Capturing Hummingbirds (in photos)

One of nature's most eye-catching birds are hummingbirds. Their colorful feathers and brilliant gorgets (the brightly-colored throats seen the males of many hummingbird species) are a sight to behold. The hummingbird I am trying to capture, the Anna's hummingbirds that hang around the school garden, can also be a challenge for even the best of photographers, with their small, quick frame and wings that beat 40-50 times per second in flight.

This is the level of photography that I am aiming for:

(Photo taken from National Audubon Society) http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/annas-hummingbird

Hopefully, with enough practice and patience, I'll eventually be able to take a picture like that. I have been working on this for several months now (since last November), and I'd like to say that there is evidence of progress! Let's take a look:

Taken early to mid November, 2017. Call it natural skill, patience, or beginners luck, but this photo is a pretty good start. It's a bit crowded for my liking and the depth of field isn't focused enough. Otherwise, I was able to capture the Anna's hummingbird pretty well!

On a tangent, it is possible to tell the gender of an Anna's hummingbird based on coloring; the males have the vibrant red gorets and the females are more brown and pale in color. Let's see if I can capture the bright features of a male Anna's:

Taken sometime late December 2017. The quality of the picture itself if very unprofessional. The gorget is not clear enough and the background mixes with the colors of the hummingbird; there is no clear subject. Additionally, I think the ISO is too high. The timing is great though, I just need to work on my other camerawork.

Taken January 23, 2018. This was taken from about 50 other failed attempts. The picture itself is a bit grainy and busy for my liking, but it does a fantastic job of capturing the female Anna's and making her the center of the shot. She pairs nicely with the orange cape honeysuckle as well.

So in these past 3 months, I think it's safe to say I've improved my hummingbird photographing abilities! Even without the "right" materials, I can still get some respectable shots that can only improve with time.

I'll be posting more about the hummingbirds later on!