Practice Is For The Birds
Most proficient photographers know that setting up a practice regiment keeps you sharp and ready for every situation. This is what I believe separates the pros from the amateurs.
When you’re on the job, you need to know how to use your tools. This requires some level of education, and practicing on your own time is a part of that education. The last thing any photographer should engage in, is on-the-job-training. Yes, I know experience is valuable. There is a difference between experience and traditional training. The classroom lessons will only take you so far, but combining lessons with practical experience will go a long way in developing your skill set.
Photographing birds is fantastic practice. Most of the same rules applies to birds as it does people. You can practice high-speed focusing, complex exposures, composition, and dealing with the public. It helps when every function of your camera second nature to you. This means finding the right camera for you all plays a big part in your success. Know the math of photography, including the math for calculating depth of field for each lens you use. Birds move fast, reacting to that is tricky. Anticipating movement based on your surroundings is a skill that only comes with practice. Most of us rely on autofocus, but that takes practice as well. Composition is also very important and the hard and fast rules should be tossed out the window. Seeing that it is unlikely that you are going to find a yellow warbler in your studio, you have to go to the field. You learn to use the environment to frame your subject.
You can find all kinds of birds everywhere. You can photograph them in cities, in the desert, at the beach, on the river. Pay attention to everything you do and apply what you have learned from those days shooting birds to your next wedding gig.
A great book to check out..
National Geographic Photographing Birds
