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ISO and aperture settings for backlight bird shots


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#1
dragon49

dragon49

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I still haven't purchased the P1000 yet, but I want to get this question in before I forget.

With the P1000, what is a good ISO and aperture setting for this situation that I'm going to encounter?

Turkey Vulture or Black Vulture 20-30 feet away from me up in a tree due east. The sun coming from behind the bird and tree creates horrible backlight conditions.  With my B600, I've found the "backlighting" preset useless, but have been able to get better backlight bird pics by adjusting the exposure compensation.

So, given this scenario, and assuming the bird isn't moving at all, or maybe there is just some slight movement, what ISO and aperture settings are recommended to get the best photos of the bird?



#2
Merco_61

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Set the aperture you need for the depth of field you want. Set a relatively high shutter speed for a sitting bird if it is windy... the wind ruffles vulture feathers even if they sit with their wings folded. Run AutoISO to get the correct exposure.

 

Spotmeter on the bird to avoid the silhouette effect matrix metering produces when the subject is backlit. Remember to add some negative compensation to get a black or dark bird better exposed as the meter is calibrated for neutral grey.

 

Nasim Mansurov has a blog about exposure compensation that is well worth reading and trying to understand.  What is Exposure Compensation and How to Use It