Black-chinned Hummingbird

[Landon Starnes]

I think that this image is my favorite of 2011, so far anyway! Captured in my backyard this summer, I get a couple of black chinned or ruby throated hummers to my feeders and garden so I have lots of opportunities for images. This flower was set up right under the feeder with the lawn as a background. Your comments and suggestions are appreciated! Thanks for looking.

Canon 7D | 100-400 | 1/2500 | f/8 | ISO 500 | 580EX II + BB | Tripod
PP - Minor crop, curves adjustment, boost in saturation, USM, and I believe I cloned out a small OOF flower. RAW processed in CS5
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bYIy-nQRGKM/Th885QIbDrI/AAAAAAAAAfc/xycIsvPKLsU/s1600/IMG_2617_web.jpg

www.landonstarnesphotography.com (http://www.landonstarnesphotography.com/)

[Daniel Cadieux]

Nice pose, and that is a very pretty plant you chose to include for your setup (but too bad one of the flowers has wilted). Your yard provided a good BG too. I'm not sure what would have caused the halo along the front half of the bill, and I would clone out the very smallest leaf tip peeking up from bottom edge (I'm OK with the other two)

Well done Landon, now you've only got a few eeks to top this image for your favorite of 2011!!:S3:

[Dan Busby]

Very nice setup Landon. I like the comp. Wings in perfect position, good use of flash (not too obvious), nice flowers. The glow on the bill could be cleaned up.

[Landon Starnes]

Thanks for the comments Daniel and Dan! I am thinking that the halo is caused by Jpeg compression? It does not seem to be present in the original file. I will clean up the plant some, it is called a Fire Bush (Flaming Acanthus), BTW. :S3:

Thanks again for the comments and suggestions, I appreciate them!