Look at the pose - the wings are so great in this shot - great tracking for these guys - they’re wicked fast. It isn’t absolutely perfect, but it’s a keeper for those traits. Usually we get photos of Killdeer on the ground so don’t get to see the full array of colors and patterns in the feathers. Maybe lighten the eye just a tad?
Oh and I have to ask, how long did it take you to get good at BIF? I just despair, but maybe it’s one of those 10,000 hours things.
Hi Kris, thanks!
How long to get good at birds in flight? Hard to say since I started with still subjects then much later had the opportunity for BIF fairly regularly. Like three years but that is when I was just starting out in photography. I don’t think it should take near that long for an experienced photographer. In addition to learning techniques, having frequent opportunities of course is a big help to hone your skills.
Jan Wegener has put together good youtube videos on birds in flight that you can watch for free.
Practicing getting flying birds in the frame and the habit of pre focusing on the expected point where the bird will be is a good start.
Thanks @Allen_Sparks - that’s helpful. I think I’ll put some effort into improving my BIF. There are plenty of subjects around the yard and on my normal kayak trips etc. I’ll become friends with the Delete Rejected Photos function in Lightroom!
This is wonderful – gorgeous pose, detail and clarity – definitely a keeper! The darker area on the left is a bit of an eye-blocker for me, but it does repeat the darker grays in the bird. It would be easy to lighten and maybe bend more to a green to blend in with the very lovely BG foliage. I would consider darkening the lighter strip along the bottom.
I’m no expert at BIF but enjoy trying. A big part of it is finding the bird in the frame. You need to be prefocused closely enough to see at least a fuzzy blob. A technique that works for me it to keep both eyes open. My left eye gives me a wide view and if I line up the bird just outside the lens hood at about the 10:30 position, my right eye will see it in the frame and I can close the left eye and try to concentrate on focus and following it. Mirrorless bodies have a wonderful ability to follow a subject and jump the focus around over most of the screen area, which lets focus stay locked even if the subject is not completely steady in the frame.
Allen - Really nice flight shot with good eye contact- a view we don’t often get. Kildeer are very tough to catch, since they are so quick and erratic in flight.
This seems just a little “flat” from here, so I added a bit of vibrance , as a thought
This looks fine to me, Allen. I do see @SandyR-B point about looking a little flat. The detail is fine as far as I’m concerned and the pose is absolutely killer.
Thanks for the reference to Jan. I’ll have to look into that as I am not at all good at this except for larger birds with less erratic flight paths.
Wow, another great BIF Allen. Love the full on view of the back and the nice view of the eye in this. Colors are great. I like the little boost @SandyR-B gave to it too.
