Requesting Input

[bob williams]

As some of you know, I have started a blog about Hummingbird Photography. Unfortunately, after writing a tutorial and two articles, I am starting to run out of ideas, So I thought this would be a good time to field some questions on the subject. I have copied several good questions from the Bird and Hummer threads but still need a few more to complete the article. So I am asking any of you interested to help me out with some more questions regarding the subject of Hummingbird photography. You can either ask those questions here, or go directly to the site and ask them there in the Comments section. Also, if you have tips or other comments, those are welcome as well.

Thanks for any assistance,

Bob

[bob williams]

Well, I was going to wait until I had a good selection of questions before I published this, but it doesn't make much sense to ask for your assistance if you don't know what questions have been asked, so I went ahead and published what I have so far and I can edit later once some more questions role in.

Thanks Again,

Bob

[andnowimbroke]

Just getting a chance to read your first intro on the HB site. What if you changed the words "had had" to "have had"?

[andnowimbroke]

Questions for the site so far: Are they more or less active before storms? Are there better times of day that they are more active?
Some might already have been written. I'm trying to post this as I go before I forget.
There are also a couple of double spaces after a comma.

[bob williams]

Just getting a chance to read your first intro on the HB site. What if you changed the words "had had" to "have had"?

Wow, I work with language arts teachers that consider it thier patriotic duty to correct my emails---I can't even get a break here---Seriously, Thanks for catching that---it's fixed.

Questions for the site so far: Are they more or less active before storms? Are there better times of day that they are more active? Some might already have been written. I'm trying to post this as I go before I forget.
There are also a couple of double spaces after a comma.

1. Storms? I live in New Mexico, What's a storm? The last moisture we had was in January--and that was a dust storm we call "New Mexico Rain". But from what I have read, the Hummers seem to get more active after a storm.

2. There are certainly better times of day to catch hummingbirds. I have found that the little guys start getting active even at first light, about 30 or 40 minutes before sunrise, long before the other birds wake up. They also get very active in the late afternoon and evening, just before they bed down for the night--If your kind to your subjects, this is a good time to limit your shooting so they can feed without the terror of flashy lights and horrifying clicks and pops. You can still shoot in the evening, Just save the snaps for those very special shots. The late morning and early afternoon are much slower for the little guys, but I have found that they still typically hit the feeders every 20-30 minutes. So If your patient, you can still capture great shots in the middle of the day.

Thanks Broke, These are great questions and I will post them shortly.

As far as the double spaces after a comma; Oops, and for all other typo's and errors---please feel free to point them out and I will gladly correct them before any of my LA teachers find them.

Thanks again,

Bob

[andnowimbroke]

I find it funny that I'm correcting grammar. If you've ever heard me sling words around, you'd be impressed that I can function in society.

[Scott Stephen]

You always make thoughtful, useful posts, Bob. Good luck with your new hummingbird thread!
I just set out two nectar feeders tonight (one I just bought today) so I look forward to learning whatever your thread brings to light! I assume you need a TON of bright sunlight so you can use one heck of a fast shutter, but beyond that, I don't know. Being as small as they are, I guess a small (f/2.8) DOF would be fine as long as your little subject is hovering to eat.
This will be interesting.

[Scott Stephen]

I actually held one on my finger, by the way. When i was a kid, the goofball kid down the block had somehow trapped a hummer in a washtub under a window screen. He and/or his dad had cut a slit in the screen, and you could stick your hand in, and the little bird would gladly sit on your finger. I wouldn't have thought it would do that. It weighed nothing; about what you'd think a bumblebee might weigh. I convinced him to let the bird go quickly so he would not starve to death.

[bob williams]

I assume you need a TON of bright sunlight so you can use one heck of a fast shutter

Scott, Not really. there are basically two types of hummingbird photography. The first is the "natural look" where some people prefer the look of the blurry wings. In this case, you probably don't need any faster shutter speed than what you would normally use with a bird in flight shot. about 1250-2000. The other type is high detail frozen or near frozen wings. In this case, you freeze motion with flash power and sunlight can actually diminish the quality of your photos.

Her are a couple of examples:

The natural light version:



The flash version

I don't know. Being as small as they are, I guess a small (f/2.8) DOF would be fine as long as your little subject is hovering to eat.

Actually, with moving hummingbirds, you need as much depth of field as possible. You have to remember that since your subjject is so small you are often shooting at or near the minimum focusing distance of your lens. At this distance, your depth of field is also very small, is usually between 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch even at f9 or above depending on your lens and distance. So most usually shoot at higher f-stops to improve in-focus opportunities.

If your interested---I explain much of this in detail in a hummingbird tutorial that is available here: http://rwilliamsimaging.com/photographing-hummingbirds

Good luck,

Bob

[ddt0725]

I saw my first hb in my yard today, a male ruby-throated. He was trying to feed from my flowering shrub until I accidently scared him away not knowing he was approaching. I do have a hb feeder with sugar water hanging nearby and was surprised he did not go to that as of yet. I know this isn't a direct photography question but it may help me with my initial set-up. Do you find that hb's prefer and will frequent your flowers much more often than your feeders or do they show no preference?