Shooting into the sky

[wileycoyote69]

Can anybody help me out here....I would really like to take some pics of birds in flight but I'm struggling....I think I have worked out that AF is completely useless when pointing at the sky cos I can't focus at all with it, or it's just my camera?
Hints and tips much appreciated :)

Sorry think I've posted this one in the wrong slot :(

[Stemmy]

Hi Wiley - here is fine for questions I suppose.

If you are going to use AF see if your camera has SERVO mode. This will track the subject and keep focus as you keep your finger on the button.

Hope this helps

[Waif]

I don't think our Olympus(es) have SERVO mode, but if you go to the scene modes and select 'Children' that continually refocuses. I use it with the dogs, not tried with birds though.

[Bindii]

I always use manual focus with fast stuff as I find I'm a bit quicker than the camera with something as fast moving as a bird...

If you haven't got manual focus then I'd try either a 'sports' mode or as Waif suggested the 'children's' mode..which most likely is the equivalent of a sports mode anyway...or as Martin said 'servo' mode...

Always try and photograph the birds with the sun at your back, this stops the auto focus from getting to confused...well at least in my experience it has anyway..

and perhaps try to get some slower moving birds for starters...pelicans are great as they are so slow moving and have such great wing motions that its almost impossible to get a bad shot of a flying pelican. Or pigeons, as they are relatively tame and easy enough to find if you live in a city...take some seed to keep them around....focus on your bird...throw the seed or even better get someone else to throw the seed...click and you have your shot!

Btw, a lot of different species of birds have a 'routine'..for instance Kingfishers will always return to the same perch to hunt and eat their food....so if you observe some birds for a while you might get an indication of what their 'routine' is and then its simply a matter of focusing and waiting for the shot.

Good luck!

[wileycoyote69]

Thankyou all for the tips....I'm still trying to hunt down a pelican to practice on but not much luck so far! lol

I am going to experiment with my different focus settings although I'm quite sure I dont have servo mode.....it just seems to go bananas when it's looking at anything bright...or could it just be that it has nothing to focus on? I generally focus on something first and then move the camera to where I want it but obviously I can't do that with birds!....I'll keep trying and let you know how I get on :)

Thanks
Rod

[gefillmore]

I do my best to shoot still subjects-

if I want to shoot birds I go to a taxidermist-

[tonymidd]

When I was at Bromyard the other Saturday with Alan shooting the raptors I used a 70-200mm with the D200 group dynamic in AF mode. This is a focus mode in which you select the focus area but if the subject leaves that area the camera uses info from the other groups, there are 5, to refocus on the group that been changed by the subject entring it. Very clever stuff and it works. If your camera does not have this feature I'd use the central focus area and try to keep the bird on that. I also used the high burst shutter mode which gives me 5 fps. You also need to pick your target bird up well in advance of where you you to shoot it and track it by panning the camera.
I'm not sure what technique Alan used with his Canon.