Hummers: I've been chasing these rascals around the yard the last couple of weeks, and would like feedback as to progress. What issues with regards composition should I be working with?

jteee Loc: Montana

I've been chasing these rascals around the yard the last couple of weeks, and would like feedback as to progress. What issues with regards composition should I be working with?

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Nightski

Perfect focus, perfect DOF, gorgeous creamy bokeh, love the catchlight in the birds eye,wonderfully composed, and your colors are stunning.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

My favorite part of this image is that the neck feathers match the flower color. I think you have done a pretty good job of capturing him in flight. I think the image is a little soft, possibly because you had the lens fully extended or this is a major crop.
The composition is very pleasing following the rules of thirds. I also like the slight blur of the wings implying movement.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

jteee wrote:

I've been chasing these rascals around the yard the last couple of weeks, and would like feedback as to progress. What issues with regards composition should I be working with?

Very nice. Hummers are the devil to get, especially somewhere other than a red and yellow plastic feeder. And you got a flower that matched your bird! If you cropped this one, you might consider backing out a bit to get some more flower, since it complements birdie so well. That would take him out of dead center and put a little more environment in - just a thought, I'm no expert. It's reasonably sharp to me (except the wings but what shutter speed would it take to stop those?); however my eyes are old and I may not be the best judge.

In general with hummers, the faster shutter you can use the better. I have never had any luck with them using a tripod because they are never still. Usually it takes me a shutter of 1/2000 with a large aperture on my longest lens to get anything acceptable. If I didn't have to compromise too much on the ISO, I can crop then, to try to get the composition I want.

jteee Loc: Montana

Nightski wrote:

Perfect focus, perfect DOF, gorgeous creamy bokeh, love the catchlight in the birds eye,wonderfully composed, and your colors are stunning.

Thanks for commenting, it is appreciated.

jteee Loc: Montana

Country's Mama wrote:

My favorite part of this image is that the neck feathers match the flower color. I think you have done a pretty good job of capturing him in flight. I think the image is a little soft, possibly because you had the lens fully extended or this is a major crop.
The composition is very pleasing following the rules of thirds. I also like the slight blur of the wings implying movement.

Thanks for commenting. Taken with Sigma 150-500 at 500, but even at about 6' the crop is significant. Also trying to shoot manual focus, since I can't seem to keep up with these guys in AF Servo.

jteee Loc: Montana

minniev wrote:

Very nice. Hummers are the devil to get, especiall... (show quote)

Thanks for your comment. I probably should have increased the ISO to 200 or 400 which would have increased my speed some. I actually did use a tripod, but only for stabilization, as I had the ballhead loose so I could attempt to follow. Your thought about pulling back out to get more flower is an excellent thought. It seems to always be a fine line between good detail, and more general info.

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

jteee wrote:

Thanks for commenting. Taken with Sigma 150-500 at 500, but even at about 6' the crop is significant. Also trying to shoot manual focus, since I can't seem to keep up with these guys in AF Servo.

JT, here is something to consider. If you can, use a tripod so that the distance to the flower, the bait, stays constant. Use an aperture that will give you a few inches of depth of field, focus on the flower, turn off the focus, wait for your stars to fly in and shoot away.

jteee Loc: Montana

abc1234 wrote:

JT, here is something to consider. If you can, use a tripod so that the distance to the flower, the bait, stays constant. Use an aperture that will give you a few inches of depth of field, focus on the flower, turn off the focus, wait for your stars to fly in and shoot away.

Thanks for your comment. I kind of am doing that, but I DO need to increase my dof some which would help me track them down a bit better.

photoninja1 Loc: Tampa Florida

Good focus, sharp, good color. An acquaintance of mine, who shoots these critters, always uses flash to stop the wings and fill shadowed areas that would otherwise be blocked.

jteee Loc: Montana

photoninja1 wrote:

Good focus, sharp, good color. An acquaintance of mine, who shoots these critters, always uses flash to stop the wings and fill shadowed areas that would otherwise be blocked.

Thanks for the tip. I have heard that the flash would help freeze the wings, but I would think that the flash would make it a one shot and gone deal for the hummer. Have to try it however.

Nightski

jteee wrote:

Thanks for the tip. I have heard that the flash would help freeze the wings, but I would think that the flash would make it a one shot and gone deal for the hummer. Have to try it however.

Someone suggested flash to me on my swan shots. This was my concern too. I worry that if I did something like that, they never want to get close to me. I have seen flash photos of hummers though, and they are amazing.

Country's Mama Loc: Michigan

jteee wrote:

Thanks for the tip. I have heard that the flash would help freeze the wings, but I would think that the flash would make it a one shot and gone deal for the hummer. Have to try it however.

I did it a few times, they are more concerned with the shutter click than the flash. There was a guy on here a while back, years not months,that took hummer photos with a flash. He had backdrops and lights set up outside his window.
Maybe someone can remember his name and put a link on. I couldn't find him.

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Nightski wrote:

Someone suggested flash to me on my swan shots. This was my concern too. I worry that if I did something like that, they never want to get close to me. I have seen flash photos of hummers though, and they are amazing.

I think that the accepted wisdom is that birds are not at all frightened or disturbed by flash. It's the bird watchers that are disturbed by it.

Graham

lensbaby007 Loc: Ohio

Country's Mama wrote:

I did it a few times, they are more concerned with the shutter click than the flash. There was a guy on here a while back, years not months,that took hummer photos with a flash. He had backdrops and lights set up outside his window.
Maybe someone can remember his name and put a link on. I couldn't find him.

Was it maybe Dave the Hiker?