"en garde!"

There is always an element of luck photographing hummingbirds, since their movements are so rapid and unpredictable. I was pleased to have captured in one frame the full spread of tail feathers, and the rich colours of the head and throat.

Specific Feedback Requested

I know that are differing schools of thought about wing blur!

Technical Details

D500 / Sigma 300mm. 1/1500 @ f/9.5 ISO 560

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Nice job on the detail. I like the pose. I think I would drop the highlights a tad but otherwise excellent image with a nice background.

As David mentioned, the detail is astoundind. Even at 300 mm and f/9.5 it’s hard to get the whole bird in crisp focus. I also agree that the highlights couls stand to come down a bit.

Terrific throat detail and color as well as a great look at the entire front of the bird including the tail feathers. Even at f/9.5 the depth of field is shallow enough so that the tail feathers are not as sharp as the head but I’m not at all bothered by it. Also, I am one who doesn’t mind wing blur at all however, I’m not a fan of the flat wing pose but that is nit picking for sure. This is a terrific HB image. I might bring down the exposure globally just a tad. It seems just a little harsh. Also, I might crop a little bit off the right side so it’s not so centered. He’s looking to the left so I think the right side should have less room if that makes sense.

Hi Michael, very nice catch and I love that spread tail. Great that we see just enough of the eye with a catchlight present. I’m fine with the wing position as it highlights the figure eight of the wing movement. Agree with comments on lowering exposure and cropping some from the right.

Thanks for the suggestions, which I have tried to incorporate. Posting on this site is always educational, and I appreciate the constructive advice.

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