Who said hummingbirds were easy?

You know they all look alike and I wanted a photo that would look different. I tried by the flowers but it would never show when I was ready. I tried close up but the DOF was always a problem. I finally gave in and decided to take it's picture at the feeder like so many I've seen before, and you know I'm just happy to finally get the picture. I'm proud of it just because I worked so hard at getting it.

This was taken at f11 and obviuosly the shutter speed did not matter.

Canon 20d
70-200 L series on a tripod with a 1.4 converter.
Used an umbrella on the flash

I failed too many times so I finally pulled out the big light to make sure I had the proper DOF. I'll try again for the flower picture but you know I waited all summer just for the bird to even show up.

I'm happy and now I can only try to improve next time, if I can catch her before she flies south. I hope it looks as good after resizing.

BTW, in case your thinking about the black background and the shutter speed, this picture was actually taken after sunset. there really was no available light.

As an addendum to this post, we now have this hummingbird flying by our heads on a daily basis. We sit two feet from the feeder and she just goes about her business. Photo opportunities are so great and you know we have about three of them now that keep fighting by bumping chest's. The other funny thing I noticed as I was watching her is that these hummingbirds have a tongue as long as their beak. She lands in front of me after visiting a flower and sticks this tongue out like a snake. Funny as hell and although I tried to get a photo of it she jumped so hard she was blurred. Other thing funny was when she scratched... I never really saw such a tiny bird so flexible. I'll attach that photo just for kicks.

My brother, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, tried to re-install a newly filled feeder. The little buggers kept poking the "flowers" on his shirt.
They are awesome and have, absolutely no fear.

Jake