Eastside Audubon Bird Photography Club
The Eastside Audubon Photography Group brings together bird photography enthusiasts from all over Western Washington. Join us for our monthly virtual meetings to share photos, tips, and techniques on the second Thursday of the month at 7pm.
Want to Join Us?
Our meetings are open to everyone. You can be an experienced photographer, a beginner, or someone who loves bird photos. Our monthly Zoom meetings are the perfect place for you.
Our group includes both beginners and experts. We all love nature photography. Often, the stories behind our photos matter more than the photos themselves.
Stay Updated
Sign up for our mailing list to know about our meetings. Want more details? Contact John Spilker, our group leader. We’d love to see you at our next meeting!
Field Trips
Sometimes, we organize specific bird photography field trips. To find out when, check our calendar for upcoming trips and events.
Our regular bird walks and field trips are also a great way to practice bird photography, joining a group of experts that can help with spotting and identification of birds!
Chuck and Kathy will lead a monthly bird walk through Juanita Bay Park.
Chuck and Kathy will lead a monthly bird walk through Juanita Bay Park.
Chuck and Kathy will lead a monthly bird walk through Juanita Bay Park.
Chuck and Kathy will lead a monthly bird walk through Juanita Bay Park.
Chuck and Kathy will lead a monthly bird walk through Juanita Bay Park.
Chuck and Kathy will lead a monthly bird walk through Juanita Bay Park.
Photo of the Month
The Photo of the Month Award is usually awarded monthly to a Photography Group participant for photography excellence, especially hard-to-find birds. See examples of previous winners.
The Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month award for October was presented to four photographers—Mick Thompson, Michael Hoefgen, Sam Wilder, and Amanda Buse.
Leah Turner and Mick Thompson were named co-winners of the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month award for September. Leah won for her shots of elusive Common Loons at Semiahmoo Spit, south of Vancouver, B.C., while Mick earned recognition for his photos of long-eared owls taken at Boundary Bay in British Columbia.
Leah Turner has once again claimed the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month award for August, marking her fifth win. Leah's winning photograph features the uncommon Williamson's Sapsucker, a bird seldom seen in Washington State.
Mick Thompson is the winner of the Eastside Audubon Photography Award for July, honored for his captivating images of tufted puffins captured off Smith Island near Anacortes.
Mick Thompson is the Eastside Audubon Photographer of the Month for June. His award-winning photos capture a swallow in flight at Marymoor Park.
Jim Avery won the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month award for May with his captivating shot of a Wilson’s Warbler.
Gary Luhm won the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month honor in April for his photos of a Pileated Woodpecker. This marks his fourth time receiving this accolade.
Kyle Callahan was the winner of the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month contest in March for a stunning series of photos he shot of a flock of snow geese taking off.
Don Larkin was honored with the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month for a captivating action shot of a Belted Kingfisher diving at the Edmonds Marina.
First-time presenter Holly Hauser won the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month Award in January for a series of shots that capture the mating ritual of Clark’s Grebe.
Leah Turner won the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month honor in December for a series of hummingbird photos.
Liliana Aguila won the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month honor for a series of shots of a short-eared owl she photographed at Marymoor Park in early November.
Gary Luhm won the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month honor in October for his photos of Green Herons shot along the Sammamish River in Kenmore.
Leah Turner won the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month honor in September for her photos of Greater Yellowlegs shot at the Redmond Retention Pond.
Leah Turner won the Eastside Audubon Photo of the Month honor in August for her photos of puffins shot near Smith Island in the Salish Sea. This was the second time Leah has won the award.
Margaret Larkin won the Photograph of the Month in July for her shots of a Calliope Hummingbird that she shot during a recent trip to the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Leah Turner and Jim Avery were the co-winners of the Eastside Audubon Photograph of the Month award in May. Amanda Buse was the winner of the June Photo of the Month contest for her stunning photos of Eagles.
Morgan Sidoine was named the Eastside Audubon Society Photographer in April for her photograph of a Common Merganser. This is the second time she has won the award.
Don Larkin was selected as the Eastside Audubon Society Photographer in March for his photographs of Cedar Waxwings.
Don and Margaret Larkin were acknowledged for their outstanding nature photography in January, earning both national and local recognition.
Carla Conway and Jim Haas are the latest winners of the Eastside Audubon Association photographer of the month contest.
Three photographers shared the Photo of the Month Award in January. Morgan Sidoine was recognized for her shot of a Barred Owl; Jim Haas shared the award for his photo of a Kinglet; and Raghav Mehta was also recognized for a Short-eared Owl photo.
Phone Apps
Birding Photographers
Photography Tips
A telephoto lens is essential (300 mm to 600 mm).
Research bird habits and habitats for better shots.
Use a fast shutter speed: 1/1000s or faster to freeze motion and get sharper images.
High ISO helps compensate for fast shutter speeds.
Use continuous focus for moving subjects.
Try to focus on the eyes (Mirrorless cameras excel at this).
Shoot in RAW: This gives you more flexibility during post-processing.
Get eye level for simple backgrounds and bring more focus to the bird.