Feeding Time

• Most species of birds feed during the early morning and late afternoon. Typically, this means birds feed around sunrise and for the hour or two before sunset. Morning may serve as the best time to photograph birds because fewer people are around during the morning. Some species of birds prefer to feed during the evening or afternoon. If you know what type of bird you wish to photograph, research their feeding time and arrive at your location 30 to 60 minutes before the feeding time.
  
  

Lighting

• Photographers feel differently about lighting. However, many people enjoy the soft glow of the morning that comes just after sunrise. This soft glow leads to ambient light and may make it easy to keep birds properly exposed and avoid drastic shadows. The bright light of early afternoon leads to drastic shadows but keeps subjects highly illuminated. During sunset, surroundings grow dimmer and an orange glow may be present. This light works much like morning light, making it easier to avoid shadows. Lighting varies by weather and environment. Cloudy conditions lead to less light while some places, such as the beach, tend to stay cloudy and dull for a longer portion of the morning than other areas.
  
  

Night Birds

• The most common night birds are the whip-poor-will, loon, owl, northern mockingbird and hermit thrush. These birds are nocturnal and sleep during the day. Because it is hard to take pictures in low-light conditions, photographs are less common. To increase the exposure and quality of your photographs, use film designed for low-light conditions or use a night-photography camera. Although the specific feeding times of these birds vary by species, most can be found several hours after sunset.
  
  

Other Photography Tips

• Bird photography serves as one of the components of nature photography. Unlike pictures of landscapes, bird photography features live objects that move and fly. In order to take the best pictures of birds, bring bird food. Food helps get birds to approach you, but you must still stay quiet and patient. Like many animals, birds flee when unknown people approach them. Approach birds slowly, step by step. Stay patient as you watch birds if you wish to take photos of them moving. Watch closely so you can respond quickly to a flying bird.