How To Set Up A Bird Photo Studio

Published May 17, 2021 at 12:52 PM CDT

A black-capped chickadee flies away from a bird feeder after eating at the Audubon Boston Nature Center in Mattapan. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Huw Griffiths is a marine biologist who spoke to Here & Now in February about discovering sponge-like creatures living far beneath an Antarctic ice shelf. But he has a hobby that caught our interest — taking amazingly clear and close-up photos and videos of the birds at his window birdfeeder.

He tells host Peter O’Dowd how he does it.

Huw Griffiths’ Tips For Setting Up Your Own Bird Studio

Place the feeder somewhere safe for the birds — away from cats, rats or squirrels — and choose a feeder that the birds can see and not fly into and injure themselves.
Choose a feeder with a cut-out section and suction cups so that sits still against the glass so you can see the birds feeding.
Get strong adhesive tape or a mount/tripod to hold your camera/phone up against the glass, you will get glare and reflections if there is a gap.
Focus the camera where the bird will be sitting or feeding, then start recording and leave it running for around 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Stand well back to avoid scaring the birds.
Take stills or edited sections of video from the recording.
Try experimenting with your phone/camera settings (e.g. zoom in, use a wide angle, slow motion, etc.)
If you want a wide selection of birds, try different food types (e.g. mealworms, peanuts, fat/cheese and seeds.)
Have patience: It might take the birds a few days or weeks to find the feeder and to be confident landing on it.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.