Lazy photography

I have probably mentioned before that using feeders to attract birds is a great approach. Not only do you get a chance to plan your photography (you know where the birds are going to be), but you can also make other arrangements to improve your pictures—such as preparing some nice branches for the birds to perch on. And since the birds are also filling their bellies during the winter, it is certainly a win-win situation.

In Czechia, it is quite common to find feeders in public parks or in places with trees and bushes, so no extra work is required if you know where to look.

However, there is another step you can take. You can build or buy your own feeder and place it in a way that allows you to take pictures from inside your home. That way, you can shoot while staying nice and warm. A cup of coffee and some cookies are also a nice touch. I call this “lazy photography,” and it is probably the laziest way to photograph wild animals.

In this post, you can find a selection of my feeder shots from recent years.

Just a quick technical note first: can you tell that these pictures (except the last one) were taken through window glass? I thought it might ruin the picture quality, but they seem fine to me.

Eurasian blue tit and great tit lurking in the background

By the way, if you’re not sure what to feed birds, sunflower seeds are a safe bet… 9 out of 10 birds recommend them! The Eurasian siskin below approves this message.

And now a bonus photo of a roe deer that regularly roams near our garden with its friends (and drives our dog mad in the process). Technically, it also counts as “lazy photography,” since I barely had to leave the house to take the picture.

Persistence and Luck in Wildlife Photography