Arts & Culture

The original "birdie" was a small mechanical bird, held up over the camera by a Victorian photographer as a way of keeping children's attention for the long exposures.

Today, we still love to watch birds. Birding is one of the most popular and fastest growing outdoor activities, for all ages.

Many birders are satisfied with watching and identifying birds with binoculars. Some of us take along cameras, not only to watch but hopefully also photograph the birdies.

Birds are at once the most frustrating and the most satisfying photographic subjects.

They're often heard before they are seen, and by the time they're spotted in a tree or bush, they've decided to flit to another branch, and the shot is lost. But when you're lucky enough to catch one, and get an unobstructed, focussed photo, it's such a thrill!

              

Here are a Great Crested Flycatcher and a Red Bellied Woodpecker, posing nicely.

I'll never come near the calibre of a National Geographic photographer. That's ok. For me, it's the pleasure of a walk in a park, the excitement of seeing a lovely bird, maybe for the first time, and then preserving the moment.

Now that spring migration is over and the trees are in full leaf, the frustration factor has gone way up. I can hear that Baltimore oriole singing just a few feet away, but all I see are leaves!

This is the time to take a break and look at some books that will help me and other aspiring bird photographers with creative techniques and tips on lighting, composition, equipment and much more.

There are many bird photography websites which offer a vast amount of information about choosing and using the best cameras and lenses for your needs. You can go over the top with equipment, or do what I did and choose a 'point and shoot' camera with a long zoom that's easy to carry and handle. This site gives my camera a great review!

It isn't only birders or naturalists who find bird photography so fascinating. In the books below, artists explore images of birds, as well as the process of photographing them in unique settings and circumstances.

And remember, no matter how difficult it seems to get that perfect shot, it could be worse!
    

"We have suffered a few minor accidents resulting in sundry bumps and sore bones, and the smashing of our apparatus, but nothing of a serious nature." Richard Kearton, "With Nature and a Camera", 1897

So enjoy the birds, try taking a few snaps. Hint – start with ducks and geese!