Homing in

[Tom Barry]

Low morning back-side lighting muted the colors, especially of the hummer, but I liked the overall mood here:
Homing in by tombarry975, on Flickr

[Shadowman]

Nice one.

[PhotoByTrace]

I have never seen a hummingbird, let alone tried to capture one. But I imagine it is very challenging. Are there any particular techniques you use for such great results Tom? Or is it simply patience and tenacity in the right light and knowing their habits and habitat?

[Tom Barry]

Thanks, John, and Trace for the kind words. Trace, it is the challenges of catching hummers, especially in flight, that keep my interest high. I admire those with the patience to set up elaborate multi-flash arrangements, including infra-red shutter triggers. But that is not for me. At home, I have feeders for them, under the house eaves, but I seldom take pictures of them on the perches, because it just looks and feels unnatural to me. But there are flowers in pots and oak trees close by, and I enjoy getting shots of them hovering as they drink from the flowers or rest on the branches. A short drive from my home is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, with hundreds of acres of native plants and trees and a central garden area divided into special-purpose demonstration plots. There are three of these in a corner of the garden that feature native plants that attract pollinators, especially hummers. It was at one of these that I grabbed this shot yesterday. I and another birder friend spent an hour and a half burning down our batteries as three female Ruby-throats fed. I kept exactly one shot. The one here. There is a real tangle and always the hummers seem determined to put something between our cameras and them. My techniques for shooting hummers vary. I use flash sometimes, but some birds don't like it, especially if there is a pre-flash. That dictates, for me, using manual flash set on very low power (1/32nd power is common) so I have to get close to get a good exposure. Without flash, I try to take advantage of bright light, set up so there is a relatively clean background, use the camera's highest burst rate, and use either spot or center-weighted metering so the hummer is well-exposed. I don't find, on these speedy little birds, that servo-focus works very well. The rapidly-beating wings can interfere with it. I try to focus on the head-eye area, because if that is out of focus the shot is no good. I almost always hand-hold, in good light. I also use a battery grip or bring extra batteries, and since I'm usually standing, wear really comfortable shoes.

[PhotoByTrace]

Thanks Tom for taking the time to answer so wholeheartedly. I admire your tenacity for getting those in-flight shots while keeping it straight forward; your love of these birds also shines through in your answers . I look forward to seeing more of your captures!

ps I especially love the really comfy shoes comment That is very true of most of my shooting too and is just great advice about the basics.

[Tom Barry]

You're more than welcome, Trace.