Shooting hummingbirds

HungLikeJesus · 07-02-2007, 04:31 PM

I don't know much about hummingbirds, but we've had a feeder up for a few years. I've taken a few pictures of them in the past, like:

This weekend I decided to get a few more pictures, so I spent the evening hunting hummingbirds. I started out inside, shooting through the open screen door, with a 70mm lense:

Then I borrowed my wife's 300 mm lense and got this shot:

Then I started getting closer. I think that this is a male, based on the neck color:

This is shot at 1/100 of a second. You can get an idea of how fast these birds can move:

I decided to try the flash, which results in a better picture. I think that this one is a female. Notice the different color of the neck:

The flash startled this male. He and I both moved. I'm only including it because I like the lack of definition. It looks like an explosion of feathers:

These next few came out very clear, especially in the full-size originals (6MP). I was probably shooting at about three feet from the feeder.

This next one is interesting because it shows how fast the wing movement is. The shutter speed is 1/60 second with flash, but you can see that the wing makes at least one full flap in that time:

This one is without flash, 1/30 second, but is still fairly steady.

Another without flash and 1/30 second:

Here's the male sitting on a branch. It's not as dark as this picture makes it appear:

This one is my favorite of the night shots. It looks much better at full resolution compared to this:

I look forward to pictures of hummingbirds that others might post.

P.S. I'm using a photo site called Fotki to host these images. This is the maximum resolution available for shared photos.
.

jinx · 07-02-2007, 05:39 PM

Hey great job, and pretty feeder too.

busterb · 07-02-2007, 05:48 PM

Great shots.

HungLikeJesus · 07-02-2007, 05:51 PM

Thanks jinx. I like the way that feeder acts as a lense, inverting the trees and mountains across the canyon. Unfortunately, when the sun shines on it the water heats up and leaks out.

Here's a zoom of the last picture:

theotherguy · 07-02-2007, 05:52 PM

great camera work HLJ

HungLikeJesus · 07-02-2007, 05:58 PM

It helps that I can get very close to them. I smear my body with honey and they can't smell me.

Only now I can't leave my house because of all the bears lying by the front door.

kerosene · 07-02-2007, 07:40 PM

And bees!

Great shots, HLJ. Thanks again, for sharing those.

breakingnews · 07-02-2007, 08:15 PM

hlj, fantastic shots - love the stops on some of those close-ups.

what camera/lens were you shooting with? [/gearhead]

HungLikeJesus · 07-02-2007, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by breakingnews

hlj, fantastic shots - love the stops on some of those close-ups.

what camera/lens were you shooting with? [/gearhead]

breakingnews -- thanks. These were taken with a Nikon D70 (digital). One or two were taken with the stock kit lense (18-70mm); the rest were taken with an aftermarket lense that I bought for my wife last year, but I can't think of the manufacturer right now. It's a ??-300 mm zoom. I'll try to remember to write it down tonight.

If you want Exif metadata for any of the shots, let me know.

07-02-2007, 10:59 PM

Just awesome!

breakingnews · 07-03-2007, 12:19 AM

do you do much post processing? a little photoshop work and you could turn some of those shots into seriously crisp photographs. my fave is: DSC_5296-vi.jpg

i'd like to get a 300 or 500mm lens ... but i have absolutely no use for it. someday....

HungLikeJesus · 07-03-2007, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by breakingnews

do you do much post processing? a little photoshop work and you could turn some of those shots into seriously crisp photographs. my fave is: DSC_5296-vi.jpg

i'd like to get a 300 or 500mm lens ... but i have absolutely no use for it. someday....

The only processing I did was a little cleanup on the last shot (Nightfeeding). There was some black dirt on the red nipple and I removed that. Otherwise they are just straight from the camera and compressed by the photo host (Fotki).

I looked at the lens this morning, but I didn't write down the model. I think it was a Tamron 28-300 XR Di, which is reviewed here. I bought it for my wife to use with her Nikon film camera and it wasn't very expensive. It seems to work just as well for digital and film, though I haven't taken too many shots at the wide end, where there might be some barrel distortion.

theotherguy · 07-03-2007, 11:40 AM

I hate it when there is dirt on the red nipple.

Flint · 07-03-2007, 12:26 PM

Your feeder looks like a planet. A tasty little planet...

HungLikeJesus · 07-03-2007, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thenewguy

I hate it when there is dirt on the red nipple.

I guess that's why Playboy uses so much air brush.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flint

Your feeder looks like a planet. A tasty little planet...

It's crunchy on the outside, with a sweet liquid center!

Did you draw the GalactUT, or cut-and-paste? That's some fine art.

07-02-2007, 04:31 PM	#1
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	Shooting hummingbirds I don't know much about hummingbirds, but we've had a feeder up for a few years. I've taken a few pictures of them in the past, like: This weekend I decided to get a few more pictures, so I spent the evening hunting hummingbirds. I started out inside, shooting through the open screen door, with a 70mm lense: Then I borrowed my wife's 300 mm lense and got this shot: Then I started getting closer. I think that this is a male, based on the neck color: This is shot at 1/100 of a second. You can get an idea of how fast these birds can move: I decided to try the flash, which results in a better picture. I think that this one is a female. Notice the different color of the neck: The flash startled this male. He and I both moved. I'm only including it because I like the lack of definition. It looks like an explosion of feathers: These next few came out very clear, especially in the full-size originals (6MP). I was probably shooting at about three feet from the feeder. This next one is interesting because it shows how fast the wing movement is. The shutter speed is 1/60 second with flash, but you can see that the wing makes at least one full flap in that time: This one is without flash, 1/30 second, but is still fairly steady. Another without flash and 1/30 second: Here's the male sitting on a branch. It's not as dark as this picture makes it appear: This one is my favorite of the night shots. It looks much better at full resolution compared to this: I look forward to pictures of hummingbirds that others might post. P.S. I'm using a photo site called Fotki to host these images. This is the maximum resolution available for shared photos. . __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

07-02-2007, 05:39 PM	#2
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	Hey great job, and pretty feeder too. __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

07-02-2007, 05:48 PM	#3
busterb NSABFD Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: MS. usa Posts: 3,908	Great shots. __________________ I've haven't left very deep footprints in the sands of time. But, boy I've left a bunch.

07-02-2007, 05:51 PM	#4
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	Thanks jinx. I like the way that feeder acts as a lense, inverting the trees and mountains across the canyon. Unfortunately, when the sun shines on it the water heats up and leaks out. Here's a zoom of the last picture: __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

07-02-2007, 05:58 PM	#6
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	It helps that I can get very close to them. I smear my body with honey and they can't smell me. Only now I can't leave my house because of all the bears lying by the front door. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

07-02-2007, 05:52 PM	#5
theotherguy no not that other guy, the other one Join Date: May 2007 Location: TN Posts: 640	great camera work HLJ

07-02-2007, 07:40 PM	#7
kerosene Touring the facilities Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The plains of Colorado Posts: 3,476	And bees! Great shots, HLJ. Thanks again, for sharing those.

07-02-2007, 08:15 PM	#8
breakingnews Q_Q Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: somewhere in between Posts: 995	hlj, fantastic shots - love the stops on some of those close-ups. what camera/lens were you shooting with? [/gearhead] __________________ Gone crazy, be back never.

07-02-2007, 10:59 PM	#10
rkzenrage Guest Posts: n/a	Just awesome!

07-03-2007, 12:19 AM	#11
breakingnews Q_Q Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: somewhere in between Posts: 995	do you do much post processing? a little photoshop work and you could turn some of those shots into seriously crisp photographs. my fave is: DSC_5296-vi.jpg i'd like to get a 300 or 500mm lens ... but i have absolutely no use for it. someday.... __________________ Gone crazy, be back never.

07-03-2007, 11:40 AM	#13
theotherguy no not that other guy, the other one Join Date: May 2007 Location: TN Posts: 640	I hate it when there is dirt on the red nipple.

07-03-2007, 12:26 PM	#14
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Your feeder looks like a planet. A tasty little planet... Attached Images __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

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