Swatz

Hummingbird sucking nectar

NIKON D90

Aperture f/5.6 ISO 640 Shutter 1/400 Focal Length 300/1

upload_date

Apr, 2015

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Fall Award 2020

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Magnificent Capture

Absolute Masterpiece

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at Monterey, California. I frequently go there because it is a beautiful place with lot of photo opportunities and just over an hourâ€™s drive from where I live. EXIF: Focal length - 300 mm Shutter - 1/400 Aperture - f/ 5.6 ISO - 640

Time

It was in the month of August, way back in 2012. I had taken some guests over there to show them around. It was close to 7:30 pm. While walking back from the Fishermanâ€™s Wharf to the car, on the side of the road, I suddenly spotted the humming sucking nectar from the flowers.

Lighting

This photo was taken outdoors, using natural lights. It was around 7:30 pm and the light wasnâ€™t great; but I guess, things will not always be perfect and we have to learn to make the most of the situation.

Equipment

I had just started photography around the time and did not have a full frame camera. I used a Nikon D90. This was a handheld shot.

Inspiration

I love humming birds. They are so tiny, yet so beautiful. They have the unique ability to fly forward, backward, up, down and side to side. They simply fascinate me and I never get tired of taking photos of these birds. I think this bird is one of the wonders of Nature.

Editing

I have done very basic post processing in Photoshop.

In my camera bag

I usually carry 2 camera bodies (Nikon D800 and D800 E). The lenses (Nikkor) depend on what I plan to click that day. Since I mostly click portraits, I almost always have my 85 mm, 24-70mm and 70-200 mm in my bag. When I go to Monterey, I also carry the 300 mm and Micro 105 mm with me. Apart from that, I have Nikon SB 910 Speedlights, Gary Fong diffuser, , Compact Flash Cards, extra batteries, charger and lenspen (to clean the lenses) in my bag.

Feedback

The most important thing is Patience when it comes to capturing Nature and wildlife. Moreover, you just have to be at the right place at the right time. Assuming you are present where the action is, you have to be very quick and have steady hands to get the shot right. For a picture like this, you will not have time to use a tripod or fiddle with your camera settings for too long. Understanding how your camera meters light can be very critical for achieving accurate exposures consistently. I click on manual mode, so I have lot of control over a shot. The light wasnâ€™t great, but I could still work around it. You always have to prepare yourself for days like that and make the most use of the situation with the gear you have. That means you have to know your gear very well in order to realize and bring forth its full potential.

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Swatz

Swatz

Hummingbird sucking nectar

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow Swatz

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