Comments on: How to Photograph Hummingbirds http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds Discover how to use your digital camera with our Digital Photography Tips. We are a community of photographers of all experience levels who come together to learn, share and grow in our understanding of photography. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:38:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Laura http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds/comment-page-1#comment-234915 Laura Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:28:22 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=3935#comment-234915 What a great article! Thanks for the tips! I work from home and finding it a bit hard to focus with the pair of Anna's Hummingbirds that have been feeding outfront all day. Such gorgeous creatures! What a great article! Thanks for the tips! I work from home and finding it a bit hard to focus with the pair of Anna’s Hummingbirds that have been feeding outfront all day. Such gorgeous creatures!

]]> By: Michael VanDeWalker http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds/comment-page-1#comment-117625 Michael VanDeWalker Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:00:01 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=3935#comment-117625 The biggest problem you are going to run into with faster shutter speeds or longer lenses and moving back is lack of DOF. It starts getting pretty narrow pretty fast. You can end up with eyes in focus and end of the bill and tail both out of focus if you stop down too far. The biggest problem you are going to run into with faster shutter speeds or longer lenses and moving back is lack of DOF. It starts getting pretty narrow pretty fast. You can end up with eyes in focus and end of the bill and tail both out of focus if you stop down too far.

]]> By: Frank Bergess http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds/comment-page-1#comment-117323 Frank Bergess Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:22:08 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=3935#comment-117323 Each time I read new photography tips I want to grab my camera and go outside.... 1) Why 1/800 only? My camera can go to 1/8000 of a second 2) Can you get a little further away 10-15-20 feet maybe and use a 70-400? OR should I get closer and use the F2.8 70-200 ? (F2.8 will give me more options I suspect). 3) I usually use RAW & JPG. Spec says 5fps with RAW. RAW give me more range in the lighting. 4) What would be some settings to use with a flash and where to aim it? MANY thanks to all for the tips. Always appreciated It seems the more I learn the less I know but Experimenting is lots of fun Regards & Great Photos to you all - Frank Each time I read new photography tips I want to grab my camera and go outside….

1) Why 1/800 only? My camera can go to 1/8000 of a second
2) Can you get a little further away 10-15-20 feet maybe and use a 70-400?
OR should I get closer and use the F2.8 70-200 ? (F2.8 will give me more options I suspect).
3) I usually use RAW & JPG. Spec says 5fps with RAW. RAW give me more range in the lighting.
4) What would be some settings to use with a flash and where to aim it?

MANY thanks to all for the tips.
Always appreciated

It seems the more I learn the less I know
but Experimenting is lots of fun

Regards & Great Photos to you all
- Frank

]]> By: Kevin http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds/comment-page-1#comment-65598 Kevin Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:12:06 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=3935#comment-65598 Thanks for your tips. I have photographed hummingbirds a few times in the past and plan on heading out tomorrow to photograph hummingbirds during their migration. Your article was a great refresher for me. I will let you know how the photos turn out tomorrow. Thanks for your tips. I have photographed hummingbirds a few times in the past and plan on heading out tomorrow to photograph hummingbirds during their migration. Your article was a great refresher for me. I will let you know how the photos turn out tomorrow.

]]> By: Flight Training http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds/comment-page-1#comment-45821 Flight Training Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:56:31 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=3935#comment-45821 I wanted to comment and thank the author, good stuff I wanted to comment and thank the author, good stuff

]]> By: rochelle http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds/comment-page-1#comment-43726 rochelle Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:56:36 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=3935#comment-43726 wow it really is an amzing topic it seems really hardd to take a picture of a humming bird. i think my goal is to go exploring an find a humming bird and at least try and take a picture wow it really is an amzing topic it seems really hardd to take a picture of a humming bird. i think my goal is to go exploring an find a humming bird and at least try and take a picture

]]> By: Eric Rasch http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds/comment-page-1#comment-43572 Eric Rasch Sat, 21 Feb 2009 07:02:38 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=3935#comment-43572 Here's mine: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/rasch/tags/hummingbirds/" rel="nofollow">http://flickr.com/photos/rasch/tags/hummingbirds/</a> If you zoom in on a couple of these, you can see the hummingbird's tongue. Here’s mine: http://flickr.com/photos/rasch/tags/hummingbirds/
If you zoom in on a couple of these, you can see the hummingbird’s tongue.

]]> By: Michael VanDeWalker http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds/comment-page-1#comment-43503 Michael VanDeWalker Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:05:40 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=3935#comment-43503 You just have to have a kid that isn't camera shy. the shot of mine above is with a 100mm macro... but then I was only a foot and a half away or so. You just have to have a kid that isn’t camera shy. the shot of mine above is with a 100mm macro… but then I was only a foot and a half away or so.

]]> By: Steve Berardi http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds/comment-page-1#comment-43501 Steve Berardi Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:47:43 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=3935#comment-43501 Thanks everyone for your nice comments today! @Eduardo Perez - If you shoot in RAW, then correcting a slightly underexposed shot will not add too much noise. All the photos in this article were actually shot in RAW, at ISO 400, and underexposed. There was some noise for that, but Photoshop has some decent noise reduction filters :) @buck - I would avoid shooting any kind of bird with a macro lens (or using the macro mode on your camera). macro is for those really extreme close-ups, about 12 inches or closer. For hummingbirds, you probably won't get closer than 3 or 4 feet (and that's if you're lucky, heh). I'd recommend a 300 mm (or greater) telephoto zoom, or maxing your zoom on a P&S. @Alfredo Cofre - I agree that the depth of field could have been better in all my photos above.. it's probably my biggest dissatisfaction with the photos, especially with the second one. but, its just a great reason to go back to this spot this summer, and try again :) ---------------------------- Steve Berardi <a href="http://photonaturalist.net/" rel="nofollow">Photo Naturalist</a> Thanks everyone for your nice comments today!

@Eduardo Perez – If you shoot in RAW, then correcting a slightly underexposed shot will not add too much noise. All the photos in this article were actually shot in RAW, at ISO 400, and underexposed. There was some noise for that, but Photoshop has some decent noise reduction filters :)

@buck – I would avoid shooting any kind of bird with a macro lens (or using the macro mode on your camera). macro is for those really extreme close-ups, about 12 inches or closer. For hummingbirds, you probably won’t get closer than 3 or 4 feet (and that’s if you’re lucky, heh). I’d recommend a 300 mm (or greater) telephoto zoom, or maxing your zoom on a P&S.

@Alfredo Cofre – I agree that the depth of field could have been better in all my photos above.. it’s probably my biggest dissatisfaction with the photos, especially with the second one. but, its just a great reason to go back to this spot this summer, and try again :)

—————————-
Steve Berardi
Photo Naturalist

]]> By: RJohnston http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-hummingbirds/comment-page-1#comment-43486 RJohnston Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:04:20 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=3935#comment-43486 Good article. Like any, it is good to use your own variations according to conditions so not be locked into specifics. Ive got many pictures of Hummingbirds with my Nikon D200 using Raw. It can take more pictures and also save them to the card while allowing you to continue taking pictures. It works faster also if I do not use the largest size Raw, but Medium, means more images on a 4GB card. Generally I prefer to use my 300mm Zoom VR lens. From about 15 feet can get many good images. Shooting them on a feeder also can make a difference as I hang the feeder from the awning on our RV. Then I can sit under it, in a chair and relax. If in CA, there is a Hummingbird Sanctuary if I remember right it is in Modjeska Canyon in Irvine. You sit on the porch about 5-6 feet from the feeders and take all the pictures you wish. Google Hummingbird Sanctuary and you will find lots of places you will find them.... Good article. Like any, it is good to use your own variations according to conditions so not be locked into specifics. Ive got many pictures of Hummingbirds with my Nikon D200 using Raw. It can take more pictures and also save them to the card while allowing you to continue taking pictures. It works faster also if I do not use the largest size Raw, but Medium, means more images on a 4GB card.

Generally I prefer to use my 300mm Zoom VR lens. From about 15 feet can get many good images. Shooting them on a feeder also can make a difference as I hang the feeder from the awning on our RV. Then I can sit under it, in a chair and relax.

If in CA, there is a Hummingbird Sanctuary if I remember right it is in Modjeska Canyon in Irvine. You sit on the porch about 5-6 feet from the feeders and take all the pictures you wish. Google Hummingbird Sanctuary and you will find lots of places you will find them….

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