We have just published our 188 page Handheld Bird Photography eBook, which features over 430 original bird images. This new eBook covers a range of content areas that are fundamental to handheld bird photography.

NOTE: Click on images to enlarge. To view this article in a range of other languages click on the Canadian flag in the upper right corner. 

Handheld Bird Photography is designed for folks who prefer to shoot handheld. There is no reference to, or discussion of, camera supports like tripods and monopods.

Here is a summary of the content areas:

• where to find birds
• approaching birds
• safety considerations
• advanced preparation
• studying birds & keeping a journal
• understanding your subjects
• camera gear considerations
• typical camera settings
• tips on handheld technique
• lighting
• composition
• rhythmic motion & frame rate
• photographing captive birds
• eye/hand coordination
• computational photography technologies
• lens pre-focusing
• importance of background
• post processing

To provide additional context, here is a selection of sample pages including a more detailed Table of Contents. These will illustrate how the information is presented, and some of the bird images that are included, in the eBook.

Handheld Bird Photography is available for purchase and download. The investment is $14.99 CDN.  Make sure you have at least 100,000 KB of open space on your computer or device.

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A Note about the Download Process
The download is a two-stage process. When you first click on the Buy Button you will be transferred to the PayPal site for you to make your payment. Once that is completed you will be redirected back to the website. You must wait for a minute or two after the PayPal logo has disappeared before you begin your download. There will be a pause for several minutes while the website prepares a personalized copy of the eBook you just purchased. This delay is normal. Do not click a second time as this will interrupt the creation of your personalized eBook. After a few minutes, the download will then begin. Your copy of the eBook you just purchased will require you to use a password which will be your email address that you used when purchasing the eBook.

Copyright Information
All eBooks are Copyright Thomas Stirr. Individual Copyright dates are noted for each eBook listed. All rights reserved. No part of any eBook may be reproduced, duplicated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, printing, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Thomas Stirr. Purchasers of any individual eBook are granted the permission to read the eBook and view the graphics and images contained therein for their sole use only. All eBooks are published by Thomas-Ritt Associates Limited, or by Thomas Stirr.

Technical Note

Photographs were captured handheld using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files using my standard process in post. This is the 1,502 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

How you can keep this website advertising free

My intent is to keep this photography blog advertising free. If you enjoyed this article and/or my website and would like to support my work, you can purchase an eBook, or make a donation through PayPal (see Donate box below). Both are most appreciated. Sometimes all we need as photographers is a bit of inspiration. We hope you can find some of that inside Finding Visual Expression II.

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Finding Visual Expression II is available for download for an investment of $11.99 CDN. The best viewing experience of this eBook will be at 100% using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

You may be interested in all of the 30 concepts covered in both of these related eBooks. If so, you may want to also consider Finding Visual Expression.

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Finding Visual Expression is available for download for an investment of $11.99 Cdn. The best viewing experience of this eBook will be at 100% using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Our other eBooks include Images of Ireland, New Zealand Tip-to-Tip, Nikon 1: The Little Camera That Could, Desert & Mountain Memories, Images of Greece, Nova Scotia Photography Tour, and a business leadership parable… Balancing Eggs.

If you click on the Donate button below you will find that there are three donation options: $7.50, $10.00 and $20.00. All are in Canadian funds. Plus, you can choose a different amount if you want. You can also increase your donation amount to help offset our costs associated with accepting your donation through PayPal. An ongoing, monthly contribution to support our work can also be done through the PayPal Donate button below.

You can make your donation through your PayPal account, or by using a number of credit card options.

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Article is Copyright 2025 Thomas Stirr. Images are Copyright 2014-2025 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, duplication or adaptation of any kind is allowed without written consent. If you see this article reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use. Posting comments on offending websites and calling out individuals who steal intellectual property is always appreciated!