Julie Chen was kind enough to teach me the finer art of bird photography. Here is what I learned not to do. I will also share mistakes I made during this shoot. Firstly, when shooting water birds a polarizer filter really helps. Since my lens was new I don't have a polarizer that fits it yet; so I shot without one. An overcast day did not help as the reflection on the water was not flattering. Here is an example that could have really been improved with a polarizer filter; they take away the glare and reflection on the water's surface.

A polarizer filter would have taken away the water reflections. That in turn would have darkened the water and helped the bird to stand out better. The next mistake bird photographers make is not showing a bird's eye. Some times the color around the bird's eye is dark and since the eye is also dark it just seems to disappear. People and animal images need a good visible and sharp eye. Better yet, catch a sparkle in the eye. Here is an example of an eyeless bird:

Now sometimes there is nothing that can be done about an eye not showing. Most often, it has to do with the angle of the photographer in relation to the bird and the sun. So make sure that you shoot at such an angle that you can see a clear eye.

          Julie spoke of bird landscapes that show birds in their habitat. She also spoke about image worthy shots. There are shots that are nice and pleasing but boring. They don't tell a story or show action. The best shots are those that show action or tell a good story. These shots are also more difficult to get than shooting a bird just sitting there. Don't spend your time getting images that are not image worthy; action and story are the key words. Here is an example of an image that is a bit boring and static:

Now there is nothing wrong with this image per se, but does it wow anyone? It is pleasing and nice but it does not show any action and it does not really tell a story. Go for the action to get an image that is truly worthy of being taken. Compare the image of the static bird above to the one below that shows action:

What do you think? Now here is action. Water droplets are flying around, a fish has been caught and the wings are in motion. This shot sure beats the shot of a static bird.

          Next week I am going to share some tips that may be helpful to get better bird shots.