Ruby-throated Hummingbird ------
August is always the month when the bird activities in our woods slow dow. Some of them have raised their offspring already and are on their way south again. Not so much the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. There is a lot going on around the flower beds in the yard and of course the hummingbird feeders are visited frequently by old and young birds.
With hummingbirds I don’t try to freeze the wings of the tiny birds by using a very short exposure time. I think the story of their humming, buzzing, hovering, and erratic moves is much better told when the wings appear blurred. This is how we see it. However, the eye has to be still sharp even if the Ruby-throated Hummingbird’s wings flap with a frequency of about 55 beats per second. The photo above was made in the early evening. The ambient light dictates my exposure time. A hint of flash is only used to boost the colors slightly but not to freeze the action.
Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head, Nikon SB 800 speed light, MAGMOD MagBeam flash extender, @ 600m, 1/125s, F/6.3, ISO200