OT- Hummingbirds

BB
Posted By
Barbara_Brundage
Oct 4, 2003
Views
252
Replies
13
Status
Closed
Hi, everyone. I have a question for all you successful digital photographers.

Let me start by saying that I am having the devil of a time with the little Canon, because my photographic technique is so antique that I’ve never used a camera that does everything for you like this one does. My nikkormat and its lenses date from before auto-everything and I can take photos that turn out tolerably well if everything is manual, but am having a hard time understanding how the Canon thinks, especially about depth of field and focal points.

Anyway, one day next week I am going to be in an area where there’s a good chance I may see hummingbirds, which are not found in my neck of the woods. I would know what to do with the big camera, but I’m not going on a photo shoot per se and the best I will be able to do is to stick the s400 in my bag.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what to try for settings if I do see any? I’m guessing it would probably be in filtered shade, and a tripod is definitely out, unfortunately.

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JF
Jodi_Frye
Oct 4, 2003
Barb, take a look at this site. I’m almost positive i purchased a book with their amazing hummer photos in it ( can’t check ’cause it’s packed away at the moment ) but they give some good tips for photographing them….which I read with much interest.

<http://www.photosafaris.com/PhotographingHummingbirds.asp>
BB
brent_bertram
Oct 4, 2003
Barb,
I’ve had good luck using macro mode and shooting from a foot away around dusk. The little hummers don’t have great vision at twilight, apparently . <http://home.attbi.com/~janb636/hummer.gif>

🙂

Brent
PD
Pete_D
Oct 4, 2003
Hmmm, Macro; Last we talked about this someone was going to do some experiments to see how well a digital set to "macro" could be hand held. I don’t recall hearing back from that…

If it were me Barbara I would also take some in P. (auto). If it is not too difficult to make the change off of macro. But the macro setting will give you terrific close ups…. Prop yourself against something (or someone).

Pete
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Oct 4, 2003
Great photo, Brent!

Thanks for the link, Jodi. Wow, their photos are great, but without a team to hold all the flashes…

Thanks, Pete. I thought I remembered some discussion of this before.
JF
Jodi_Frye
Oct 4, 2003
I just remembered the pic my mom sent of a ruby she photographed this past summer with her new olympus digi. It’s kind of cool. I can’t imaging how she did it….but she’s always had a way with animals.

Here <http://www.mybizz.net/l/w/lwsfrye/Hum.jpg> it is.
BB
brent_bertram
Oct 4, 2003
A very composed little guy, isn’t he ! <G>
JF
Jodi_Frye
Oct 4, 2003
Ya and she didn’t stick him in the fridge first to cool/calm him down either <G>
JC
Jane_Carter
Oct 5, 2003
I’ve tried to photograph the hummers who come to our feeder and my flowers on our back porch, but I never have gotten a very good picture. They fly in and hover within a foot of my face(and camera) but I just don’t know how to get a decent picture. They just love our Mimosa blossoms too.
They are the most wonderful little creature. I could watch them for hours. Jane
R
Ray
Oct 5, 2003
Jodi, the bird is so cute!
JF
Jodi_Frye
Oct 5, 2003
Ray, yes indeed ! This past summer I was sitting on my backporch drinking coffee and heard a strange humming sound. I grew up in the country so am very familiar with bees etc…..but this humming sound got real close and within a second there he was… about 5 inches straight in front of my face. He fluttered there for what seemed to be an eternity….looking right at me…nose to beek with a hummingbird…very cool. I wasn’t even wearing red ! I felt special that day 🙂
R
Ray
Oct 5, 2003
Wow ! It’s a nice story 🙂
Those birds are so delicate and agile, it’s a wonder if you can see one so close!

Ray
BH
Beth_Haney
Oct 5, 2003
Unfortunately, the hummers are not exceptionally smart, though. We have a couple of skylights in the patio roof. One hummer got up there this summer and did the same thing the stupid bees and flies do – throw himself against the glass trying to get through to the sky. I don’t care if the insects kill themselves (althought they never do), but I wasn’t about to let anything happen to the bird. My husband took a bright yellow baseball cap and put it on the end of a broom, and the hummer sat on the cap for his ride out from under the cover. For some reason, he liked the yellow cap better than the red one; I would have thought it would have been the other way around.
LK
Leen_Koper
Oct 5, 2003
It ‘s a pity we don’t have hummers here in Europe. I used to play with a very bright blue baseball cap.
Although, I don’t know whether the few spectators would have liked the sight of me and a hummer on the mount. 😉

Leen

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