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Hummingbirds
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Sep 28, 2022 06:22:33   #
SophieLila Loc: Pace, FL
 
Hi there, I need my hummingbird to be green lol. The camera is picking the background tone instead (600mm, 1/8000s, iso 6400 f/6.3, natural light) I don’t know how to fix? Thanks! Forgot to add, I used AWB. Pretty sure that’s the issue, but these guys don’t stay still! Custom WB?



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Sep 28, 2022 08:06:27   #
newvy
 
SophieLila wrote:
Hi there, I need my hummingbird to be green lol. The camera is picking the background tone instead (600mm, 1/8000s, iso 6400 f/6.3, natural light) I don’t know how to fix? Thanks! Forgot to add, I used AWB. Pretty sure that’s the issue, but these guys don’t stay still! Custom WB?

They are iridescent ( the colors change in the light) that is a good representation.

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Sep 28, 2022 08:24:14   #
davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel
 
SophieLila wrote:
Hi there, I need my hummingbird to be green lol. The camera is picking the background tone instead (600mm, 1/8000s, iso 6400 f/6.3, natural light) I don’t know how to fix? Thanks! Forgot to add, I used AWB. Pretty sure that’s the issue, but these guys don’t stay still! Custom WB?


Chances are you shoot in a "green" environment. This situation is similar to shooting in the "white" environment of snow. Peterson et. al. recommend adding one stop of light to your exposure. Makes snow "white" as well and it eliminates your "green" effect in landscapes. You have discovered one area if B-I-F and that is speed. Nothing else in nature moves as fast as hummingbirds. Shooting them requires patience, skill, birds, and TIME! My work involves Canon equipment and I use "cloudy" for WB. Makes the camera think everything is shot in defused light. Experiment and find settings that offer "true" colors and work for you in your shooting environment. Your ISO and SS look to be very acceptable. Now tackle WB and nail your next captures.

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Sep 28, 2022 09:20:43   #
SophieLila Loc: Pace, FL
 
I did not know that, thank you! Def. Something to consider.

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Sep 28, 2022 09:59:05   #
BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
 
SophieLila wrote:
Hi there, I need my hummingbird to be green lol. The camera is picking the background tone instead (600mm, 1/8000s, iso 6400 f/6.3, natural light) I don’t know how to fix? Thanks! Forgot to add, I used AWB. Pretty sure that’s the issue, but these guys don’t stay still! Custom WB?

After the fact you could play with the colors in your editor. A second or two with HSL and WB tools might get your green bird. I'd probably want to spend a few more seconds and do a better job.



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Sep 28, 2022 12:25:11   #
SophieLila Loc: Pace, FL
 
That looks nice! I will try that as well. Thanks!

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Sep 29, 2022 10:04:15   #
abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois
 
I do not buy any of that. I think the white balance in the original shot is fine. Look at the throat. Seems pretty white to me. In the adjusted shot, it is off. Iridescence can be hard to shoot. I do not know what program you have but here is what I would do in LR. Mask off the bird and then change the hue to your liking. While that will preserve the color balance of the background, it may throw off the white of the throat and tail feathers. You can avoid that in either of two ways. Remove them from the full-body mask or selecting after the hue adjustment and then make them white again.

Someone else posts great hummer shots here. You might want to look him up. I think his name is joer.

Thanks for posting this nice picture and posing a challenging question. Also, please make your pictures downloadable and if you shoot raw, post the raw.

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Sep 29, 2022 11:03:23   #
Markag
 
SophieLila wrote:
Hi there, I need my hummingbird to be green lol. The camera is picking the background tone instead (600mm, 1/8000s, iso 6400 f/6.3, natural light) I don’t know how to fix? Thanks! Forgot to add, I used AWB. Pretty sure that’s the issue, but these guys don’t stay still! Custom WB?


Green or no green, stopping the wings is one of the most difficult challenges in shooting hummingbirds. Your photo is extremely close. Most hummer shooters' photos I've seen don't come close while they say they prefer a little blur in the wings. Their preference might be because its too difficult to stop them?

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Sep 29, 2022 13:24:34   #
Sinewsworn Loc: Port Orchard, WA
 
Markag wrote:
Green or no green, stopping the wings is one of the most difficult challenges in shooting hummingbirds. Your photo is extremely close. Most hummer shooters' photos I've seen don't come close while they say they prefer a little blur in the wings. Their preference might be because its too difficult to stop them?


I set my Nikons (D500, D850, Z9) to 1/3200 to purposely capture a bit of blur. 1/4000 to 1/5000 will generally freeze hummer wings.
Three of the four examples I posted were taken under difficult lighting conditions using long telephoto lenses. The first shot was taken in sunny light.

Where are your Hummer shots?


(Download)


(Download)


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(Download)

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Sep 29, 2022 13:35:05   #
Markag
 
Sinewsworn wrote:
I set my Nikons (D500, D850, Z9) to 1/3200 to purposely capture a bit of blur. 1/4000 to 1/5000 will generally freeze hummer wings.
Three of the four examples I posted were taken under difficult lighting conditions using long telephoto lenses. The first shot was taken in sunny light.

Where are your Hummer shots?


Try photographing a hummingbird at 1/8000 of a second, the top shutter speed for many cameras, and you may still see movement in the wings. So how do you really freeze the wings? Use flash.

When flash duration is the only thing that is illuminating your subject, then flash duration, not shutter speed, will freeze the movement. I’ve used this principle for years using large strobes to freeze athletes in motion. To freeze the hummingbird wings, I used 5 speed lights. The great thing about speed lights is they have a very fast flash duration, especially if you shoot at low power. My SB5000 has a flash duration of 1/30820 at low power. So if flash is lighting the scene, my actual speed is 1/30820, plenty fast to freeze wing movement.

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Sep 29, 2022 13:36:09   #
Sinewsworn Loc: Port Orchard, WA
 
Markag wrote:
Try photographing a hummingbird at 1/8000 of a second, the top shutter speed for many cameras, and you may still see movement in the wings. So how do you really freeze the wings? Use flash.

When flash duration is the only thing that is illuminating your subject, then flash duration, not shutter speed, will freeze the movement. I’ve used this principle for years using large strobes to freeze athletes in motion. To freeze the hummingbird wings, I used 5 speed lights. The great thing about speed lights is they have a very fast flash duration, especially if you shoot at low power. My SB5000 has a flash duration of 1/30820 at low power. So if flash is lighting the scene, my actual speed is 1/30820, plenty fast to freeze wing movement.
Try photographing a hummingbird at 1/8000 of a sec... (show quote)


I use natural lighting, mostly.

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Sep 29, 2022 13:42:56   #
Markag
 
Sinewsworn wrote:
I use natural lighting, mostly.


the closest photo I've seen that stops the wings is from Larry Goeb. He's a member of UHH. Look him up.
I downloaded one of his photos but I'm not sure its wise to repost it?

That bit about the flashes I posted was from the web. I can't stop the wings and I'm unwilling to invest in multiple flashes to try.

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Sep 29, 2022 14:22:30   #
SophieLila Loc: Pace, FL
 
Thanks! Actually, I switched WB to cloudy and increased exposure by a stop. Seems to have helped!

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Sep 29, 2022 14:24:01   #
SophieLila Loc: Pace, FL
 
Nice!



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Sep 29, 2022 14:26:12   #
SophieLila Loc: Pace, FL
 
I have one speed light, the one that is that fast one, where it's not limited by the shutter speed? and not real proficient with flash work lol. But I'm shooting zoomed out at 600mm and about 4-5 meters from the birds, so not sure the flash will suffice?

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