After Getting Criticized For Bird Photos I Started Setting Up Photo Stages For Them (16 Pics)
Last year I joined my local photography club. The club holds regular competitions and I was amazed by the quality of the bird and wildlife photographs. I’ve never been much of a natural history photographer. So it’s not surprising that my own photographs did very poorly in competitions.
In particular, a judge criticized a woodpecker photograph that I submitted because it was clearly on a bird feeder. “Hand of man!” he said as he dismissed my attempt.
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This is where I started from. It’s a rubbish photo. We don’t want to see birds on bird feeders.
Natural history photography has more than a passing resemblance to street photography. One of the secrets of street photography is to first find your “stage” and then wait for the subjects to appear. So I thought I would apply this to photographing garden birds. I decided to set up a stage and then wait for the birds to arrive.
I have a bird table in my garden, but I knew that I needed to create a stage that didn’t reveal the “hand of man”. So I hunted down moss-covered logs, attractive blossom and created a miniature reflection pool. I then set up my camera and waited.
This picture shows how I baited the log.
I added off-camera flash to get catchlights in the birds’ eyes.
Nuthatch
Robin
Blue tit
I clipped some flowers and blossom to provide a perch.
I then captured this image of a blue tit on a magnolia bloom.
I loved the storytelling feel of this image. Time for more of the same!
My next step was to create a reflection pool. Here’s a picture I took at a hide with a proper pool. I didn’t have room for one of these.
I did it on a miniature scale by using a plastic tray from a garden centre.
I call this one, ‘Depressed robin wondering if the rain will ever stop’.
The reflection pool is small, so there’s only one angle you can shoot from.
Sparrow
Jay
Nuthatch
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It's a really cool idea, it looks all natural - great work!
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These are beautiful. Gives me inspiration to actually use my lenses Ive never used. :)
Oh, you should! You could post some results here.
Load More Replies... It’s like Instagram models but for birds. I often wonder if the chase for that perfect picture will be the downfall of birds
European Robins are so different from American Robins - very cool to see this type.
My wildlife pictures are said to have, "hand of man" in them also. I don't know, what do you think? DSC_1503-5...e4d8d2.jpg 
"Hand of man"? The birds are in our yards, there is no doubt they are nearby, not in a fairy woodland. The judges are stinky poos. My best was submitted to Westways and Nat Geo, a California quail on a stump in my yard.
I wish I could do something like this on my apartment balcony. I have a feeder set up and am always staring outside my window at the pretty birds.
Clever and successful. I lucky to have all these feathery buddies visiting my garden. I'd love to get a camera, I have some goldcrests, gold and greenfinch and long tailed tits to name a few that also visit and a phone camera doesn't do them justice
Not sure how the very first photo (bird on feeder) is rubbish. I like it as much as the succeeding improved photos. Great job!
I just don't know why people have to criticise other people all the time about things that are very beautiful, it doesn't matter if it's on a feeder or not it's still beautiful. Well done. Of course natural is good but so difficult to get at times, I don't think we should be putting beginners and intermediate photographers in a position where they feel guilty for taking a photo of a bird on a feeder that's just ridiculous. just because people like taking photos it doesn't mean they've got all the time in the world to stand around waiting for a hawk to dive down from the sky and get a fish in its beak...!!!
These are beautiful! Are you British? I recognise all of these as common birds there - so gorgeous ^ ^
There's some serious dedication to your art there! Congrats and keep up the amazing work. Thank you for sharing your tricks with us too.
Congratulations to you the pictures are wonderful I hope you are having a good laugh at that judge now no hand of man in sight well done
Lovely captures, and very creative setup. I especially like the photo of the blue tit on the magnolia branch.
can we all have a moment of silence for the humble brag on the first photo?
Just goes to show that even harsh criticism can be constructive and have positive effects.
You are fantastic! I have to agree, those are thumbs up better than just a bird feeder shot! Very creative!
thanx for sharing your prework !!! education mode - I like !!! Good luck for more beautiful works :)
It's a really cool idea, it looks all natural - great work!
Load More Replies... These are beautiful. Gives me inspiration to actually use my lenses Ive never used. :)
Oh, you should! You could post some results here.
Load More Replies... It’s like Instagram models but for birds. I often wonder if the chase for that perfect picture will be the downfall of birds
European Robins are so different from American Robins - very cool to see this type.
My wildlife pictures are said to have, "hand of man" in them also. I don't know, what do you think? DSC_1503-5...e4d8d2.jpg
"Hand of man"? The birds are in our yards, there is no doubt they are nearby, not in a fairy woodland. The judges are stinky poos. My best was submitted to Westways and Nat Geo, a California quail on a stump in my yard.
I wish I could do something like this on my apartment balcony. I have a feeder set up and am always staring outside my window at the pretty birds.
Clever and successful. I lucky to have all these feathery buddies visiting my garden. I'd love to get a camera, I have some goldcrests, gold and greenfinch and long tailed tits to name a few that also visit and a phone camera doesn't do them justice
Not sure how the very first photo (bird on feeder) is rubbish. I like it as much as the succeeding improved photos. Great job!
I just don't know why people have to criticise other people all the time about things that are very beautiful, it doesn't matter if it's on a feeder or not it's still beautiful. Well done. Of course natural is good but so difficult to get at times, I don't think we should be putting beginners and intermediate photographers in a position where they feel guilty for taking a photo of a bird on a feeder that's just ridiculous. just because people like taking photos it doesn't mean they've got all the time in the world to stand around waiting for a hawk to dive down from the sky and get a fish in its beak...!!!
These are beautiful! Are you British? I recognise all of these as common birds there - so gorgeous ^ ^
There's some serious dedication to your art there! Congrats and keep up the amazing work. Thank you for sharing your tricks with us too.
Congratulations to you the pictures are wonderful I hope you are having a good laugh at that judge now no hand of man in sight well done
Lovely captures, and very creative setup. I especially like the photo of the blue tit on the magnolia branch.
can we all have a moment of silence for the humble brag on the first photo?
Just goes to show that even harsh criticism can be constructive and have positive effects.
You are fantastic! I have to agree, those are thumbs up better than just a bird feeder shot! Very creative!
thanx for sharing your prework !!! education mode - I like !!! Good luck for more beautiful works :)
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