SUMMARY
Jan Wegener, with over 20 years of experience photographing wild birds, advises against aggressive highlight protection, which can lead to underexposed images. Instead, he recommends protecting only the essential highlights and allowing other parts of the frame to remain bright. Factors like light quality and background tone significantly impact exposure ease. Wegener often shoots in full manual, setting exposure for the bird and light to avoid camera adjustments for changing backgrounds, relying on the live histogram to leave a small gap on the right side. He also discusses manual mode with auto ISO, exposure compensation, and various metering modes, including Canon's highlight tone priority.
TAKEAWAYS
Protect only critical highlights, not every bright pixel, to avoid underexposing bird subjects.
Utilize live histograms and exposure simulation in mirrorless viewfinders for real-time exposure decisions.
Consider light quality and background tone for easier exposure balancing.
Manual shooting modes, including manual with auto ISO, help maintain consistent exposure for birds.