August 30, 2013

Hummingbird Frenzy


Little hummingbirds have been swarming our place for the last couple of weeks and gulping down sugar water in copious quantities. It’s that time of year, when the young ones are growing fast and all of them are preparing for the winter migration to the south.

While they are feasting, I decided to try out my new eyeballs (after cataract surgery) and exercise my shutter finger. So I put the makeshift perch up once again right outside my office window. The late afternoon sun is perfect for side lighting.

I have to use some patience for the feathered tykes to land and strike an attractive pose. The birds will use the perch to watch for others flying around, so they zip their wee noggins back and forth at lightning speed. The movements are quick, so I have to be quick too! It’s difficult to get an adequate depth of field with a long lens and a fast speed with the given light levels. But you know me – I like challenges! The one below was captured while it was getting into a crouch, ready to jump off the branch a nanosecond later, to chase away another hungry diner!


After applying a multitude of settings in Photoshop and using various plug-in programs, I will probably never be able to reproduce this particular post-processing effect, LOL. So it will end up being one-of-a-kind.

14 comments:

  1. I read your first paragraph...click on the link to read more...and say out loud, "omggg...What a Tart!!!"Hahahahahaaa.....
    YOU couldn't take a BAD picture if you were hanging upside down on a ferris wheel!Hahaaaa!
    GORGEOUS!!
    I'll edit a photo and find I forget to write down the recipe as I go...end up loving the effect but can't remember how I got there!Hahaa
    (((HUG)))

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  2. That is a beautiful picture of the hummingbird Donna! Wow. It's so clear. I've been taking pics of the hummers here the past few days but they are a blur and taken through the window at a distance of about 8 - 12 feet. Not the best but they are so fun to watch. They'll soon be gone and summer will be over. Blessings, Pam

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  3. Amazing and impressive and in a word...beautiful. Such colors and what clarity.

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  4. Those hummers are busy little guys this time of year, aren't they? Your photo of this one is stunning! "One-of-a-kind" is just fine if it's this good!

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  5. So, so beautiful! Love it.

    xoxo

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  6. What a beautiful one of a kind.

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  7. Perfection! The new eyeballs are working great!

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  8. Wow great shot! These little guys are hard to capture so clearly!

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  9. I have to agree with Donna when she said "YOU couldn't take a BAD picture if you were hanging upside down on a ferris wheel!Hahaaaa!
    GORGEOUS!!"
    That is simple spectacular!!!

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  10. One of a kind and totally amazing. That's gorgeous. You know I haven't seen one single hummingbird this year

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Marty, here! Donna loves comments, and I faithfully pass them on to her. Thank you so much for visiting!