Working a subject bird by changing our physical position, and adjusting the focal length of our lens, can add challenge and variety to our photography.
For the past couple of weeks a Wood Duck has been visiting 40 Mile Creek. This bird has provided area bird watchers and photographers with a visual treat. This article features a selection of handheld images and discusses some of the things I try to do when working a subject bird like this Wood Duck.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.

It can be difficult to locate and identify a specific bird with which to practice working a subject bird. While Wood Ducks are not uncommon in Southern Ontario their presence at specific locations can be somewhat rare. It has been quite few years since I saw a Wood Duck at the mouth of 40 Mile Creek… so this was an ideal opportunity for me. It was easy to spot my subject duck with its bright and unique colouring.

The subject bird in this article was photographed for a total of about two hours. My time was split almost equally over two successive days. When working a subject bird one of things we can do is capture the bird moving in different directions and angles. Whenever possible I like to capture images in such a way that I don’t have to do any cropping to them. This is a good way to reinforce composition skills.

Sometimes we are shooting from an elevated position in relation to a subject bird. One option we have is to further accentuate this elevation by photographing from a standing position. This can help reveal some of the plumage on the back of a subject bird. It can also help us assess the depth-of-field and bokeh that a particular lens may deliver.

I purposely captured a few images with the Wood Duck further away from my shooting position, and from a lower shooting angle. This resulted in some cropping… but this longer distance and lower angle did provide some insights on how quickly the background drops out of focus with my M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS zoom when fully extended.

We can do this type of depth-of-field test using a range of focal lengths. As you examine the EXIF data you may be wondering why I would use Pro Capture L with Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking for a subject bird that is not in flight.
Capturing a number of frames in quick succession provides more opportunities to photograph changes in body movement of a subject bird. Like the Wood Duck’s right foot just beginning to move forward in the image above. To my eye this leg position adds balance to the composition as it puts the bird’s foot directly under its eye. Visually there is a strong triangle formed from the bird’s foot, eye and tail.

Another practical reason to use Pro Capture L is illustrated with the image above. While the subject Wood Duck was swimming it unexpectedly, and very briefly, bobbed its head up and down. If I hadn’t been panning with the bird using Pro Capture L I would have missed this unusual head position.

Another facet of working a subject bird is photographing it up against different types of backgrounds. This exercise also gives us the opportunity to test out different settings with our camera gear. For example, the image above was captured handheld at 1/200 of a second with my M.Zuiko 150-600 lens fully extended to 600 mm (efov 1200 mm).

My response time wasn’t quite fast enough to properly frame the Wood Duck as it was taking flight… but I did get a nice Pro Capture H image of its wings in an extended position.

We can also look for opportunities to photograph a subject bird in different lighting conditions. For example, in shade with a brighter background. This enables us to experiment with our images in post to see how they respond.
Thus far, I am very pleased with the image quality of my M.Zuiko 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 IS under various lighting conditions. I’ve found that the RAW files from my M.Zuiko 150-600 mm zoom don’t require very much work in post.

We need to remember to get down low for some of our photographs as this changes perspective, and adds a feeling of intimacy to our images. I know some folks may have concerns that the minimum focusing distance of the M.Zuiko 150-600 mm varies from 0.59 to 2.8 metres (~ 1.94 to 9.2 feet) depending on the focal length used.
From a practical standpoint I think this ‘issue’ is nothing to worry about at all. In fact, being able to auto-focus within 0.59 metres (~ 1.94 feet) of a subject bird and still get a 150 mm (efov 300 mm) focal length to bear is incredibly powerful from an image creating standpoint.

The image above is a full frame capture at 600 mm (efov 1200) with the subject bird 6.1 metres away. That’s still more than double the minimum focusing distance of the M.Zuiko 150-600 mm when fully extended. To get an approximate idea of what could be created with the M.Zuiko 150-600 mm when shot at 600 mm at a distance of 2.8 metres… imagine doubling the size of the Wood Duck’s head in the image above.

Working a subject bird can also include creating images that provide some context. This particular Wood Duck appears to be paired up with a female mallard. The birds are always in close proximity and the Wood Duck will threaten male Mallard ducks if they approach too closely.

From a creative standpoint I wanted to capture some images that had some reference to this unusual pairing, but kept the Wood Duck as the main subject. To accomplish that I waited for opportunities where the female Mallard was in the background. This enabled me to create a three dimensional effect by having the Wood Duck in the foreground, and overcut visually.

I could amplify this effect by only having a small portion of the female duck in the composition. The image above is a good example of how important reach can be in a photograph. At 600 mm (efov 1200 mm) the body of the female duck is very soft in terms of focus.
If you compare the image above with the previous photograph captured at 373 mm (efov 746 mm) you can see the change in the depth-of-field. The EXIF also confirms that the both images were captured from about the same distance to subject.
This comparison helps to illustrate the approximate depth-of-field difference between using the M.Zuiko 150-600 and the M.Zuiko 100-400 when both lenses are shot fully extended.

Working a subject bird can also include working with the available backgrounds. Looking for favourable shooting angles that help soften/smooth out the background is a good practice exercise.
We can also capture actions that illustrate some day-to-day behaviours of a subject bird. The next three images are from the same Pro Capture H image run. They show the Wood Duck dealing with an obstruction in its path.



There is some explanation needed for our final image in this article. When I’m out with my birding kit I often wear monochromatic clothing that tends to blend in with the surroundings… usually darker greens and browns. I’ve found that if I remain motionless that birds will often approach very close to me. On a few occasions I’ve even had small birds become comfortable enough that they’ve landed on my lens, hat or back.
I noticed the Wood Duck ambling in my general direction so I made my shape smaller and less intimidating by crouching down on one knee. I brought my camera up to my eye and began tracking with the bird as it drew ever closer. I kept all of my movements slow and measured. Since my face was hidden behind my camera it is possible that the Wood Duck didn’t recognize me as much more than a grey/green shape on the sandbar.

It kept moving closer and closer until it was eventually positioned 5.4 metres away from me. The Wood Duck remained very calm and was casually feeding and picking through small pebbles and other debris laying on the sandbar right in front of me.
I always shoot my E-M1X using silent shutter when photographing birds and other wildlife. This allowed me to capture a range of images without the Wood Duck even realizing that I was photographing it from such a close-in distance. It eventually ambled off.
Working a subject bird can be a great experience as we can learn more about bird behaviour. Push our photographic skills. And, learn how to better use our camera gear.
Technical Note
Photographs were captured handheld with the camera equipment noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files using my standard process. This is the 1,367 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.
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