Most of the time, you will find me photographing families. As a RI family photographer, creating memories for families is what I love doing. But when I’m not working taking photos of families, you will likely find me taking photos of hummingbirds, at least from April through October.

I am obsessed with these tiny birds! In Rhode Island, we see ruby throated hummingbirds almost exclusively. They arrive in late April and stay through late September or early October. They are fascinating to watch and photograph, and I often watch them for hours. But if you are newer to photography or to photographing hummingbirds in particular, it can also be a little frustrating. Here are some tips to get you started and to help ease that frustration.

1. Use a long focal length

A male ruby throated hummingbird is sitting at a feeder, looking up in the air. The background behind him is green.

Using a long focal length helps put distance between you and the birds. Hummingbirds can be shy and cautious, especially when they first arrive in the spring, but if you’re not right up on their feeders or flowers, they’re more likely to approach their feeders or flowers. The lenses I use most often for hummingbirds are a 200-800, 100-400, and occasionally my 200 f2 when the light is really low and using a wider aperture is needed, though 200mm will put me pretty close to the birds. I’m more likely to use the 200 at the end of the season when the birds are more used to me being around. Using longer focal lengths also may allow you to stay indoors and shoot through an open window, which will make birds more comfortable.

A long lens will also help to compress the background and make it appear more blurred, even if you’re not using a super wide aperture.

2. Settings are important

Female ruby throated hummingbird in flight with wings up. Background is green.

The camera and focus settings used when photographing hummingbirds are super important. They move fast, so a fast shutter speed is key. If you want to freeze their wings, you’ll want really fast shutter speeds (1/2000 and up; sometimes depending on where their wings are in the wingbeat sequence even 1/4000 isn’t quite enough). If you’re OK with wings not always being completely sharp and having a little blur (I am!), you can use shutter speeds that are a bit slower to freeze the bird but have a little wing blur. Make sure you’re using continuous autofocus. If your camera has animal eye autofocus, it’s great to use but if not, use a single focus point toggled to where you need it. Even with eye autofocus, I sometimes will select my own focus point as eye AF can occasionally have a tough time picking up bird eyes. Having continuous shutter enabled is also key.

3. Get some bird-friendly flowers

Photo of a male hummingbird drinking out of an orange cuphea flower. The background is green.

Having feeders is a fantastic way to attract hummingbirds, and will allow for so many photos. You may prefer to have photos in the birds’ more natural environment, though. If that’s the case, introduce some hummingbird-friendly or pollinator-friendly plants into your world. If you don’t have a lot of space, you can have these in a window box or a hanging basket. If you have bird-friendly plants, chances are your birds will gravitate to those first. Research what plants work well for your climate.

4. Be patient, and realize that sometimes the rules have to be broken.

Photo of a male ruby throated hummingbird sitting on a hydrangea stalk

Taking photos of hummingbirds is a huge exercise in patience. You may be waiting awhile for them to show up to your feeders or flowers. Be patient. They will come. You will learn to hear them before you see them. You will learn they often come right at dawn or at dusk when it’s nearly dark. You will learn that early in the season, you will see the males much less than the females, because the females are sitting on the nests taking care of young. You will learn that the birds often can be found right near the feeders (our males sometimes sit right under the feeders on plant stalks, guarding them). You may also find that sometimes it’s impossible to have a high shutter speed, but you can still get the shot. Our birds are often out right at or slightly after sunset. If they’re sitting, I can take their photo with a pretty low shutter speed if I’m steady, and I may be pushing my ISO pretty high. This photo was taken at ISO 51,200 and a shutter speed of 1/125, which is overall pretty insane for hummingbird photography, but once you know “the rules”, you can decide when it makes sense to break them.

Are you a hummingbird photographer too? Let me know in the comments!

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