Perched female Broad-tailed Hummingbird – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1/3200, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited or set up
Photographing hummingbirds in the wild*Â can be daunting and fast paced, so fast paced that there are times I don’t often have time to properly ID them in the field.
Yesterday while photographing hummingbirds I noticed the plumage on the back of one bird looked different but it wasn’t until I was able to view my images on my computer screen that I realized that bird was a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird which is a photographic lifer for me. I don’t normally count a bird as a “lifer” unless I have photographed it. So I was tickled to find out I had another lifer even though I didn’t ID the bird in the field.
Life is good.
Mia
*I don’t photograph hummingbirds at set ups which are elaborate outdoor “studios” that some times have fake backgrounds, feeders with flowers as props in front of or covering the feeders and a multitude of flash units set up. That isn’t my style of photography at all, I want to photograph my subjects in the wild doing what they want to do when they want to do it where they want to do it.
Click here to see more of my Broad-tailed Hummingbird photos plus facts and information about this species.
Exquisite! Hummingbirds are such fascinating little birds. Congratulations on the lifer!
HI!
Great Photo! You know I love these special little jewels! Thanks for sharing! Have a great day!
Thank you all for your comments on this hummingbird image!
Mia, congrats on such a nice find! I don’t mind photographing the birds at my feeders but I always love it when I find the birds in the wild doing what they “naturally” do!
A good achievement. Fine image!! Is this a full frame image or was there a small crop?
Bill, there was a crop with this frame.
Thanks for your reply Mia, Much appreciated!!
Sweet picture! Thank you 🙂
How exciting to capture a lifer in such a gorgeous photo! Congrats 🙂
Congratulations Mia!! And a stunning Photograph too..
A” lifer” for you, a treat for me….beautiful little bird!
And me. And the size of the treat dwarfs the bird which provided it. Thank you.
A kid on Christmas morning is how I feel whenever I capture something for the first time. Good for you. I agree capturing wildlife in their natural environment, doing what they do best, keeps the heart in the picture. Congratulations on another first.
Wonderful image and wonderful philosophy. Thank You.
Congrats on the lifer, Mia. She is a beauty. I have only seen and photographed this species in Colorado. Nice view of the wing and tail for length comparison. Every detail is apparent here. I agree with not wanting to photograph birds in elaborate setups. It is much more fun for me to find them in the wild using natural light, although I do use flash in my backyard while sitting behind my tripod.
Beautiful image Mia.