Attracting Hummingbirds

Lesson 4: YOUR HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN

PHOTOGRAPHING HUMMINGBIRDS

The knowledge scientists now have about hummingbird flight can be largely attributed to the technology of photography. Camera lenses are better than the human eye when it comes to observing hummingbird wings. Still, obtaining a satisfying photograph of a hummingbird can be a frustrating proposition.

Point and shoot cameras and many digital cameras will not be fast enough to freeze the wingbeats on paper. Blurred photographs can sometimes be interesting, but most of the time, you want a clear shot with the hummingbird’s movement stopped in time. For this, you need a camera with a fast shutter speed and a high quality lens. With feeders, you often don’t need a long lens because the birds will not worry about your presence a few feet away. Sometimes, they allow you to get much closer than other species of birds. The problem is the amount of light required to freeze such fast movement. An extra flash attachment can help, along with 35mm films at 400 or 800 speed. Unfortunately, higher speed films can also reduce quality and are difficult to enlarge without graininess. Professionals often place four or more accessory flashes around the flowers or feeders that the birds frequent. This ensures they will obtain a perfect photograph. For most of us, this kind of perfection is not possible or even necessary. If you experiment with your high quality SLR or digital camera, use flash, a tripod, high shutter speeds and/or high speed film, you should eventually obtain satisfactory results.

Sometimes, wing blur can make for an interesting photograph. (Photos copyright Melanie Votaw)

TIP: If you photograph the birds through a window, avoid a reflection of the flash by placing your lens against the glass.

Have you had success photographing hummingbirds with a certain camera, film or technique? If so, talk about it on the Discussion forums.

If you're having difficulty obtaining great hummingbird photos, ask others for assistance on the Discussion forums.

To learn more about photography, see SuiteU's course, "Basics of Photography." If you are more interested in drawing than photography, sign up for the SuiteU course, "Drawing Nature."

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