" There are lots of variables...
Thoughts and critique will be sincerely appreciate... (
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As an Advanced Beginner myself, I see a very nice set of Eagle Photos. Thanks for sharing your enjoyable images.
I am not seeing obvious motion blur or anything that screams out of focus. There is not a ton of detail in the feathers. Looks to me like there is a lot of de-noise applied. The last one landing in the nest the wood looks sharper than the bird. That one might be off a little. The immature looks okay.
Overall if you are a new shooter, they look pretty good to me.
I think the 5th one is the best of the series by far. But compositionally I think it is on the wrong side of the image. The bird is clearly flying from left to right. By having it on say the left vertical third it would be flying INTO the frame rather than out of it as it is presented. I also cropped it a little bit on the right edge. It is pretty easy and took me less than 5 minutes. It is not perfect but I was not going to spend a lot of time on it just to illustrated a suggestion.
You might also bump your ISO up a bit to give yourself a smaller working aperture to increase your chances of success. I also recommend using a tripod and preferably a gimbal head.
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