The love and admiration of birds for one Salina man began some thirty years ago as he looked through the lens of his camera. Mark Neubrand has been a member of the Smoky Hills Audubon Society since 1990 and admits getting a good photograph of a bird is harder than it looks.

“I have a lot of pictures of empty branches because birds like to fly away,” he said with a chuckle.

Neubrand joined in on the KSAL Morning News Extra with a look at ‘birding’ as a hobby and encouraged listeners to get outside and enjoy nature while keeping an eye open for birds migrating through our area. He recommends Lakewood Park as a good starting point.

Neubrand says it’s easy to attract a birds into your yard by simply providing water and some black oil sunflower seeds. But he uses peanut butter to tempt one of his favorite varieties.

 

Tips on taking photos from Smoky Hills Audubon Society:

Get Creative
While composition adds another level of complexity to photography, it also gives you an opportunity to be creative. Try changing your shooting angle or the amount of distance between you and the bird.

Know the Rule of Thirds
A common pitfall among beginner photographers is to always put the bird in the exact center of the image. It’s an understandable impulse, but one that results in all of your photos looking the same. Instead, experiment with the rule of thirds and place the bird along an invisible line a third of the way from the edge of the image.

Tell a Story
In addition to composing a visually appealing photo, you should think about what the image will say to people who weren’t there when you took the shot.

For more visit www.SmokyHillsAudubon.com