Try The 5 Photo Bird Photography Challenge

Sonia - Chief Parrot
2 days ago
3 min read

As much as I enjoy wandering around with the camera and just photographing whatever comes my way, intentional shooting can break up monotony and push you to think more creatively.

The 5 Photo Challenge is a simple way to shake up your shooting routine without needing any new gear or fancy locations - or fancy birds! All you need is one subject, even if it's just one of those same old birds you have hanging around that you don't bother shooting at times - and a willingness to look at it in five different ways.

What is the 5 Photo Bird Photography Challenge?

The idea is easy: Pick a single subject and challenge yourself to make five completely different photos of it. Each frame should show a new:

Perspective
Detail
Pose or moment
Composition or background

Bonus win! Instead of firing off 50 nearly identical shots, you’re training yourself to slow down, observe, and make deliberate choices.

I recently stayed at a campground for a few days - not much varied bird action but the campground Kookaburra's offered the perfect opportunity to launch this challenge:

Why it works

When you know you “have” to come up with five different images, you naturally start asking better questions:

What happens if I move higher or lower?
Can I come closer or step back?
Is there an interesting detail I can isolate?
What story do I want this photo to tell?

Those questions pull you out of autopilot and into creative mode. You become more aware of light, background, timing and angle – all the things that separate a snapshot from a thoughtful photograph.

How to do the challenge

Here’s a simple way to approach your five shots:

The obvious shot

Start with the straightforward image – the one you’d naturally take first. Get it out of your system.

Change your angle

Move. Go higher, lower, to the side, or shoot from behind. A small shift in position can completely change the feel of the image.

Go close

Look for a detail: feathers, texture, eyes, hands, patterns. Fill the frame and let that detail become the hero.

Play with negative space

Step back and place your subject small in the frame, surrounded by sky, water, foliage or simple background. This often adds mood and breathing room.

Chase a moment

Wait for a change – a different pose, a stretch, a glance, a preen, a wing flap, a gust of wind. The subject is the same, but the moment is different.

You can mix and match these ideas any way you like. The point isn’t to tick boxes perfectly, it’s to push yourself beyond the first frame and repetitive shooting.

BONUS TIP

This challenge works best if you shoot all 5 images on the same outing - it adds consistency to the lighting and setting and gives a more cohesive result. It can be much harder to get 5 images that work nicely together when taken in different conditions, even if the species is the same.

Make it a habit - you'll be surprised how it changes your vision.

Try the 5 Photo Challenge next time you’re out with your camera. Choose one subject and commit to exploring it fully before you move on. You’ll come away with a more interesting set of images, and over time you’ll train your eye to see creative options faster.

One subject. Five photos. Endless possibilities!

Happy birding! xx S