Exposure is the most difficult component. Trial and error (experimentation) is perhaps the best method for determining proper exposure. The background and lighting on the subject as well as the background and the metering method will determine your exposure. My goal is to expose for the subject such that there is detail in the feathers and a catchlight in the eyes and I don't worry about the exposure of the background. In my case, I only have about 1/2 hour of decent natural light to work with each day and I supplement the natural light with a flash set about 1 1/2 feet above the camera. The flash is generally set to underexpose by 1-2 stops. This provides a catchlight in the eyes and some detail in the feathers.
I use either spot or center-weighted metering most of the time and compensate according to the color of the bird (light colored birds around +1 stop and dark colored birds around -1 stop).
The camera is set to aperature priority mode usually at f8. Since the bird is about 20 feet from the camera, this provides acceptable depth of field.
Backyard birds don't sit still for more than a fraction of a second. Thus a high shutter speed is essential. I have found that a shutter speed of 1/100th sec is necessary for consistently sharp photos. This translates to an ISO rating of 400 or 800.
Hummingbirds present a particular challenge because they are so small and move so fast. Focusing is difficult as is exposure. My approach, given below, removes the uncertainties of focusing on a small, fast moving object as well as the problems of obtaining a good exposure thus practically guaranteeing excellent photographs of these exotic creatures.
Equipment
Nikon D2X
Close-focusing lens around 250mm
3 flash units with optical or radio slaves
3 flash stands
Tripod
Remote control for camera
Background and background stand (both are homemade)
Hummingbirds (feeders will attract them!)
Method
Placing feeders in your yard may/will attract hummingbirds. We have four feeders. Once the hummingbirds start arriving at your feeders, it is time to go to work.
Set up your equipment as in the photo below.
Camera setup
The camera is placed about 6 feet from the subject with the focal length chosen to include more area than needed (the hummingbirds move around and are not entirely predictable). Set the camera for manual focusing and prefocus the camera by having an assistant hold a small hummingbird sized object where you expect the hummingbird to be. Because of the mobility of the hummingbirds and the need for adequate depth of field try an aperature of f16-f22. The shutter speed should be set to your camera's flash sync speed (in my case it is 1/250 sec). The camera should be at the same height as the subject point.
Background
I use a piece of poster board that has been painted to my liking to provide a pleasing and natural looking background. Actually, I change the paint scheme frequently so no two photos have the same background. The background is taped or clamped to a background stand (may be anything such as a pipe or piece of wood stuck in the ground) about 6 to 7 feet beyond the subject point. With a telephoto lens, the background will be sufficiently out of focus so that small imperfections will not be noticeable nor will the fact that it is painted and not natural. Next set up a flash unit to serve as the backgound light. The purpose of the background light is to prevent the background from going black (ugh). If the background light is about 4 feet from the background, a power setting of 1/4 - 1/8 on manual is sufficient although it can be varied to taste.
Hummingbirds
At this point I tape over all holes in the feeders with masking tape and I will add a flower sitting in a small pot on a tripod at the focus point. This forces the birds to go to your flower for food rather than the feeders. In addition, I use an eyedropper and insert a few drops of food into the center of the flower.
Flashes
One flash is on the camera's hot shoe, one is to left of the camera and the third is to the right of the camera. I like to place one of these flashes above the bird and the other below, both about 1 - 2 feet from the bird. Both flashes should be set to manual with a power setting of about 1/16. This is adequate to stop the motion of the wings enough so that some feather detail is visible but not all motion is stopped. The exact power setting of these 3 flashes depends on the amount of ambient light and how much motion you want to stop. I prefer shooting on cloudy days in the shade.
Once again check your focus and exposure with a small object held by your assistant, make any final adjustments, pick up your remote and have a seat 20-25 feet away with a cool drink and wait for the hummingbirds to appear (late evening or early mornings are best).
Once the hummingbirds start appearing, take a few practice shots and fine tune your setup.
That's all there is to it!
Good Shooting
Nikon D2X or Nikon D2H
