I’ve been poring over pictures of hummingbirds, searching for some we can use for a special project. We receive tons of photos from readers submitted to our monthly photo challenge. And the quality of photos we get is astounding! Like this rufous hummingbird below, for example, submitted by user deglmann. And I can’t help but think, “how do they do that?!” I can hardly spot a hummingbird, let alone capture its beauty in a photo! Here are a few tips to get you started!
Rufous hummingbird by deglmann
- Really focus on when the hummingbirds will be migrating through your area. Make sure that there are plenty of flowers blooming and your feeders are full. It’s possible the hummingbirds will be coming through before your garden is in full bloom, so get some hanging baskets from the nursery.
- Practice capturing motion shots with larger birds first. They move slower and are easier to focus on. Once you get better, set your sights on hummingbirds.
- When taking photos of hummingbirds in flight with your digital camera, use a higher ISO setting (400+ speed) with a very fast shutter speed to record wing motion as a pleasing blur.
- When hummingbirds are near, keep snapping away! The beauty of digital photography is that you can take tons of photos at one time. Don’t stop to look at them. Keep taking photos and you’re bound to get a winner.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
so beautiful. How can I find out when they will migrate through my area in the surrounding Kansas City Missouri area? Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit, Independence, Missouri area.
Hi Pat! Check out this migration map on the site hummingbirds.net. This is only for the ruby-throated hummingbird, but it’s still pretty interesting. http://hummingbirds.net/map.html
the motto to good photography is snap snap snap..Hummers you have to be patient you will get the shot you want. Just learn to wait and it comes to those who do..
Saw one in the top of a tree, but by time i got water ready, it had taken off, but my poppies are about to pop, thet will bring them in. We`ve taken many pictures, one especially loved to twirl around on a fake dragon fly I have hanging near the feeders, they especially love the little tube feeders.
I love humingbirds I take lots of photos of them I have some nice ones I have my feeder outside my window I set thair till thay come in I just love it.
I saw a all black humming bird in the Caribbean islands but was so awe stuck that did not take a picture.I tried finding an article
on a black humming bird but could not find one. Does anyone know of such a bird ??
I take hundreds of humming bird pictures each yr–I have 5 feeders for them in my back yard here in Oroville calif.some times I have 10 or more birds in my yard.
I saw the first Hummer in my yard on March 31st. It wasn’t one of mine because it didn’t find the feeder. It was here for 2 days. I then had one of mine to come in on Easter Sunday April 8th. It had already found the feeder. I love to watch them, they are so sweet and pretty. I’m always glad to see the first one come “home”.
We’ve had feeders (and flowers) out for several weeks, and haven’t seen a single hummingbird yet. Saw quite a few last year, and took hundreds of pictures. Send them our way!
Here is a video with extreme close ups of hummingbirds. Anyone know what type these are?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR0Z4UIPKr0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I was able to get a few pictures of a hummingbird at my feeder recently. A local grade school is studying hummingbirds in their science class. (Newspaper article: http://democratherald.com/news/local/feeding-the-birds/article_c08e2f2c-9d84-11e1-8e3f-001a4bcf887a.html.) I e-mailed them my best photo & they have identified it as a Rufous hummingbird – either a female or a juvenile because of the coloring. I’ve fed hummingbirds for years, but never could get a photo, let alone ID them. Thanks for your article on photography – it worked!
I thought I would share the little picture video of my 2012 hummingbird photos. Thanks for looking. I hope you enjoy them as much as I love taking them. (if that is possible).
http://video214.com/play/iWFyrD41SHsSzWJaF1C8fg/s/dark