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“Lightweight” bird photography:

  1. We use lenses maximally 1.5 kilogram, handheld or at light tripod remaining mobile and versatile.
  2. We try to recognize birds timely avoiding to disturb birds.
  3. We always use camouflage.
  4. We use exclusively high quality equipment.
  5. We use our “APERTURE Mode Birds“: minimal or no reset camera during actual photography.

Photographing the striking beauty of birds …

Spain sun Bee Eater (Bijeneter) size 28cm distance 25m eq. 1260mm, total camouflage. Notice black feathers wing tops!

… their behavior: flying, fighting, foraging, singing, displaying, mating, feeding juveniles …

Holland sun and shadow Little Owl (Steenuil) size 22cm distance 12m substantial camouflage, stretching wing
Holland cloudy Reggedal 2025 Cormorant (Aalscholver) size 90cm distance 40m equivalent 1500mm taking off.
Holland sun 2025 White Stork (Ooievaar) size 101cm distance 35m eq. 1050mm. He is caressing her like Storks do this.
red kite
Holland sun Red Kite (Rode Wouw) size 63cm distance 65m equivalent 1050mm D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR standard camouflage APERTURE Mode Birds.
Holland heavy overcast strong wind 2014 Kingfisher (IJsvogel), size 22cm distance 25m.

… their environment …

Holland sun 2025 Sint Jans vlinder.
Lesbos 2011 Monarch distance 15m Nikon D300 and excellent oldtimer Nikkor 300mm f/4D.
Holland 2025 cloudy Parasolzwam Nikon Z7 II Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR.
Holland 2025 sun Hare (Haas) distance 40m Z7 II Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1500mm standard camouflage. Stellar detail by Nikkor 500mm PF at 40m: e.g. look at white hair (snorharen)!
Holland 2025 Squirrel (Eekhoorn), diligent foraging competitor of birds …

… also demonstrating some indispensable techniques:

Example of technique APERTURE mode Birds: Holland shadow 2025 Sparrow Hawk (Sperwer) in our garden size 33cm distance 40m Z7 II Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR equivalent 750 mm total camouflage, APERTURE mode Birds. Bird was but few seconds in this spot however our camera was all set and prepared.
Another example of APERTURE Mode Birds:

Holland heavy overcast Great White Heron, 93cm 65m, equivalent 1050mm, -1.5EV: APERTURE Mode Birds improving contrast, amount of detail and dealing with unpredictable or unexpected bird movement.
Example technique APERTURE mode Birds: “FOCUS & RECOMPOSE”:

Holland cloudy 2025 Grey Heron (Blauwe Reiger) size 94cm distance 30m equivalent 1500mm. Three photographic techniques were used, to get an in-focus correctly exposed picture of the bird moving and foraging, partly hidden behind vegetation. (Also look at next picture which is part of this “FOCUS & RECOMPOSE” act).
Holland cloudy Aug 2025 Grey Heron (Blauwe Reiger) size 94cm distance 30m equivalent 1500mm. Focus & recompose technique applied. This picture was used ONLY to focus the camera. Following picture(s) all contain Heron in-focus although it was covered partly behind the vegetation like the picture before this one.

… and unfortunately their alarmingly and rapidly decreasing numbers in last years:

Holland 2020 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at the time regular guest our garden. Next observation october 2025!

Interested? Everything you need to know is at 6 pages workshop in this blog:

Workshop “Lightweight Bird Photography”:

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Legenda:

  • Some pages are translated in Dutch, marked “Dutch”, originals being marked “English”.
  • Distances up to 45 meter are more or less measured, otherwise estimated.
  • Pictures by default created using tripod or tribike for some stabilisation, otherwise marked “handheld“.
  • Contact: amevanbaren@gmail.com (Annemiek) or dikbaren@gmail.com (Dik).

NikonLightBirding base version 31 aug 2024 updated through 12 december 2025.