Guest tutorial by keen birder and nature photographer, Michael Schmid.
The photos I take are totally self-indulgent. I haven’t formally studied photography, nor have I harboured an ambition to have my photographs published. However, because my images are publicly accessible on Flickr, I’m surprised and delighted to have many published in magazines, books and, most exciting of all, on an Australian stamp.
My main area of interest is birds and some refer to my style of portrature as ‘bird on a stick’ photography. Some may consider it boring and static—I do sympathize with that opinion—however, consider this: even images containing only the three elements can still contain a powerful narrative. For example, a bird drinking from a dripping tap with dry earth in the background can tell a story about drought and tenuous survival.
I believe an enduring love of nature has given me an understanding of how superbly adapted birds are to their chosen habitats. Also, my studies in visual arts have allowed me a deeper appreciation of the aesthetic beauty of birds. Through exposure to modern artists such as Brâncuşi, Braque et al. who strove to express the essence of a subject in its simplest and most elegant form, left an indelible impression on me. Birds embody form, function and beauty—perfect design.
When I create an image, it is a meditation on the wonder of the creature held briefly in my viewfinder—a way of seeing its truest self.
Here are some of the practices and a few tips that have had an impact on my photography.
Learn to recognize the calls of the birds you are targeting. Plan to be in the field in the early morning or late afternoon when the light is more even. Shoot RAW to allow better post production options. Shoot in manual mode and practice changing shutter speed, aperture, ISO and AF points while looking through the viewfinder. This is daunting at first, but worth persevering with.
Use a tripod when practical. Have the sun at your back and try pointing your shadow in the direction you are shooting. Get on the same level as your subject. This may mean laying on the ground or standing on a chair. For your trouble, you will create a more intimate portrait. Focus on the subject’s eye. This is the first point in an image that a viewer will engage with. A catch light makes the eye look more alive.
Busy backgrounds can be a distraction so avoid areas of high contrast behind the subject. For example, highlights on lush dark green leaves. Sometimes a step to the side or crouching down is all it takes to get you a smooth background. Try to avoid having the sky as a background. Have at least a basic understanding of the depth of field you will achieve with your lens at different focal lengths and apertures. Ideally, the subject will be in sharp focus and the background nicely blurred. In some conditions, it will be difficult to get the entire subject into focus. This is acceptable as long as the eye is sharp. Take as many shots as possible and deal with them in post processing.
Though confined to the Murray Mallee region of South Australia and Victoria, the range of the Mallee Emu-wren (Stipiturus mallee) has shrunk in recent years after fires destroyed much of its restricted areas of habitat. There is now a concerted conservation effort underway to save the species, as another bushfire could see the Mallee Emu-wren edge closer to extinction. 
The Australian Ringneck ‘Mallee’ (Barnardius zonarius barnardi) is a large green parrot with a yellow collar. Four separate subspecies are recognized, with varying habitat preferences ranging from harsh arid mulga woodlands to suburban parks. Plumages also vary, and the subspecies sometimes interbreed. Shared characteristics are a yellow “ring” around the neck and overall turquoise-green plumage. The subspecies in eastern Australia have green heads, while those in central and western Australia have blackish heads. Some subspecies have orange belly bands and red above the bill. Calls including loud, ringing chatter and chiming. 
Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius) with a strong black eye-line occurs across most of the drier parts of Australia. Note grayish streaked crown (blue/green in similar Sacred Kingfisher). Upper-wing is entirely blue in flight. Seen well, the rusty rump is obvious. Perches on high dead trees or powerlines. Excavates tunnel nests in earth-walls and banks. 
When a roosting Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is discovered, it usually adopts a cryptic posture which makes it resemble a broken-off branch: it perches stiffly, sleeking its plumage and orientating its tail along the branch, and narrowing its eyes to slits. In addition, its plumage, a blend of spots, blotches and streaks of grey, brown, black and tawny, blends in almost perfectly with its surroundings. However, at night, when not roosting in disguise, frogmouths they are much easier to spot. 
Often seen foraging for grass seeds on the ground, the Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis) usually occurs in flocks of up to 10 birds and sometimes more. It often forages with other seed-eating birds, especially other finches and parrots, such as Red-rumped Parrots. Red-browed Finches also often associate with small insectivorous species, especially family groups of Superb Fairy-wrens, as well as Yellow-rumped Thornbills. The association with the fairy-wrens is especially interesting, as the simple song of the Red-browed Finch sometimes sounds superficially similar to the contact call of the Superb Fairy-wren. 
To safeguard their eggs and nestlings, Diamond Firetails (Stagonopleura guttata) are often recorded building their nests into the base of the large stick-nest of a bird of prey, such as a Whistling Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel or a Square-tailed Kite. One nest of a Whistling Kite contained nine Diamond Firetail nests! Others choose to build their nests among the prickly foliage of shrubs such as hakeas, rose bushes, boxthorn and the sharp-sounding Sea Urchin Hakea, a deterrent against all but the most thick-skinned predators. 
Spinifex Pigeon ‘Rufous-bellied’ (Geophaps plumifera ferruginea) is a small attractive pigeon with a distinctive long crest. Primarily rusty-brown plumage with black barring on the wings and back. Adults have a white “chinstrap” with red surrounding the eye. Found in arid, rocky regions of Australia, typically where spinifex grasses are present, and a permanent water source exists nearby. 
Although they’re usually seen spiralling up tree trunks, probing cracks or fissures as the go or pulling bark from the trunks, Rufous Treecreepers (Climacteris rufa) can also be seen gliding from the top of one tree to the bottom of another nearby, or hopping across the ground, stopping to toss leaf litter aside or probe the soil with its bill. Most of their calls consist of a variety of feeble peeps. 
The Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) is a distinctive dark cockatoo with truly massive bill. Inhabits rainforests and woodlands of New Guinea and northern Cape York Peninsula. Large patch of bare red skin on the cheeks and a long black crest distinctive. Use sticks to “drum” on trees during territorial displays. In flight, note all-black tail (Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo has bright red tail panels). Voice a sharp whistle or squeak, lacking the mournful, drawn-out wailing quality of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. 
Eastern Rosellas (Platycercus eximius) are blue and yellow with a bright red head/chest and white cheeks. May hybridize with Pale-headed Rosella in areas where the distribution overlaps in far north New South Wales and southeastern Queensland (hybrids typically show some red on the head, but with more blue on the chest; they look a bit washed out). Occurs in open forests and woodlands and may also be found in parks and gardens. Normal range is south eastern Australia and Tasmania. Introduced populations occur in New Zealand. 
Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius) is a slender, long-tailed parrot restricted to a tiny range in tropical savanna woodland in far northern Queensland. Male a striking turquoise color, with red lower belly, tiny black cap, and yellow forecrown. Wings pale grayish brown with yellow band. Female primarily green with turquoise wash on face and underparts. This species digs tunnels in termite mounds in order to breed. 
Adult Yellow-plumed Honeyeaters (Ptilotula ornata) are primarily olive-brown with heavy gray streaking on the underparts. Named after its long, yellow neck feathers. Adults in the breeding season have an entirely black bill, whereas juveniles and nonbreeding adults have a yellow base to the bill. Juveniles lack breast streaking. Common and noisy in dry woodlands across drier parts of southern Australia.
Choosing which RAW files to process and which to discard.
Files should not have any blown highlights or clipped shadows. I look for a sharp file in which the whole bird is visible. I prefer the bird in profile or with its head turned slightly toward the camera. If the bird is, for example, a Red-backed Kingfisher, choose an image in which the eponymous feature is visible. If the subject bird has a characteristic posture like a Fairywren with its typically cocked tail, then that’s the file to pick. Finding ‘the shot’ among the potch is the payoff for me—usually accompanied by yahoo’s and air thumps.
Straight from the camera images will lack the dynamism of the scene you originally witnessed. Much of this can be recovered through processing, but don’t be tempted to push it too far. You can easily end up with an unrealistic image. I carry out the usual adjustments with restraint and will often lighten the eye a little. Image processing software makes it simple to remove distractions in the background, sharpening and local adjustments if required.
Michael’s refined style of portraiture reflects art and is an excellent refrence for natural history, biology, and birding in general—capturing clearly the identifing characteristics of a species. For this reason, his work is often featured on database sites such as BirdLife Australia and in publications like The Complete Guide to Australian Birds (Viking, 2018).
Photos: © Michael Schmid. All Rights Reserved. Captions: Refrenced from birdlife.org.au and ebird.org.
