Bird Photography Tips and How-Tos (2024)

How to Compose the Perfect Bird Photo

Follow these three simple tips to capture the best shot possible.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Use Lighting and Angles to Take Better Bird Photos

Great light and the right perspective can really turn your shot around.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Get the Right Exposure for Photographing Birds

Mastering basic DSLR techniques like f-stops and shutter speeds will make your images stand out.

Tips and How-Tos

The Dos and Don’ts of Editing Bird Photos

End up with the best image possible—without compromising its integrity.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Shoot (Good) Bird Videos with Your Camera

Do you want to capture a bird's every dip and call? Learn to break in the video mode on your digital camera.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Capture the Splash Effect at Your Bird Bath or Fountain

Freeze water droplets in mid-air to create dramatic bird photography.

Tips and How-Tos

Use a Remote Trigger to Get Your Camera Closer to Birds

Even the best blind won’t help you capture certain shots—but that doesn’t mean you have to give up, writes photographer Mac Stone.

Tips and How-Tos

Want to Shoot Intimate Bird Portraits? Try a Portable Blind

Disappear in plain sight with one of these four types of camouflaged hides.

Gear

Recording Lots of Bird Videos? Here's What to Do After You Hit Stop

Tara Tanaka, a videographer and judge for the new video category in this year's Audubon Photography Awards, shares her how-to guide for managing video files and key editing tips.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Record Great Audio of Birds and Their Environments

To capture clear sounds of birds that you are filming, follow these tips.

Tips and How-Tos

Get Started With Camera Traps to Nab Unusual Bird Photos

Change your viewpoint with technology that snaps the shutter for you.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Photograph White Birds

The brilliant white plumage of some birds can also show exquisite detail. Here are two tricks for capturing both in an image.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Snap Amazing Photos of Birds Under the Water

Birds dive, swim, and wade—and so can you with the proper gear. The winner of the 2020 Audubon Photography Award explains how to expand your wildlife photography this summer.

News

How to Set Up the Perfect Perch for Backyard Bird Photography

These tips will get you and your subject in position for a great image.

Tips and How-Tos

Why You Need to Start Digiscoping

Add a camera or a cellphone to a scope and discover a whole new way of documenting nature. Here are some tips to get started.

Tips and How-Tos

Is Flash Photography Safe for Owls?

Their big, round eyes make them alluring subjects, but impairing an owl's vision, even briefly, might have negative consequences.

Ethics

Drones and Bird Photography: Why It's Just Not Worth It

You're not going to get the shot you want without putting birds at risk.

Ethics

Tips for Being a Responsible Bird Photographer in the Social Media Age

Practices to protect sensitive birds and habitat should continue after photographers and birders click the shutter.

Ethics

Follow These Dos and Don’ts to Show Off Your Bird Photos on Social Media

Half the joy in taking a bird photo is in the act of sharing it.

Ethics

Why Closer Is Not Always Better When Photographing Birds

The impulse to shoot your subject at close range can be powerful, but there are several reasons why that's not best for the animal—or the image.

Ethics

How I Learned to Safely Photograph Beach-Nesting Birds

Nesting shorebirds like Piping Plovers and Least Terns are sensitive and skittish. Here’s how to take better photos while respecting their space.

Ethics

Why Photographers Should Reconsider Using Playback in the Field

Playing audio clips of songs and calls is a common tool for getting better shots, but it can also be detrimental to birds and their chicks.

Ethics

Why Baiting Owls Is Not the Same as Feeding Backyard Birds

Some people question the difference between the two. There is a distinction—and the lives of birds depend on it.

Ethics

Use Your Photography to Support and Advance Conservation

Go beyond taking photos of beautiful birds and their fascinating behaviors. Aim to inspire action.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Master Migrant Warbler Photography

Warblers aren't the most cooperative subjects, but they are one of the most beautiful and addictive. Follow this advice to best capture the elusive birds.

Tips and How-Tos

Seven Spring Hotspots for Warbler Photography

Migrant traps aren't just a boon to birds—they put photographers in a sweet spot too.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Take Exquisite Hummingbird Photos

Hummingbirds are excellent subjects for simple or high-tech techniques. Follow these pro tips for capturing the speedy birds in flight and at rest.

Tips and How-Tos

Five Hotspots for Photographing Puffins, Murres, Auklets, and More

Late spring and summer is the best time of year to capture the so-called “penguins of the north,” even if it takes a bit of travel.

Tips and How-Tos

Learn to Photograph Leks From an Expert

The springtime dance battles of grouse and other species are irresistible camera fodder. Photographer Noppadol Paothong explains how to nail your shot without disturbing the delicate mating ritual.

Tips and How-Tos

Pigeons Are Beautiful, so Start Photographing Them

Photographer Andrew Garn shares his tips for capturing these underrated urban stalwarts in all of their iridescent glory.

Tips and How-Tos

Follow These Pro Tips for Photographing Shorebirds

Lisa Franceski has spent eight years shadowing shorebird families at her local beach. Here, she offers her advice for catching intimate shots.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Read the Tides for Shorebird Photography

Understanding how birds behave at different tidal times is key to capturing a truly great image—or even seeing them at all.

Tips and How-Tos

Seven of the Best Spots for Photographing Migrant Shorebirds in the U.S.

As Arctic-breeding birds begin making their way south in late summer, some stopover sites provide better photo opportunities than others.

Tips and How-Tos

For Spectacular Shorebird Shots, Go Low

Dropping to shorebird height is key to capturing intimate, sharp photos. These tips and products will help you get down.

News

How I Learned to Safely Photograph Beach-Nesting Birds

Nesting shorebirds like Piping Plovers and Least Terns are sensitive and skittish. Here’s how to take better photos while respecting their space.

Ethics

How to Sandproof Your Gear for Beachfront Photography

The beach can be a photographer’s dream—or worst nightmare. Tame unruly sand and salt spray with these pro tips and key tools.

Photography

Six Tips for Photographing Bald Eagles

They're big, they're back, and the camera loves them.

Tips and How-Tos

Five Rules for Photographing Bald Eagle Nests

Everyone wants that shot of a Baldie with eaglets. Here’s how to get one without disturbing the birds.

Ethics

How (and How Not) to Photograph a Golden Eagle

Goldens make for gorgeous subjects—if you follow these ethical guidelines.

Ethics

Eight of the Best Hawkwatch Sites in the U.S. for Photographers

Here's where you should go to capture spectacular shots of migrating raptors in fall and spring.

News

Five Handy Tricks for Photographing Raptors in Flight

Not sure where to start? These quick tips will help you master the technique.

Tips and How-Tos

How to Photograph Raptors From a Car

If you want to get close to birds of prey, your best bet may be a mobile blind.

Tips and How-Tos

Follow These Expert Tips to Find and Photograph Owls

With the proper preparation and plenty of patience, you can dramatically increase your chances of success.

From Audubon Magazine

Let a Pro Teach You How to Take Great Owl Photos

Paul Bannick has spent a decade photographing owls for his latest book. Here’s why he loves them—and what he’s learned.

Tips and How-Tos

Five Essentials for Successful Duck Photography

Want to get great duck shots? Be prepared to get mobile.

Gear

How to Take Sharp and Vibrant Photographs of Ducks in Flight

Capturing in-flight images of speeding ducks is challenging and rewarding. Follow these tips to land those shots.

Tips and How-Tos

Four Quick Tips for Photographing Flocks of Ducks

Rafting ducks provide a great opportunity to capture compelling images and group dynamics. Here's how to seize the moment.

Tips and How-Tos

Flirting Ducks Make for Fun Photos

Want to get an entertaining shot? Try capturing these courtship displays.

Tips and How-Tos

A Rare Encounter With an Even Rarer Bird

How Noppadol Paothong captured the one-and-only prairie chicken “Sampson” up close.

Behind the Shot

How One Photographer Got Up Close and Personal With a Curious Loon

After a friendly tip, a canceled flight, and a rented bike, Liron Gertsman snapped this intimate shot of the inquisitive bird

Behind the Shot

To Protect Her Subjects, a Photographer Chooses Patience Over Playback

Kelley Luikey wants birders and shutterbugs to recognize that playing recorded songs can stress vulnerable birds.

Behind the Shot

How Lost Luggage Led to This Amazing Shot of an Atlantic Puffin

For photographer Ann Pacheco, the potentially trip-ruining mishap ended up being a blessing in disguise.

Behind the Shot

A Curious Owlet Peeks Out of Its Nest Box. A Vigilant Photographer Is Ready.

Ashleigh Scully, 16, captured this shot of a curious young screech owl while doing her homework at the kitchen table. Here's how.

Behind the Shot

Thanks to Mom, a Photographer Finally Gets His Dream Shot

Here, Peter Mather shares the story behind this long-sought image of a Bald Eagle and two eaglets.

Behind the Shot

How a Photographer Snuck Under the Wing of a Loon Parent

To capture this image of a concealed loon chick, teenager Carolina Fraser focused on a split-second moment.

Behind the Shot

How a Photographer Captured This Eerie Shot of Godwits in the Haze

Sebastian Velasquez ventured onto a smoky California beach to photograph birds foraging in a landscape choked by wildfire.

News

These Scrappy Photos Capture the Action-Packed World Beneath a Bird Feeder

A photographer pursues common yard wildlife from a different perspective.

Behind the Shot

How Photographer Mac Stone Got This Shot of Burrowing Owls

Hint: A lot of time, a little technology—and a plain old road cone.

Behind the Shot

As Stands of Whitebark Pine Disappear, Could the Clark's Nutcracker Soon Follow?

A intrepid researcher faces steep odds as she attempts to study nutcrackers in the Cascade Mountains. But the birds—and the singular trees they help sustain—are too important for her not to persist.

From Audubon Magazine

Can a Scientist and an Owl Be Friends?

Best-selling author and ecologist Carl Safina has made a career out of his deep explorations of the animal world. But his recent relationship with a rescued owl caused him to go even deeper.

From Audubon Magazine

A Force of Conservation, the Endangered Species Act Faces a Fraught Future

Fifty years after its passage, the powerful policy has proven effective at preventing wildlife from going extinct. Only with innovation and advocacy can it continue to do so for decades to come.

From Audubon Magazine

The Bone-Eating Bearded Vulture Is Reclaiming Europe’s Skies

Once widely persecuted, the majestic scavenger is making a remarkable rebound in Europe, but new threats could undermine a full recovery.

From Audubon Magazine