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Post by Jun Gregorio on Jun 16, 2008 7:15:56 GMT
He we go. My first post with pictures. C&C are most welcome. Sorry guys but this is in Aperture priority hehehe I'm not good enough to shoot full manual. According to Google. This is called Rufous Hummingbird Description - The male has bright rufous upperparts and flanks and an orange-red throat. The female is green above with a rufous tinge on the rump and flanks. An abrupt high pitched call and various thin squealing notes characterize the voice of this species of hummingbird. Distribution - This hummingbird breeds from Alaska south through British Columbia, and in southwestern Alberta; they winter mainly in Mexico. Their natural habitat is in mountain meadows and forest edges. During migration and while wintering they frequent gardens with hummingbird feeders. Info taken from: www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/birds/rufous.htm40D | 70-200mm f4L IS | f4, 1/125, ISO 100 | Av | CR2 | Cropped, Auto-Level, Filter-Sharpening |
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Post by Romy Ocon on Jun 16, 2008 11:48:19 GMT
What a beautiful little bird, Jun...and nice to see some info!
Some of the top hummingbird shooters at Naturescapes use the following setup:
1. Multiple flash to freeze the wing, and illuminate the bird and the BG.
2. Prefocus on the feeder, use a small aperture to maximize DOF (I've seen f/16 - f/22 shots with the 100-400 IS).
3. They often use artificial BG and just clone out the feeder off the frame.
Too bad we don't have the species here, otherwise it will be my favorite subject too.
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Post by Bob Kaufman on Jun 16, 2008 16:09:30 GMT
Nice shot, Jun. And at ISO-100 at that.
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Post by Teddy Regpala on Jun 16, 2008 17:01:01 GMT
It's a nice one you got there. It's obviously underexposed, but like the master said, you need help from a strobe/flash (unless the hummer is perfectly lit by the sun).
From what I read too (and from the pro I talked to on one of the birding walks I attended), the thing about shooting hummers is to expose the iridiscent feathers. So, light source position is critical too.
Here in Sacramento, we have a resident species, the Anna's. And I'm seeing several hummers in my feeder already. And I might be seeing another species, or maybe it's a male or immature as they are smaller and definitely of different colors. And I noticed that they fight, as some are becoming territorial and claiming the feeder as his/hers. So I bought another one and placed it in a different location.
I notice that I have to frequently replace the nectar, so it won't get spoiled. When it's no longer fresh, they visit less often. They seem to "try" other sources of nectar, and see which one is the best. They then choose a source, and feed on that.
This is one part of birding that I enjoy, studying their behaviors and habits.
Once those hummers are comfortable with people around, then I can start shooting, so I can setup my rig closer.
I have to try those artificial BG. But for now, I placed the feeder in such a way that the tree is in the BG. I also have to learn how to clone the feeder too.
By the way master, any cloning tips you can share?
Thanks.
Regards, Ted
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Post by Jun Gregorio on Jun 17, 2008 4:40:37 GMT
Thanks for all your suggestions & comments. I will definitely use them next time. @romy, you are definitely right. Having such a large opening made it very difficult for me to focus on the bird. I now have a large collection of a very well focused feeders
I only have the built-in flash in my gear at the moment. It's very difficult for me to use it. I don't want to spook the bird after the first shot.
It's really exciting to watch them. While waiting for them, I can almost tell when to get ready for the shot because you can hear the flutters of their wings. I'm not sure if it's the male or not. But his sound was more distinctive. It almost sound like a mechanical clicking.
I'm beginning to quickly realize that my gears are not adequate for birding. Unfortunately I blew my budget for this year with the 40D. I only have enough cash for a 1.4 TC, a better glass will have to wait until next year.@bob, I forgot to even think of changing my ISO hahahahaha ;D ;D ;D. Rookie mistake. Good suggestion. I'm thinking of moving the feeder out of the shade and into a more direct sunlight. @ted, yes it's underexposed. One of these days I'll get PS to fix it.
We normally sterilize the nectar by boiling the water first and add the sugar later. I'm glad to hear you are following the proper way of taking care of the water.I'll try again next week.
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Post by mantarey on Jun 17, 2008 11:05:59 GMT
Nice shot Jun of a very small and swift birdie. The 40D is pretty good in handling High ISO noise, with hummingbirds I think ISO400 can be your starting point.
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