Hummingbirds 

Monday, August 25, 2008 12:00:00 AM

My neighbor Dave took an interest in Hummingbirds this year by placing a feeder in a tree in his front yard. Once he got the correct mixture if water and sugar, 4 parts water to 1 part sugar, the hummingbirds started showing up. Dave had been watching the birds for several weeks when he asked me to look some information up on the Internet about the birds. Of course, I immediately went to Wikipedia and found some good information. I read up and became interested myself but for another reason, I wanted to photograph the birds while hovering around the feeder. I have always had an interest in photography, my Dad is what I would call a semi-pro photographer, and in November 2004 my business partner Todd Lewis and I both purchased Nikon D70 cameras. I have always been impressed with the capabilities of the camera and even though it has been superceded by newer models it is more than enough camera for my needs. Saturday afternoon I decided to purchase a wireless remote for the D70, Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Controller for about $18, in hopes of using it to capture the hummingbirds in flight around the feeder. My first attempt at capturing the hummingbirds was this afternoon and I consider it a great success. I was able to capture several different birds from several different angles before an early afternoon thunderstorm interrupted. Yes, not all of the photos are in focus and there is some noise but overall not too bad for a first attempt.  Below are a few of the pictures captured with my Nikon D70 using a Nikkor 18-70mm lens and Nikon SB-600 Speedlight on a tripod. I stood slightly out of frame about 15 feet away using the wireless remote and sports mode preset on the camera. I plan to experiment with manual modes, flash / non-flash combinations and possibly different lenses.  I am hooked!

My First Hummingbird Photo 1    My First Hummingbird Photo 2    My First Hummingbird Photo 3

My First Hummingbird Photo 4    Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008    Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008

Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008    Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008    Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008

Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008    Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008    Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008

Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008    Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008    Hummingbird - Rittman, OH - 08/2008
Copyright 2008 Craig E. Beltz