Taking sharp wildlife and bird photos isn't easy, and understanding exactly why your images aren't crisp can be frustrating. Tackling the top reasons behind blurry wildlife shots can drastically improve your work, giving you the clarity you're after and making your images pop.
Coming to you from Steve Perry, this useful video explores three significant reasons wildlife photos lose sharpness and some practical ways to avoid common mistakes. One key point Perry emphasizes regards autofocus area choices—specifically, picking the wrong AF mode or using subject detection incorrectly. If you've experienced shots where wings or beaks look sharp while the eyes remain soft, then AF mode mistakes may be the culprit. Perry advises switching to the smallest possible autofocus area you can consistently hold on your subject to guarantee precise focus. While subject detection features are helpful, Perry recommends closely watching your camera’s AF indicators. If the detection is frequently grabbing the wrong area or inconsistently performing, turning it off and manually selecting your AF points can yield better results.
The video also points out an unexpected culprit behind blurry shots: atmospheric conditions. Perry notes that heat haze, or atmospheric distortion resulting from layers of warmer and cooler air mixing, is a frequent yet sneaky sharpness killer. The trouble is, atmospheric distortion isn't always noticeable when you're shooting, but becomes disappointingly apparent afterward. Conditions that amplify distortion include heat radiating off surfaces, cold snowy fields under sunlight, parking lots, and water bodies. Though it's tempting to hope gear or camera settings might solve the issue, Perry reminds photographers that atmospheric distortion is essentially a physics challenge—like photographing through dirty glass—a challenge you have to maneuver around rather than defeat through settings.
Since equipment upgrades or clever settings won't counteract atmospheric distortion, Perry recommends moving closer or picking shaded areas or cooler times of day to shoot. Additionally, firing burst shots could capture a clear frame within brief lulls of turbulence. He points out this concept also applies regarding dust, pollen, haze, and humidity—the more air between you and your subject, the higher the risk you'll see reduced sharpness.
That's just the start, so check out the video above for the full rundown from Perry.
