The Beauty of Birds OLLI at Furman University
Blue jay perched on a curved branch beside pokeweed berries
FALL 2025 · FIVE WEEKS

The Beauty of Birds

A Hands-On Photography Experience

Three classes at the Herring Center, two mornings in a backyard bird oasis in Clemson, and twelve photographers with twelve different cameras.

Bill J.

The course

This special 5-week OLLI course is designed to help experienced photographers master the art of bird photography in outdoor settings. The two instructors will guide you through the technical skills and creative approaches needed to capture stunning images of birds in their natural habitat. Throughout the course, you will learn essential techniques of using long lenses, understanding light, composing still and action shots and identifying bird species.

In addition to three class meetings at Furman OLLI’s Herring Center, two field trips to the Nut House in Clemson, S.C. (carlackerman.com) will allow you to expand your photography skills in a unique backyard bird oasis. These sessions will be provided at no charge to students enrolled in this course. The birds will be eight to twenty feet away so you should plan to use a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a prime lens of at least 300mm or a zoom lens in the 300-600mm range. A tripod with a ball or gimbal head may be necessary, depending on the image stabilization capability of your camera and lens system. Because the number of participants at the Nut House is limited, only 10 students will be admitted to this course.

By the end of the course, you will have the confidence to photograph birds perched on branches, in flight and interacting with their surroundings. The goal is for you to leave with a portfolio of beautiful images, a deeper appreciation for the art of photographing birds and hopefully, the desire to continue this challenging yet rewarding genre of photography.

Course highlights

Practical lessons on camera settings and gear for bird photography
Field trips to a natural outdoor bird habitat
Tips for capturing birds in motion and static poses
Learning to anticipate bird behavior to predict action and improve shots
Discussion of post-processing techniques to enhance your bird photos
Instructors
Bernard Robin
David Schutzman
Format
In person
Three classes, two field trips
Enrollment
10 students
Five weeks

The film

A short film about the course
Watch on YouTube

In the classroom

What we covered

Suggested equipment

DSLR or mirrorless camera
Prime lens of at least 300mm, or a zoom lens in the 300 to 600mm range
Tripod with or without ball or gimbal head, depending on the image stabilization capability of the camera and lens system
Photo editing software

Camera settings

Autofocus points. Small for the eye of a small bird, medium for mid-size birds, large for birds in flight.
Frames per second. Single mode is not usually suitable; continuous mode enables higher frame rates.
AI bird detection and tracking. Available on many recent mirrorless bodies, including the Canon R3, R5, R7, R10 and R6 Mark II, Nikon Z8 and Z9, Sony a7 IV and a7R V, and OM System OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II.

Suggested shutter speeds

Still birds, on a branch1/640
Birds in slow flight1/3200
Larger birds in fast flight1/4000

Apps to identify birds

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab
Audubon Bird Guide
ChirpOMatic — Birdsong USA
Smart Bird ID

Schedule of classes

Class 1
September 2
Furman HC102
Vick Seminar Room
Class 2 · Field
September 9
The Nut House
Clemson, S.C.
Class 3
September 16
Furman HC102
Vick Seminar Room
Class 4 · Field
September 22
The Nut House
Clemson, S.C.
Class 5
September 30
Furman HC102
Vick Seminar Room
Photographers seated in a row inside a blind with long lenses through the window
The field trips
The Nut House →
 Brown thrasher on a stump with both wings raised
Student and instructor photographs
The Work →

The instructors

Bernard Robin and David Schutzman co-taught the course at Furman and in the Nut House blinds. Bernard’s bird photography portfolio may be viewed at bernard-robin-birds.myportfolio.com and David’s at davidschutzman.com/birds

Where to go next