It was a darkish cloudy day but I wanted to get some background color when shooting my little friend with the flash. I set the camera on1/60sec-around f/10 with ISO 200.I set the flash so that I would get a decent shot to blend in with the background.There is some minor ghosting but I was happy with the results. The Bigma was set about 6ft away from the feeders and I think that I was around 300mm most of the time.Usually I shoot at a lower focal length to get a better DOF but today I said what the heck "let's see what happens"--charliezap

[eaglem]

These shots have come up a treat............well done.

[RGlasel]

These are great! As long as the bodies are bright and sharp, the blurred wings just makes the picture more dynamic.

[AussieTrev]

Very good results there Charlie.

[charliezap]

These shots have come up a treat............well done.

Thanks Em. The Hbirds make it easy as they just hover there as I take shots even with the flash from 6ft. away.--charliezap

[TER-OR]

Very nice. I keep saying I'm going to set up my camera on a tripod level with the feeder on our deck and fire remotely. They will get used to your presence, but seem more relaxed if you're a bit farther away. They seem to like my dogs, though. Very amusing as they talk to the dogs.

***
My standard Hummingbird advice:
I see more people hanging hummingbird feeders in my neighborhood, which is nice. They're feisty and fun to have around. I thought I'd share a couple of tips I've picked up over the past 10 years or so.

Red mix. You don't need it. They'll find the feeders, which are usually red anyway. A solution of 4 parts water to 1 part sugar is all you need. Replace the solution every other day. The mix has color and microbial growth inhibitors.

Cleaning the feeder. Rinse the feeder with white vinegar every time you refill it. Just put some in the bottle, shake for a while, and pour in the base. Allow it to stand while you mix the sugar solution then rinse well with water. You'll still need to scrub the feeder if you start to see film growth, but this has pretty much eliminated the mildew growth.

Ant control. If you have problems with ants a simple hint is to make a loop of monofilament fishing line with a washer or ring into which you can hang the feeder. The ants cannot traverse the monofilament line. They may drop onto the feeder, but that's not too common.

Birds, wasps etc. Orioles will feed at the feeders. I've seen chickadees do so as well. They'll drain it faster but generally don't harass the hummers. Wasps can be a problem, as can bees. Bumblebees won't harass the birds but can drink a lot of sugar water. You can hang two feeders, one with a more concentrated sugar solution which will attract the wasps from your bird feeder. The orioles may remove the bee guards, they do on mine. I have hung two hummingbird feeders, one right on our deck so the orioles and chickadees avoid it, but the hummers still use it.

Flowers. Don't forget flowers! The sugar water is calories, but the flower nectar provides some nutrition.

Habitat. Hummingbirds are tiny flycatchers. They nest almost anywhere, and you'll see them hunting in the trees and gardens for insects.

[inder81jeet]

Very nice. I keep saying I'm going to set up my camera on a tripod level with the feeder on our deck and fire remotely. They will get used to your presence, but seem more relaxed if you're a bit farther away. They seem to like my dogs, though. Very amusing as they talk to the dogs.

***
My standard Hummingbird advice:
I see more people hanging hummingbird feeders in my neighborhood, which is nice. They're feisty and fun to have around. I thought I'd share a couple of tips I've picked up over the past 10 years or so.

Red mix. You don't need it. They'll find the feeders, which are usually red anyway. A solution of 4 parts water to 1 part sugar is all you need. Replace the solution every other day. The mix has color and microbial growth inhibitors.

Cleaning the feeder. Rinse the feeder with white vinegar every time you refill it. Just put some in the bottle, shake for a while, and pour in the base. Allow it to stand while you mix the sugar solution then rinse well with water. You'll still need to scrub the feeder if you start to see film growth, but this has pretty much eliminated the mildew growth.

Ant control. If you have problems with ants a simple hint is to make a loop of monofilament fishing line with a washer or ring into which you can hang the feeder. The ants cannot traverse the monofilament line. They may drop onto the feeder, but that's not too common.

Birds, wasps etc. Orioles will feed at the feeders. I've seen chickadees do so as well. They'll drain it faster but generally don't harass the hummers. Wasps can be a problem, as can bees. Bumblebees won't harass the birds but can drink a lot of sugar water. You can hang two feeders, one with a more concentrated sugar solution which will attract the wasps from your bird feeder. The orioles may remove the bee guards, they do on mine. I have hung two hummingbird feeders, one right on our deck so the orioles and chickadees avoid it, but the hummers still use it.

Flowers. Don't forget flowers! The sugar water is calories, but the flower nectar provides some nutrition.

Habitat. Hummingbirds are tiny flycatchers. They nest almost anywhere, and you'll see them hunting in the trees and gardens for insects.

Best Advice, Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!

[Tbone51]

crisp detail, beautiful colors. nicely done!

[Sailor]

Wow, Capn - you're approach is innovative and effective. Terrific photos!!

Jer

[charliezap]

These are great! As long as the bodies are bright and sharp, the blurred wings just makes the picture more dynamic.

Very good results there Charlie.

Very nice. I keep saying I'm going to set up my camera on a tripod level with the feeder on our deck and fire remotely. They will get used to your presence, but seem more relaxed if you're a bit farther away. They seem to like my dogs, though. Very amusing as they talk to the dogs.

***
My standard Hummingbird advice:
I see more people hanging hummingbird feeders in my neighborhood, which is nice. They're feisty and fun to have around. I thought I'd share a couple of tips I've picked up over the past 10 years or so.

Red mix. You don't need it. They'll find the feeders, which are usually red anyway. A solution of 4 parts water to 1 part sugar is all you need. Replace the solution every other day. The mix has color and microbial growth inhibitors.

Cleaning the feeder. Rinse the feeder with white vinegar every time you refill it. Just put some in the bottle, shake for a while, and pour in the base. Allow it to stand while you mix the sugar solution then rinse well with water. You'll still need to scrub the feeder if you start to see film growth, but this has pretty much eliminated the mildew growth.

Ant control. If you have problems with ants a simple hint is to make a loop of monofilament fishing line with a washer or ring into which you can hang the feeder. The ants cannot traverse the monofilament line. They may drop onto the feeder, but that's not too common.

Birds, wasps etc. Orioles will feed at the feeders. I've seen chickadees do so as well. They'll drain it faster but generally don't harass the hummers. Wasps can be a problem, as can bees. Bumblebees won't harass the birds but can drink a lot of sugar water. You can hang two feeders, one with a more concentrated sugar solution which will attract the wasps from your bird feeder. The orioles may remove the bee guards, they do on mine. I have hung two hummingbird feeders, one right on our deck so the orioles and chickadees avoid it, but the hummers still use it.

Flowers. Don't forget flowers! The sugar water is calories, but the flower nectar provides some nutrition.

Habitat. Hummingbirds are tiny flycatchers. They nest almost anywhere, and you'll see them hunting in the trees and gardens for insects.

Best Advice, Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!

crisp detail, beautiful colors. nicely done!

Wow, Capn - you're approach is innovative and effective. Terrific photos!!

Jer

Thanks to all for the comments. These little guys are easier to photograph than other types of birds.--charliezap