Mike Atkinson Photography
Thanks for visiting my bird photography website. I hope you enjoy looking through my photos and maybe get a few tips from my tutorials.
Ever since my teen years, I’ve had a keen interest in birds and photography. Over the last few years, inspired by some of the fantastic bird images published on the Web, I’ve tried to develop and combine these interests.
Many bird photographers concentrate on getting photos of rare birds, even if these are only ‘record shots’. What really interests me, though, is images that have a ‘wow factor’, even if these are of a common species. For me, this can mean several things (click on the links for my best attempts in each case):
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a photo with real detail, such as a ‘head and shoulders’ bird portrait (example)
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a shot that captures the beauty or essence of a particular species (example)
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a photo that sums up an event in time, such as the life-or-death struggle between predator and prey (example)
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an image that is photographically or aesthetically strong, e.g. with great lighting and composition (example)
In the hope of taking photos with these qualities, I invested in a digital SLR camera in late 2004 and have gradually upgraded my gear since then.
Technical details for anyone who’s interested… I bought a Nikon D70 camera, initially with the very cheap 70-300mm G zoom lens which I later replaced with a Nikon 80-400VR zoom. I tried a Kenko Pro 300 1.4x teleconverter, but without much success. In April 2006, I finally decided to take the plunge and buy a ‘pro’ 500mm lens. Since the Nikon 500mm f4 lens didn’t have vibration reduction/image stabilisation, I went with the Canon equivalent, with a 30D camera body and Canon 1.4x extender. In February 2008 I bought a Canon 40D body and in June 2008 I added a Canon 300mm f4 IS lens for close work and portability.
The first thing I learned about bird photography is that it’s far more difficult than it looks! I’ve spent countless hours learning about the birds themselves, where and how to get close to them, how to photograph them, how to process digital images, how to create a website and more. Despite this, I know I’ve still got a lot to learn.
The other key thing I’ve learned is just how much pleasure you can get from every step of the process, from fieldwork to publishing and exhibiting and, more recently, helping others to develop their bird photography skills. In particular, you never tire of your own favourite images: each one of them instantly transports you back to the time and place that you took the picture, and recreates the transient connection you had with the bird. Try it for yourself!
By the way, the vast majority of my images are of wild, free-flying birds. However, I am happy to photograph captive birds on occasion. In all such cases, I have indicated that this is a captive bird in the ‘alt text’ for the image in the Galleries section. I also state this in the image legends in the Latest Images section.
In my spare time, I now contribute as Photo Editor for BirdGuides, who host the Web’s best birding site, with rarity reports, webzine articles and a huge collection of bird photos uploaded by over 1000 photographers.
If you’re interested in any of the following, send me an email with the details:
general advice, including image critiques (see my tutorials covering bird photography basics)
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bird photography tuition via one-day workshops on a one-to-one or small group basis (run at weekends)
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illustrated talks
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editorial or commercial use of my images (see my published images)
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conservation or charitable use of my images (for which I normally do not charge)
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framed or unframed prints (see my page on ordering prints).
www.weddingphotographershub.co.za
