Five Things to look for in Hummingbird Photos
The Land Between the Lakes Hummingbird Festival started today with a huge turnout. This was my first visit to this festival and I was really surprised by the size of the crowd. The festival started at the Woodlands Nature Center in Cadiz, KY. Doors opened at 10am and parking was already in overflow by the time I arrived at 10:30 with two shuttles ferrying people from the various parking areas to the nature center. Admittance was $9. There were probably a couple hundred people there when I left at noon.
All of the events were held either in or behind the nature center. There is a garden area behind the nature center where they had three hummingbird traps set up for bird banding. The traps were small rectangular cages with a regular hummingbird feeder inside. When the hummingbird touched the feeder, the trap door would close behind it. Immediately, a bird bander would open up the trap and reach in to retrieve the bird. They put the birds in little mesh bags to be banded later that day.
Hummingbird traps in a central off-limits garden area. To encourage the birds to go into the traps, the banders took down all the other feeders.
Bird bander reaching into the trap to gently catch the hummingbird.
It was near impossible to do good bird photography at the event. First, it started late. By 10am, the sun was already high in the sky casting harsh light and shadows. It was also really hot - 90F and humid. With the huge crowds came the typical “that sure is a big lens” comments which caused more distractions from actually doing photography. And, it was hard to get sun angle with the crowds and limited moving around area. I didn’t take a single good image. Still, I had fun and it was nice to meet a few other photographers. I also paid $35 and joined Kentucky Wild, a “membership-based program” run by the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife “that directly supports vulnerable wildlife” in Kentucky. I am happy to support any wildlife conservation activities I can.
Although the hummingbird festival was a bust for photography, that doesn’t mean I didn’t get any good photos for the day. No sir. I camped at the Hillman Ferry Campground, about 10 miles from the Woodlands Nature Center. It just so happened that my neighbors in the campground are seasonal long-term campers who work in the camp store. They had 20+ hummingbird feeders in front of their campsite. Around the feeders they also had hanging baskets full of beautiful geraniums, petunias, and salvias. There were dozens and dozens of hummingbirds swarming these feeders.
So before I went to the hummingbird festival, I went over to my neighbors campsite and started taking photos. The owners of those feeders came out and we spoke for a bit, and they gave me full permission to hang around as long as I wanted to take photos. It was fantastic, and so nice of them. They told me the hummingbirds start arriving in the spring, with the largest concentration being in the area from July 4th through the end of September.
Hummingbirds are a thrill to photograph and require a few adjustments. Here’s what I did:
Stability. I used a tripod with a Wimberley gimbal head. This is not something I normally do with bird-in-flight photography, but in this case there were long periods of standing focusing on one or two areas, so lens support is definitely needed.
Light. I found the best sun angle with the sun at my back to minimize shadows on the bird. I chose not to use flash, but it is something I might consider in the future.
For the foreground, I focused on flowers hanging around the feeders. I didn’t want to take any pictures with the birds on the feeders or the baskets (anything manmade) in the shot.
For the background, I made sure there was nothing too distracting. No major light or dark spots, and no trees too close which would have given unwanted vertical lines in the background.
I stood to stay at eye level with the birds. A chair would have made things more comfortable, but then I would have been shooting up at the birds.
Focus. Using the memory recall buttons on the lens I prefocused on one or two clumps of flowers where I really wanted to photograph the birds. Of course, I used bird-detection.
I gave up trying to track the birds. They are much too fast. Instead, I found it much better to wait for the bird to enter one of my focus areas where I knew the foreground and background were going to be good.
Settings. I kept a shutter speed at 1/4000 sec to ensure I froze the action with a wide open aperture and auto-ISO.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. This shot, like many others, was taken when the hummingbird would approach the feeder and would often back off. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted to an iFootage tripod with Wimberley gimbal head at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 4000.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted to an iFootage tripod with Wimberley gimbal head at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 4000.
So, I’ve found the hummingbirds but what makes a good hummingbird photo? I am sure there are going to be lots of opinions on this, but for me there are five things to look for in hummingbird photos:
The gorget. That’s the shiny neck feathers on the hummingbird. For a ruby-throated hummingbird, a ruby-red full gorget would be perfect. I quickly learned that would be hard on this trip because of timing. Hummingbirds are in peak feather condition in the spring (March), so to get that perfect hummingbird photo, the best time is in the spring.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I was happy to see this bird with a nice gorget, but boy does he look a little bedraggled! He definitely needs a winter vacation in the Yucatan. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted to an iFootage tripod with Wimberley gimbal head at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 5600.
2. Iridescence. Hummingbirds are the jewels of the sky, so photos of hummingbirds should show off those shiny iridescent feathers. Just don’t blow out those specular highlights!
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted to an iFootage tripod with Wimberley gimbal head at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 2800.
3. Movement. It’s always nice to show off a species unique behavior, and with hummingbirds it’s how they fly. Hummingbirds are well known as amazing aerial gymnasts - the only bird that can fly backwards! - and it’s something I would like to see more of in my photos.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. If only that gorget was reflecting ruby red! Instead, I am leaning towards the B&W version as I think it shows the movement better (the greens and browns are a distraction). Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted to an iFootage tripod with Wimberley gimbal head at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 5000. Color or B&W?
4. Good light. Photography is all about good light with a compelling subject. It’s something we all strive to improve with each photo. Related to this, I always strive to avoid strong underwing shadows in my BIF photos. I guess I picked that up from Art Morris. Sometimes underwing shadow can’t be helped, but if it’s a so-so photo with dark underwing shadow, you probably won’t see me put it on my website.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. There is some underwing shadow in this photo, but not enough to toss this photo. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted to an iFootage tripod with Wimberley gimbal head at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 2000.
5. No man-made objects. I suppose that should be a given, but I can’t tell you how many awesome photos of hummingbirds I’ve seen that, in my opinion, were ruined because they included a feeder, a man-made perch, or even a flower basket. Keep it natural.
To learn more about hummingbird photography, I recommend this article from the National Audubon Society. There are some good tips in this article, as well as some smart things to be mindful of to keep these birds safe for the future.
Tomorrow I will take some more photos of hummingbirds at my neighbors campsite before heading back to Lexington.
Happy birding!
