Let the weather dictate what to shoot

 

This post was supposed to be published last night already but another line of thunderstorms rolled over the country and I rather preferred to unplug the computer. We have the typical June weather with intensive periods of sun interrupted by thunderstorms and rain. The best way to deal with it from a photography standpoint is to go for the right subject, clouds when a storm is near or wildlife during overcast and sunny periods.

There are two ways to attract hummingbirds to a yard, you either hang feeders with artificial nectar (sugar dissolved in water will do it) or you plant flowers that the hummingbirds like because of its nectar. We do both. Joan has done a great job of planting a patch with Monarda, better known as Bee Balm. This flower attracts the little birds not just because of its color but it is obviously a good source for the liquid food they need.

Making a sharp image of a hummingbird in flight is kind of a challenge. Their wing beats can go up to 100 beats per second. The key is again using “peak of action”, the short moment when the body is not in motion while they hover and drink out of the flower. I’m using a fill flash for the colors and therefore do not shoot in continuos mode. As always, the eye has to be sharp in wildlife photography. The motion blur of the body and wings tells the story about what kind of dynamic these tiny birds have…

Gear testing and great company today

Click in the photo or just  HERE for a larger version of this photo.

Don’t worry, there will be at least two more posts about the warblers that we had here during this week. But before that I like to thank my photography friend Dave Updegraff for shooting together with me today and letting me test some photo gear that he owns. We used the gorgeous weather and just clicked away in our front yard. Birds were here again in abundance and I enjoyed exchanging thoughts, sharing our ways to make a photo, and discuss our workflows and other photography stuff. I had a great time this morning!

I thought this female Ruby-throated Hummingbird is worth a closer look because of the details in its feathers, and so for the first time I publish an image that has a higher resolution and size. If you click on the photo the larger version will open in a new window. I hope you enjoy!

Stick out your tongue baby...!

 

I'm very happy to show you this image of a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird sticking its long tongue out. The photo was made with no additional light source, just the soft late morning light we had here last Saturday.

I always like to improve my photography and one way to do it is setting goals for myself. That means analyzing the previous work and developing new ideas of how to work with a known subject in a different way.  At least I may try to catch a gesture that tells a story or is somehow different from anything I have done before. I have literally hundreds of pictures of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird on the hard drive but never made a sharp one with the bird sticking its tongue out. With other words, it was on my "most wanted list". This long tongue enables the hummingbird to go really deep into a flower and drink the nectar or drink the sugar water out off an artificial feeder. Because nectar is a poor source of nutrients they also prey on insects and spiders in order to cover their needs for protein, minerals, and vitamins.

Hummingbirds are only present in the Americas and can't be found in my home country Germany. In fact, I have never seen one in real life before I came to the US. Maybe that's why I get very excited any time I watch them or try to create an image with the camera. I hope you enjoy!

Nature clicks #183 - "Bully" on the watch

 

After the House Wrens had two successful broods this year they are gone now and their chatter isn't my wake up call anymore. The male showed up this morning and checked on the "real estate" but he was quiet and flew away after a few minutes. But there are other seasonal subjects for wildlife photography around the house that draw our attention. The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have their offspring usually in August and that can make for some interesting photos. At the moment "Bully", the male that tries to dominate the flower patches and hummingbird feeders, watches close over "his property" and chases every intruder away, even the lovely females. He sits either up in a tree or briefly on one of the perches I have set up for the birds near the feeders. I use the speedlight with the softbox again as a light source. As with the wrens, it is particular gestures I'm looking for to capture, not just the ordinary "sitting bird pose". I hope the hummingbirds will have a whole bunch of babies, which would make the place a lot busier and hopefully lead to some interesting images. I'll keep you posted as always here in the blog...

Nature clicks #166 - Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

I easily could blame the rainy weather of the last few days for not shooting as much as lately but I actually believe that rain creates a lot of possibilities to make some good nature photography. The truth is that I had a busy work schedule and also have been working on a photography project that I will reveal here shortly.

As every year the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds showed up by the end of April. They never arrived later than May 2. We have several feeders placed around the house but they are also feeding on the blossoms of flowers and bushes that Joan has planted already years ago. The males are very territorial at the moment and sit on a small branch or like in these images on the wire that will very soon covered by the ranking vine that rapidly climbs up the balcony.

One of the advantages having them so close to the house is that I can use my Sigma 150/f2.8 lens. It delivers a tack-sharp image if properly handled and is my favorite lens to shoot hummingbirds. I made several sharp images of the birds hovering at the feeders but was not able to keep the feeder out of the frame and so they will not make it into the blog. The season is still long enough to work on this and hopefully I can present some more images of the tiniest bird we have here in Eastern Iowa.

Nature clicks # 55 - Just another hummingbird

Nikon D200, Sigma 50-500 mm f/4.0-6.3, SB 600

I can't resist to post another image from last weekend's shooting session in the front yard. I don't like it as much as the one from yesterday because of the background. It is busier and draws a little the attention away from the bird. I thought it was interesting how the Ruby-throated Hummingbird hangs on to the bloom and drinks the nectar through a gap from the side of the blossom.

Nature clicks # 54 - Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Nikon D200, Sigma 50-500 mm f/4.0-6.3, SB 600

One of the goals I had set for myself this summer was to create an image of a hummingbird feeding from a flower and not from a hummingbird feeder. To make it even more of a challenge I wanted a picture that I didn't have to crop. This is easier said than done. These tiny little birds buzz around very fast and don't hang on at a flower for very long. I used a stand for the speed light, a Nikon SB 600, and placed it slightly above a group of hosta blooms in the yard. I knew the hummingbirds like them. The question was only how frequently they would come near the camera and feed. I spent several hours patiently waiting. I had of course several misses but I finally got a few shots that I'm happy with. This is one of them, and yes, it is as I saw it in the viewfinder. No crop this time :-)

Maintenance and education Sunday

I spent most of my time today for maintenance and education. I watched a webinar on NIK-software and how to use it highly efficient in the workflow of post process. It was created by famous wildlife, landscape, and aviation photographer Moose Peterson. He is an excellent teacher and this lesson gave me many new ideas for my own workflow in post. You can find his video on the NIK website.

Cleaning the gear after every field trip is mandatory, even if I just shoot in the woods behind the house. I'm a strong believer that my photography gear hasn't let me down once yet is partly due to regular cleaning and maintenance. This afternoon I went a little further and did some maintenance on the tripod, cleaned all my lenses extensively, and re-organized the photo backpack. Little things, but they give me the feeling of being well prepared for the next shooting adventure.

Nikon D200, Sigma 50-500 mm f/4.0-6.3, SB600, 500 mm (750 mm FX), 1/250s, f/6.3, ISO 100

Did I make any clicks today at all? You bet! I just didn't go very far and waited for the hummingbirds this evening right here on the balcony. I never used the Sigma 50-500 before for these tiny little birds that are so damn fast. In the past I worked with the Sigma 150/f2.8 for this kind of shooting. The longer lens allows for more distance to the birds, which just means they show up more often. I used manual mode (M) and the amount of light output was set  directly at the flash unit.

You can find a larger version of the Ruby Throated Hummingbird by clicking HERE.