Fem. Rufous Hummingbird

Gallery: AvianPosted April 20, 2011202 views13 comments

After posting the shots of the male a while back, we've had a spate of truly miserable weather. However, we got a bit of sun over the weekend and I was able to get a few shots of this female. I think this is the first image I've ever gotten of one in a more or less horizontal flight pose. I do wish she'd angled herself to the light a bit better. What isn't shown is the feeder. She had backed off like they often do and was just re-approaching it.

1DMkIV, 500mm f4 + 1.4TC, Black Widow on Gitzo legs, f9.0, 1/2500, Av mode with -2/3 compensation, iso 500. Cropped from 17 to 6.2MP, normal processing in CS4 with minimal sharpening. I didn't really need the negative compensation on the exposure, but I had just taken some shots of a breast on tree swallow perched above the feeder and hadn't wanted to blow the whites.

I always appreciate your comments and criticisms.

Thanks for looking,

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by S Govindarajan on April 20, 2011 at 9:18 PM

I like this image a lot, Dennis, particularly the combination of blurry wings and tack sharp head and body. The great light shows up the iridescence very well. Nice catchlight. Is she moving her tail feathers too when she backs out and comes back?

Hope to see more.

Registered on April 19, 2008, 115 Posts, 1921 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Canuel on April 20, 2011 at 9:39 PM

Cool hummer in flight shot, almost looks like a regular bird

. I like the colors and wing position. Maybe needs a touch of lightening on the face?

Registered on September 12, 2010, 53 Posts, 660 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on April 21, 2011 at 12:26 AM

Great detail on the body. I agree with Steve about maybe a bit more lightening of the face.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on April 21, 2011 at 2:14 AM

Absolutely marvelous shot Dennis, I quite literally dream of being able to capture exquisite little birds in flight as well as you have ;^)

I do fall in with the school of thought that a touch of lighting in PP on the face would almost certainly enhance this already wonderful image all the more.

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on April 21, 2011 at 8:52 AM

Dennis, I enjoy the impression I get that this bird is in full bore horizontal flight. I like the wing position and the detail and colors on the flank of the bird. I'm slightly surprised that the tail is as soft as it is.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on April 21, 2011 at 10:06 AM

Hi All:
Regarding the tail. My experience is that hummingbirds move their tails almost as much and as fast as their wings in many situations. I'm not exactly sure what it was doing in this case, but she was in the middle of a change of posture and they use their tails a lot in that effort.Also, I think it was spread at the time, so the far half may have some dof blur even at f9 (she was just about minimum focus distance).

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on April 21, 2011 at 12:15 PM

A tad dark, but not overly. The body detail against the fluttering wings is a real nice touch. Love those colors, Dennis.

Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on April 21, 2011 at 5:36 PM

I love her pose Dennis, it sure shows off the iridescence of the head and back. Nice light in her eyes even with the angle of light. I do see a tiny halo that could be worked on. The slight pano comp is very nice imo, it gives her room to move into.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on April 21, 2011 at 6:14 PM

This is a cool hummingbird flight photo, a very unusual flight angle you caught here Dennis. Looks like she's on her way to the next flower. Excellent capture with fine deatil

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on April 21, 2011 at 8:34 PM

Hard to believe she can stay aloft with those little wings, Dennis! Nice shot. Maybe a bit more light on the face would be a good idea. Such an interesting little bird in flight.

P.S.: The question of motion blur on the near wing even at 1/2500 s (0.0004 s) got me looking around on the Internet for an estimate of the beats/s of a humming bird wing: could be about 200 times a second (0.005 s for one beat) but I saw lower estimates too. At first I was surprised that it was so slow compared to your shutter speed. However, then I realized: the reason for the visible motion blur is that motion blur doesn't require one whole beat.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on April 22, 2011 at 3:28 PM

Good job getting this difficult hummer flight shot, I like the colors and feather detail on the larger version, looks a little dark on my work monitor but a fine shot as is, way to go.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on April 22, 2011 at 8:32 PM

Awesome flight shot. Love it. I really likethe motion blur combined witha good sharp head and torso. Look at those teeeny feet.

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lotito on April 23, 2011 at 8:13 AM

Well done capturing this little speed demon! The wing blur gives a sense of motion.

Registered on June 26, 2009, 181 Posts, 1558 Comments