Hummingbird moth

[Ian]

EDIT - I've improved my technique! See: here

There is room for improvement; 1,000th sec is not fast enough to reduce the wing beat blur, for a start. Also, the little beasties do dart around!

[kazandlee]

Incredible photos and such detail.

[blackfox]

well taken seen them abroad but never got a shot

[Ian]

I understand they can be common in the UK. They are migratory and it depends on the prevailing conditions.

[wanderer]

I have seen them in the Scottish Borders and once, about 10 years ago, in the garden in Penicuik.
Like Nuthatches they are spreading north.

[Harold Gough]

In some years we get one pass through but haven't seen one pause to feed, although we have Valerian, which I believe they like.

Harold

[Ian]

I thought I'd ask for some advice - should I attempt to freeze the wing action more, or is the motion blur better for the overall result?

Ian

[Tordan58]

Nice photos. I think they could benefit from longer exposure time, as much as you dare without risking motion blur on the eyes. Even if you push the ISO further and open the aperture to F/4 the wings will still be blurred at 1/4000s. To freeze the wings you will need a flash.

[Harold Gough]

Don't freeze the action.

Harold

[BDennis]

Great photos Ian what lens are you using out of interest?

We have had them some years here in Bedfordshire around our Buddleia when it is in flower. I used the 40-150 f2.8 taking shots at about 1/1250s and the wings were still blurred. I also stopped down a bit for some DoF. I have also seen them around front gardens in summer when walking around a town where I used to work (Aylesbury).

I think freezing them totally (if it is possible!) might look a bit clinical but I want to try a higher shutter speed next time to show some detail on the wings. I think a little bit of blur adds interest? I’d say to try varying shutter speeds in M or S mode to see how it goes if they are around and predictable. It would be good to get examples of a bit of both frozen action and some blur effects maybe..a frozen shot with detail visible on the wings would be interesting as we just see these insects as blurred motion with our eyes!

Bill

[Ian]

Great photos Ian what lens are you using out of interest?

We have had them some years here in Bedfordshire around our Buddleia when it is in flower. I used the 40-150 f2.8 taking shots at about 1/1250s and the wings were still blurred. I also stopped down a bit for some DoF. I have also seen them around front gardens in summer when walking around a town where I used to work (Aylesbury).

I think freezing them totally (if it is possible!) might look a bit clinical but I want to try a higher shutter speed next time to show some detail on the wings. I think a little bit of blur adds interest? I’d say to try varying shutter speeds in M or S mode to see how it goes if they are around and predictable. It would be good to get examples of a bit of both frozen action and some blur effects maybe..a frozen shot with detail visible on the wings would be interesting as we just see these insects as blurred motion with our eyes!

Bill

I had the 40-150 Pro plus MC-14. I was using f/8 for extra DOF and ISO 800 at first and then ISO 1600.

I was getting between 1/1000th and 1/1250th. It will be difficult to freeze the wings without, say, flash, but I suspect 1/4000th could render a better definition of the wings, especially at the top of each beat when the speed of the wing reduces. A fast burst sequence to get the right moment in the wing beat cycle will probably do the trick!

Ian