Violet-tailed Sylph

Gallery: AvianPosted January 26, 2014203 views11 comments

Canon 1D-X, 500mm f4, tripod
f5, 1/500, ISO5000

It's not the longest-tailed hummingbird, but it's still pretty amazing. Tandayapa Lodge, Ecuador, earlier this year.

70% of full frame. Selective sharpening to bird.

C & C, please. Thanks for looking.

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on January 26, 2014 at 5:34 PM

Beautiful bird. I like the x that is formed by the length of the bird and the cross branch. Very nice background.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on January 26, 2014 at 5:57 PM

Gorgeous bird and I like the double diagonal composition.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on January 26, 2014 at 8:07 PM

what a great bird--love that tail, and the comp with the diagonal lines. I do wish the head and bill were as sharp as the rest of the bird.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on January 27, 2014 at 11:57 AM

Very cool bird. Sure hope I see one of these someday. I like the composition. I would remove the bright area in the upper left. It really grabs my attention. Agree that the sharpness isn't quite there on the head and beak. Still a nice image

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on January 27, 2014 at 12:11 PM

Wonderful iridescent color shine to this amazing bird. What a treat to see one of these, way to go Jim.

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on January 27, 2014 at 5:38 PM

Very beautiful bird, gorgeous iridescent colors and a great head turn our way..
Thanx for posting this and I agree with Jim.
What a treat to see one of these

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on January 27, 2014 at 8:18 PM

What a gorgeous bird! I really like the comp and beautiful colors. Sharon

Registered on November 1, 2003, 392 Posts, 4810 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on January 27, 2014 at 9:34 PM

Beautiful, Jim. Interesting how translucent the wingtip is even at rest. Excellent composition.

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

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on January 28, 2014 at 6:23 AM

sweet hummer - nice eye contact and detail.
tough to compose a good image with that tail - perhaps a more pano crop would work well and emphasize that gorgeous tail.
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on January 29, 2014 at 11:06 PM

Hi Jim

Thanks for sharing this beautiful bird with us... love the pose and colors

Albert Darmo
Canada

Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments

Comment posted by keith mitchell on January 30, 2014 at 3:32 AM

Jim I think you have got the composition spot on getting this long tailed beauty looking so good, bet it's great trying to photograph these, and very well done getting this.

Keith.

Registered on July 12, 2008, 127 Posts, 1735 Comments