How To Photograph Flying Hummingbirds

I’m Kunito Imai, a nature photographer in Tokyo. I visited Ecuador to photograph hummingbirds. Here are some tips to capture them in-flight.

1. Shutter speed must be 1/1000 or higher to stabilize the bird on your image. 1/1600 or higher is ideal.

2. I recommend a 100-400mm zoom lens. 300mm would also work well. You can cope with an even wider range of situations with a teleconverter.

3. Hummingbirds are quite territorial and tend to return to the same spot again and again. So if you find a bird you’re looking for, wait there for it to come back.

4. Don’t use external lights. They ruin the birds’ natural colors.

More info: ikunito.com

How To Photograph Flying Hummingbirds

Kunito Imai

Author, Community member

Kunito Imai lives in Tokyo and works for the local administration. He spends his free time photographing nature with passion. Even in the middle of the metropolis, he constantly searches for a bit of nature that can provide sufficient motifs for him to unleash his creativity.