First Hummingbirds This Year

[terrib]

I've been watching these hummingbirds for several days and observing where they like to land before or after drinking from the feeder. I've shot hummers before but I've been amazed at how tolerant these this year are of my presence. I watched both morning and evening to find vantage points with the light behind me that had suitable backgrounds. The evening is the best because there is a distant Red-tipped Photinia behind them. In the morning, my house or a distant metal barn are predominant which are too bright but sometimes I was able to exclude those. I've also waited for a calm day as the limbs of the Desert Willow are so susceptible.

I prefer to work with the natural elements rather than setting up extra lighting or manufactured background and limbs. Beautiful stuff is created with those things but working with what I have helps train my eye to what to watch out for when I am out in the field without benefit of props. I did snip a few dead limbs that were intruding. Also, there is some minor cloning in some of the photos and they are all cropped a bit, mostly for composition but sometimes to help remove distracting elements.

Here are a few of my favorites so far.

The one morning shot with a good background.



Evening shots.

[Shadowman]

Nice captures.

[Downrigger]

Terri, these are simply wonderful. beautifully lit, focused and composed. I like your explanation and rationale for your use of light and situation and as nature presents them.

[Kyle]

Great shots. Beautiful colour on the bird.

[IzzieK]

Terri -- you and Mark are the same in your rationale in shooting. I like your style. Your second paragraph is the one I will take note of (by hand) so I can remember easily and have my notes with me when ours shows up around here...

I like the background of #1 although the bird and #2 looks tired and haggard. They must have travelled from very far and decided to rest in your backyard...beautiful shots.

I like #3 the best. This bird looks more rested. The addition of the green leaves at the left complement its colour.

#4 looks like another tired bird but better looking than the top 2 ones. Poor thing....

I like #5 for the same reason as #3.

[NorthernFocus]

Nice shots, Terri. Watching a planning out our shots served you well. That are all excellent. The last two particularly for the birds' poses and the killer detail. Well done.

[terrib]

Thank you, everyone for your nice comments.

Izzy, I also like the background in #1 the best but it was the hardest to catch. I like the soft colors. But if they landed anywhere but that spot, the background was busy or too bright.

The birds look that way because they are watching other hummingbirds. In the first one he keeps fluffing up his feathers preparing to fight or fly. In the second, he is angry and about to scold the other.

[Mike Buckley]

All equally well done. Great examples of the results of expertly implementing the three Ps -- planning, patience and persistence. Impossible to pick a favorite, though I'm intrigued by the body language in the second one.

[jprzybyla]

Nice work Terrie, I like them all.

[Brownbear]

Hi Terri,

All breathtakingly beautiful! My favourite is #2 because of the moment captured, but they are all drop-dead gorgeous!


I photographed my first hummingbird yesterday. I was in Boundary Bay and at first I thought it was a rather large insect flying about. It was not until it landed on a bull rush that I realized it was a bird. I fell in love with its beauty, and I'm hoping my shot turns out half as beautiful as yours.