Hummer in Flight

[Sue Thomson]

I think she is a Rufous but could be a Calliope. I have yet to freeze one in the air with wings showing, but this is my best to date.


Model - NIKON D70
ExifOffset - 216
ExposureTime - 1/60 seconds
FNumber - 4.80
MaxApertureValue - F 4.59
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
LightSource - Auto
Flash - Flash fired, auto mode, return light detected
FocalLength - 170.00 mm
ExposureMode - Auto
WhiteBalance - Auto
DigitalZoomRatio - 1 x
FocalLengthIn35mmFilm - 255 mm
ISO Setting - 320
Image Quality - FINE
White Balance - AUTO
Image Sharpening - AUTO
Focus Mode - AF-C
Flash Setting - NORMAL
Flash Mode - Built-in,TTL
White Balance Adjustment - 0
Exposure Adjustment - -268366848
Flash Compensation - 67072
ISO 2 - 200
Tone Compensation - AUTO
Lens type - AF-D or AF-S
Lens - 618
Flash Used - On camera
AF Focus Position - 16842752
Light Type - SPEEDLIGHT
Hue Adjustment - 0
Noise Reduction - OFF





Your opinions? What could improve it as far as shooting is concerned (given my equipment)? I do have the SB600 so could have used that, I suppose. I assume it is brighter and faster than the OC flash? Would that have gotten rid of the motion blur which looks like a shadow in this pic?

Thank you.

Cheers,
Sue

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Sue to freeze on in the air you need a multiple flash set up. Might want to read the CD by Linda which you can buy through Artie. It is a complete guide for hummingbird photography.

If you have enough light you could go without any flashes or just use your for fill flash. In this case would set the shutter speed to 1/500 for having the body sharp and let the wings blur naturally, can produce beautiful images this way.

Remember the head angle applies as in any other an makes the image more attractive. One other thing is you are attracting them is to set up a bg. Could be from printed material. Its a challenge but worth the results !!! I think you did very well with this one !!! Looking forward to the next !!!

[Dave Leroy]

Hi Sue, Nice photo. I don't know much about flash but I can say I don't mind the wings as shown or the general body blur. The only big down side for me would be then the other details in feathers ect would be lost. Not sure how to capture that sharpness with out higher ss. Perhaps there will be a comment on use of flash to "stop" motion, if that works. I hope this was not taken in the past few days!
Dave

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Sue,
Not a bad capture for your first Hummer in flight...agree with Mr. Forns on the techs...keep them coming...:cool:

[Desmond Chan]

Your opinions? What could improve it as far as shooting is concerned (given my equipment)?

Just in case you choose to shoot hummingbirds without flash and want to freeze the wing movement, you need sunshine and a very, very fast shutter speed. If your AF is not fast enough, you could try manual focusing and pre-focus then adjust accordingly when the bird show up to hover in the air. When the hummingbird is hovering or feeding on a flower, it's head is not moving and so easier to get focus on.

[Sue Thomson]

Wow - that was fast! Thanks!

Noooo ... these were not taken in the last few days - hahahaha. They are from last summer.

Is fill flash different from my built-in flash or my SB600 mounted on my camera???

Gus - this is by no means my first hummer pic - I have thousands of pics of them. But this is just the best I have managed so far ...

When I lived in the bush, the first male rufous would come knocking on my kitchen window in late April to alert me to the fact the swarms were on their way. I would fill a feeder, he would get a drink, then disappear for three days.

I would then fill all five of my 2-litre feeders, plus a bunch of smaller ones - and get them hung up and ready. On the third day, all the feeders would be humming and by the fifth day, I had well over 200 hummers - mostly rufous, although the last year there we had a pair of Calliopes. They would stay right through into August, when they would all suddenly leave - almost overnight.

I had so many of them that company used to get out of their vehicles and say "Whoa - you got a swarm of bees here???" But it was just the hummers. I used to fill those five 2-litre bottles every night and get them hung out ready for the birds - who got up before me in the morning. Sometimes I would have to refill one or two of them in the afternoon.

They were very tame. I could hold them in my hand, and they would land on my camera when I was shooting up close to the feeders. One used to fly along beside the van when I was checking cattle and fences. It was super exciting!!!

My camera at the time was a little Fuji digital (I saved my rabbit, chicken and egg money for three years to buy it) - and my knowledge about editing was next to zero. I made the HUGE mistake of not keeping the originals of the best of them and just saving the edited, resized versions. So this is about as good as it gets from those days ...







These ones didn't make the cut back then, so I still have the original files. They are not good pics. But they are what they are and make good memories of life up there. There's tons more, but I won't hurt your eyes any more. LOL

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Hi Sue,
I'd be pretty happy if this were mine. Brightened it up a bit and think I noticed a bit of noise in the BG which could be easily fixed. Very nice shot!

[Gus Hallgren]

Hi Sue;

Definetly a Rufous.

Nice shot, I love it. Rufous one of my favourite hummers.

Thanks for sharing.

Uncle Gus