Staking out a Hummer….

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Larry S.

Larry S.

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We put hummingbird feeders out every year and get many birds. I noticed them checking out the hosta flowers which would make a more natural image. Staking out the flowers for a hummer has been frustrating. This afternoon I thought I was ready. Got the shots. But the tricky light and my decision to shoot at 1/3200 sec @ 200mm f/2.8 drove up the iso. I’ll give it another try and drop the shutter down to 1/2000 sec and hopefully get better light….
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Very nice image. Nicely done!

FWIW, if you don't mind letting the wings blur you can often shoot hummers at much lower shutter speeds as they feed on flowers. Their bodies don't actually move much while they hover so you can get crisp eyes and bodies with some wing blur to imply motion at much lower shutter speeds than most flying birds. I often shoot hummers at shutter speeds as low as 1/640" when light levels drop though I prefer to shoot them around 1/1250" or so. Anyway, it's something you might play with when the light levels are lower.
 
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DRwyoming said:
Very nice image. Nicely done!

FWIW, if you don't mind letting the wings blur you can often shoot hummers at much lower shutter speeds as they feed on flowers. Their bodies don't actually move much while they hover so you can get crisp eyes and bodies with some wing blur to imply motion at much lower shutter speeds than most flying birds. I often shoot hummers at shutter speeds as low as 1/640" when light levels drop though I prefer to shoot them around 1/1250" or so. Anyway, it's something you might play with when the light levels are lower.
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Thanks Dave, the slower shutter speed has been a good choice in the past for more detail in the hummer’s body and sharper eye. I’m also going to close down the distance to 3-4 feet as this lens (Nikkor 70-200 2.8S) can focus much closer than I shot yesterday. I want that iridescent sheen in the feathers and the clear sharp eye. Actually, wing movement should add interest too. I ran 70-90 frames yesterday and reduced it to just 2. If the birds cooperate today, I’ll start around 1/1250 sec and dial it down to 1/640th as you suggested.
 
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What I’m trying to do is get tight on these little guys to present the iridescent character of their feathers while catching them “in-flight”. Dave suggested 1/640 sec which has worked well for perching hummers. This is one I got in Costa Rica 2017 at 1/500 sec but he’s sitting on a branch (can’t remember the species!🤔). These guys are somewhat stationary when they’re drinking so 1/640 sec will be where I start…..🙂📷…
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Larry S. said:
What I’m trying to do is get tight on these little guys to present the iridescent character of their feathers while catching them “in-flight”. Dave suggested 1/640 sec which has worked well for perching hummers. This is one I got in Costa Rica 2017 at 1/500 sec but he’s sitting on a branch (can’t remember the species!🤔). These guys are somewhat stationary when they’re drinking so 1/640 sec will be where I start…..🙂📷…
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Moose Peterson is a big fan of using speedlights for shooting hummers to get the colours to appear.
 
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Larry S. said:
We put hummingbird feeders out every year and get many birds. I noticed them checking out the hosta flowers which would make a more natural image. Staking out the flowers for a hummer has been frustrating. This afternoon I thought I was ready. Got the shots. But the tricky light and my decision to shoot at 1/3200 sec @ 200mm f/2.8 drove up the iso. I’ll give it another try and drop the shutter down to 1/2000 sec and hopefully get better light….
Click to expand...
Nice shot! I’ve been trying unsuccessfully to get more hummingbird photos with flowers.
 
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