Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Last day on holiday and snapped a good shot of a humming bird. Not easy since they don’t stay still for too long. Amazing how the colours change dramatically ...
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Last day on holiday and snapped a good shot of a humming bird. Not easy since they don’t stay still for too long. Amazing how the colours change dramatically based on the angle of the sunlight.
The adult male has a gorget (throat patch) of iridescent ruby red bordered narrowly with velvety black on the upper margin and a forked black tail with a faint violet sheen. The red iridescence is highly directional and appears dull black from many angles.
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The adult male has a gorget (throat patch) of iridescent ruby red bordered narrowly with velvety black on the upper margin and a forked black tail with a faint violet sheen. The red iridescence is highly directional and appears dull black from many angles.
Read less
Jul, 2017Views
1996
Likes
Awards
Winner in Isolated and Selective Focus Photo Challenge
Peer Choice Award
Contest Finalist in Hummingbirds Photo Contest
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Absolute Masterpiece
Superior Skill
Top Choice
Superb Composition
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Virtuoso
Emotions
Impressed
Happy
Top Ranks
Top 20 rank
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Categories
PRO
PRO
digitguys
August 14, 2017
Thank you for your words of inspiration and sharing your gallery as well. I look forward to your future posts.
nandicmb
September 18, 2017
Congratulations on your Contest Finalist win in Hummingbirds Photo Contest!
PRO+
Ultimate
JayneBug
May 08, 2021
Absolutely stunning capture. The focus, clarity and color are extraordinary. Congratulations on the Challenge Win for Isolated and Selective Focus. Well done!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in the final few hours of our week long holiday at a cottage on a small lake in Muskoka Ontario. We had daily visits from this hummingbird and once or twice from a female looking to find a mate. There is a hummingbird feeder about 20 feet from the cottage and has been attracting these birds (and bees) for many years.Time
This picture was taken around 1:30 on our last day of our week long holiday at a cottage in Muskoka. I had taken many photos of this flighty bird over the course of the week. On sunny days, the bird would visit almost every hour from morning until 6ish.Lighting
Natural light is the only source of lighting in this photo. Initially I tried using a tripod and triggered the camera with a remote as I waited for the bird to fly in for its quick intake of nectar/fuel. I found that I could not get a photo with the bird in focus most times this way because the depth of field was shallow (f 5.6) and the bird would constantly change its position near the feeder every couple of seconds during its short visit. Therefore I could not focus the camera in advance. I took this shot as I patiently waited with my camera in hand for him to arrive and then focused and snapped the photo from behind a post nearby. My focal length was 400mm and the ISO was set to 1250. The natural sunlight created a very nice background with the leaves on the trees in the distance.Equipment
I shot this photo with a Canon 5D Mark III and the Canon 100-400mm L IS II USM Lens while resting (holding the camera) against a post. My camera settings were; 400mm, 1/3200 sec., f5.6, and ISO at 1250 standing about 12-15 feet away.Inspiration
I am inspired by challenge. I felt challenged to take a 'good' photo of a hummingbird since the opportunity presented itself almost every day of my holiday. I thought I took some good photos on the first day but learned that I needed to try something else since I was not happy with the shots I took using the tripod (These creatures are very quick and constantly moving). I wanted a balance of 'freezing' the bird in flight (1/3200 sec.) and keeping the 'noise' to a minimum (ISO 1250). I am always eager to learn and try other techniques. I am pleased with this photo but I know I will continue to try to find the best way for me to capture these amazing creatures in flight.Editing
In regards to post-processing, I used Lightroom for minor adjustments to the exposure. For my preference, I then used Photoshop to 'knock out' the portion of the feeder which was in the shot. The final post-processing was done using Luminar to bring out the details in the feathers and add a little vignette.In my camera bag
My bag! I seem to always travel with my Lowepro backpack. In it I always carry my Canon 5D Mark III and my 'all around' lens, the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L. Aside from a Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite Flash and some batteries and cleaning kit, I will include additional gear depending on where and what I am expecting to shoot. A Canon 100-400mm L IS II when distance is needed, or the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II when some distance and speed is required. I will also bring the Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro L IS for macro work or the 17-40mm for wide angle shots. I also bring along light modifiers if I think they will help the situation.Feedback
Since I have not had too much experience photographing hummingbirds I am reluctant to dish out advice. However, in my limited practice, I would probably recommend being able to set the focus on the moving subject just when you take the picture. Try different settings (speed, ISO, aperture) to find the balance which gives you the image you want. If you wish to catch the wings without any blur you will need to shoot very fast (1/8000 sec?) which will bump up the ISO and increase the 'noise' in the photo. Or if you wish to have the wings 'in motion' then you can slow the speed down (this shot 1/3200 sec) for a lower the ISO setting. You need to decide what image you would like to end up with. I found that at the end of my challenge to get a good photo of this hummingbird, I tried to observe its flight habits and would focus on a 'spot' where he seemed to return to while hovering near the feeder. Once he returned to 'the spot' for a second or two I would snap the shutter. In my limited experience, this is my humble advice. I am constantly reviewing advice from other photographers and I will continue to do so as I am always learning. Viewbug is an excellent source of information as there are so many experienced photographers willing to share their skills from which we can learn and practice, practice, practice. Cheers and happy shooting! Jeff
