Sudhir Shivaram (@sudhirshivaram) is a wildlife photographer from India with a passion for creating inspiring stories about birds and wildlife. A former IT worker, Sudhir left the corporate world to pursue his dreams of capturing the wild side of life. Now devoting his time to wildlife photography, Sudhir hopes to raise awareness on nature's greatest gifts and the need for people to protect them from extinction. He also operates a photography workshop where he helps beginners get their start in photography by imparting basic and advanced shooting techniques and principles. In the first of this three-part series, we spoke with Sudhir about how he planned his locations to create visually stunning bird photography.

Choosing the right location depends on what photography project Sudhir was going for. "My travel preparation is based on two factors - destination and species. Destination-based photography is straightforward. I would go to parks where I usually frequent, including Bandhavgarh, Ranthambhore, and Kanha, and start shooting. During certain seasons, I would ask my local contacts about what sightings are at the park before travelling. For species-based projects, I would do research on where the species resides and approach my contacts for more information," said Sudhir.

Seasons and physical features are also other factors Sudhir considers as they help to enhance the backdrop of his shots. "In the summer seasons, parks with significant bodies of water provide opportunities to capture wildlife activities. In the winter, I research the species of birds that are likely to migrate to the locale I am in. Usually, flowering or fruiting trees are where birds go for food and nesting when migrating, so these are worth keeping an eye out for. In my opinion, the best time to shoot photos of birds is during the winter, between November and February, when birds are migrating or between April or May when they tend to be in their breeding plumage," said Sudhir.

Sudhir's home country of India boasts many nature parks which are perfect for his style of bird photography. "Some of my favourite spots for bird photography include Keoloadeo National Park in Bharatpur, Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in Goa. Besides India, my other favourite locations are Costa Rica and Columbia," he said.

Those looking to break into bird photography can create perfect shots of birds without leaving their home. "The best part of bird photography is that it can be done in the backyard of your house, so you do not have to go to remote or wild locations. Urban birding is one of the most popular among beginners due to its accessibility. In fact, I started bird photography near water bodies in the city. Check your city map to discover the location of the water bodies and visit them to get a look at the bird activity in the area."

For Sudhir, the right conditions and a good amount of patience goes a long way. "Wildlife and bird photography are similar in nature. The only thing that differentiates these two is how you approach the subjects. In bird photography, choosing the right focal length is one of the toughest challenges as you need to get the bird into frame without disturbing the birds. But the best part is, you will be able to work alone without any distractions and you have more flexibility in choosing shooting locations. Whereas in wildlife photography, you will mostly be in a safari vehicle and you can approach your subjects without scaring them away, but you can also encounter other vehicles which can make capturing the subjects as is difficult," he added.

When taking the shot, great care must be taken when approaching the subjects to avoid disturbing them and scaring them off. "Photographers need to understand how comfortable the birds are in interacting with humans. In locations where birds do not usually encounter humans, I usually travel alone. However, if the birds are not at all bothered with photographers around, I may bring friends or clients from my photography workshop."

Ultimately, the key aspect to becoming a bird photographer is to understand birds and their behaviours. "Reading up on bird-related books will be an immense help in knowing how birds are likely to react under certain conditions. Another way is to become part of online birding groups and meet like-minded people who will be more than happy to give you information to help you get started on bird photography.”

For bird photographers, preparation is key to creating bird photographs that soar above the rest. "My first advice to those looking to pursue bird photography is to equip yourself with knowledge before picking up the camera. Study what birds will do, where they will reside and how they will react so that you can capture a bird's high-flying moments on camera. The second advice is to be patient. There may be times when things do not go your way so you should try and adapt to the situation. Eventually, you will be able to come across an unexpected moment that is perfect for your photo album," Sudhir said.

Check out Part 2 and Part 3 for Sudhir’s equipment and some tips to take your bird photography to the next level.