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By Chuck Koehler

28 Aug 2009

Four years goes by in no time! It was that long ago that I saw a hummingbird feeder full of birds at my father's house. I had never really paid any attention at all to these fascinating creatures, but then I thought - "what an interesting subject for photography". Fast forward to the present and WOW was I right, but what I hadn't counted on was how much it taught me, and continues to teach me, about photography! It also taught me patience, lots and lots of patience.

When I started I would sit for hours and hours with camera in hand waiting for birds at the target feeder. Then, when the moment arrived I would try and raise the camera and - ooops, too late, the bird spooked and flew off. OK, so another fifteen or twenty minutes in the ninety degree plus direct sunlight for another opportunity.

This time I kept my D200 with it's 70mm to 300mm Quantaray Macro lens pointed at the feeder with my eye next to the viewfinder - always focusing on the spigot. Another bird and I would attempt to follow him and focus - did I say focus - on a moving hummingbird - I must have been nuts! At any rate I was like an addict! I couldn't put the camera down when there was the possibility that there would be birds at the feeder. If I didn't want to waste hours on end I was better off not to start.

Waiting patiently for another fifteen to twenty for another opportunity. Concentrate - focus on the spigot – the entire time my camera and I are being baked by the sun until I start to doze and then - crap another one just flew away! But I just closed my eyes for a fraction of a second and - another lost opportunity. And so it went that first year, trying to handhold the camera in the bright sun and dozing off frequently missing opportunity after opportunity. And when I did get the shots I was most times disappointed. Even so, there were a few shots that were decent, but I knew that there must be a better way.

Summary of the first year:

· I was convinced that to freeze motion and get the most sharpness I needed to get the highest possible shutter speed in conjunction with the smallest possible aperture.

· I thought that I had to focus on the moving birds.

· I thought that I needed to handhold the camera.

· I thought that I should use my longest telephoto lens – which is the cheapest glass that I own.

Year two and a fresh new start. I wasn't going to be as stupid as I was last year - no not me. This year having learned from my mistakes I mounted the feeder close to the window so that I could sit inside the comfort of the air-conditioned house and snap away. Screens out and the window opened enough for the barrel of the lens to stick through, seems like I am ready! Since I would be inside I wouldn't frighten the birds as much either. I also mounted the camera on a tripod but still attempted to swivel and tilt the camera into position. I was sure that this would work.

Nope, a clear miscalculation. I tried a lot of different experiments that are too embarrassing to explain in detail, but generally they all were attempts at creating a setup that would allow the highest shutter speed possible with the smallest aperture possible. I did get a lot of better shots - and even a few good ones, but the investment in time and effort was not proportional. I got more good pictures by means of sheer time and percentage of total shots. Thousands and thousands of mediocre hummingbird shots.

Summary of the second year:

· I was still convinced that to freeze motion and get the most sharpness I needed to get the highest possible shutter speed in conjunction with the smallest possible aperture.

· I still thought that I had to focus on the moving birds.

· I continued to think that I needed to manually point and focus the camera.

· I struggled to find the best method to take the picture and wasn't able to concentrate on the settings to get the optimum captures

· I thought that I should use my longest telephoto lens – which is the cheapest glass that I own.

Year three enters with my D200 and Camera Control 2 from Nikon. Now I can control the camera remotely! So, I set up the feeder on our back deck and place the tripod and remote flashes strategically around it. I link a bunch of USB cables daisy chained to make it to the downstairs studio where I have my computers and other camera gear. I had my doubts that this would work, and for once I was correct. I had to go purchase a thirty-foot USB cable to run downstairs. Now it works.

Even though I have this elaborate setup, I still need to visually see the birds at the feeder, so I open the downstairs window (the same one the USB cable is going through, and angle a mirror on my desktop so that I can see the birds as I work on the computer! Ain't I brilliant!

Finally the birds show up. I see them in the frame and fire the shutter, again and again for at least twenty or thirty shots. Anxiously I run upstairs and retrieve my CF Card. Surely there are at least a few fantastic shots! Nothing - nada - Zippo! A lot of hummingbird butt as they fled the camera. I could see them react to the capture, but I was sure that they weren't fast enough to elude the 1/500th or higher setting that I had on the camera?

Camera back to the lab and more shooting and testing until I determine that the very firing of the camera is too slow and the birds are reacting to the mirror going up and fly a few inches away until the horrendous noise stops and then it is back to the spigot! Wait a second, hold the phone, it's the flashes! I hadn't been using a flash that often until this year and when the flashes are set to TTL the Pre-Flash is the major culprit.

With the flashes set to TTL the pre-flash was scaring them away, and by the time the actual flash and exposure have occurred they are gone. The noise still factors in, but what can I do about it? Camera Control Pro doesn't allow the Mirror Up Mode. (mirror up is a mode that is used to eliminate vibrations when the camera is on a tripod and even the slightest vibration will cause motion blur)

OK, so now I focus the camera manually on a spot and set the flashes to Manual. Camera back in place and - tense music goes here - IT WORKS! (a little better) OK, noise bad, pre-flash bad, and with the new information I am getting a higher percentage of acceptable shots. So for the rest of the year I get better shots but I haven't even begun to worry about the best exposures and flash settings yet! I am still thinking that the best option is to try and get the fastest shutter speed possible to stop motion.

Summary of the third year:

· I started to realize that the flash was a secret to success. I always knew that flash would stop motion, and that it would allow smaller apertures, but I was concerned that it would permanently spook the birds. I was learning

· I started to focus on where the birds would be instead of trying to focus on a tiny bullet fast object.

· I realized that leaving the camera static on a tripod was the best option for many reasons.

· I had found better methods to capture the subject and began working and fine tuning camera settings

· I started to use my best lens which was only a 60mm Micro Nikkor. I had to get close.

Year four rolls around and I am confident that I can build upon the successes of last year. This year I have my D300 and the possibility to use Live View. I have high hopes for the ability to see the subject remotely through the camera so that I can capture the perfect image.

Back upstairs with the camera and cables and - technical difficulties. The cable doesn't make a great connection and the camera repeatedly falls out of communication with the software. Insert loud and consistent vulgar language and various threats to the equipment and software here. I forge ahead and whenever connection is lost (always as soon as the hummingbirds show up) I have to close and re-open the Camera Control software and sometimes have to unplug and re-plug the USB cable. OK, small price (not really) to pay for the masterpieces to follow!

I find out quickly that Live View has it's own set of issues. You can't leave the camera in Live View too long or the sensor overheats and can degrade the image significantly. Also leaving the camera in Live View eats the batteries in short order. So, when the birds appear you have to initiate Live View, which makes quite a noise when the mirror goes up. Then the camera focuses making additional racket. Here come the birds, open live view - birds fly away, I can see the target, bird returns, fire the shutter etc. OK, this may work. Retrieve CF card and NOTHING - worse than before. So the camera comes down to the laboratory for some experimenting.

OK, so I rethink and I decide that the mirror setup and the Camera Control Software are good, Live View is bad. Camera and flashes back upstairs and cable in place. Birds appear in mirror and click, click, click. Another couple of dozen shots and I am positive that the masterpiece is at hand. Nope. What the %$#&? Crap and double crap!

After a few attempts at different setups and configurations I simply decide to mount the feeder downstairs and go sit out under the deck and wait for my prey the old fashioned way again. So, the camera is on a tripod and focused at the spigot (just a little behind the focal point actually) and the flashes are set to fire in remote triggered by the onboard flash - all manual, and the camera is set to mirror up. (I can do this now because I am not using the software any more) I also have a remote release cable in hand so when my victims, er - subjects arrive I won't have to move at all.

Summary of the fourth year:

· Flashes and Flash Settings are working great. Flash is NECESSARY. Apertures can vary depending on the desired effect as can shutter speeds.

· Focusing on the target is working fantastically. Low percentage of missed shots.

· Tripod is the only way to go, and Flashes are mounted on stands with umbrellas.

Using my best glass and also a Kenko Teleconverter that I previously thought was useless. (it pretty much is with the Quantaray lens but with the Nikons it is excellent and lets me get further away.

· Camera settings are fine tuned and adjusted for desired effects.

Here come the birdies and click, the mirror goes up and the birds retreat six inches and then come back, and then click and flash the bird is captured. Now it is click - retreat, click - capture, repeat from daybreak to sunset.

It is comical and rather enjoyable as well because these little birds are full of personality.

There are brave ones who get used to the routine quickly and it becomes a procedure for them - approach the feeder - hear click - jump back - wait a second - jump forward and begin feeding - blinding light and more noise - jump back - wait a second - feed again - etc.

Then there are the bold ones and like the brave ones they set into a procedure as well but after a few cycles they decide to break routine and inspect the situation. They fall back and survey the overall situation and then they inspect the setup piece by piece. Let's have a look at this light - and the other light over here, and the black box that clicks and flashes, and finally (they aren't stupid at all) they fly right over and stare at the human with the remote release in hand. Sometimes they even shift back and forth and forward in aggressive maneuvers to really intimidate you. OK, now back to feeding!

Then there are the timid ones - approach the feeder and click - gone.

At the beginning I felt like Curly of the Three Stooges cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Stuffing the turkey with unopened cans of ingredients, making chicken soup by pouring the boiling water directly through the uncooked bird, putting everything in the oven and finally a giant explosion! Then it progressed to McDonald's type assembly line and from there to short order cook. Now it is finally feeling like I have been through a culinary program and may actually be ready to be a chef!

Now that I am capturing hummingbird images at will it is time to concentrate on camera and flash settings. After all that is why you are still reading this isn't it?

Please see my images on the JPG site or check out my web page for this info to come shortly.

You can find me here:

http://www.koehlercolor.com

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