Getting Good Bird Picture In Birdwatching
If you are after good bird picture, forget about birding at the some time: many have tried to do both simultaneously and failed. Just pick one area and stay there for several days-or weeks-and get to know the area and birds well. In Indonesia a good rule of thumb is not to approach the birds-let them come to you. Conceal yourself near a food source in the cool and bright morning sun; it could be a fruiting or flowering tree or muddy beach with a retreating tide. Streams and pools are good places at midday, when birds come down to bathe. Remember, birds are creatures of habit and will come back to the same spot and do the same thing day after day. Some Indonesian parks have hides and watchtowers, but generally you have to be prepared to find your own favourite spots.Think also about why you are taking the photos. Is it purely personal interest, or do you, like photographers, get particular satisfaction fromseeing the results of your work published? Editors require razor-sharp, perfectly exposed images. The growing popularity of photographic field-guides means that there is thriving market for the classic, full frame or centre shot bird but, increasingly, editors of magazines and guide books are looking for more creativity, and photos that capture the essence of the place as well as the bird. Resist the temptation to get the bird as large as shot of a wader against an expanse of mud and clear blue sky? A kingfisher surveying an expanse of forest? When you get a collection of photos together, even if it is only small, it is sure to be valuable: editors and photo agencies are crying out for better coverage of Indonesian natural history. There are still so many birds that have not yet been photographed in the wild-there is still so much to be done in Indonesia
Taken from Birding Indonesia, Periplush Publishing. Singapore