Description: A wicked cold front will arrive on Wednesday and most of the hummingbirds will be taking off for Mexico when the winds switch to the north. These two are my best ones and I am very pleased with the results. I did not do a levels adjustment to the second image so the colors are slightly warmer than the first. The plant is a Salvia hybrid and the flowers are very close in morphology to some of the species found out in nature.
Specific Feedback Requested: Do you like the warmer or levels adjusted color pallate?
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Z9 600mm f4 (1/200 sec at f18, ISO 200) 3 flashes used set at 1/16th power. BG received passive lighting from these flashes. Levels for image 1, Topaz DeNoise for sharpening, Shadows and Highlights, Brightness & Contrast, Rubber stamp tool for removing flying bug shadows, Crop for Comp.
As Dennis said, both are excellent. I tend to prefer warmer tones in general, so I’d favor the second. For me, the background in the second seems more natural. The sense that this was photographed in front of a green screen grabs my attention in the first shot, but not the second.
These two shots are beautiful, Jim. I agree with @Allen_Brooks, I like the warmer tones in the second one. I also like the wing position a little better. Nice job on both.
Jim, I prefer Image 1. The yellowish tinge on the bird’s head and back in 2 actually looks less natural to my eye (although sunlight could have this effect too!). But I agree that the BG in 1 looks more like a studio effect, so maybe it could be toned down, while keeping the bird as is. Both are stunning shots.
Gorgeous poses and setting, and wonderful detail! It’s a close call but I prefer the cooler WB of the first – the second feels like it’s getting toward a color cast. But only because I saw the cooler one first. The first might be interesting with some Selective Color to bring out the reds.
Hi Jim, really nice images. I like the pose of both especially the first with the forward wing giving tension of the approach. Colors and background look fine to me. Nicely done.
Jim, great shots, both of them. I like that you caught her on the way to the flower rather than feeding. I thought our hummers had already left, but we saw one yesterday and again this morning after not seeing them for a couple of days. So I made up a fresh batch for them a while ago and cleaned out their feeder and gave them some fresh sugar water. That cold front is due here on Friday, so they will probably pull out of here too. I will sure miss seeing them. Great shots.
