Rule #1: Use Standoff Capability To Keep Your Distance

When photographing birds of prey, you need a zoom lens.  While your zoom lens might not be 700mm, use what you have.  Zoom in to the max, so your top predator is as close as possible.  Let your lens reach out, rather than venture too close that you interfere with any birds.  

Rule #2: See And Be Seen

This photo of the same Osprey taken after the photo above proves that with birds of prey, the photographic hunter can also become the hunted.  ;)  Ospreys have keen eyesight, enabling them to locate fish from 200 feet away!   With such good eyes, it’s no surprise this Osprey spotted me.  So here I am, more than 200 feet away from this male Osprey, zooming in at 700mm, while he’s zooming in right back at me!

Now before anyone protests and claims I’m too close at 200+ feet away, this Osprey regularly flies to this pier, which is located among docks, boats, and… people.  He’s facing  the “people side,” where people might be.  Meanwhile, his tail faces the Bay and the protected Cedar Island (where his nest is about a quarter mile away).  He’s the only Osprey I see regularly landing on the people side of the Bay.  Many times, I’ve photographed him flying to this pier to eat his meal.  It’s his dining room table.  I captured the natural behavior of this particular male Osprey.  The best way to do that is from a distance.

It is a privilege to make eye (or lens) contact with a bird of prey.  It’s even more rewarding to see what happens next… when that bird of prey looks past you.  That means it realizes you are no threat.  This male Osprey looked past me far more than he ever looked at me.  And I went inside long before he finished eating and eventually flew away. 

While you might think you are too far away for a bird of prey to spot you, think again.  It’s actually better to assume you’re spotted.  Rather than worry about hiding, it’s far more important that you remain still— so you don’t spook your bird of prey.

Rule #3: Photograph Natural Behaviors

Given my subjects, I waited to photograph them behaving the way Turkey Vultures behave.  It was a cold morning, so they perched in this tree facing East to get the most Sun possible.  I followed Rule 3 and expected they’d sun their wings.  Because I was tuned in to watch behaviors, I was able to document Turkey Vultures catching rays even with snow on the ground! 

It’s challenging to photograph the black wings of Turkey Vultures from far away.  If you use the wrong settings, you won’t get any feather detail.  Even with plenty of sunlight, your black subject might lack definition.  So I shot this at f18, 1/1,000th second, and ISO 640.   While you might not need an aperture of f18, try f13 instead.  This will let more light into your camera, yet still get feather detail.  I had so much sunlight that I knew I could go all in with a narrow aperture of f18.  That way, I caught every blade of every feather.