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I’m Kunito Imai, a nature photographer in Tokyo. I visited Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica 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
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I’m Kunito Imai, a nature photographer in Tokyo and 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
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
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
Don’t use external lights. They ruin the birds’ natural colors
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What do you think ?
Nancy E 8 years ago
Your photos are works of art. I have large flower gardens that the hummingbirds & other birds frequent during the day. I've never yet caught a hummingbird picture. I'll sit down in the gardens , &, am really somewhat unseen .... but, not to hummingbirds. I wear drab clothes, hunkering down for shots, & , these dive at me , time & time again...year after year. They squawk , fight, &, dive . My neighbor had a feeder for them, but, took it down for, their dives left holes in her screens.
Rene J Hueppi 8 years ago
Here are 15 at our feeder (2 through the container) ... Happy flights Rene J Hueppi 14-Rufus-5...9c7631.jpg 
Dani Donovan 8 years ago
Wow! That’s amazing! We usually have about 5 or 6 but they are so territorial they won’t share the same feeder. They spend a lot of time chasing each other. They are magical creatures, though!
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David Jeu 8 years ago
My question is, how do you focus this fast? Even in AF-C i have hard time capturing pictures of flying birds.
Kunito Imai (Post author) 8 years ago
SONY A9 can keep up with their motions. And it is easier when you predict the bird’s next move.
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Nancy E 8 years ago
Your photos are works of art. I have large flower gardens that the hummingbirds & other birds frequent during the day. I've never yet caught a hummingbird picture. I'll sit down in the gardens , &, am really somewhat unseen .... but, not to hummingbirds. I wear drab clothes, hunkering down for shots, & , these dive at me , time & time again...year after year. They squawk , fight, &, dive . My neighbor had a feeder for them, but, took it down for, their dives left holes in her screens.
Rene J Hueppi 8 years ago
Here are 15 at our feeder (2 through the container) ... Happy flights Rene J Hueppi 14-Rufus-5...9c7631.jpg
Dani Donovan 8 years ago
Wow! That’s amazing! We usually have about 5 or 6 but they are so territorial they won’t share the same feeder. They spend a lot of time chasing each other. They are magical creatures, though!
Load More Replies... David Jeu 8 years ago
My question is, how do you focus this fast? Even in AF-C i have hard time capturing pictures of flying birds.
Kunito Imai (Post author) 8 years ago
SONY A9 can keep up with their motions. And it is easier when you predict the bird’s next move.
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