In case you don’t know, I will explain what a “bird on a stick” pic is (bos). It is simply a photograph of a bird that is sitting, standing, crouching, on a branch, log, stick or other means of supporting itself. Almost always by itself, with little or no apparent environmental interest associated with the bird. It is purely a documentary type of image, designed to visually describe the bird.
There is nothing wrong with this type of image at all. We all have bos pics, several thousand in my case. Some photogs will say that unless you are a beginner that shooting bos pics is somehow beneath you. They will tell you that they are too easy. I say that if you are a good photog then you will find a way to make your bos pics more interesting, and in the process improve your photography.
I took this challenge to heart the other day when, on a very slow day, I could only find a Common Gallinule and a Great Blue Heron to be my models for the day. And even on a good day, the Gallinule is not what I would call a photogenic subject. So a GBH it was….
This first pic is the official standard for bos pics. A heron on a stick, looking forlorn and disinterested in general. A plain Jane example. It’s not a terrible image, just not a lot of impact there. But if you give it some time and some imagination you might coax a decent image out of him yet. Images are best viewed at largest size possible
Wait for the light…. (below) light is the essence of all photography and if you are patient enough (and the bird is too) and the light changes, it’s a whole new ball game. Still nothing outstanding, but now there is more visual interest. If you can, make sure the eye is visible.
Change perspective…. Get closer. Make the eye look bigger, giving more visual interest. Getting closer will make the feathers show their texture. Give your viewer more to look at.
Change your viewing angle…. Moving the angle of the beak to be more diagonal will increase the tension in your image. Tension increases the visual interest in an image. Molly Bang’s book “picture this, how pictures work” is a simple and powerful way to look at your images differently.
Minimize Distractions…. If you can, minimize any distractions in your viewfinder before you push the shutter button. It will make your post processing much easier. In this case, I had a fairly dark background so I just darkened it as far as I could to eliminate the distractions in the background. What your viewer sees is only what you want them to see.
Adjust the white balance….. Try warming or cooling the white balance of your image to change the feel of an image. It doesn’t always have to be the “correct” white balance. It’s your piece of artwork, so experiment a bit and see if you can’t get a different look that suits you.
Add environmental interest to totally change the way your image is viewed…. This image is just the original image that I used for the previous example on changing the white balance and is uncropped. I made the decision to show more of the environment around the bird and kept the original white balance to change the feel of the image.
Wait for the “bos” to be more interesting…. If you want more interesting images, be patient! Birds change poses all the time, and very quickly. Do not take your eye away from your viewfinder to start chimping! In this case, his feathers went up on his head for a split second and just as quickly fell flat again. If I hadn’t been ready it would have been another “almost” opportunity.
Your reward for being patient and working the bos composition….. a flight shot in good light!!! This what you really wanted anyhow. But now you were ready and you were well prepared. You took the shots and nailed them! Be proud of yourself!
It doesn’t matter if your bos pics don’t turn out to be the best you will ever take. That is the nature of photography, especially wildlife photography. As long as you strive to make each one the best damn pics you have ever taken, your photography will improve by leaps and bounds. Good practice will often lead to surprising results. So get out and shoot!!!!