- Matthew McCormack
Rocky Robin
To capture a wild bird is relatively easy to do and something you can do from your very own garden... The best practices to try that I've found, is by selecting a branch of a tree or perch that not too much in the open, nor too far in a tree with other branches/leaves that could get in the way. make sure there's plenty of space between the branch and the background so that the bird will stand out in the final image. Also its better to select a branch that is not too high so you can get eye level with the bird from the camera. To entice some wild birds to land on your perch you can place food underneath or at lower level so its out of shot through the camera and therefore the bird will hopefully then land on your perch prior to getting to the food.
Camera settings wise generally speaking you need a fast shutter speed around 1/1000sec (although it can be achieved at slower speeds - advanced users). An aperture of about F8 so to assist in getting the whole bird in focus and if you can put your camera into AUTO ISO, let the camera select that for you so you can focus on getting the shot. Using a tripod or monopod is advantegous but not necessary with high shutter speed.
Then all you need is patience and plenty of time to wait for a bird to come along.

