By Riddhi Bhattacharjee on January 2019
Before concluding a proper definition of ‘Bird Photography,’ we should reminisce the glorious period where the forefathers of bird photography bestowed ethical guidelines to illuminate the path of future bird photographers. We also have to investigate the period of the emergence of this beautiful subject of photography.
The Genesis of Bird Photography
Bird Photography has appeared from the practice of birding. Initially, the way of hunting birds was called birding. Later on, the world started realizing birds’ essence in the ecosystem, and a group of nature enthusiasts started observing birds instead of killing or hunting them for fun.
From that period, the world started addressing serious bird observers as birders. The term ‘birder’ originated in the 15th century; however, this term became popular among nature lovers after 19301. The practice of bird observing has many synonyms like birding, bird (the word bird appeared as a verb in 18932), bird watching, and twitching, although they have different definitions.
The definition of bird photography should include the early bird photographer’s history and the knowledge and vision of bird watching of each format. Though the productive birding era started with Sir Allan Octavian Hume, the father of Ornithology’s vast specimen contribution, some of the other naturalists and ornithologists tried to replace the practice of collection of specimens with images as reference ‘avian information.’ Some of the ornithologists stepped beyond the challenges of the inadequacy of camera and optical technology and developed their instruments for responsible bird photography.
Designed and developed for the pioneer of wildlife Photography, the Kearton brothers by Dallmeyer. On the top, the first camera was specially designed for capturing flying birds or nimble animals.
Birding and Birder
The term birding is associated with serious bird observation rituals. Birders’ contribution is sometimes even more excellent than ornithologists; however, we also address ornithologists with the term birder sometimes. So it is understood that this term is only used to denote dedicated bird observing people. Birders have a significant role in the field of discovering the description and distribution of bird species. The goal of the community of birders is to unveil the scientific facts of avians using different ornithology2 methods. The birders’ community prefers to listen to birds as they like to identify and record physical appearance.
Bird Watching and Bird Watchers
The term birdwatcher is taken lightly in the community of bird observers. This type of observers does not devote themselves entirely to birding and does not care for minutiae to become more versed in birding. They often conduct outings in a small group not too far from their home, and they do not even stay for a prolonged period to observe birds. Birdwatchers mainly enjoy the beauty of species, sometimes even birds’ behavior through various gadgets for no particular reason at all.
Twitching and Twitchers
The term was coined to address the anxious behavior of a famous British birdwatcher Howard Medhurst. Twitchers are often considered as casual birdwatchers who only try to expand their life list. Further, the reputation of maintaining ethics in bird watching is also flawed because they can even disturb the species to satisfy the competitive nature of man. Nevertheless, some of the twitchers5 are serious and maintain proper ethics while observing avian. Though the twitchers are famous for collecting rare species in their life list, this habit sometimes aids Ornithology in discovering new species.
Pioneers of Bird
There is a vast list of birders in birding history, but we mention only a few of them and their contribution to understanding birding’s actual goal. Maybe the process of preserving information of these birders was different, but the end goal was resembling, representing the life of birds in front of the people along with its beauty. Further, these luminaries’ ethological study helped succeeding professional bird photographers understand the scopes and limitations of this vulnerable subject.
Allan Octavian Hume (June 6, 1829 – July 31, 1912): The father of Ornithology, a civil servant and political reformer, started the practice of collecting information and specimens of birds to understand the importance of birds in ecology. Though he collected a plethora of information and specimens in his entire life, only a few among them are preserved in the British Museum. The total volume of his contribution is 82,000 specimens, even after losing a majority of his lifetime collection. His collection embraces the discovery of more than 90 species also.
Salim Ali (November 12, 1896 – June 20, 1987): The ‘Birdman of India’,1 started the first systematic ritual of collecting birds’ information in India. His endeavor of seeking information on birds ended up with a new era of Ornithology. This legend showed us that formal education is not a requirement in the field of Ornithology; a dedicated birder can contribute even more than an academically certified Ornithologist. His famous works are ‘The Book of Indian Birds,’ ‘Common Birds,’ ‘ The Fall of a Sparrow: An Autobiography,’ and ‘Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan.’ Additionally, Mr. Salim Ali contributed to different wildlife conservation programs and helped establish the Keoladeo National Park or Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary as a national park.
Edmund Selous (August 14, 1857 – March 25, 1934): One of the most prominent early ornithologists who prioritized the understanding of species’ behavior over the documentation of the beauty of species. Edmund Selous3 was probably the first exponent of the harmless study of birds after being a conventional naturalist. He was straightly against the practice of collecting species specimens. He was a firm believer in scripting every subtle detail of birds in books or journals for future scientific works. He started publishing his ornithological books in 1899 with the book ‘Tommy Smith’s Animals.’ He has contributed more than twenty books and a plethora of journals in his entire life.
Pioneers of Bird Photography
Cherry Kearton (July 8, 1871 – September 27, 1940) Father of bird photography (Read the full article)
Reginald Badham Lodge (1852–1937)
Herbert Ponting (21 March 1870 – 7 February 1935)
Oliver G. Pike4 (October 1, 1877 – October 17, 1963)
Frank Michler Chapman (June 12, 1864 – November 15, 1945)
The photographers mentioned above were naturalists and ornithologists, who showcased their successful and productive ornithological photography through different methods. The photographs they captured for ornithology was the actual commencement of bird photography. Though they did not have efficient pieces of equipment for capturing birds in the wild as we have now in the modern age of photography, their excellence of freezing moments and crucial information is still a learning subject. Many of them also showcased their ethics of birding while capturing them.
The evolution of bird photography has a crucial role to play in the development of it. All the photographers have showcased their excellence in reproducing messages along with pivotal information of birds through motion. However, some early bird moments reproduced by the pioneers of bird photographers of birds on their nests are not a pure topic of avian imaging rather ornithology. Thereby, the modern birding associations or bird photography groups suggest including these images on the life list of photographers.
Excellent experience ❤️