# How I Shoot Hummingbirds



## fishphoto (Mar 3, 2005)

Several weeks ago, we had a discussion about photographing hummingbirds. There was some interest in how I do it and I promised to provide details, so here it is...

I chose to set up a backdrop this year and light it so there was something other than my fence in the background. I thought a blue sky would be a cool backdrop for the hummers so I grabbed a couple yards of blue fabric from hobby lobby and hung it from the fence. Here's the results:




























*Technical Stuff*
Lighting was provided by four SB-900s and two SB-800s on the birds and two SB-600s on the backdrop. The strobes were controlled via IR from an SU-800.

Exposure settings varied as the sun was going down, but here's some average settings:

Shutter: 1/200s
ISO: 400
Apterture: F11
Focal Length: 840mm
Flash Settings: 1/128 (manual) and zoomed to 35mm

Here's the setup:


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## Formula4Fish (Apr 24, 2007)

KILLER SETUP, FISHPHOTO!!!

And killer shots :smile:

Thanks for sharing that info.

Dick


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## fishphoto (Mar 3, 2005)

I just wish they were taken at something other than feeders. The vine that is growing on the pole the feeder is hanging from is great for hummingbirds but apparently it only blooms in the spring


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## Saltwater Soul (May 31, 2005)

Is your gear still set up? Can I come over and just plug my camera in?

Just kidding. All that prep resulted in some great shots.


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## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

I wondered why there have been so many blind humming birds reported.. (-:**

That's a pretty serious bunch of flash. Like the results though. Thanks for sharing the setup. I've done some very similar shots with one remote flash (use those cheap $8 IR remote triggers) suspended above a feeder but that was several years ago. Just haven't had time lately to do any reall hummer shooting. Was at my sisters place in Lytle last week and she had 20-30 birds on her feeders at one time. I got *one* decent shot in natural light.

Shooting them on flowers is a serious test in patience! I've never been able to catch one in a natural environment. They are just too darn fast!

Single remote flash example (shot through a kitchen window with an old vivitar flash and an $8 IR trigger):
http://www.pbase.com/arlon/image/101251753/large.jpg


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

My hat is off to you guys. Those shots look great. I have three speedlights, but no feeder and no time to spend setting up. I tried a couple of years ago at a friends house and capturing those little boogers is quiet a feat.


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