Photographing Pigeons in the Park
Out on the streets looking for images that offer something to the viewer. Stumbling on a flock of pigeons that suddenly fly up into the air in all directions is just the moment you're looking for. Capturing this at the right moment off can be an exhilarating experience for any photographer. To ensure that you don't miss the shot, it's important to keep your camera at the ready.
What Camera Settings to have Prepared
I use a Fuji X-Pro 1 and for street photography I set the ISO to auto, and fix the shutter speed at f11-f16 to ensure that I have a good depth of field. This normally lets me take focused pictures from about 2m to infinity. All I need is to set the shutter speed at about 1/30th of a second for this type of picture where I am looking to add movement. Now, with these settings in place, I can photograph knowing that the pictures will be focused and at the right exposure. Modern day digital cameras give us such a wide range of latitude, being able to focus purely on the composition knowing that the settings are all being taken care of by the onboard electronics is a bit of a blessing. But, I guess for purists, is just too far from how the greats took their photos - thinking her of Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson.
How Much Movement?
The trick is to get just the right amount of movement. I only took this one, and for whatever reason I didn't take any more. I got lucky in that I was able to get a useable shot, but had the shutter speed been any slower, there would have been too much movement.
The movement in the image is really cool, with all the pigeons flying away in different directions. The skyscrapers in the background make for an exciting backdrop. I'm happy with this one as it's a great photo that captures the hustle and bustle of city life.
My daughter and I caught this moment as we turned a corner and startled the pigeons into flight. With the camera already in my hand, I snapped a single frame before they disappeared. That fleeting instant reminded me how important it is to stay prepared when photographing anything in motion. Especially street photography or in a city where there is movement everywhere.
In a Lisbon Park
If you're looking to do something similar, you only have to walk to your local park, ideally one with a large grassy area, or next to a pond/lake. This picture was taken in Parque, Lisbon, Portugal. It's a huge park just north of the city centre, and perfect for photographing in. You'll find pigeons there usually, and from time to time they will take off to the skies. You can run towards them to help get them moving, or find a great vantage point and wait for traffic, or kids playing, or whatever is making noise or movement to get them up into the air. The results will be completely random, and you may get more misses than hits, but it's the unexpected that makes this an interesting street photography shot to try to get.