White-Whiskered Hermit

[Linda Robbins]

Hermits are one my favorite groups of hummingbirds to photograph. I captured this image at Los Bancos Restaurant (near Tandayapa, in Ecuador) using a 5 flash hummingbird setup, plus a flash on camera, an artificial background and a sugar water feeder. Manual flash settings. Full frame.

I wanted to capture the beautiful details of the plumage, so I have left this as a horizontal. I have other images of this bird in vertical, but due to the wing spread, the bird is smaller in the frame.


Camera Model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II
Copyright: Linda Robbins
Shutter speed: 1/200 sec
Aperture: 22
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: On
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 200
Focal length: 500mm
White balance: Auto

[Al Lemieux]

Very, very nice. How do you stop the wings with 1/200 shutter speed? The previous thread of a Ruby Throated humming bird was shot at 1/320 and had the wings blurred.

[Michael Stolting]

Al, I'm sure Linda will respond to your question but, when I was experimenting in hummingbird photography, I found that the more I cut out ambient light (leaving just enough to focus) the duration of the flash was the determining factor in stopping the action, not the shutter speed.

As to the image itself, I do like it although I find the front a bit too harshly lit. I would think that of the five flashes, the front flash might have been lowered in power just a bit. However, as I found out from my previous rudimentary experimentation with these little critters, one never really knows just how close or far away from the light source the hummers will present themselves with a hovering "pose" so it's very difficult to establish or lock down the "best" lighting scenario for this sort of photography.

Mike Stolting

[Nikolay Staykov - shotlandetsa]

1/200 sec? or 1/2000 :)
I love the image, no remarks here!

[c.w. moynihan]

Stunning image Linda. Not much more can be said. Would love to see a image of this guy feeding on an exotic flower. I would imagine you got that one covered too. :)

[Glenn Bartley]

"1/200 sec? or 1/2000 "

She was at 1/200 as this was with a high speed flash setup. The shutter is not freezing the wings but rather the very short duration of the flashes. In fact with the settings used if the flashes did not fire you would have an almost black - very underexposed - image...


Now as for the image itself - once again I think the bird looks awesome!! But I just am not a fan of the washed out BG colors. I'm planning a big trip to Ecuador for this time next year and one of my primary areas to develop my skills in this year is high-speed hummer photography. As such I dont have all the answers yet. But one of my main goals is going to be to create natural looking BGs in my shots. It may take a lot of experimentation with different BG prints....but I think it can be done :)

[Arthur Morris]

Love the bird. Love the background. The pose is way over the top. Do not feel that the front of the bird is harshly lit at all--Mike may need to adjust the angle of his monitor.

I look forrward to seeing Glenn's improved dark jungle backgrounds

later and love to all, artie

ps: I was on this trip and for me, Linda's image was easily the best of the trip by either of us...

[Peter Hawrylyshyn]

agree - not much one can do to get a better shot
particularly like that the flashes didn't overexpose/saturate colors on chest/neck as can often happen

having just spent a week there trying similar set-ups - it's almost impossible to create a natural setting (hence Artie's smile)

any idea when your HB guide be finished?? is that why you posted this pic?

great job

[Linda Robbins]

Hi All -

Al: Depending on your flash and camera, your on-camera flash probably has a maximum sync speed with the camera of around 1/200 - 1/300. To freeze the wings of a hummingbird, which beat at around 80 beats per second, you need much faster speeds in the range of 1/4000 - 1/120000. With the settings I used and the amount of ambient light present, the ambient exposure represented from 2 to 20 stops of underexposure. Thus, all of the light for the exposure is provided by the
flashes. If the flashes failed to fire, the image would be totally black. Setting the flashes at low powers (1/16, 1/32) etc., with the flash in Manual mode gives you a very fast effective shutter speed because of the extremely short duration of the flash.

Michael - The flashes on the setup are generally very close to the subject....around 18 inches ...which leaves a very small "zone" to capture the hummingbird in, usually about a foot square or so. Changing the power settings of only one of the flashes can result in ghosting, unwanted shadowing, and other problems. Should you feel that one of the flashes needs to be toned down, you change the distance of the flash to the subject.

Glenn - I will look forward to seeing your backgrounds and your hummingbird shots when you visit Ecuador next year. I go there often. I will post other images with flowers, feeding shots and different bg's you may like better!

Hummingbird photography on setups is so much fun, and you can't help but fall in love with these fiesty, beautiful little jewels!

______________________

Linda

[Linda Robbins]

"any idea when your HB guide be finished?? "

I'm hard at work on it, and expect to finish it by the end of February! Thanks for asking..

___________________

Linda

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Beauitiful bird, great pose and use of flash.

[Malcolm Mackenzie]

Just beautiful Linda. Perfect 10.

Going to Costa Rica in March. Any chance the book will be out by then?

Regards

Malcolm

[Fabs Forns]

I love this pose and bird, Linda.
Only wish for a bit more room at the bottom.

Your guide will be really interesting!

[Jody Melanson]

Outstanding image as presented, Linda! What about a square crop?

[Michael Stolting]

Just a quick reflection on what I said near the start of this thread. I really should have expressed how I feel that this shot is definitely a superior hummingbird shot and that I feel the sharpness, color, and pose are very, very pleasing. I now have learned more about how to control the lighting of these birds from the OP, Linda. Thanks Linda. However, as to the comment by Artie, "Mike may need to adjust the angle of his monitor" goes, nope, my monitor is fine. I just calls them as I sees them.
Mike Stolting

[Soren Breiting]

No doubt, this is a wonderful and pleasing shot of a hummingbird, Linda.

I would just add as a more general reflection that as nature photographers we in some cases have the option to go for the most perfect bird picture like here (what is very difficult) or go for the most natural picture giving a kind of feeling of the bird’s life and the mood you will experience the bird in.

So in short I will say we have two lines to go, and your picture is an outstanding example of the one line. I would be very surprised if you don't have many good examples of the other line of bird photography, too.

(Being warmed up here in p.t. very grey Denmark by your super shot).

Cheers Soren

[Per-Gunnar Ostby]

Wow. I really do need to try this. Very very impressive