Lauren Heerschap
March 2025 - Humming Bird Costa Rica
About the Image(s)
On a recent trip to Costa Rica, we photographed hummingbirds of intense colors. ISO 25,600, 90 mm, 1/2500 sec. Yes that high ISO is correct, it helped catch it in flight; and I processed it in Lightroom.
9 comments posted
The diagonal curve of the tail feathers - body - beak form a great compositional element. One rarely sees the detail in the wings in flight displayed in this image. The abundance of foliage gives me the feeling of peering through dense foliage to discover a remarkable creature. In this image busy is good. Posted: 03/11/2025 13:04:47
Thank you Judith for your kind words. I worried about the "busy - ness" of the image, but I think that is what these birds are all about. Posted: 03/12/2025 14:15:25
I wouldn't worry about being "too busy," with your natural wildlife shot. It tells us something about the critter, and it'd your image. Not one where the "photographers" line up to place their tripod legs just where the guy in front of him placed his tripod. Is that really his shot. Posted: 03/14/2025 17:43:22
Hi Lauren, Hummingbirds can be a challenge. The hign ISO and shutter speed make this nice image possible. Showing the environment helps us understand the bird and its habitat, a point overlooked by many nature photographers with huge lenses. You succeeded in this challenging situation. Karl Posted: 03/12/2025 10:02:58
Thank you. I consider that a high value comment! Posted: 03/12/2025 14:13:51
Thank you! Posted: 03/12/2025 14:14:19
The color is FANTASTIC! Nice job also on the clarity. Posted: 03/13/2025 19:18:42
Great job catching that difficult bird in its natural environment. In his comment above Karl referred to nature photographers with big lenses. Lots of them use set ups where they pre-focus with auto strobe next to a feeding station. While they will usually get great images, I wouldn't trade fifty of those, for your image. well done. Posted: 03/14/2025 17:33:53
Lauren, that's an excellent hummingbird shot. The results are excellent, especially considering you used ISO 25600. Regarding the noise on the body, Topaz currently handles noise reduction much more effectively than Lightroom. You might be pleasantly surprised by the results. The colors are also superb Posted: 03/15/2025 10:35:48