Birds on Wires
22 worksFirst upload: Oct 2016Peak: 2019Last 12 months: 1
📝 Description
These images depict flocks of birds perched on overhead utility wires against a sky background. Photographers are drawn to this subject for its strong graphic quality, utilizing the stark contrast between dark silhouettes and bright backgrounds to create clean lines and geometric patterns. The collection includes various perspectives, ranging from close-up shots of individual birds in flight to wide views showing long rows of perched birds on multiple cables. While specific locations like Baku and Istanbul are noted, the visual motif remains consistent across different urban environments. The group is united by the recurring theme of avian life intersecting with man-made infrastructure.
How to shoot it
📍 Where to shoot
Shooting takes place outdoors in an urban environment, such as the Golyanovo district (Moscow) or Baku. Typical locations include streets and courtyards with power lines.
🎒 Gear
A zoom lens ranging from wide-angle to medium telephoto (median 55 mm) is suitable. For capturing motion or tripod shooting, use a shutter speed faster than 1/500 s.
Cameras and lenses the authors used (10)
Canon EOS 6D 3Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro 2Apple iPhone 15 Pro 2Canon EOS 700D 1Canon EOS 77D 1Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM 2EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM 1AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR 1Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM 1Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III 1
🧳 What to bring
Comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate clothing (shooting possible in January and August), spare batteries, and a rain cover for equipment on overcast days.
⚙️ Settings
Shutter 1/640 (1/4000 – 1/250)Aperture f/4.5 (f/1.8 – f/10)ISO 100 (40 – 400)Focal length 55 mm (7 – 135)
Based on 21 frames with camera data. Median and 10-90% range across the idea frames.
Key parameter: shutter speed; median 1/600 s (57% of shots are faster than 1/500 s). Aperture f/4.5, ISO 100.
⚠️ Good to know
Shooting is available year-round: statistics show frames in January, June, August, and November. Birds on wires are common in urban settings and do not require special permits or deep immersion in nature.
📈 How the idea developed
works uploadedshare of all site uploads, per 100k
The date is when the file was uploaded to the site. The chart counts works assigned to the idea.
✅ How to repeat it
- Look for sections with multiple parallel wires to create a rhythmic graphic background.
- Watch for the moment one bird takes off from the flock to add dynamism to the static composition.
✨ Interesting facts
- 🏆 How the best frame was shot: Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/4000, f/4.5, ISO 400, 105 mm
- 🔇 95% of frames were shot at ISO 400 or lower: almost no noise, any modern camera will do
- 📱 29% of frames were shot on a phone
- 🥇 4 works reached the finals. Best contest: Conceptual Shot – No Compositing 2026
- 👤 Most frequent authors: Laddu Sasindu Pramuditha De Silva 2
- 🌍 Authors by country: 🇷🇺 RU 14🇦🇿 AZ 2🇱🇰 LK 2🇮🇷 IR 2🇮🇶 IQ 1
🔗 Related ideas
Some tips are prepared by AI from the idea description, photos and their EXIF. Check the rules and access to places before you travel.
Works
These lists are generated automatically and may contain inaccuracies. Photos are shown in random order, and selections are refreshed twice a day. This section is made for exploring photos and does not claim 100% accuracy. The lists include photos that previously participated in contests that are already completed.
