The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I haven’t been shooting birds for a while and the nice fog this morning got me out. The blind is not in a great location and I was too lazy to move it, so just sat near the feeders. There wasn’t much action until the fog started clearing, but the Anna’s Hummingbirds were busy as usual. This guy seemed to be on guard duty.
Specific Feedback
All comments welcome!
Technical Details
Global Shadows and Highlights in LR. Into PS for NR and darkening the perch. Cropped to 30% of the full frame.
Excellent pose and I love the slightly fluffed up plumage, Diane. Perfect depth of field and a lovely background as well. You might think about bringing down the right end of the perch a bit.
Thanks, @Dennis_Plank – I think I could go a little further with the end – it was really washed out. If nothing else, I could overlay a second processing at a lower exposure.
I need to find a way to darken perches – many are way too light. I tried wood stain once and it just made a mess – had to throw the perch away.
Very nice image Diane. He looks ready for a fight for sure. Love the ruffled feathers and the detail on the bird looks quite fine. The backward glance is great too plus us being able to see his backside so well - a real treat. Pleasing BG. Well done.
Diane, this is very nice. I like the pose, the soft background and the perch doesn’t bother me at all. Great image.
I tried to encourage Hummingbirds to come to our back yard earlier this year. I put out a feeder and the first day had several birds come. Then after the first day, nothing, nothing, nothing. I think maybe the sugar was too old…anyway, after getting new sugar to make the nectar, I still had no visits…so, I put it away and will try again next spring. The other problem with our yard is there are no naturally attractive flowering plants for the hummers to feed from…
I do have one Anna’s Hummingbird image I’ll post in the future, though…a lucky catch.
The perch looks fine to me as well, but I suppose you could reduce the exposure a bit in post if physically darkening the perch proves too difficult (if you’re not happy with it as presented).
Either way, the ruffled feathers from this perspective is a real treat for me.
We have a bunch hanging around and fighting (as usual) but I haven’t bothered photographing any of them because I’m sure I can’t produce anything as nice as what you and the other pro HB photographers are getting. If I want to see great images of HBs, I can always look on NPN
BTW, three of ours are always sitting on top of the bent feeder poles, I had to put out two more feeders just to help the others out, but that led to more HBs and more fights.
It is fun to watch them though.
Funny thing happened the other day:
On our side porch, I was drinking orange juice from a semi-transparent blue drinking glass when a HB hovered right in front of me and decided to test the orange juice, I could see it spit out the juice, shake it’s head and fly off, I wish I could of captured that on video! It was so unusual and so funny!
Anyway, I digress, this is really a fine image and one to be proud of!
Thanks, @Allen_Sparks, @David_Bostock and @Merv! Merv, I wish I could have seen your encounter with a hummer trying your OJ!! That sounds like one of those priceless moments!
David, the sugar water needs to be pretty fresh. I change ours every 2-3 days (but that’s usually because it’s been consumed) and clean the feeder with peroxide. Just use plain granulated sugar – no dye is necessary and probably some degree of poisonous. The recommendation is 1c sugar to 4c water, but if someone has another feeder nearby with a stronger concentration, they will quickly figure out that one is a better deal, so you might try 3:1. We have very few attractive plants, but they find the feeder somehow. I’m sure they could do better in town but maybe some of them like the country, as we do. Annas and a few Allen’s are year-round residents, with a few Rufous migrating through for 1-2 weeks in spring.
If we are away for more than 3 days the feeder will be emptied but when I refill it they are back in day or two. The other day I had just refilled it and hung it back up but when I looked out a few minutes later it had fallen down. One of the customers was sitting on this same perch, fluffed up, staring at where it had been and looking quite peeved.
Thanks, @peter! I got one of those little plastic flowers you can fill with sugar water and hold, to try to get them to land on your hand. Our granddaughter makes a beeline for the feeder, which is just off the deck, and last time they were up we put a chair and table there and her mom finally took out her lunch plate. I would so love to get one to land on her hand! She is good at being very still and quiet --at last, thankfully! A hummer would be a wonderful bookend to the Harris’ Hawk she got to fly a year ago.
