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Hummer from Costa Rica
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Hummer from Costa Rica

by Keith Bauer

Gallery: AvianPosted August 13, 2010328 views11 comments
This is a male Magnificent hummingbird from Costa Rica.

Natural light using a little bit of fill flash. Natural foliage background in the distance.

I was pleased with the sharpness of the bird, and the blurred wings.

Canon 5D, 500mm f/4 with 1.4x TC
ISO 800
1/125 @ f/11
Exposure @ -1 2/3
580 EX flash @ -2 1/3

Larger version included for critical viewing.

Thanks in advance for your comments and critiques.

Comments

11 comments
Comment posted by Buck Ward on August 13, 2010 at 5:23 PM
Very attractively composed too, Keith. The flower and the hummer seem to have a mutual attraction.
Registered on December 8, 2003, 96 Posts, 1917 Comments
Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on August 13, 2010 at 5:28 PM
Excellent!
Very tough to get pleasing wing position, nice flower with the hummer at a good angle, and nice BG.
Sandy r
Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments
Comment posted by Glenn Bartley on August 13, 2010 at 6:07 PM
Fantastic natural light image. Well executed!! :toast:
Registered on June 29, 2004, 448 Posts, 1180 Comments
Comment posted by Richard Ditch on August 13, 2010 at 6:48 PM
The curve of the flower makes a very nice graphic component in this strong composition.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments
Comment posted by Dennis Plank on August 13, 2010 at 6:57 PM
Sweet, Keith. the flower detail is incredible, and the bird is excellent also. A good job on the fill flash, though I think I'd be tempted to remove the bright catchlight it produced. :toast:
Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments
Comment posted by Steve Balke on August 13, 2010 at 7:12 PM
Fine shot, Keith. I like how the whole of the bird is visible even though the bird is actively feeding (my hummers seem to like to put their head in the flower....I guess it depends on the flower type too..). Also, it's interesting to note that the wing is going so fast that it's almost invisible here..so it does not obstruct our view. The white coloration behind the eye makes it look as though the bird has a very large eye...could be a "false eye" illusion to ward off predators? :toast:
Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments
Comment posted by Mia McPherson on August 13, 2010 at 9:14 PM
This is beautiful Keith, love the details, colors, comp, but I especially love the wing blur.
Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments
Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on August 13, 2010 at 10:17 PM
excellent, Keith. I agree with Rich D about the strong comp. The larger version is a real treat. :toast:
Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments
Comment posted by May Haga on August 14, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Very nice Keith.
May
Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments
Comment posted by Ingrid Vekemans on August 15, 2010 at 12:06 PM
Just beautiful.
Registered on August 2, 2010, 138 Posts, 780 Comments
Comment posted by Bryan Hix on August 15, 2010 at 11:48 PM
Love the flower, sharpness in the face, and the forward stroke on the wing. My preference would be a tad more room at the bottom. :toast:
Registered on June 13, 2008, 117 Posts, 755 Comments