Big Plastic Flowers

[tsiya]

I am getting some almost decent photos of the Ruby Throated pair coming to My feeder, but the plastic flowers obscure too much Hummer. Can I cut them down, or off altogether? I suspect they are there more to attract buyers than birds.

[Dave B Smith]

Tsiya,
Yes, you can cut them down (or even remove them if this doesn't cause a leak). Once the hummers have found the feeder, they'll keep returning. One good technique I've found for photographing the hummers is to set the camera up on a tripod and prefocus on a point to the right (or left) of one of the flower openings (I tape the others closed so I know where he'll feed). Then you'll notice that once the hummer comes to feed he'll consistently back up from the flower to the same spot each time, then come in and drink and back off, then come in and drink again several times (assuming you don't have a landing ring on the feeder). I line up my shot for the time he is at the backed off position from the feeder and then it's just a matter of hitting the shutter release at the right time. This way the feeder isn't in the photo at all. I also set up the feeder in the shade so I can use flash to freeze the wings.

To add more interest later you can also add real flowers at your feeder just when you are ready to phograph and he'll check them out.

[tsiya]

You answered more of My problems than I asked for. I have perches on the feeder, but they don't add to the interest of a photo. The Oly C2500 has an IR remote, I've been using that, but had not thought of adding some real flowers. They have been feeding on Mimosa blossoms, but those are dropping now. If I sit still, the birds will come within 4 or 5 feet, they are fascinating to watch.