The Bird Photography Field Guide: The essential handbook for capturing birds with your digital SLR

by David Tipling

As digital photography equipment, notably digital SLR cameras and digiscopes, become increasingly affordable, more and more birdwatchers are turning their hands to capturing images of their favorite subject. But having the equipment is only half the battle to achieving stunning bird images. A good knowledge of your equipment, an understanding of both photography and field craft, and a firm basis in post-production techniques are also essential if you want to capture and create high-quality bird photographs. All these topics are covered in this portable guide to bird photography. Although small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or camera bag, the Bird Watcher's Photography Field Guide introduces and instructs on each stage of the digital photography process, describing all the necessary equipment, discussing specialist field-craft techniques, and showing you how to manipulate and enhance your photos.

Genres: Photography, Birds

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2011

About the author

David Tipling is renowned for his wildlife photographs and writings and is coauthor of the critically acclaimed Birds & People. Their previous books together include The Enigma of the Owl and The Empire of the Eagle.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great concise review of digital bird photography. Due to the rapid change in the digital technology, it is slightly out of date. However, it covers the basics of digital photography for the beginner with a good introduction to Photoshop processing of digital images.

[Annabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The adrenalin rush of the stealthy stalk, the importance of a steady arm, and finally, The Shot. Summed up, a passion for the hunt, rekindled!

[J.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

After adding some different seed and feeders in my yard this year I naturally began seeing new birds. And the natural impulse for me was to try to photograph them, but alas, my photography skills are seriously wanting.

This is a helpful little book that has some good information. The focus is on *digital* photography, and not only includes information on photographing birds but also on the equipment and how to edit the photos afterward. The section on equipment was very helpful but it made it rather clear that it's not just my skills that are deficient but also my budget. As much as I'd love to add an expensive telephoto lens it suggested a technique called "digiscoping," which is photographing through a scope or binoculars. Nice idea, but it wasn't so easy to do and end up with a nice picture. I think that information would be useful *before* purchasing your equipment if your intent is bird photography.

The book itself is sized like a birding field guide, which is nice but I'm not sure I'd want to read it in the field. Also, be warned that the font is rather small. But there are many great photos (which make mine like even more amateurish) and has many good tips (although some of it seemed almost common-sense).