# Hummingbirds



## Eric

One of my hobbies is photography and while I can't get out as much due to the pandemic I've taken up photographing hummingbirds in my backyard, such beautiful subjects though hard to capture, it's taken a lot of practice. Here are a few.


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## Scepticalscribe

Eric said:


> One of my hobbies is photography and while I can't get out as much due to the pandemic I've taken up photographing hummingbirds in my backyard, such beautiful subjects though hard to capture, it's taken a lot of practice. Here are a few.




Gorgeous shots.  

In fairness to MR, the photography sections are welcoming and interesting and also very informative.

Have you posted these in MR?


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## Eric

Scepticalscribe said:


> Gorgeous shots.
> 
> In fairness to MR, the photography sections are welcoming and interesting and also very informative.
> 
> Have you posted these in MR?



Thanks, I totally agree. I do post in their photography forums from time to time, great group of people who hang out there.


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## Scepticalscribe

Eric said:


> Thanks, I totally agree. I do post in their photography forums from time to time, great group of people who hang out there.




A lovely group, agreed, friendly and welcoming and wonderfully helpful & supportive with suggestions, recommendations & advice on matters related to photography.


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## Alli

Eric, those are incredible! We did not get any hummingbirds this season. I've gotten a few nice shots of our woodpeckers coming down to get peanuts, but nothing close to what you've got! Of course, I'm also only using my iPhone.


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## Eric

Alli said:


> Eric, those are incredible! We did not get any hummingbirds this season. I've gotten a few nice shots of our woodpeckers coming down to get peanuts, but nothing close to what you've got! Of course, I'm also only using my iPhone.
> View attachment 4



Wow, I would've never thought they were so colorful, great capture.


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## Eric

Another one from this morning, was lucky enough to get some great lighting.


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## Alli

Eric said:


> Another one from this morning, was lucky enough to get some great lighting.




You are good!


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## Eric

Alli said:


> You are good!



Thank you, I would much rather be out taking landscapes but am still not ready to get out on that level yet so I'm sticking with the back yard.


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## lizkat

How come  I can only see the image Alli put up and not Eric's.  His I get those little 'broken image' icons.  Am I blocking something without knowing it?


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## Eric

lizkat said:


> How come  I can only see the image Alli put up and not Eric's.  His I get those little 'broken image' icons.  Am I blocking something without knowing it?



Wow, thanks for pointing that out. It looks like I didn't have the link shared properly. Can you see them now?


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## lizkat

Eric said:


> Wow, thanks for pointing that out. It looks like I didn't have the link shared properly. Can you see them now?




*YEAH!     WOW!     THANKS!*


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Great pictures!  I've tried but hummingbirds are way too quick and skittish for my reflexes.  Would love to get some slo-mo footage.   

What camera are you using?  I keep researching good macro cameras/lenses but I keep landing on too expensive for my needs.  I've also discovered with the iPhone (11) it's much better to take a normal distance photo and then crop the photo to zoom than zoom with the iPhone when taking the picture.  It gets pretty pixelly quickly when you do that.


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## Eric

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Great pictures!  I've tried but hummingbirds are way too quick and skittish for my reflexes.  Would love to get some slo-mo footage.
> 
> What camera are you using?  I keep researching good macro cameras/lenses but I keep landing on too expensive for my needs.  I've also discovered with the iPhone (11) it's much better to take a normal distance photo and then crop the photo to zoom than zoom with the iPhone when taking the picture.  It gets pretty pixelly quickly when you do that.



Thanks (sorry I missed this post a while back). I'm using a digital SLR with some remote flashes, it's takes a lot of practice and the right gear to get these kind of shots (at least speaking for myself). Not saying it can't be done on an iPhone, just now sure how that would work out. But you're right, it's am expensive hobby. Here's what my hummingbird setup looks like.


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## Alli

We have had hummingbirds the last few days. They are so tiny, so pretty, so greedy, so petty, and so vicious! If they were big they’d be pterodactyls!

I’ve mostly been getting videos, and yesterday I got a fun slo-mo of them. My husband got a great video this morning with three of the little buggers all fighting to share a multiple feeder.


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## Eric

Alli said:


> We have had hummingbirds the last few days. They are so tiny, so pretty, so greedy, so petty, and so vicious! If they were big they’d be pterodactyls!
> 
> I’ve mostly been getting videos, and yesterday I got a fun slo-mo of them. My husband got a great video this morning with three of the little buggers all fighting to share a multiple feeder.



I know, they're territorial little shits! My wife will go out to change their feeders and they're literally buzzing her the entire time, like "hurry up and then get out of our way" lol. Would be neat to see some slow-mo footage, that's actually a really good idea!


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## Chew Toy McCoy

ericgtr12 said:


> Thanks (sorry I missed this post a while back). I'm using a digital SLR with some remote flashes, it's takes a lot of practice and the right gear to get these kind of shots (at least speaking for myself). Not saying it can't be done on an iPhone, just now sure how that would work out. But you're right, it's am expensive hobby. Here's what my hummingbird setup looks like.




Your setup link is broken.  

I've seen some videos about using timed flashes when taking macros, even when it's a clear day.  Some setups are pretty low cost homemade but still more is involved than just whipping your phone out of your pocket.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> We have had hummingbirds the last few days. They are so tiny, so pretty, so greedy, so petty, and so vicious! If they were big they’d be pterodactyls!
> 
> I’ve mostly been getting videos, and yesterday I got a fun slo-mo of them. My husband got a great video this morning with three of the little buggers all fighting to share a multiple feeder.




My parents' backyard often looks like an aerial fight from Star Wars with all the hummingbirds.


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## Eric

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> *Your setup link is broken. *
> 
> I've seen some videos about using timed flashes when taking macros, even when it's a clear day.  Some setups are pretty low cost homemade but still more is involved than just whipping your phone out of your pocket.



Dammit, that keeps happening on my image posts lol.. okay, let's try this. Yeah, there's a lot of manual settings for both the camera and flashes to get them captured right.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

ericgtr12 said:


> Dammit, that keeps happening on my image posts lol.. okay, let's try this. Yeah, there's a lot of manual settings for both the camera and flashes to get them captured right.
> 
> View attachment 414




That is quite the setup, complete with background and feeder.  I'm sure that makes it a lot easier than hoping to just randomly catch them buzzing around flowers.


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## Eric

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> That is quite the setup, complete with background and feeder.  I'm sure that makes it a lot easier than hoping to just randomly catch them buzzing around flowers.



Yeah, I even go as far as taping off all the feeder holes accept for the one I'm focused on, it's amazing how well they adapt the the setup. Otherwise, even with all that gear, it's very hard to capture them just right. It's like trying to photograph a fly in motion, near impossible.


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## User.45

ericgtr12 said:


> Dammit, that keeps happening on my image posts lol.. okay, let's try this. Yeah, there's a lot of manual settings for both the camera and flashes to get them captured right.
> 
> View attachment 414




Wanted to ask what the shutter speed was. It's actually slower than I thought. Very impressive shots. Do they get scared by the flashes?


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## Eric

PearsonX said:


> Wanted to ask what the shutter speed was. It's actually slower than I thought. Very impressive shots. Do they get scared by the flashes?



A question a fellow photographer would ask.  For these shots I keep it below 1/240 (closer to 1/200) as the flashes are doing the work of freezing everything. I have them set to about 1/4 power so they don't flash as bright but they stay on a little longer. When I'm shooting without a flash I have it set to about 1/4000 of a second with an ISO of 2000 or more typically, depending on how much sunlight there is.


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## User.45

ericgtr12 said:


> A question a fellow photographer would ask.  For these shots I keep it below 1/240 (closer to 1/200) as the flashes are doing the work of freezing everything. I have them set to about 1/4 power so they don't flash as bright but they stay on a little longer. When I'm shooting without a flash I have it set to about 1/4000 of a second with an ISO of 2000 or more typically, depending on how much sunlight there is.



That's fantastic. I one day want to have the patience to do things like this. I like the physics of light, but am definitely not a photographer. Though looking to learn...had to choose between a synth and a DSLR and went with DSLR just because it forces me to get out of the house.


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## Eric

PearsonX said:


> That's fantastic. I one day want to have the patience to do things like this. I like the physics of light, but am definitely not a photographer. Though looking to learn...had to choose between a synth and a DSLR and went with DSLR just because it forces me to get out of the house.
> 
> View attachment 415



I beg to differ, if you have a camera and are out taking photos then you're a photographer IMO. This is a great shot and the lighting is well done here, one of the conveniences of the DSLR is what we can do in post, especially if shooting in raw. 

I am always learning myself, I think I'll always consider it a lifelong practice. I wouldn't never had the patience to go through all of that with the hummingbirds had it not been for a shelter in place order lol.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

ericgtr12 said:


> Yeah, I even go as far as taping off all the feeder holes accept for the one I'm focused on, it's amazing how well they adapt the the setup. Otherwise, even with all that gear, it's very hard to capture them just right. It's like trying to photograph a fly in motion, near impossible.




I definitely know who to come to with questions when I rotate nature photography from the half-assed section of my many creative interests to the fully focused section.  

I've found bees have become easier to photograph and film...but because they've become quite lethargic with climate change.   When I was a kid bees were something you feared.   Not so much anymore.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

PearsonX said:


> That's fantastic. I one day want to have the patience to do things like this. I like the physics of light, but am definitely not a photographer. Though looking to learn...had to choose between a synth and a DSLR and went with DSLR just because it forces me to get out of the house.
> 
> View attachment 415





Great pic.  I need to be notified when there is a picture of mantids, but I couldn't find the setting in the preferences.


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## User.45

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Great pic.  I need to be notified when there is a picture of mantids, but I couldn't find the setting in the preferences.



I haaaate insects, except for spiders and mantids. They are cool.


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## Eric

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> I definitely know who to come to with questions when I rotate nature photography from the half-assed section of my many creative interests to the fully focused section.
> 
> I've found bees have become easier to photograph and film...but because they've become quite lethargic with climate change.   When I was a kid bees were something you feared.   Not so much anymore.



Neat subject, my buddy in Daly City gets the green bees every year, have you seen those in your area yet? Amazing and beautiful looking, I really want to get some shots of it but the sightings are rare and fleeting.


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## Alli

ericgtr12 said:


> Neat subject, my buddy in Daly City gets the green bees every year, have you seen those in your area yet? Amazing and beautiful looking, I really want to get some shots of it but the sightings are rare and fleeting.




Never even heard of green bees. Sounds like a disease.


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## Eric

Alli said:


> Never even heard of green bees. Sounds like a disease.



Yeah, it's odd for sure. Here's a picture he got of one of them in his yard.


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## Chew Toy McCoy




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## fooferdoggie

fantastic.


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## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


>




I would have bet good money that was Will Ferrel doing the narration.

That was amazing. Hilarious and educational at the same time.


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## Eric

Alli said:


> I would have bet good money that was Will Ferrel doing the narration.
> 
> That was amazing. Hilarious and educational at the same time.



Yes, very well done and I learned things I had no idea I needed to know.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

ericgtr12 said:


> Yes, very well done and I learned things I had no idea I needed to know.




Not to derail this thread, but all kinds of   in this one.


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## Eric

They've been getting more colorful throughout the year, this one used to have spots of color and has fully bloomed.


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## Alli

I think the hummingbirds have started their trek north for the winter. I only saw two this morning, as opposed to being dive-bombed by a dozen all morning like the past month.


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## Eric

Alli said:


> I think the hummingbirds have started their trek north for the winter. I only saw two this morning, as opposed to being dive-bombed by a dozen all morning like the past month.



I was wondering about that, do you typically see them go away in the winter time completely? We've had them for 8 months here in central CA but our winters aren't very harsh.


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## Alli

ericgtr12 said:


> I was wondering about that, do you typically see them go away in the winter time completely? We've had them for 8 months here in central CA but our winters aren't very harsh.



They typically disappear entirely. I was under the impression they actually preferred the colder climes for the winter. Winters here don’t count.


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## Apple fanboy

ericgtr12 said:


> One of my hobbies is photography and while I can't get out as much due to the pandemic I've taken up photographing hummingbirds in my backyard, such beautiful subjects though hard to capture, it's taken a lot of practice. Here are a few.



Stunning!


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## Apple fanboy

ericgtr12 said:


> Dammit, that keeps happening on my image posts lol.. okay, let's try this. Yeah, there's a lot of manual settings for both the camera and flashes to get them captured right.
> 
> View attachment 414



Many of our UK birds just don't even come out if I'm in the garden. Let alone with strobes!. What trigger you using?


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## Eric

Apple fanboy said:


> Many of our UK birds just don't even come out if I'm in the garden. Let alone with strobes!. What trigger you using?



Thanks! I use a neewer flash system with remote triggers, two of them setup on stands. I also sometimes shoot without a flash using high speeds and high ISOs, that second photo for example was shot at around 1/4000 of a second at around 5600 ISO in broad daylight.


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## Clix Pix

Finally got to looking at this thread and wow, great hummingbird shots!  They're beautiful and fascinating birds, but such little devils to shoot!  We don't seem to have many around this area, but when I used to visit my mother down in North Carolina, near Grandfather Mountain, she had quite a few around her feeder and it was so much fun to watch them.   A couple of times I tried shooting them from inside through a window -- the feeders were on the deck -- and once actually got an image of one, but it was certainly not of very good quality.   They're challenging to shoot and as you've said, it's important to have the right setup.  Well done!


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