Here are a few tips on photographing Hummingbirds:
1. You will need a shutter speed of at least 1/2000 sec to shoot hummers. This will not always stop the wings but a little wing blur is OK.
2. You do not need tremendous depth of field if your camera focuses fast enough. You do not need to shoot wide open but f/5.6 to 8.0 is plenty. Shoot at whatever ISO is needed to get these settings. In bright sun you will be around 400-800
3. Have your camera set to tracking focus. On Canon cameras that is AI Servo-AF. I don’t know Nikon or Sony or Olympus.
4. Hummingbirds will get used to having humans around. You can get them acclimated by standing or sitting quietly nearby but far enough away for them to be comfortable. Over the course of days you can gradually get closer and closer.
5. Place the feeder in a location that gets full sun, if possible. If the feeder has multiple feeding ports then use a piece of tape to cover the ones on the back side so they have to come to the front or side to feed. Use a feeder without perches or you will never get flight shots. They don’t need them and don’t have them when they are feeding at flowers anyway. If you have more than one feeder, take them all down but their most popular one.
6. Set up a chair or stool with your camera on a tripod. You can cover yourself with a light blanket or sheet to hide your human outline. In fact, if you can leave the chair with the sheet and the tripod out for a few days the Hummers will get used to it and won’t notice when you are in it.
7. When Hummers feed, they come into a flower or feeder and pause 6-12 inches away from the flower. They feed for a few seconds and back off to hover for a few seconds before going in to sip some more nectar, repeating this several times before flying off. It is when they are in this hover mode that they are most easily photographed in flight. You have to be quick, though, because they will not be there for more than a few seconds. Have your lens pre focused at about that distance so auto focus does not need to hunt before locking on. Use continuous shooting mode and take lots of frames…they’re cheap enough. Use a single point for auto focus. When the bird comes in to feed, place the focus point on the bird’s head, half press the shutter button to initiate Auto Focus and then gently fire away!
8. Hummers will return to a feeder every 15 to 45 minutes during the day. They need to feed very frequently. In between visits to your feeder they are probably making the rounds to all the neighborhood feeders. If they have young in a nest nearby they will come even more frequently. Be patient. The pace also picks up near the end of the day.
9. Hummers often perch on a nearby twig in the open after feeding. They may stay there for 5-10 minutes while they digest your meal. If you can find the perch, you can get some great shots of them in a more natural setting rather than on the feeder.
10. Above all, have patience and respect the birds by not pressuring them too much and scaring them away. Get as close as you reasonably can to get a respectable amount of the frame filled. You don’t need to completely fill the frame as that makes it more difficult to find the bird with a long lens. Since you are shooting at relatively high ISOs, this helps keep image noise at a minimum.
11. Flash photography is a whole other animal that would require high speed synch mode. If anyone want some info on it get in touch with me.


That is a Black-headed Grosbeak

Here are a few tips on photographing Hummingbirds:
1. You will need a shutter speed of at least 1/2000 sec to shoot hummers. This will not always stop the wings but a little wing blur is OK.
2. You do not need tremendous depth of field if your camera focuses fast enough. You do not need to shoot wide open but f/5.6 to 8.0 is plenty. Shoot at whatever ISO is needed to get these settings. In bright sun you will be around 400-800
3. Have your camera set to tracking focus. On Canon cameras that is AI Servo-AF. I don’t know Nikon or Sony or Olympus.
4. Hummingbirds will get used to having humans around. You can get them acclimated by standing or sitting quietly nearby but far enough away for them to be comfortable. Over the course of days you can gradually get closer and closer.
5. Place the feeder in a location that gets full sun, if possible. If the feeder has multiple feeding ports then use a piece of tape to cover the ones on the back side so they have to come to the front or side to feed. Use a feeder without perches or you will never get flight shots. They don’t need them and don’t have them when they are feeding at flowers anyway. If you have more than one feeder, take them all down but their most popular one.
6. Set up a chair or stool with your camera on a tripod. You can cover yourself with a light blanket or sheet to hide your human outline. In fact, if you can leave the chair with the sheet and the tripod out for a few days the Hummers will get used to it and won’t notice when you are in it.
7. When Hummers feed, they come into a flower or feeder and pause 6-12 inches away from the flower. They feed for a few seconds and back off to hover for a few seconds before going in to sip some more nectar, repeating this several times before flying off. It is when they are in this hover mode that they are most easily photographed in flight. You have to be quick, though, because they will not be there for more than a few seconds. Have your lens pre focused at about that distance so auto focus does not need to hunt before locking on. Use continuous shooting mode and take lots of frames…they’re cheap enough. Use a single point for auto focus. When the bird comes in to feed, place the focus point on the bird’s head, half press the shutter button to initiate Auto Focus and then gently fire away!
8. Hummers will return to a feeder every 15 to 45 minutes during the day. They need to feed very frequently. In between visits to your feeder they are probably making the rounds to all the neighborhood feeders. If they have young in a nest nearby they will come even more frequently. Be patient. The pace also picks up near the end of the day.
9. Hummers often perch on a nearby twig in the open after feeding. They may stay there for 5-10 minutes while they digest your meal. If you can find the perch, you can get some great shots of them in a more natural setting rather than on the feeder.
10. Above all, have patience and respect the birds by not pressuring them too much and scaring them away. Get as close as you reasonably can to get a respectable amount of the frame filled. You don’t need to completely fill the frame as that makes it more difficult to find the bird with a long lens. Since you are shooting at relatively high ISOs, this helps keep image noise at a minimum.
11. Flash photography is a whole other animal that would require high speed synch mode. If anyone want some info on it get in touch with me.


That is a Black-headed Grosbeak

OK, I'll try with a flash next time. Meanwhile, here's my lastest, which I think is an improvement, including what I believe is a Grosbeak, through a closed window. Please post your hummers here if you like.