I setup to shoot high speed hummingbirds today with my canon 1DMK3 but couldn't charge the camera battery.  So I got out the GH2 and my 100-300 lens but had to change to the 14-140 because I couldn't find my 67mm 6 stop ND filter but had one for the 14-140.  You see, you MUST set the ambient exposure to -5ev in order to get a totally black exposure from the ambient light THEN you add the correct balanced exposure with the 5 high speed flash units set at about 1/32 power and adjust by physically moving the flash unites closer or further from the bird.  THIS IS HOW IT WORKS for multiple manual power lights for humming birds...  I have never tried this with any of the  micro 4/3 cameras (but have mastered it with the Canon 1DMK3) and have been planning on doing so, I was just pushed there today.  The 14-140 just forced me to move the camera closer to the stage, no big deal.  you don't need a long lens, you need lots of flashes!  The 14-140 is likely a better lens anyway!  This is on the tripod with radio remote shutter control and radio triggers between the GH2 and the 5 flashes.  The flash to subject distance is about 8 inches with the flashes making a ring around the subject. The actual flash pulse width is about 1/14000 s which is what stops the wing action!

 

With a little more time I can get it up to the level of the 1DMK3 for this type of work.  I just need to experiment with lenses to see which gives the sharpest picture.  Since the lowest ISO is160 then I will ALWAYS be forced to use a ND filter to reduce the ambient light exposure but that is no big deal. 

So many people fail to realize that in flash photography there are 2 separate and different exposures interacting with each other, ambient and flash and you must learn how to balance and use them to your advantage.

OH NO!  This sound like raving! 

He is kind of a ratty bird but I still love it!


Exif Data:

1/60s, f/14, 5 high speed lights (580 EX2) at 1/32 Power, Pano 14-140 with B+W 6 stop ND filter, wireless flash control system to the canon speed lights, PAN GH2!!

OK, here are 2 iPhone photos showing the setup that I used today.  Notice the flower stuck in the water filled test tube that I used to lure the birds in with drops of nectar on the inside of the flower. 

Great shot for a m4/3 camera.

Personally I wouldn't know where to start to get a shot like that, especially when we don't have any humming birds in the country. 

Amazing photo and a quite unorthodox approach with the background.

i too am in awe of this  effort and result ,wow to the n th degree

Haven't seen any new IR shots from me have you!

No, really.
BTW, how long does it take for the bird to get into your setup?
Do you wait for hours or days?
What is in the syringe?
I would guess water and sugar, but it would require some sort of perfume in order to get the bird attracted, wouldn't it?

Serious set up for serious results 

Thanks for sharing the set-up... have you considered a large softbox as a simpler setup to try?

It would not work.  The wing movement at 90 complete cycles per second requires a very short burst of light in the range of 1/15000s  At that reduced output you couldn't get enough light out of the soft box to light the bird.  Flash units reduce their light output by shortening the flash pulse width so at 1/32 power you would have a very hard time generating enough light for a good exposure. So we put several flash units very close to the bird to overcome the problem.  A normal flash under camera control usually gives a pulse width of 1/600s at full power and can go down accordingly but to prevent ghosting of the wings due to ANY movement (say 1/16 inch) requires VERY SHORT bursts!  You must also do away with ANY ambient light (image is black with no flashes) which can also generate a wing ghost due to movement with enough sunlight to generate an exposure.  A balancing act to be sure!  Even a camera with a shutter speed of 1/8000 second will generate ghosting provided you could get enough light to even create an exposure!

Amazing amazing amazing. There's gotta be something out there you don't absolutely dominate but for now, you are a true contemporary inspiration. Will it work with 3 speedlights? Or even 2?
The real question is, how long do you have to wait for the birds?
Shots like this really make me want to try it out

Yes, 3 or 2, I am using 5 and would like 6 but I have done it with 2 also, there will be compromises like darkened backdrops but you overcome that by moving them closer to the flower.  Here is a Canon shot with 3 lights, 2 on the bird 1 on the background of flowers in pots behind my lure flower:



Do you HAVE any humming birds at home???  If you do put out feeders for them.  Get them used to the position of the feeders.  Get a set of wireless flash controllers to trigger them.  I got very cheap ones from Cowboy Studio on Amazon.





for more info on setup and equipment.  Remember I just did it with the 14-140  BUT YOU MUST HAVE A 6 STOP ND FILTER for the GH2 due to its lowest ISO setting still being too high or you will be unable to zero out the ambient light portion of the exposure!

Have I told you that I have more web sites than the typical woman has purses?

Once you get the birds visiting your feeders they will STAY.  They return about every 10 min to feed from sunrise to sunset.  Get them used to you and the location over a week then remove all of the feeders and put out a single flower that you spray with nectar on the inside every few min.  Watch, wait, they will come and eat, but don't take any pictures yet.  Re-spray the flower and allow them to come again.  They will approach the flower, pause then move in to eat, back up and inch and pause, this is when you trigger the camera, at the pause.  get the frame large enough to get the flower and an inch above and 8 inches below and to the left. 

For setup get everything positioned, flashes arranged about 10 inches away.  With 2 put one above and left and one below and right.  Put a backdrop glued to a foam core of a way out of focus image of flowers about a foot behind and experiment with its placement otherwise the background will be black.  If you have a 3rd flash use it on the backdrop and move the drop 2 feet away.  Set the flashes up at a starting point of 1/16  power in manual mode.  Set the camera on manual and the shutter speed at top sync speed and iso at lowest.  You WILL need a ND filter to further reduce ambient light reaching the camera.  Start at about f/14 take a pic and look for a black picture.  Turn on the lights and take another pic looking at the exposure on the flower adjust by moving the lights further or closer!  that is it.  Get a wireless shutter release for the camera so you can get away.


Thanks for the kind comments!

I got those cheap cowboys too, theres no shame in it, they work. I DO have hummingbirds here, even native ones (theyre basically greener) and also grey kingbirds, which move even more erratically. Ive set feeders before, but never seem to catch them feeding. They always leave when I so much as stick my head out.
I have 3 flashes that can go to 1/15 power, and a 7 stop variable ND. All I need is for the birds to get used to me!!!
BTW that second one is absolutely epic, makes the first one look dull, which is amazing to start with!