This was taken this morning under heavily cloudy and dark skies. It is rare that I see a hummingbird with its beak as open as this one. It kept doing this for a few minutes. Any know why? There could have been another HB nearby…
iso 2000, 200-500@ 500, f8, 100th, D500, tripod, fill flash at -1, EV 0.7, DxO Photo Lab, Adobe camera raw 10.5, Topaz Adjust, TK sharpening action at 40%
Hi David, could you let us know any specific feedback you’re looking for?
Wonderful details in this little guy, David. Great perch he is on as well. I like that you caught him with his beak open.
On the older archived NPN site, most posted without really looking for specific feedback. Yes there were certainly times when members did ask for specific feedback but the way I looked at it, that was more the exception. I realize this is the new NPN and you may be trying to elicit more constructive discourse on the posted images. I think this is a good idea but it may take the membership a little while to respond to this query. I suppose I always wish to know if the viewer likes the image and what changes could make it better.
That’s exactly what we’re going for David, it will take some getting used to, but I do hope it takes hold.
Great pose, David. A great perch and really nice background. Maybe just a touch heavy on the sharpening and saturation.
Nice capture of an interesting behavior, David. I like that you have capture the entire perch till the end. Well framed with a great background.
It may be that the hummingbird was flexing its beak (a form of stretching?). From what I know hummers are only species that can flex their beaks - both down and up. I have seen ruby-throated humming birds do this as well.
Hi David. I usually, but not always, see the opened beak as a threat display to another hummingbird. The fancy name for the bending of the beak that Govind mentioned is Rhynchokinesis and the structure that makes it happen is fascinating.
To my eye, the feathers look a bit oversharpened, though that’s always a hazard in hummingbirds.
Looks a little over sharpened, but a very cool pose. I have trouble catching the gorget lit from any angle except directly facing, but you got it done.
Great pose and nice details here David, I have seen hummers with their beaks wide open in hot weather also, I assumed that it was kind of like panting, but it doesn’t sounds like that was the case here as Dennis said it’s often in response to another hummer. I like this shot a lot but would crop a bit closer on the left to get rid of the cut off perch. I also think you could take out the pin point flash dot in the eye as there is already plenty of light in the eye.
