Mastering Exposure for Bird Photography: High ISO and Underexposure
For many aspiring bird photographers, capturing the dynamic beauty of flying birds can be a challenging and rewarding experience. However, one common issue is underexposed photographs despite using the optimal settings. This article will explore this problem and provide practical solutions, focusing on the use of exposure compensation, high ISO settings, and spot metering.
Understanding the Basics of Exposure
In bird photography, especially when shooting against a bright sky, it's essential to understand how the camera's metering system works. Most modern cameras use matrix/evaluative metering, which analyzes the scene and aims to balance it to a middle grey tone, a compromise between black and white. This is why, in many cases, your birds might appear underexposed in your photos.
Why Your Images Are Underexposed
When you photograph a bird against a bright sky, the camera's metering system tends to prioritize the sky, which is a large proportion of the viewfinder. This results in the bird appearing darker than it should be, as the meter 'thinks' the whole frame is too bright. To counteract this, you need to increase the exposure.
Add Exposure Compensation
One way to achieve proper exposure is by adding exposure compensation in your camera settings. A good starting point is between 1 to 2 stops. This offset is crucial, especially if you are photographing a bird against a bright sky. Here’s a practical example:
For this Red Kite, I used:
ISO: 800 Shutter Speed: 1/2000th Exposure Compensation: 1 to 2The image below demonstrates the outcome of these settings. Although the exposure compensation is necessary, you must be cautious not to overcompensate, as it can lead to blown highlights in the sky, making it impossible to recover details.
Note: It's always better to err on the side of underexposure, especially when shooting in RAW format, as you can easily adjust the shadows later during post-processing.
Beyond Bright Skies: Other Challenges
Are you experiencing underexposure issues in other scenarios? The answer might vary based on your shooting conditions. For example:
Dark Scenes in the Evening
When photographing birds in the evening, the problem shifts to low light conditions. If you have a camera with a high ISO and a maximum aperture of f/5.6, you can still try to get decent exposures. However, lowering the shutter speed is the primary way to brighten the bird. In some cases, you might need to reach the maximum ISO and aperture to capture a properly exposed bird.
For instance, when photographing owls, which are naturally dark and detail-rich, the settings can be quite challenging. Despite the maximum aperture of f/5.6, I managed to capture an owl at:
ISO: 6400 Shutter Speed: 1/1250th Aperture: f/6.3Advanced Techniques: Spot Metering
In some cases, using spot metering can be more effective, especially for static subjects. This metering mode focuses only on a small area, predominantly a central point, which you can adjust. While this might sound ideal for constantly moving birds, it can be tricky to keep track of changes in lighting conditions, leading to underexposure or overexposure.
For optimal results, it's essential to find a balance between exposure compensation and practical settings. Using a higher ISO can sometimes be necessary, but it's always better to experiment and find what works best for your specific conditions.
Conclusion
Mastering exposure in bird photography requires an understanding of your camera's metering system and the ability to adjust settings accordingly. By using exposure compensation and sometimes higher ISO settings, you can capture the vibrant beauty of birds in flight, even against bright skies or in low light conditions. Remember, practice and persistence are key. Experiment with different settings and techniques, and you'll soon become a proficient bird photographer.