Some goals just aren’t worth pursuing and hummingbird takeoff shots may be one of them.
I like the dynamics of takeoff shots, especially when a bird has its legs stretched out and is pushing off with its feet to complement the mighty first beat of its wings. For years I didn’t think it was worth even trying for such shots with hummingbirds because they typically don’t push off with their stubby little legs and feet – instead they simply lift off their perch using only their whirring wings to provide lift and acceleration which doesn’t provide the visual dynamics I so enjoy. .
But a little over two weeks ago I posted a photo of a hummer that looked like it might actually be pushing off with its feet and legs so I told readers that I was going to attempt to get better shots of them doing exactly that and that I’d report back on any progress.
This is that report. .
1/5000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Three days ago I took quite a few photos of this male Broad-tailed Hummingbird while he was perched on a bare twig near a stream in the Wasatch Mountains. He’d been feeding on Black Twinberry Honeysuckle flowers in a bush below him but occasionally he’d land on this twig to rest. I think he liked that perch because the wind was gusting hard and unlike most perches in the area this one was stiff enough that it didn’t bounce around as much in the wind.
Hummers are incredibly speedy little devils when they take off so the photographer has little chance of capturing actual liftoff but with this bird I decided to give it my best effort.
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I caught his first wingbeat at its apex and 1/10 second later in the burst he had…
1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
already left the perch.
I can’t be absolutely sure but I see no evidence suggesting he pushed off with his feet and legs in either shot. It appears that he simply used his wings to provide all the lift and acceleration he needed. Several other recent attempts with other hummingbirds have given me similar results.
So at this point I’ve decided that attempts at getting dynamic hummingbird takeoff shots are probably mostly wasted effort so I’ll concentrate on other types of hummer photos instead. Live and learn, at least I now know where my efforts are unlikely to be rewarded.
I’ll close with another very different photo of possibly the same hummingbird.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Four minutes after the previous photos were taken this male landed on barbed wire so close to the end of my lens that I had to be within millimeters of my closest focusing distance. Believe it or not this is one of the most difficult photos I’ve ever taken of any bird and I paid for it physically for several hours after.
The wire he landed on was on an extremely steep slope below me and right next to my pickup so it seemed like I was shooting almost straight down out my window. To get him in my viewfinder I had to lift my butt off the pickup seat which made my head hit the roof so I had to bend my neck and hold that extremely awkward and uncomfortable position for long enough that this old man with a bad back was in pain for most of the rest of the morning.
But I like the shot for two reasons:
- We sometimes lose perspective of how small hummingbirds actually are but check out his size compared to the single barb on the barbed wire. The individual pollen grains on the end of his bill help with that perspective. He really is a tiny little guy.
- The photo also illustrates the incredibly shallow depth of field available to the photographer when shooting a subject this close at these focal lengths. His bill and head are sharp but has feet are more than just a little soft, they’re blurry – especially his right foot. I’d estimate that his feet are only about a half inch behind his face so that’s very little DOF. If I’d been shooting at f/5.6 I’d have had even less.
OK, once again I’ve rambled on so it’s past time to quit but I told readers I’d follow up on my attempts to get hummer takeoff shots so now I’ve kept my promise.
You’ll very likely see nothing more on the subject.
Ron
ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS!!! Hummers are wondrous creatures!
Sorry I’m late today. Gorgeous shot of a beautiful hummer. I love the shot on the devil wire, that barb really give a neat perspective to the size of this whirlwind! Beautiful set. Many thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Dick. Hope your butterflies have finally showed up.
Awe and wonder.
And gratitude.
I hope your pain is now a thing of the past but fear it still niggles at you.
And, as others have said, what a courageous (and colourful) little bird. To face down not one but two huge lenses….
I am also very grateful for the evidence of just how miniscule they are. I knew that they were tiny, but that comparison with the barb of devil wire blew me away.
EC, the pain always niggles at me but any extra discomfort caused by my contorted shooting position only lasted for a few hours.
I keep forgetting that hummers aren’t found in most of the rest of the world, including Oz. I’m pretty sure you’d go gaga over them in person.
I am glad that particular pain was short lived. Pain is a totally sucky beast and puts Dyson’s suck skills in the shade.
And yes, I would most definitely go gaga (more gaga?) if I could see the hummers.
Joy and delight today! Thank you! The last shot is so charming — that face! I just wish he had picked any perch other than devil wire.
Marty, I think he liked the wire because it was against the steep slope and very close to the ground so the wind was mostly blocked there. It was really howling at times.
Wow..wow…wow. I feel a big lot of gratitude for all 3 shots but the last one is clearly a portal to connecting us back to our animal magnetic roots. Thank you!
Thanks very much, Diane.
I like the 2nd take of and the comparison on the barbed wire shots. They are so sharp I can see his nice feather quality! Hummers are so strange, the more I work with them the stranger they seem. A bird packed into something so small. The hatchlings are even stranger.
I have a lot again this year in my yard. The males guard the feeders, I have 4, The females wait in the bushes and sneak in while the male is chasing off a rival.
Thanks for noticing the sharpness, April. They’re so sharp out of the camera I had to back off on my normal sharpening routine.
I have so many at my feeders. I love seeing your up close shots!
Thanks, Arwen.
Your 3rd photo shows that little guy has ‘pantaloons’! NEVER thought that hummingbirds might have them!
Barbara,I don’t know if you have seen the booted and puffleg hummingbirds. They remind me of the big long furred boots girls use to wear.
https://www.audubon.org/news/7-hummingbirds-wear-pants-flair-plus-one-bonus
Huge thanks April. Those smaller than pint-sized showoffs have some very fancy pants.
Barbara, the link April provided below is definitely worth checking out.
These are wonderful, Ron, especially the last. I’m trying in vain to lure some hummingbirds to our deck here in Maryland, having seen one or two in the past. Maybe the new hanging fuschia will do the trick. Glad your back is feeling better! 🙂
I don’t get a lot of hummers in my yard either, Cathy. I have two feeders up but I’m lucky to see more than two or three hummers in an entire day.
My favorite bird and I can’t really say why other than anything flying is magical to me and the seem to have a special ability. Love the pictures and the prose.
Thanks, Betty.
Proud of you getting any shots of a hummingbird, their so darn quick😁 Love each picture ❗️
Take Care
Thanks, Diana. You too.
Hummingbirds are just magical critters! I LOVE all of these, but the last one is my favorite. I can’t decide between the feather detail and the pollen grains, but I love it! I’m really sorry you hurt your back in the process, but since the pursuit of excellence isn’t easy (if it were easy, I’d be doing it), I guess that’s the price you had to pay! The challenge is its own pursuit, apart from the photo, too. It’s where our OCD kicks in…LOL! Saying “just for a photo is akin to saying “just a redtail!” Grumble!! Don’t go there!! Glad your recovery time was pretty quick, though.
Yes barbed wire sucks, but in this case, at least it’s useful to help gauge the size of things. That said, I wish all the barbed wire would vanish off the face of the Earth. That’s not likely, is it? Harrumph!
Everett, as you know, helicopters and bees aren’t supposed to be able to fly at all, but I’d reckon that helicopter pilots regularly take off vertically until they’re high enough to go off in more of a horizontal line. I SHOULD know that, having worked on a helicopter simulator program LAMPS MK III for the U.S. Navy) back when I worked for Singer/Link, Flight Simulation Division in Houston. But even though I got to fly the simulator, they focused on my ability to land rather than take off. I crashed the first time, but landed nearly perfectly on the simulation of the U.S. Nimitz the second time around, even in Sea State 3 winds! Of the “real” jobs I’ve had, that was the funnest. I appreciate full team efforts to get a job done. That’s one of t he reasons racing always appealed to me.
“Saying “just for a photo is akin to saying “just a redtail!” Grumble!! ”
Laura, I think you know I had my tongue firmly embedded in my cheek when I said that. Thank you,.
An amazing piece of the final, painful-to-gel photo is that the bird appears to be looking directly into your lens, likely seeing your HUGE eye at the other end. If that’s the case, he must be a courageous little beast!
“he must be a courageous little beast”
I thought the same thing when he landed that close, Nancy. His performance of bravery was even more impressive because there were TWO huge lenses pointed his way. I’ll bet he saw two reflections of himself.
Excellent photos and write up as well. Do they push off at all? Guess we would have to consult one of the Sibley’s or Cornell etc. Definitely could not tell with the naked eye. Made me think – do helicopters have any form of thrust or do they just take off via the rotating blades? I have a brother who flew them in the Army so I will have to ask him. That photo with the barb really does show just how tiny they are.
“Do they push off at all?”
Maybe occasionally but with those stubby legs it can’t do them much good. It would almost be like us trying to jump without bending our knees. Just the thought of that makes me laugh. Thanks, Everett.
Ron, I sometimes wonder if pursuit of takeoff shots is a peculiar activity of those of us ”oldtimers” who persist with our love of wildlife photography by SLR. Those who pursue it with mirrorless camera bodies get the last 15 or so shots before shutter actuation available in camera….essentially looking back in time for that elusive takeoff shot….quite the advantage!
Thomas, you may be right about why many do it but I’ve always thought there were two reasons why I do it – 1) I just like the visual dynamics of those types of shots and 2) they’re typically much more difficult to get so they give me a feeling of accomplishment.
Ron, right, I’m addicted as well…for like reasons.
Oh I love that last picture! So personal…all the detail. The chin is spectacular. Yes I can imagine the twisting you did to catch that and he co-operated with you! As I study this, the softness of the feet actually give me a 3D perspective of the little guy popping out at me. 😍 Certainly a prize catch.
I’m glad you enjoyed that last shot, Kathy. Some folks have such a visceral and negative reaction to barbed wire I actually hesitated to post it.
VBG and LOL! 🙂 Great shots, Ron! 🙂 They are tiny and fast and the pollen and barb on the wire REALLY put that in perspective! I’m guessing your body protested mightily about the gymnastics needed to capture the last shot! Hope you’ve recovered! 🙂
Windy yesterday – In the evening I was sheltered a bit from it watching for trash coming down the somewhat high creek (nothing exciting) and swallows were swirling around me coming within 2 or 3′! Wonderful experience……… 🙂
Thanks, Judy. I recovered OK after a few hours but sometimes I think I’m pretty silly for putting this old body through the paces “just” for a photo.