Vernon Chalmers Photography

Birds in Flight Exposure & Metering Settings | Canon EOS R5 & R6 Series Cameras Practical Canon EOS R5 and R6 BIF exposure and metering settings for bright morning photography at Woodbridge Island with 300–800mm lenses. Cape Teal Ducks in Flight | Woodbridge Island, Cape Town  This guide is based on repeated practical Birds in Flight photography at Woodbridge Island, Cape Town, where bright morning light, water reflections, changing backgrounds and active bird flight paths provide a demanding real-world exposure environment. The methodology focuses on Canon EOS R5 and R6-series cameras using Manual exposure, Auto ISO and Evaluative Metering, with EF and RF lenses spanning approximately 300mm to 800mm. The recommendations distinguish between shutter speed, aperture, ISO, metering and exposure compensation rather than treating BIF photography as a fixed settings recipe. The article forms part of the Vernon Chalmers Photography technical photography resources and connects prac...

Exposure Control for Bird Photography  Advanced exposure control for Canon EOS R full-frame cameras. Learn Auto ISO, exposure compensation and C1–C3 settings for birds in flight and perched photography. Core Exposure Principles Highlight Priority : Protect the brightest parts of the frame. Modern digital sensors easily recover shadow detail, but clipped highlights on feathers or reflective water are permanently lost. Using the Histogram : Rely on your camera's histogram rather than the LCD screen. Position the graph data toward the right side to maximize tonal data and minimize noise, but stop before it clips or touches the right edge. Shutter Speed Baseline : Lock in a high shutter speed first to freeze motion—start around 1/1600s to 1/2500s for general perching or slow movement, and push to 1/3200s or faster for erratic flight. A Field System for Birds in Flight and Perched Birds: C1 - C3 Modern mirrorless cameras provide highly adaptive metering systems, yet this adaptability of...