Post your Hummingbird Photos

Don Kondra · Jun 25, 2014

Okay, I still feel you have a metering issue.

That shot is basically under exposed, ie., not enough flash power or too slow a shutter speed.

IMO the cameras flash is useless for quality images but an on board flash used correctly can add some "fill" light.

But, too much flash dead on from the front will blow away any shadows on the feathers that give them detail.

I understand many use flash extenders such as The Better Beamer with good results, but I still maintain, for hummingbirds especially, it may make the body "shine" but it is very easy to lose that feather detail and chances are the image will not look natural.

I certainly don't want to discourage you from experimenting.

Personally I don't care for "flash" unless it is a studio like off camera portrait set up, ie., two or three lights off camera with a staged flower/background.

That way the "light" from the side maintains the shadows on the feathers.

Anywho, I still shoot hummers in less than ideal conditions to practice my editing skills but I'm still selective in trying to capture a good pose.

Under normal conditions I shoot in Aperture Priority, wide open (F5.6) or one stop down (F6.3). With good light I like to go to F8.

I use whatever ISO I need (up to 1650) to keep the speed up to at least 1/500, preferably 1/1000.

Center point focus point with the metering/exposure/center weighted area @ 13mm.

Cheers, Don

wev · Jun 25, 2014

I woke up grumpy and I'm not over it yet

wev · Jun 25, 2014

Don Kondra said:
Okay, I still feel you have a metering issue.

That shot is basically under exposed, ie., not enough flash power or too slow a shutter speed.
IMO the cameras flash is useless for quality images but an on board flash used correctly can add some "fill" light.
But, too much flash dead on from the front will blow away any shadows on the feathers that give them detail.
I understand many use flash extenders such as The Better Beamer with good results, but I still maintain, for hummingbirds especially, it may make the body "shine" but it is very easy to lose that feather detail and chances are the image will not look natural.
I certainly don't want to discourage you from experimenting.
Personally I don't care for "flash" unless it is a studio like off camera portrait set up, ie., two or three lights off camera with a staged flower/background.
That way the "light" from the side maintains the shadows on the feathers.
Anywho, I still shoot hummers in less than ideal conditions to practice my editing skills but I'm still selective in trying to capture a good pose.
Under normal conditions I shoot in Aperture Priority, wide open (F5.6) or one stop down (F6.3). With good light I like to go to F8.
I use whatever ISO I need (up to 1650) to keep the speed up to at least 1/500, preferably 1/1000.
Center point focus point with the metering/exposure/center weighted area @ 13mm.
Cheers, Don

Thank you for your thought, I do appreciate you're taking the time.

I also do not like using flash unless pushed for the same reasons, plus the 'liquid eye' effect.
I tried your A priority suggestion, but (and perhaps I misunderstood something) the results were not so good. Here are two shots taken half a minute apart. The first A priority f9, ISO max 400. The subject was well lit, but the camera took it at 1/200, 400ISO, which blew it right out

I switched to my usual manual, 1/500, f9, and same max ISO, which looks far better

Both of these have been cropped and resized alone. Have I misunderstood or is this a limitation of camera/lens.

Don Kondra · Jun 27, 2014

I can see where my post may have been confusing as it appears I wasn't clear on the use of "spot" metering with Center point focus.

If your light is from the side or back then Spot Metering will give you the best results. Let the foreground/background fall where it may but the bird will be properly exposed.

In your last example you should have used Center-weighted or Matrix.

And you may want to take a meter reading with the camera, then you could have increased the aperture (lower number) or iso to maintain a minimum shutter speed of 1/500.

By that I mean, half press the shutter. Read the numbers on the bottom of the viewfinder and adjust accordingly.

Cheers, Don

wev · Jun 28, 2014

I am still getting used to the focus speed/reaction of the 16-300 vs the 55-200. Continuous seems to lag ever so slightly, which, with hummers, is way too much.