A Beginner’s Guide to Photographing Birds

After decades traveling around the globe capturing award-winning wildlife photographs, Tim Laman is no stranger to birds. The ornithologist has shot images of birds of paradise in New Guinea, followed hornbills across Southeast Asia, and snapped pictures of cranes in Japan. Then there were the icy days spent watching penguins in Antarctica, or the time he climbed into the canopy of a kapok tree until he was eye level with the Amazon’s avian community.

But one of Laman’s favorite places to shoot is still his own backyard, where chickadees flit between branches and the drama between species reveals the local pecking order. The mourning doves and house finches that cohabitate in his Massachusetts backyard aren’t the most elusive birds he’s shot—they’re far from it. But few places allow him to get as creative with bird photography as his yard.

“You don't have to go to some exotic location where there are rare birds to be a good bird photographer,” he says.

Laman encourages those just starting out to immerse themselves in their backyards—a place where he’s honed his own craft, experimenting with lighting and composition in a more forgiving environment than the South Pole. Whether shooting endangered species or common yard birds, here are his tips to take bird photography beyond the beginner stage.

Find the Right Lens

It’s easy to roll your eyes when an esteemed photographer touts that the quality of your equipment is irrelevant, but Laman won’t say that. Instead, he emphasizes that the right equipment makes a difference, but it doesn’t have to break the bank.

Some of his own images are proof: The iconic “Bird-of-Paradise Sunrise” photo was made with a camera that can now be purchased for under $200. Laman recommends scouring eBay and other resale sites for used equipment. He also suggests starting off with a telephoto lens that can shoot to a focal length of 100-300 millimeters at a minimum—400 millimeters is even better—which can help capture birds from a distance.

Get to Know Your Subject

Other than a camera, there’s one weapon in Laman’s photography arsenal that he doesn’t leave home without: binoculars. Use them to observe birds, and over time, you’ll become acquainted with their habits. “I think it's really important to put that time in and become a good naturalist,” Laman says. 

The exercise can help you better recognize birds’ same mannerisms with a lens at your side. And, as Laman has learned, sometimes the prime signal for a photo op is not what you might expect.

“Birds almost always poop right before they take off,” Laman explains. “If you're sitting there watching a hawk perching in a tree, and it's just sitting there for a long time, then all sudden, it poops, [that's] a really good clue.”

Don’t Be Afraid of Dramatic Lighting

“Some beginner guides say, ‘Get the light behind you so the subject is well illuminated,’” Laman says. “But that can create really boring lighting.”

Instead, he sometimes prefers to position the light behind the bird. “When they raise their wings, you get this beautiful light coming through.” Laman also notes that dramatic side lighting can create nice shadows—which goes to show that some rules are meant to be broken, and experimentation is always encouraged.

Brave the Weather

Birds don’t just exist on cloudless, sunny days, even if that’s when it’s most enjoyable to shoot. To push yourself out of your comfort zone with your photography skills, try weathering some storms (as long as conditions are safe enough.)

“I love photographing birds in the snow," Laman says. "It creates so much atmosphere and beautiful, clean backgrounds." Plus, precipitation offers a chance to see different bird behaviors, like hunkering down or fluffing up to retain heat.

Tell a Story

Variety is the spice of life—and it’s also integral to telling stories through photos, according to Laman.

“[Don’t] have all your images have the bird the same size in the frame,” he says. “That's really boring and doesn't tell the story very well. It'd be much better to have a wider shot of the bird in the environment, then maybe a medium shot of some interesting behavior, and then a real shot that shows the details.” And just like that, a narrative is born.

Take Advantage of the Ordinary

There’s a reason Laman has traveled the world and still considers the humble backyard one of the best places to shoot: It challenges you to get creative.

“Everybody knows what a chickadee looks like. Just a chickadee perched there maybe isn't that interesting,” he says. “But if it's perched on a beautiful green bough in a snowstorm, or if it's flying through the air and has its wings totally fanned out, you can get people to go, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen a chickadee like that.”