I just want to know, how on earth do you guys get such clean photos of birds in flight? Is there a method to it or a kind of camera lens? I could never even dream of getting my camera to focus on something moving like that

I use the classic “point the camera to the sky and pray” method, which probably explains why I don’t have very good photos in this category either.

Before I had a camera with decent autofocus I used a manual focus lens. Lead the bird like someone shooting clays and practice a lot.

It’s a technique you have to practice and practice and practice. Then, practice some more. You also need to have a camera that has the ability to do it, like a higher-end bridge camera, DSLR, or mirrorless. And, you’ll also need reach to be able to see the bird in the photo, so a lens that goes to…

One thing that can help is going out on a day that’s quite windy – if you can find a spot where the birds will be flying into the wind, they’ll be moving quite slowly relative to your camera. It also helps if you know where the birds are likely to be coming from, so that you can spot them in time to…

Ditto what IDbirds said. In particular, I want to emphasize that you shouldn’t expect much from a beginner DSLR if you are photographing birds in flight. I currently use a Canon 7D for my 100-400 mm lens and a Canon T3i for the other lenses. Both quite old, and the 7D was bought used many years aft…

The advice/technique really tends to be camera-specific. If you have a camera that is potentially capable, searching for it and “birds in flight” (BIF) on some of popular photography forums will usually yield some helpful tips. If you have no such camera, then the sky is the limit depending on you…

That article also links to a Sony DSCHV400V version, awesome!

60 percent hard manual work 40 percent LUCK

i do a bad job :( https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/24740034

Aside from the technical/gear stuff, I think so much of it is patience and knowledge of bird behavior. Being able to understand what conditions might cause a bird to fly is helpful, as is waiting and waiting for one to take off. Which is why I don’t get many BIF photos. ;-)

How do you take photos of flying birds?

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How do you take photos of flying birds?

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