Posted May 9, 2024
Drop the Shutter Speed & Follow the Subject!
Most birds-in-flight photos are captured at fast shutter speeds. Fast settings help freeze the action. Typical shutter speeds range between 1/3200th second to 1/4000th second. The new camera bodies have tracking which helps keep the bird in focus.
If the shutter speed is dropped to 1/80th second to 1/125th second, a bird’s flapping wings will appear blurred. The challenge is to pan with the moving bird in order to keep its head and eyes relatively sharp. At times, the background will also be streaked.
The “keeper” rate will always be very low but the effort can be fun, especially if an adequate supply of frozen images are already “in the can”.
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Shooting Notes: I.’ve saved two “user” settings on my Sony A1 that I can dial quickly. One is set at 1/3200th Second, F/7.1, and Auto ISO. My second user setting is saved at 1/125th second, F/13, and ISO 200. Either of the settings can be adjusted as needed. I can dial back and forth to either of the user settings in only a few seconds.