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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I was on a visit to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, Canada and heard there were hummingbirds close by, so I began to shoot them as they darted to and from the feeder. I love hummingbirds and was fortunate enough to get this shot on my first foray into photographing them.Time
It was late afternoon on a sunny day and I was very excited to capture one of the males using my favourite Nikon 70-200 lens. As usual, it produced wonderful results. To be honest, I had rather low expectations having no experience photographing hummers, but was happily surprised with the results. Since then I have continued to shoot hummingbirds, but this is still one of my favourite images.Lighting
The light must be good as a fast shutter speed is needed to stop the wings. Alternatively, one could add lighting, but so far I haven't tried that.Equipment
I haven't tried a tripod yet, so all of my photography has been handheld, but I intend to experiment with tripods as well. Once I have experience with a tripod, I hope to purchase a super telephoto lens.Inspiration
Birds in general are very challenging, so they are one of my passions in photography. Every photograph teaches me something and of course getting a great shot of a hummingbird would be a win for any bird photographer. You might say when it comes to photographing any wildlife that it is the thrill of the hunt. Finding that bird in the right place at the right time is a win in itself. And if I get a great shot, that success keeps me going for the next. And I must say that I am also greatly inspired when I look at the work of other photographers. It definitely makes me more motivated to improve.Editing
I have a very basic knowledge of photoshop, so I tend do only simple corrections. They generally relate to correcting exposure if necessary and sharpening the image.In my camera bag
I have my Nikon D750, my nikon 70-200 lense, a 1.7 nikon teleconverter, a 2.0 nikon teleconverter, a macro lense and a panoramic lense. I use very fast memory cards as I shoot in bursts. In addition, I am trying a heavy duty tripod with a gimbal head.Feedback
I have been shooting birds for a year or so. I find that my car is good camouflage and I often just park on the side of a quiet country road where it is safe and shoot from the car. I open my windows and listen for birds. If I sit for a few minutes and hear nothing, I will move to a new spot. Eventually, often by some shrubs or a pond, I get lucky. I recently set up a hummingbird feeder, which has allowed me to take many more photographs of these beautiful tiny birds. As far as other birds are concerned, I love to look for Belted Kingfishers as they are very exciting to photograph. They have a unique call, so are easy to find but challenging to shoot. I I also visit bird sanctuaries. I am also setting up song bird feeders in my yard. I am going to enjoy having more birds coming to me. The best thing about photographing birds is that I have learned a lot about them and have a much greater appreciation for their behaviours and their beauty.