hummingbird

[maddy]

I took them in macro mode with flash.

Let me know what you guys think ? :confused5:

Madeline

[maddy]

here is one more.

Madeline

[livin4lax09]

i think you need a longer lens - i had a hard time spotting him at first.

[EOSThree]

Like livin said it's hard to pick out your subject. There is a lot of background and foreground clutter making your subject hard to pick out.

[annemaree]

definately a longer lens needed, the branch to the right of the bird appears to be the 'focus point' of the photo with the bird seeming to 'blend' into the backgound which does make it hard to pick it out.

[Frog]

On the other hand, its a definite lesson on how hard they are to spot when not flying around a feeder so just because its not a super closeup in which we can see feather detail, it is interesting.
To be better, you need to not let your subject be so centered. I think it would work better if it was more to the left. 4&5 would have been good for that, especially.
Not sure why you used macro but the flash was a good idea.

[OldClicker]

You don't necessarily need a longer lens, just get closer. Technique, not $. - TF

[maddy]

I am saving up money for a bigger lens.

Here are the same ones but i cropped them so that the hummingbird is to the left.
And i tried to get closer but it left.

Let me know if i should crop it a different way left or right. up or down.

Madeline

[maddy]

1 more

Madeline

[Loupey]

A couple of points:

Wildlife (and birds in particular) photography is more equipment-intensive than most other types of photography. In addition, you are photographing one of the smallest birds of them all. So an environmental shot (the subject in its immediate surroundings) is about the best to hope for with a shorter lens.

That being said, the cropped images are better compositionally. But be aware of your backgrounds - especially when bright sky is within the frame - and your shooting angle. For an environmental shot, the environment isn't very striking in this series. Perhaps no choice for this particular specimen so it is what it is.

Sometimes it is best to find a great environment first (including good lighting) and then wait for a suitable subject to land/crawl/fly in it

[maddy]

Ok i cropped them down even more how do they look now ? :confused5:

Thanks!

Madeline

[maddy]

one more

Madeline

[PWhite214]

You certainly ended up with very nice photos. Getting closer so you crop less would have been good, but with wildlife you usually have to settle for what the bird will let you take. Keep up the good work.

Phil

[maddy]

Thanks Phil yes i am going to try to get closer next time.

Thanks to you all.

Madeline

[annemaree]

You certainly ended up with very nice photos. Getting closer so you crop less would have been good, but with wildlife you usually have to settle for what the bird will let you take. Keep up the good work. Phil

they do look very nice now Madeline and thats a cute little bird, we don't have them here.

I was advised (on another Forum) that in order to get good bird shots a longer lens is a must and to me it seemed like it made good sense, as birds, being birds have this habit of taking flight when one tries to get in closer to photograph but, after reading all your comments here I realise that even with a shorter lens and trying to get as close as one can, good photos are possible even if some cropping needs to be done, so thankyou, as this thread has been a lesson for me.