Congratulations to Ted ellis for winning Feature Thread of the Week with 16 votes - View Previous Winners
Over the last 4-5 years I have seen a significant reduction of ruby-throat activity in my backyard. This year is the worst ever since 2007. I do not have a dominate male or female, Many times I sat for hours with no hummer activity.
All but one image in this thread is a juvenile male.
These are absolutely STUNNING Ted!
I am viewing on a 30" calibrated monitor and everything visually and photographically looks perfect!
The vine I had for many years for my hummers, trumpet vine, grew to be way to invasive in my flower bed. I had to remove it.
THe plants I do have that attract the hummers are not as good. Yes I have seen a tragic decline in "visits" from my resident hummers.
Again WOW!!
Dan
I would love to see some of these printed! The same size as my 30" monitor. They have to be spectacular! #12!!!!!
Tell us how you shoot these Ted. Sitting in a chair, handheld? Distance?
I had a chair with an umbrella on it and my camera was on a tripod. I would sit there for hours and the hummers would fly right up to my face, take a look and head to the trumpet vine flowers!
Dan
Danpbphoto wrote:
I would love to see some of these printed! The same size as my 30" monitor. They have to be spectacular! #12!!!!!
Tell us how you shoot these Ted. Sitting in a chair, handheld? Distance?
I had a chair with an umbrella on it and my camera was on a tripod. I would sit there for hours and the hummers would fly right up to my face, take a look and head to the trumpet vine flowers!
Dan
Dan:
Thanks for asking. When shooting hummers at my house, I shoot standing. I use a tripod. When it's slow (30 mins or so), I will sit in a directors chair and wait and wait and wait some more as needed. If bored, sometimes I pull weeds in my yard.
My set up distance 6-12 feet.
I like start shooting first light 6400 iso. I set up perpendicular to my plants, When the sunlight clears the trees, I have to angle my setup or the back of my house is now in the background. My subject flowers are in pots. The railing of my deck is at two different heights.
I have multicolored petunias behind my setups. I'll use bricks to raise the background or the subject.
In all of my setups I have an area in my background which is dark. The darker the better. I prune my plants to isolate a flower(s). Rotate, twist, remove and/or substitute other plants.
I do have a massive trumpet bush but have not used it in years in photos.
Thanks for asking. When shooting hummers at my house, I shoot standing. I use a tripod. When it's slow (30 mins or so), I will sit in a directors chair and wait and wait and wait some more as needed. If bored, sometimes I pull weeds in my yard.
My set up distance 6-12 feet.
I like start shooting first light 6400 iso. I set up perpendicular to my plants, When the sunlight clears the trees, I have to angle my setup or the back of my house is now in the background. My subject flowers are in pots. The railing of my deck is at two different heights.
I have multicolored petunias behind my setups. I'll use bricks to raise the background or the subject.
In all of my setups I have an area in my background which is dark. The darker the better. I prune my plants to isolate a flower(s). Rotate, twist, remove and/or substitute other plants.
I do have a massive trumpet bush but have not used it in years in photos.
Danpbphoto wrote:
These are absolutely STUNNING Ted!
I am viewing on a 30" calibrated monitor and everything visually and photographically looks perfect!
The vine I had for many years for my hummers, trumpet vine, grew to be way to invasive in my flower bed. I had to remove it.
THe plants I do have that attract the hummers are not as good. Yes I have seen a tragic decline in "visits" from my resident hummers.
Again WOW!!
Dan
Honored Brother Dan by your kind reply. I hear of diminishing #s of hummers from other photographers on the east coast.
Such likeably little fella's Ted, and you do them justice in this terrific set! I hope the population comes back to full strength and visits you often bud.
Despite finding the hummingbird nest, I too am seeing less Ruby's this year in Kankakee County, Illinois. Have not photographed one male ruby. Your shots are terrific as usual
I am actually seeing less of everything that flies the last few years. Robins that usually stay in Maryland until October, have been leaving in August or earlier it seems.
JUst FYI..
Dan
