Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

FM Forum Rules
Nature & Wildlife Posting Guidelines
  

FM Forums | Nature & Wildlife | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2017 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)

  
 
Mike Bons
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


I recently vacationed near Mindo, Ecuador with my wife and had an amazing time. One hummingbird species I was really hoping to photograph was the violet-tailed sylph and I was very fortunate to capture quite a few images of them. These were all taken with a multi-flash setup and a 5DIII + 400mm F/5.6L + ext tube.

1.
http://www.mikebons.com/img/s12/v176/p2201059780-5.jpg

2.
http://www.mikebons.com/img/s2/v60/p2229857701-5.jpg

3.
http://www.mikebons.com/img/s1/v22/p2231000400-5.jpg

4.
http://www.mikebons.com/img/s2/v53/p2229857573-5.jpg

5.
http://www.mikebons.com/img/s9/v97/p2231034062-5.jpg

6.
http://www.mikebons.com/img/s3/v7/p2201059732-5.jpg

7.
http://www.mikebons.com/img/s5/v116/p2231033741-5.jpg



Mar 08, 2017 at 02:06 AM
jaredmizanin
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


An amazing series. Excellent work!


Mar 08, 2017 at 04:53 AM
kwilliam8
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


Stunning and very beautiful images, Mike. Wonderful work on these!
Keith W.



Mar 08, 2017 at 04:53 AM
Mike Bons
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


jaredmizanin wrote:
An amazing series. Excellent work!


Thank you very much!



Mar 08, 2017 at 07:44 AM
Mike Bons
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


kwilliam8 wrote:
Stunning and very beautiful images, Mike. Wonderful work on these!
Keith W.


Thanks so much Keith!



Mar 08, 2017 at 07:44 AM
surfnron
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


This is a super set Mike ~ Ron


Mar 08, 2017 at 08:17 AM
arbitrage
Online
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


Great shots of this guy.

Did you get any shots outside of the multi-flash setup? I have a strong bias to natural light hummingbird images. I've never tried a multi-flash setup but I will get the opportunity next month in CR. So after that I may change my opinion. To me these multi-flash shots all come off as too perfect and the hummer just looks pasted onto the backgrounds. That is the nature of flash, even multi-flash and using too perfect of fake backgrounds. I also don't like completely frozen wings. To me the blur of a hummers wings is what conveys its true nature just like people shooting prop planes at low SS to get blur.

Anyways, none of that is meant of a criticism I just thought I'd share my thoughts on this technique. No one can deny that these type of shots give amazing detail and colours.

TFS
Geoff



Mar 08, 2017 at 09:03 AM
Mike Bons
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


surfnron wrote:
This is a super set Mike ~ Ron


Thanks Ron, appreciate it!



Mar 08, 2017 at 04:09 PM
Mike Bons
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


arbitrage wrote:
Great shots of this guy.

Did you get any shots outside of the multi-flash setup? I have a strong bias to natural light hummingbird images. I've never tried a multi-flash setup but I will get the opportunity next month in CR. So after that I may change my opinion. To me these multi-flash shots all come off as too perfect and the hummer just looks pasted onto the backgrounds. That is the nature of flash, even multi-flash and using too perfect of fake backgrounds. I also don't like completely frozen wings. To me the blur of a hummers wings is
...Show more


Thanks for the compliment and the comments Geoff. I did get quite a few naturally lit perched shots, although the perched shots of the sylph are not the great. I do have some of a velvet-purple coronet that I am happy with that I will share later. I did not try any in-flight shots as the 400 5.6 is quite challenged to use only natural light in the cloud forest.
I understand exactly where you are coming from and I respect that. I tend to prefer multi-flash setups, although I have seen numerous hummingbird images on here taken with natural light that are amazing.
Although I am very comfortable using multi-flash setups at home, this was my first time travelling with all of the gear to do it. I was not part of a tour, it was just my wife and I. There are a few things that I will do differently next time including choosing different backgrounds. I played it too safe this time. I will have a wider variety next time.
On a different note, this is what happens when you accidentally increase your SS 1/3 of a stop and exceed your max synch speed and go into HSS. Not exactly what I was going for but I kind of like it

http://www.mikebons.com/img/s11/v33/p2232724498-5.jpg



Mar 08, 2017 at 04:36 PM
birdied
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


Beautiful bird, beautiful flowers , beautiful shots !

Birdie



Mar 08, 2017 at 04:37 PM
Mike Bons
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


birdied wrote:
Beautiful bird, beautiful flowers , beautiful shots !

Birdie


Thanks Birdie!



Mar 08, 2017 at 07:06 PM
morris
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


These are beauties Mike. I'm assuming you used flash

Morris



Mar 08, 2017 at 07:09 PM
Mike Bons
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


morris wrote:
These are beauties Mike. I'm assuming you used flash

Morris


Thanks Morris! Yes these were taken with a multi-flash setup (4 flashes).



Mar 08, 2017 at 07:12 PM
Warkari
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)



Amazing shots! Loved the pose in #1

- Amit



Mar 08, 2017 at 08:15 PM
kmunroe
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


lovely hummingbirds Mike


Mar 08, 2017 at 08:34 PM
Mike Bons
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


Warkari wrote:
Amazing shots! Loved the pose in #1

- Amit


Thanks Amit. It's my fav as well. Definitely going to print that one.



Mar 09, 2017 at 05:07 AM
Mike Bons
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Violet-tailed Sylph Hummingbird (Ecuador)


kmunroe wrote:
lovely hummingbirds Mike


Thanks Kenny!



Mar 09, 2017 at 05:08 AM





FM Forums | Nature & Wildlife | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.