Carrying a camera is slowly changing the birds I notice on ordinary walks. In my case, that camera just happens to be an old one. I happen to be doing that with an old Olympus E-PL3
- Photographing a Hawfinch and a Dusky Thrush: Why Open Grass Is Harder Than It Looks
I found a hawfinch and a dusky thrush on the grass after photographing a water bird on the pond. The hawfinch flew away before I could focus properly, and the thrush taught me how difficult it is to get closer to birds in an open space with nowhere to hide. - I Found an Unfamiliar Water Bird, but I Couldn’t Get Close: Photographing Birds on a Park Pond
At a pond in the park, I spotted a duck-like bird I was not used to seeing. Later, when I showed the photo to my daughter, she told me it was probably a tufted duck. She said she had only ever seen spot-billed ducks at this pond before, so she was a little jealous. I … Read more - An Old Camera Could Still Do This: Photographing a Crow and a Japanese Tit on a Walk
After photographing a distant water bird on the pond, I tried shooting a crow and what I think was a Japanese tit in the trees. This walk made me realize that if I can get close enough, even an old camera can still produce a satisfying photo—but overlapping branches quickly become the next problem. - Trying to Photograph Sparrows and a White Wagtail in the ParkOn the same evening when I photographed the brown-eared bulbul from my previous post, I had also spotted a few other birds before and after that. At that point, I still did not really understand my camera settings, but my basic approach was simple: if I saw a bird, I would at least try to … Read more
- What I Noticed During My First Evening Bird Photography Walk
On a cold evening in a neighborhood park, I tried photographing birds for the first time. During that short walk I managed to photograph two familiar birds — a crow and a brown-eared bulbul. I decided to start somewhere simple and close to home. The lens I used was the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75–300mm, a … Read more
Introduction
Welcome to CameraSteps.
This blog is a personal record of learning photography while observing birds and nature during everyday walks.
It all started with my daughter’s love of birds.
She has always enjoyed nature, and recently she became especially interested in birds, reading many books and field guides about them.
Her favorite bird is the Shima-enaga, a small and fluffy bird that lives in Hokkaido.
In our family we often say, “Someday we should visit Hokkaido and try to see a Shima-enaga.”
How this blog began
Thinking about that trip made me realize something.
If we really encounter a Shima-enaga one day, I would like to take a proper photograph of it.
So I took out an old camera that had been sitting at home and attached a telephoto lens to it.
That was the beginning of my bird photography.
Of course, I am still a beginner. Most of my photos are far from perfect.
But walking through nearby parks and riversides while looking for birds has become a very enjoyable part of my daily life.
Carrying a camera is slowly changing the birds I notice on ordinary walks.
What you will find here
On this blog I share:
- Notes from bird photography
- Simple photography tips I learn along the way
- Cameras and lenses I use
- Small discoveries during birdwatching walks
Most photos are taken in local parks and natural areas.
A quiet record of learning
Rather than trying to create perfect photographs, this blog focuses on enjoying the process of observing birds and learning photography step by step.
It is simply a small record of that journey.
Thank you for visiting CameraSteps.