Capture the essence of birds

Getting that shot!

Fish Eagle taking flight along the Kazinga Channel by Corne Schalkwyk 

Surely, the most celebrated technical challenge in bird photography must be that of capturing crisp images of birds in flight. Though I personally find static portrait shots of birds at rest to be just as pleasing aesthetically, there is no doubting the dynamic power of a well-executed flight shot in the mind of the typical viewer. 

Birds are, after all, the dominant flying vertebrates, so in some sense the flight shot might be said to more fully capture the essence of the living bird.

Although still a novice at this, spending countless hours trying to capture this elusive “essence”, I can state it doesn't come your way without some hard work on the ground.

Bird photography is regarded by many as the most challenging branch of wildlife photography, and taking pictures of birds in flight is certainly the most difficult type of bird photography. With the right techniques, though, your hit rate for flight shots can be dramatically improved, making it possible to capture birds at their most spectacular.

African skimmers over the Kazinga channel by Corne Schalkwyk 

 What I have learned: Photographing birds in flight poses a real challenge for cameras and lenses. They have to be able to focus on rapidly-moving targets and stay locked on to them long enough to enable images to be captured, even if the bird flies in front of ‘distracting’ backgrounds. They have to be able to automatically set a correct exposure in fast-changing scenes and operate with shutter speeds fast enough to freeze the action. Finally, to give you a reasonable chance of getting a shot with the bird’s wings in a decent position, they need to be able to capture a burst of images in rapid succession.

Female Pied Kingfisher ready to dive by Corne Schalkwyk 

Flight shots are possible with most DSLR/lens combinations but, again, there are restrictions on the types of flight shots that can be handled by budget to mid-range gear. Almost all DSLRs can use shutter speeds of 1/4000th second or faster, which is fast enough to freeze virtually all flight action. They can also rattle off three or more frames per second, which will give you a reasonable burst of well-timed shots. Where budget models struggle, though, is with autofocus ability, making it very difficult to lock on to and track your subject.

This doesn’t mean you can’t get decent flight shots with this gear, but does mean that you will need to work hard on your technique and your hit rate may still be low but its possible (These photos were taken with a very basic Nikon D3100 that made it easy for me to carry and handle on a relatively small boat on the Kazinga channel)

Weaver bird landing at my breakfast at Mweya Safari lodge Uganda By Corne Schalkwyk 

For Safaris in Uganda including boat Safaris on the Nile and the Kazinga channel contact Premier Safaris. Website: www.premiersafaris.com (They have great specialist for birding Safaris as well) 

One of the best itineraries to use is the Uganda meander – 11 days of the best of Uganda.

For accommodation in these areas contact Marasa Africa who have great lodges in in the best locations within the national parks of East Africa: www.marasa.net 

Landing by Corne Schalkwyk 

African buffalo in Kenya #wildlifewednesday

#wildlifewednesday

This large African bovine is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, and its ancestry remains.

Due in large to its unpredictable nature, which makes it highly dangerous to humans; the African buffalo has never been domesticated unlike its Asian counterpart, the Asian buffalo.

Kenya Buffalo by Corne Schalkwyk 

The horns of African buffalo are very peculiar. A characteristic feature of them is the adult bull’s horns have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield referred to as a “boss’, which cannot always be penetrated even by a rifle bullet. From the base, the horns diverge, then bend down, and then smoothly curve upwards and outwards.

When a herd member is attacked, others will rush to its defense. Collectively a number of buffalo are more than capable to stave off an attack by an entire pride of lions. A wounded buffalo bull is regarded as most dangerous by hunters, and is one of the reasons why this animal is included into the so-called ‘big five’. This trait is the origin of many hunting adventures, myths and legends.

Buffalo mud bath by Corne Schalkwyk - Queen Elizabeth National park Uganda 

I have always had a fascination with Buffalo and will always make time to get a good photo of a buffalo while on Safari. 

The below photo is part of Premier Safari's offering referred to as the Uganda Meander. I took the photo while travelling with Premier to explore Murchison falls National park in Uganda. 

Uganda Meander Premier Safaris

We stayed at Paraa and Chobe Safari lodges (both owned by Marasa Africa lodges based in East Africa) 

Premier Safaris website: www.premiersafaris.com 

Marasa Africa Lodges: www.marasa.net