{"id":3150,"date":"2019-07-16T13:54:42","date_gmt":"2019-07-16T13:54:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/?p=3150"},"modified":"2019-07-25T11:47:26","modified_gmt":"2019-07-25T11:47:26","slug":"mastering-bird-photography-by-marie-read","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/2019\/07\/16\/mastering-bird-photography-by-marie-read\/","title":{"rendered":"Mastering Bird Photography by Marie Read"},"content":{"rendered":"\"\"\n

The Art, Craft and Technique of Photographing Birds and Their Behaviour<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Wildlife photographer and author\u00a0Marie Read\u00a0is\u00a0renowned for images of birds that combine beauty with storytelling. With a career spanning over 30 years, Marie is among a handful of women who chose to become professional nature photographers at a time when the industry was very much dominated by men.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Her book, Mastering Bird Photography (Rocky Nook)<\/a>\u00a0is a beautifully illustrated guide to photographing birds and the stories they tell. With over 400 pictures of birds throughout the seasons, showing behaviour, life histories and portraits, this book is a combination of instruction, art and inspiration.<\/p>\n

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Photo credit: Sarah Blodgett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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“I\u2019ve always loved birds. The photography began in the 1980s while I was part of a research team studying avian social behavior in East Africa. I am pretty much self-taught, although a spell interacting with a BBC film team during that time really lit a fire under me! I soon specialized on birds, especially their behavior, and made it my life\u2019s goal to be a professional wildlife photographer and writer; a career that would fit well with my biologist husband\u2019s world travels.”<\/em><\/p>\n

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On why there are\u00a0comparatively few successful female bird photographers…<\/strong><\/h3>\n

“It\u2019s a generational issue and it\u2019s already changing. Baby-boomer-generation women such as myself were rarely encouraged to develop outdoor skills, or the strength and stamina to lug round the heavy gear that bird photography requires, or the technical mastery of camera equipment. <\/em><\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the conflict that a career in wildlife photography inevitably has with traditional family life. Of all genres of nature photography, bird photography has always been the most competitive. It takes an enormous time commitment to build large photo files and create the standout images a professional needs to survive. You also need a flexible schedule: when the light\u2019s right, you go\u2026where your subjects live, you go. That certainly doesn\u2019t fit with the traditional maternal role. I\u2019m child free by choice. I never could have put the necessary time and energy into my photography if I\u2019d had a family. Women are still society\u2019s primary child-raisers but young women today have more options. Parenting is more likely to be shared by both partners. And remaining child free is a more accepted option now.”<\/em><\/p>\n

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Motivation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

“The thing that keeps me motivated in a world saturated with gorgeous bird portraits is to always strive to be different. With this mindset there are endless images that could be made, even of common species. I rarely take static shots any more, preferring to try for action and behavior, or composing with the bird small in the frame and letting the environment take prominence, or alternatively trying something completely abstract. I let myself take photographic risks\u2026even if they don\u2019t work out much of the time! That keeps the creative juices flowing.”<\/em><\/p>\n

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Bird Goals<\/strong><\/h3>\n

“One group of birds I\u2019ve never photographed is penguins, but I plan to remedy that when I travel to Antarctica this November. As well as land-based penguin shots, I\u2019m planning to take a GoPro for underwater video.<\/em><\/p>\n

So many birds\u2026so little time!”<\/em><\/p>\n

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Favourite Photos<\/strong><\/h3>\n