We’re celebrating #NationalBirdDay with this photo and tips from #CanonExplorerOfLight @adam_jones_photo: “This white-bellied woodstar hummingbird was photographed at a remote lodge high in the Andes mountains of Ecuador. The woodstar is a tiny hummingbird that flies around like a large bumblebee.
Tip 1: When photographing birds, put yourself in a location or situation where you have a good chance of success. We visited the lodge knowing full well there would be plenty of hummingbirds feeding on and around the feeders. The goal is to catch the flying jewels as they approach the feeder, or when they back away after sipping the sugar water in the feeder. I prefer flight shots for hummingbirds, but when they are regularly perched all around the feeders on natural vegetation makes for some great portrait images too.
Tip: 2 Have your focus already pre-set on the hummingbird feeder. Once a bird flies near the feeder, simply frame the bird and the AF system will only need to move the focus a small amount for perfect focus.
The hummingbirds at the lodge are so accustomed to people, that we could stand about 4-5 ft from the feeders without using a blind. The light was nice and soft because it was raining, notice the raindrops on the bird. The very dark flat light forced a relatively high ISO. I can’t say enough about how well the Canon EOS R5 and RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens locked onto the tiny birds’ eye as they flew.”
📸 #Canon EOS R5
Lens: RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Ciao, Nihon.