Hummingbirds are some of the most challenging birds to photograph due to their small size, speedy movements, and iridescent feathers. Capturing a clear photograph of a hummingbird takes some specialized techniques and camera settings. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know to photograph hummingbirds successfully.
Use a Fast Shutter Speed
The most important camera setting for photographing hummingbirds is using a fast shutter speed. Hummingbirds beat their wings up to 80 times per second, so they are constantly in motion. To freeze their movement, you need a shutter speed of at least 1/1000th of a second. 1/2000th or even 1/4000th of a second is better for stopping their wing beats completely. Anything slower will show motion blur.
Put your camera in Shutter Priority mode and set the shutter speed to at least 1/1000th of a second. Make sure you are only photographing in bright light to allow such fast shutter speeds. You may need to increase your camera’s ISO to allow a fast shutter speed in lower light conditions.
Use Continuous Focusing
Hummingbirds quickly move around flowers and feeders, making it challenging to keep them in focus. Using continuous auto focus allows your camera to keep updating focus as the bird moves. This gives you the best chance of capturing sharp focus despite fast motion and small subjects.
Turn on AI Servo mode for Canon or AF-C mode for Nikon DSLRs to enable continuous focusing. You may need to manually select an AF point covering a flower or feeder so your camera knows where to focus. Continuous focus paired with a fast shutter speed gives tack sharp hummingbird images.
Get as Close as Possible
Hummingbirds are tiny, usually measuring 3 to 5 inches long. Photographing them from too far away results in the bird filling just a tiny portion of the frame. Get as close as you can to fill the frame with the bird and capture details like their iridescent throat feathers.
Use a zoom lens with at least 300mm of reach, such as a 70-300mm or 100-400mm lens. Move slowly and stealthily when approaching active feeders or flowers. Consider using camouflage and a blind to get as close as 10 to 15 feet away without startling hummingbirds.
Use Aperture Priority Mode
In addition to a fast shutter speed, using Aperture Priority mode allows you to control depth of field. Choose an aperture between f/5.6 and f/8 to get enough depth of field to keep the bird’s head, body and wing tips all in focus.
However, go with the largest aperture possible (lowest f/number) to maximize the amount of light reaching the camera sensor. More light allows the camera to use faster shutter speeds. Balance depth of field and shutter speed by selecting an optimal mid-range aperture.
Add Lighting and Flash
Even at optimal aperture settings, you may struggle to get fast enough shutter speeds in low light conditions. Adding artificial lighting allows you to achieve the 1/1000th or faster speeds needed to freeze motion. Place flashes on light stands near feeders early and late in the day when light is low.
Flashes can also help freeze motion by providing enough light for extremely fast shutter speeds beyond what’s possible with natural light alone. Many photographers use flash extenders held off-camera to create directional side lighting that brings out hummingbirds’ iridescent colors.
Increase ISO
Increasing your camera’s light sensitivity by raising the ISO allows for faster shutter speeds in any lighting conditions. However, high ISO settings also add noise and grain to images. Only increase the ISO as high as you can while retaining acceptable image quality.
For most DSLRs, acceptable image quality with moderate noise can be achieved up to ISO 1600 or 3200. Take some test shots at higher ISOs and zoom in to check for excessive noise before photographing hummingbirds at high ISO settings.
Use Burst Mode
The erratic movements of hummingbirds means you will miss far more shots than you make. Use continuous burst mode to rapidly capture up to 10 frames per second so you don’t miss that split second when the bird is perfectly positioned.
Set your camera to high-speed continuous shooting, sometimes called “sports mode.” This engages the burst mode so you simply have to hold down the shutter to capture multiple rapid shots in sequence.
Fill the Frame
It’s easy to end up with photos of tiny hummingbirds surrounded by lots of empty background. Frame your shots tightly on the bird to maximize its size in the image. Shoot from an angle so the bird fills the frame rather than getting shots from below or above it.
You can always crop images later to improve the framing, but filling the frame when you capture the image retains the most resolution and detail.
Add Colorful Flowers
Capturing hummingbirds alongside bright flowers makes for beautiful photos that show them in their natural environment. Plant nectar-rich, colorful flowers to attract hummingbirds to your garden. Then position feeders and perches strategically near blossoms.
Focus precisely on the hummingbird, but use a wide enough aperture to blur the background. The colorful blooms will make a striking background that highlights the tiny bird.
Shoot in Bursts at Feeders
Setting up feeders is one of the most reliable ways to attract hummers to a spot where you can anticipate their approach and position your camera effectively. Place multiple feeders around your setup so birds have options.
Sit near the feeders with your camera on a tripod, preset and ready to capture bursts of images. Shoot whenever a bird comes into view to capture its range of motions.
Include Perches
Adding natural branches and perches near feeders gives hummingbirds a place to briefly stop moving and rest. These perches allow you to capture still portraits and close-up details you may miss when birds are hovering at flowers.
Natural wood branches positioned strategically work well as perches. You can also use props like a rustic board or metal rod fixed in place near feeders at optimal angles for photography.
Photograph in Raw Format
Hummingbird images need some post-processing work to look their best. Shooting camera raw images rather than JPEGs allows for the most flexibility in editing exposure, colors, and details.
Raw files hold up better to adjustments like brightening shadows and contain more color data than compressed JPEGs. Process your images after the fact to create stunning hummingbird photographs.
Review and Cull Images
The rapid pace of photographing hummingbirds means you’ll end up with many near-identical images and a lot of throwaway shots. Importing everything into your computer can be overwhelming.
Review pictures in-camera and delete obvious discards like grossly over or under-exposed images. Then do a selective first pass edit only making general selects before diving into editing individual images.
Adjust Exposure and Contrast
Hummingbirds’ iridescent feathers can easily be overexposed and lose detail. Correct blowing out highlights by reducing exposure and whites levels. Increase contrast moderately to make details pop.
Use the tone curve tool to fine tune contrast across various tonal zones. Lift the shadows and midtones while restraining the highlights for the best feather details.
Boost Color Saturation
Hummingbirds flashy, jewel-toned colors are key to what makes images of them eye-catching. However, camera sensors don’t always capture the full spectrum of color visible to the human eye.
Push the vibrance, saturation, and luminance of tones like yellows, greens, magentas, and cyans in post processing. This better conveys the dramatic coloring of feathers.
Add a Soft Bokeh Effect
Introducing buttery bokeh in the background draws attention to the hummingbird subject while also adding artistic flair. Achieve this by increasing the aperture to lower the f-stop number.
An 85mm prime lens shot wide open at f/1.8 creates a beautifully blurred bokeh effect behind a hummingbird. You can also add bokeh in post using selection tools and filters.
Include Catchlights in the Eyes
Catchlights from a properly placed flash bring a hummingbird’s eyes to life. Position small flashes above and to the side of feeders to create bright reflections in birds’ eyes as they feed.
Use a flash softbox, diffuser, or bounce the light off a surface for catchlights that aren’t too harsh. When a catchlight appears in the eye, it adds vitality and interest.
Apply Selective Sharpening
Careful sharpening brings out the intricate details of hummingbird feathers and heads. Over-sharpening introduces harsh artifacts and edge halos.
Use masking to selectively sharpen just the bird itself. Soften backgrounds and any portions extending beyond the edge of the bird to prevent sharpening artifacts in these areas.
Crop Creatively
Cropping images allows you to hone in on the most appealing aspects of a hummingbird photo. Tight crops on just the bird’s head and shoulders hide distracting backgrounds.
Creative cropping can also completely change the feel of an image. For example, cropping vertically brings out the bird’s elegant shape and long tail feathers.
Add an Interesting Frame
You can incorporate elements of the environment to naturally frame hummingbird images. Position feeders in front of backgrounds like blooming flowers, leaves, tree branches or fence posts.
Line up your composition so these framing elements surround the bird in the scene. The frame adds context while drawing the viewer’s eye to the subject.
Print on Canvas or Metal
Hummingbird photos are truly striking when printed large on art canvas or metal. These materials lend depth, texture, and vivid color to bring your images to life.
Consider framing with wide matting or float mounting canvas prints for a modern gallery style. Metal prints using gloss or metallic finishes make colors pop off the wall.
Practice Often for Improvement
Photographing hummingbirds takes some finesse that only comes with practice. Lighting, camera settings, location, and editing all factor into creating stunning images.
Keep trying until you get the results you want. Review what worked with each session and apply lessons the next time. With persistence and passion, your hummingbird photography will continue improving.
Conclusion
Photographing hummingbirds is an exciting challenge but very doable with the right approach. Fast shutter speeds, continuous focusing, close proximity, and proper lighting form the foundation for success. An optimal post-processing workflow brings out the captivating colors and details.
With preparation and practice, you can master the techniques for photographing hummingbirds to produce breathtaking photos. The images you capture will amaze viewers while immortalizing the beauty of these remarkable little birds you connect with through photography.