Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Horizontal lightning

On it's final glide path...I captured another hummingbird this week while it was approaching the feeder.

It came in from the right so fast that I missed it at first...and then came to an abrupt halt right at the feeder. It's wings in the picture tell me that it was reversing it's forward motion at the point of capture.

I posted another humming bird last week and they both have these bizarre green lines in the background. Even though I didn't plan the background...I like the effect..almost adds an Asian touch to the image. When you take pictures with long telephotos...often the background can become distorted or out of focus as it has in these two photos. The background lines are actually a green webbed fence just behind them. When separated from the background grass etc...the fence becomes an interesting part of the portrait of a hummingbird.

Dan

14 comments:

aurbie said...

What can I say? Better than fantastic!

Do check out my new blog, Dan. No HDR, but I think you will enjoy the photos: http://my-fav-photos.blogspot.com.

Once I get a handle on all the negatives that I am scouring through, I am going to try HDR - I am now "officially" retired!

When I get into HDR, I hope I will make you proud, as you are the one who inspired me.

Wow! This photo makes me want to pack up the negs again.

Sunny said...

You post this fantastic picture and I post a dumb chicken! Hahaha!
Sunny :)

J Cosmo Newbery said...

Absolutely stunning!

Anonymous said...

I am amazed how you've captured a mid-air shot like this. I think the background is His way of adding an artistic touch to it. Love it. Poetry in motion.

shabby girl said...

OH MY LORD! I haven't even read your narrative! I was SO EXCITED about this shot, I had to tell you!!!!
UNBELIEVABLE!!!!
okay, now I'll go back & read. :)

shabby girl said...

I'm back. The backround has become ART!
I don't know how that happens, but it's cool!
I must have been in Phoenix for the last Hummer photo.
I'll be back again.

Dan Felstead said...

Patty...I am so glad that you can get back to the kind of photography that is your passion! I tried to go to your site: http://my-fav-photos.blogspot.com. but when I do...I just get a "Blogger Status " update page???? Let me know if you are having trouble accessing y our site as well.

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

Sunny...my visit to your "Chicken" left me rolling on the floor! I also visited Lucy...what a beauty she is.

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

J thank you for the kind words. One of my blogging friends told me there were no hummingbirds in Sweden...are there hummingbirds down under?

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

Pura...if anyone would know about poetry in motion...you would!
Thanks,

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

ShabbyGirl...thank you so much for the kind words. It ake it you are back from the week to Mom's? I will get back to your blog.

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

ShabbyGirl...I am not sure what you mean about the last Hummer photo? Do they just stop off there during the migration and move on?

Dan

DawnTreader said...

Yes I wondered about those background lines... I do think they add a very artistic touch to the whole picture. I still haven't found the concentration to try to get my head around all that "layers" stuff... which I suppose must be part of the secret behind removing unwanted parts of the background ? Anyway I love these hummingbird pictures of yours, they are really wonderful.

Dan Felstead said...

Thanks Dawn Treader...yes that is exactly how it's done. With Photoshop and I think photoshop elements you can "erase" parts from picture. In the cases of the hummingbird pictures...I took out the distraction of the grass and shadows to allow focus on the bird. I have some others It took the same day and I will be posting those as well. I didn't want to post them all at once so folks wouldn't get bored with them.

Dan