Snap! a Hummingbird
Snapping a hummingbird in action is probably one of the most difficult things I have ever tried photography wise. This bird’s wings move between 12 and 80 times per second, which makes it almost impossible to catch it on camera.
Almost.
See, if you take the time and wait for it, you’ll be able to get some good shots. I know I did, and around Monteverde entrance area there were plenty of hummingbirds flying around.
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TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING HUMMINGBIRDS
Costa Rica is home to no less than 51 hummingbird species, so you will have lots of opportunity to get some great pictures. It took me a good 30 minutes or so to get these pictures, and while battling my patience I learned a few tricks that I will now share with ya’ll.
- Predict where they’ll be. Hummingbirds cluster around feeders and other food sources. This means that you can usually predict where they will be with some certainty.
- Get close to them. Generally, you don’t have to take a lot of precautions to hide yourself when attempting close photography. When they fly off, simply stand still and they will come back in a few seconds.
- If you have the equipment: Use a tripod and lens to get sharp close-ups (Had I used my tripod, the photos would have been much sharper.)
- Be patient. This is the best advise I can give you. While trying to capture the hummingbirds on camera, I noticed that they have a pattern: They approach the feeder. They eat. Hover. And repeat. If you wait for them to fly into the spot you have focused on, you’ll get the picture you want.
More posts from Costa Rica you might like
- A quick Costa Rica travel guide
- 10 days in Costa Rica: The ultimate Costa Rica itinerary
- 10 epic things to do in Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica
- Costa Rica on a budget – How much does it cost?
- Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica – Everything you need to know
- The Lovely El Punto | Costa Rica
- What to expect from a Monteverde night tour (Finca Santa Maria)
- Selvatura Park: How to spend an action-packed day
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Wow, well done! I had so much trouble trying to catch them in South America and never got any shots as great as these. My dodgy camera delay definitely wasn’t helpful, but probably a bit more patience would have helped too!
Thanks, Katie! It was definitely an ordeal of patience 🙂
I am very much an amateur photographer, but I recently got some lovely pictures of hummingbirds. My new travel camera has a setting for taking fast moving objects. It is designed to photograph sports in action but it worked beautifully on hummingbirds. Essentially it just keeps clicking and somehow combines the photos into one image – I think. I imagine it is quite a common feature on most small cameras.
That is a great setting, and I’m glad to hear that it’s working! I have it on mine too, but the photo quality is not too good. I prefer manual settings 🙂