Watch the Birdie!

By Anne Watkins

My husband Allen and I are avid amateur photographers and over the years we have taken hundreds of photos of our birds. Many of the pictures have been great, while others have left viewers asking, "What's that supposed to be?"

Along the way, we've learned what works for our birds, and what doesn't. Here are a few things to try if you'd like to get some nice snapshots of your own companion birds:

• If at all possible, take the bird out of the cage for the photography session -- Nothing spoils a picture more than cage bars distorting your view of the bird. Even if the bird is in the middle of the cutest thing it has ever done, a bunch of bars running throughout the picture distracts from the action or can make it impossible to see what's happening. This photo of Rio clearly illustrates what I mean. While you can see that he's testing the pre-bath water temperature with his toe, the cage bars almost hide what's going on.
• Use props -- One fun way to add character to your photographs is to use props. Suitable props include favorite toys, funny looking food items, spoons of peanut butter, tiny paper hats, stuffed animals or other things your bird enjoys clowning around with. My daughter Laura bought a package of tiny paper umbrellas, thinking that Rio would look cute playing with them. Well, he did look cute with them, but when we got the camera out, he refused to pose. We finally had to abandon him atop a stack of pillows with the umbrella and snap the picture before he ran away. He looks like he's about to launch into a conure version of "Singing in the Rain."
• Avoid too much background clutter -- This picture of Pancho would be much prettier without all the distracting items behind him. He is happy to pose, as you can see by the look on his little feathered face. But the reading lamp, the vase of dried flowers, and the silver star box take away from the main focus of the picture, which is Pancho. I did improve the shot a bit by focusing the camera so that the background was slightly blurred, but the eye is still drawn away from Pancho.
• Try to catch your bird when it has a pleasant expression on its face -- Believe me, this can be more difficult than it sounds! I can't tell you the times I have gotten things lined up just so, only to have my subject turn its head, open its beak wide to scream, or jump down and run away. This is a very nice picture of Pancho. He is giving the camera the equivalent of an Amazon smile. Notice the shape of his eyes and his body language. He's relaxed, happy, and enjoying himself. What a ham!
• Pay attention to the lighting -- Rio wanted to sit on the piano, and I, ever on the lookout for a photo op, grabbed the camera and snapped a couple of quick shots. I didn't have time to adjust the room lighting or to set my flash properly, so this picture didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped. If you want to take good candid shots of your bird, make sure there aren't too many shadowy areas around the bird, and no shiny reflective surfaces to bounce back the flash.
• If the bird seems unhappy or uneasy, stop! -- Trying to force a bird to sit for pictures when it doesn't want to won't work. All you'll end up with is out-of-focus pictures and an angry bird. You probably won't be too happy, either. You don't want to make your feathered friend afraid of cameras. Sometimes letting it watch family members having their pictures taken will make the bird want to take part in the fun, too. Rio isn't really fond of having his picture taken, so I usually have to coax him into posing prettily. He is much more likely to sit nicely if he's in a picture with me. Pancho, on the other hand, loves being photographed and almost always strikes a nice pose. Let your bird's behavior be your guide.

Article courtesy of Suite101.com.