Black-shouldered Kites in courtship routine, Woodleigh. Photos: Andrew Keir
By Catherine Watson
IF YOU live in Bass Coast you’re probably sharing the neighbourhood with a few photogenic locals: black-shouldered kites, wedgies, fairy-wrens, kestrels. But you probably haven’t seen them the way Andrew Keir sees them. His birds look straight down the barrel of the lens as if they’re letting him into their world.
Andrew, a quietly obsessive bird photographer, scored a “highly commended” in a recent Phillip Island Camera Club exhibition with a portfolio of five photos of the local raptors.
His images capture some exquisite moments: two kites circling through an elegant courtship routine, a kestrel pausing on a post, a black-shouldered kite in the backyard.
IF YOU live in Bass Coast you’re probably sharing the neighbourhood with a few photogenic locals: black-shouldered kites, wedgies, fairy-wrens, kestrels. But you probably haven’t seen them the way Andrew Keir sees them. His birds look straight down the barrel of the lens as if they’re letting him into their world.
Andrew, a quietly obsessive bird photographer, scored a “highly commended” in a recent Phillip Island Camera Club exhibition with a portfolio of five photos of the local raptors.
His images capture some exquisite moments: two kites circling through an elegant courtship routine, a kestrel pausing on a post, a black-shouldered kite in the backyard.
Another more harrowing shows a collared sparrowhawk in full flight, a helpless red-rumped parrot clenched in its talons. The photo – full of heartbreak and vitality – makes your heart skip a beat.
None of these shots happened by accident. When Andrew talks about photographing birds, he doesn’t start with cameras, he starts with the birds.
“Knowing about bird behaviour is important,” he says. “If you learn their behaviour, you can work out what they’re going to do next.”
It’s an interest that goes back to Andrew’s childhood in Mount Waverley, where he built aviaries in the backyard. He laughs. “My parents were just pleased it kept me busy – and taught me a bit of construction.”
The serious photography started only a few years before COVID, after he bought “a reasonable camera and a big lens”. The steep part of his learning curve came courtesy of what he calls “YouTube Photography University”.
During COVID Andrew and his wife Jo made the move from Burwood to five acres at Woodleigh and their birdscape expanded. They’re steadily re-vegetating the block and the locals are showing their appreciation.
“On one day I counted 28 different bird species on the property,” he says. “We get scrub wrens jumping about, superb fairy-wrens, wattlebirds. I think they get used to us and they’re not shy.
“My main interest is the smaller birds but I love the raptors as well. If we're driving around and we see a wedgie flying around, we usually stop the car and grab the cameras.”
One of his folio shots shows two adult wedge-tailed eagles ganging up on a juvenile. “It was fascinating to watch – but I didn’t realise exactly what was going on until I reviewed it later.
None of these shots happened by accident. When Andrew talks about photographing birds, he doesn’t start with cameras, he starts with the birds.
“Knowing about bird behaviour is important,” he says. “If you learn their behaviour, you can work out what they’re going to do next.”
It’s an interest that goes back to Andrew’s childhood in Mount Waverley, where he built aviaries in the backyard. He laughs. “My parents were just pleased it kept me busy – and taught me a bit of construction.”
The serious photography started only a few years before COVID, after he bought “a reasonable camera and a big lens”. The steep part of his learning curve came courtesy of what he calls “YouTube Photography University”.
During COVID Andrew and his wife Jo made the move from Burwood to five acres at Woodleigh and their birdscape expanded. They’re steadily re-vegetating the block and the locals are showing their appreciation.
“On one day I counted 28 different bird species on the property,” he says. “We get scrub wrens jumping about, superb fairy-wrens, wattlebirds. I think they get used to us and they’re not shy.
“My main interest is the smaller birds but I love the raptors as well. If we're driving around and we see a wedgie flying around, we usually stop the car and grab the cameras.”
One of his folio shots shows two adult wedge-tailed eagles ganging up on a juvenile. “It was fascinating to watch – but I didn’t realise exactly what was going on until I reviewed it later.
“Other people say it could be play, but juveniles do get pushed out once they’re a bit old to hang around.”
Once he moved to Bass Coast, Andrew joined the Phillip Island Camera Club – a very friendly club with a wealth of knowledge, he says – as well as the Bass Valley U3A Digital Photography Group, a much smaller outfit that he now helps to run. “It forces me to learn new skills so I can teach them,” he says.
As his knowledge has grown, so has his discernment. “When I look at those early photos now,” he admits, “I think, ‘Oh, that’s rubbish.’”
Once he moved to Bass Coast, Andrew joined the Phillip Island Camera Club – a very friendly club with a wealth of knowledge, he says – as well as the Bass Valley U3A Digital Photography Group, a much smaller outfit that he now helps to run. “It forces me to learn new skills so I can teach them,” he says.
As his knowledge has grown, so has his discernment. “When I look at those early photos now,” he admits, “I think, ‘Oh, that’s rubbish.’”
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There’s no doubt modern mirrorless cameras have made it easier to take good bird photographs. “You’ve got eye detect, you’ve got spot autofocus, you can switch instantly to manual… you’re not really manually focusing anymore.”
Then there’s the speed. “For small birds you often need one four-thousandth of a second. Larger birds you can go slower.” But the real art is still composition. The best photos tell a story. “Getting on eye level with the bird – that’s the big one. Sometimes it’s just taking two steps sideways or lying down on the ground. “You want the eye. A highlight makes the eye sparkle. And a little head turn gives the bird personality. It’s that moment of connection. |
Tips for Better Bird Photos • Learn the birds first: It helps to predict what they’ll do next. • Get on eye level: Engagement comes from meeting the bird’s gaze, not looking up at it. • Watch your background: Keep it distant so it blurs and lets the bird stand out. A cluttered background kills a shot. • Use fast shutter speeds: Small birds often need 1/4000s. Larger birds can be a little slower. • Composition matters: Follow the rule of thirds and leave space in front of the bird for it to “move into”. • Tell a story: A bit of habitat gives context. Aim for a moment of character, not just a record shot. • Cull ruthlessly: You might take a thousand shots for one that makes your heart sing. |
“Others can be great shots but without that you haven't got that character.”
He laughs about what comes after the shoot. “You need the skill of culling. If I go out for an hour I can easily end up with over a thousand photos. The first job is to get that number down before you even start editing.”
He laughs about what comes after the shoot. “You need the skill of culling. If I go out for an hour I can easily end up with over a thousand photos. The first job is to get that number down before you even start editing.”