Photographing Birds in the Wild

Class Preview

Set yourself up for success and learn proven techniques to capture the beauty and grace of birds in the wild.

Introduction

Meet your instructor, renowned photographer and biologist Neil Losin, as he shares his approach to photographing birds.

Equipment

Neil introduces you to the equipment that is essential for creating amazing wildlife photos: lenses, supports, flashes and other accessories. He shows you the professional 500mm lens he owns, and gives you tips on how you can use more affordable equipment to achieve similar results.

Technical Basics

Neil reviews the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO and how they relate to photographing birds. For those new to shooting wildlife or to using a DSLR camera, he covers when to use manual and automatic settings and how to achieve a proper exposure.

Weather & Light

Discover the “golden hour” when natural light is at its best, as well as how to photograph in a variety of light and weather conditions. Learn how to position yourself to best utilize natural light and learn how weather affects bird behavior.

Getting Close

Learn how to respectfully interact with birds as Neil offers tips for observing and approaching birds in nature. With Neil’s instruction you’ll be able to read bird behavior, create natural and man-made cover and even bring birds closer to you.

Flash

Learn how adding a flash can bring out details in your feathered subjects. Discover what light conditions yield maximum benefits and how to avoid some of the most common flash pitfalls. Neil also discusses how using flash can affect birds and shares his thoughts on how to lessen your impact on their lives.

Composition

Create impactful images as Neil discusses the foundations of strong composition that led to his many awards. After you learn the customary composition rules, Neil shows you when and how to break them. Explore how moving your stance just a bit can wildly vary a photo’s background and discover the importance of having a bird’s-eye view.

Editing & Post-Processing

Learn how to take your photos further, even after you trip the shutter. Neil discusses how to edit and organize your photos before demonstrating Photoshop techniques for reducing noise, removing dust and adjusting colors. He also shares his philosophy of trying to keep his photos as natural as possible.