About this video

• Video Title: How to Photograph Kingfishers
• Channel: Kevin Hatley Photography
• Speakers: Kevin Hatley
• Duration: 17:57

Overview

This video provides a comprehensive guide on how to photograph kingfishers. Kevin Hatley shares his experiences and offers practical tips on identifying the birds, understanding their behavior, finding suitable locations, and employing specific photographic techniques. The video also covers recommended equipment and settings for capturing successful kingfisher images.

Key takeaways

• Identifying Kingfishers: Kingfishers have distinctive bright blue and red-orange colors, with slight differences between males (all black bill) and females (orange-red lower bill). Juveniles are more greenish with grayish legs and a white tip on their bill.
• Habitat and Diet: Kingfishers inhabit areas with open water like rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. They primarily feed on small fish such as minnows and sticklebacks, but also consume tadpoles, newts, and aquatic insects.
• Photography Approach: The video emphasizes the importance of reconnaissance, using hides for stealth, selecting perches with good backgrounds, and understanding the bird's behavior, especially the telltale signs before a dive.
• Equipment and Settings: Recommended equipment includes a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a telephoto zoom lens, a tripod, and a remote control. Key settings for action shots involve high shutter speeds (e.g., 1/1000s to 1/3200s), appropriate apertures (f/7.1 to f/8), and auto ISO.
• Patience is Crucial: Successfully photographing kingfishers requires significant patience, as they are fast-moving and elusive birds.