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Re: [OM] Hummingbird photography -- oops 180 more tips

Subject: Re: [OM] Hummingbird photography -- oops 180 more tips
From: "Thomas H. Hogan" <flzhgn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 20:33:18 -0700
Okay Lee -- I'll go through the message with additions & corrections --
Hank
R. Lee Hawkins wrote:
> 
> In your message dated: Sun, 26 Apr 1998 23:16:32 PDT you write:
> >Dear Lee,
> >
> >Here are some tips:
> >       1. Get someone to set up a feeder for you in advance. =20
> >          (one part white granulated sugar to four parts water (boiled))
> >
> >       2. Place the feeder in an area that is shaded from the sun (East side
> >of house)
> >           High enough that the birds are out of harms (cats) way but
> >low enough for the
> >           camera on a tripod.=20
> 
> Already taken care of, thanks to Mom.  She's been watching these
> hummingbirds outside her dining room window for over 10 years now, so
> these pics are as much for her as for me :)
> 
   Also note: To catch the iridescence try to get the hummingbird to
face toward the camera
              with your film plane perpendicular (90degrees) to the
direction of the sun
              (back to the sun) even though the direct sun is blocked by
the house.
              In this way you'll be more likely to catch the iridescence
of the male's
              ruby red gorget -- if the males are in the breeding
plumage.

> >       3. Use a white reflector.  I use a 2ft X 3ft piece of foam core board.

        Also note: With a slide film the white background will be transparent
so you
                   will have the possibility of making a sandwich or
other effects.
                   It's best to start off with white background.  Light
blue (sky blue) will
                   also work but I have my best shots with white
backgrounds.
> 
> Easy enough to do.  There is a wall immediately behind the feeder.
> 
> >
> >       4. The trick for stop action of the wings is to use the thyristor
> >control
> >           in the flash units by facing pairs of flash units
> >perpendicular to each other
> >           so that they cut each other off with the shortest flash
> >duration (1/40,000 sec)
> 
> To me, "perpendicular" means this:  ***    OOPS with two flashes you need 180 
> degrees

>                                          WHITE Background
                                        __________________________
>         hummer <--------- Flash                
>         ^                         Flash-----> hummer <-----Flash (Nine inches 
> from hummer)
>         |                                       ^          T32's can be 
> further away
>         |                                       |             
>         |                                     Flash
>         F                                       on 
>         l                                     Camera
>         a
>         s
>         h
> 
> Is this really what you mean, or do you mean:  (YES!)
> 
>    Flash ------->  Hummer  <--------- Flash
> 
> Also, the OM won't fire the flash if the shutter speed is > 1/60th.
> Won't I get considerable blur?  Or do hummers come out at night? 

(No they roost overnight   and sometimes go into a state called torpor.)
  You'll need to set the camera for the blue 1/60th Auto (OM2S) with a
motor drive
  The motor drive is often more frightening to the hummingbird than the
flash
  Try to figure out away to provide an escape path for the bird because
they will want
  to rise up and away from the danger (Noisy OM2S motor driven shutter
chatter)  Sometimes
  if you are standing 50 feet away holding a remote cord they will come
and "tweep" at you.

 They are very attacted to the color red.  If you wear a red shirt or
jacket they might pose
 for you just inches away from your lens.

  Using a 200 on a 25mm extension will give you some working distance
but you'll need a
  long flash cord.

  Sometimes I'll put a flower pot where the feeder use to be.  Sometimes
the birds will feed
  from the flowers (a natural behavior) especially the Red Penstemon.  

  Be sure to put the sugar water back in the same location that they
memorized after a few shots 
  because they really depend on that as an energy source.  If they can't
they will change 
  their route and you won't have any hummers to photograph.  They have
to constantly be on the 
  lookout for more calories because of their phenomenal metabolic rate
(higher than any mammal
  except the shrew)
  I like to set my camera so that the readings are four stops
underexposed without flash
  (Usually f5.6 or f8 at ASA 100)
> Or is the blur so fast that it won't be noticeable?
>   
   Also note:   The film speed should be medium or slow (Velvia, or
Elite 50-100)
> >       5. If you have a flash that does not have thyristor control you can 
> > use
> >it to illuminate
> >           the background reflector card (white is best)if it does not
> >over power the other
> >           thyristor controlled units. Slave strobe units (Wein) are
> >really handy.
> 
> Not a problem, they're all T32's
> 
> >
> >        5.5 A sandbag and some bungy cords will help stabilize a tripod
> >that has a reflector=20
> >            extra tripods are handy for flash units as are clamps.
> 
> I'll just tack the reflector to the wall :)
> 
> >
> >       6. A 200 mm lens on 25mm extension works well for me but I also like 
> > to
> >use a 50mm or
> >           the 200mm f4 on a Vivitar zoom extension TC=20
> 
> Great, already got both of those.
>
  A wide angle very close to the tip of a tube feeder can result in
amazing
  close ups when the lens is at its minimum focus (just inches away) 
> >
> >       7. For remote photos an air bulb shutter release will be very handy
> >even if you=20
> >          have a motor drive!
>   I use the air release to snap the exposure combined with the motordrive
    to wind the film.  With a tele lens you can look through the lens
and
    when it looks right snap it.
> I'll use my M.Remote Cord w/gigantic extension connected to my Winder
> II.
> 
> Here's an ASCII representation of what I have in mind:
> 
>                                                         /
>                                                        /
>                                                       /|
>                                                       || W
>                                                       || a
>                                                       || l
>        Camera w/ Flash          Flash off to side   * || l
>               ---                         -         F ||
>               | |                        |-|        e ||
>               ---                         -         e ^|
>                |                          |         d R|
>               / \                         |         e e|
>              /   \                        |         r f|
>  --------------------------------         |           l|
>    |     Table               |           / \          e|
>    |                         |          /   \         c|
>    |                         |         /     \        t|
>    |                         |        /       \       o|
>    |                         |       /         \      r|
> --------------------------------------------------------
>                     Deck
> 
> How does this setup look?  I assume the flashes should be set to normal
> auto to get the quickest discharge?  Yes with the switch at f4 position which
  allow maximum illumination of the thyristor photo cell.

  This would be good for getting the back side of the bird but you might
  want to get the hummer to look into the lens.

  Be very careful not to drop the T32's I've done this and it was very
  expensive to get them fixed!

  I like to shoot out of an open window at a feeder with a background
card
  on a tripod (sandbagged) about three feet in back of the feeder.

  You can make your own feeder out of a red Coke can by punching a 
  1/4 inch hole in the side of the can.  The pop top can be bent and a
  string attached.  Wash out the old can and fill it up to the hole
  with ~23ugar water (boiled) 1 part sugar to 4 parts water

  Let me see some hummingbird photos someday!
Hank Hogan
> 
> Cheers,
> --Lee
> 
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-- 
Hank Hogan --

BTW,  I'm looking for a job as a biological science research
    technician.  If you know of anyone who might need a technician
    with my skills (see resume on my home page) please let me know.
-- 
Thomas ?Hank? Hogan
Biologist, Photographer, Web Designer
mailto:flzhgn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.netcom.com/~flzhgn/indexc.htm

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