Archive 2020 · Backyard Visitor - Humming bird

Anand Pichumani
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Backyard Visitor - Humming bird

Wanted to try my hand in capturing humming birds for the first time, inspired (and intimidated 😀

by FM folks. C&C welcome to learn and improve myself!

Jun 05, 2020 at 12:55 AM

kdacharya
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Backyard Visitor - Humming bird

Hi Anand
Great first time effort
Probably need a longer lense for HB photography so that the subject is isolated and the feeder is not in the frame
If possible crop it out and get closer to the subject so more details are seen

Jun 09, 2020 at 08:01 AM

Karl Witt
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Backyard Visitor - Humming bird

Hello and welcome, glad you posted these little jewels!

Don't be intimidated, just be inspired

If you stick with it, listed to good feedback and study what you see and convert it to what you do it will over time come together for you.

It's exciting to see these hummingbirds, they are the most demanding and smallest of all. Keep your shutter speed high to get the most in freezing the wing movement like in #1. If this is going to be your station to take the shots then clear out the tangles that interfere with the nice colors in the background. You might incorporate a nice perch near the feeder and be able to get the hummer perched and away from the feeder. As KD mentions a bit more isolation of the tiny subject is important to adding more impact.

You have an excellent start and a tremendous challenge with this subject and focal length but concentrate on the all the little elements that make for a stronger image. If you need to move the feeder do so and just shoot some shots just outside the view of feeder and see if you like the background, if there are distracting elements then make changes, once you have it where a shot of the background looks good just then add in the hummer

Take care
Karl

Anand, I just looked at your WWW site, your landscape work is incredible! You have all the talent for comps and colors, you may just need a few new tools to capture the hummers. My gosh you have some inspiring work for me to appreciate!!

Jun 15, 2020 at 11:05 PM

wonderer
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Backyard Visitor - Humming bird

Welcome, Anand--you're off to a great start!

In addition to the helpful feedback you've already received, a couple suggestions for you:

Consider flowers to entice the HBs next year. In my opinion, they can add value to hummingbird photography.

Also, optimize your light angle if you can to get the view of the hummingbird you want. They can be attractive from the side, as you've shown here, but also from the back or head-on.

Experiment a bit and have fun with them--they're fun but challenging subjects!

Thanks for posting.

--Kim

Jun 16, 2020 at 04:36 AM

birdied
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Backyard Visitor - Humming bird

Great try on these, my favorite little subjects. Your website is incredible , such a gorgeous collection of work.
You certainly have talent .You will just need a bit of practice and patience for the hummers .

When approaching the hummingbird photography, you have already been given some great advice .

Try and set your feeders up so that you eliminate as much distraction in the shot as possible. Or try and remove in post . The hummers on most occasions will go back and forth to the feeder or flowers. Try and get them when they are a bit further away from the feeder, if not you can always remove the feeder in post .

Some folks will put tape over some of the holes in the feeder, so that the bird only approaches from the direction they want to get the shot.

If you have the opportunity , spend more time outside with them. They will get used to you allowing you to get closer. If you can get some flowers they like and place them around the area of the feeder . When you are waiting for them , try not to make sudden movements as it will scare them off.

I find they like very thin horizontal branches to perch on . Remember their feet are very tiny, so they can not perch on thick branches. If your tree does not have thin branches available , add some.
Pick some thin sticks and you can wire them to a larger branch. They also like to perch where they can "guard" the feeders or flowers.

Have fun and enjoy these little jewels. Do keep posting your efforts.

Birdie

Jun 16, 2020 at 09:19 AM

shibutg
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Backyard Visitor - Humming bird

Great try/start Anand, a longer lens will definitely help and little more narrower aperture to capture bit more details of the bird. Having few hummer friendly plants will attract these birds and can get better pics with flowers. I tried this for the first time this spring and it worked.

Shibu

Jun 16, 2020 at 09:41 AM


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