Hungry Hummingbirds – A WPC Collage
“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.”
Robert Lynd
ZONED IN
ALOFT
SOARING
SINGING
WINGED
FLUTTERING BY
This week as we continued our travels we spent time in the Colorado mountains. While we had many excellent adventures 🙂 I’m featuring a very special element of the visit. My brother and sister-in-law’s home outside of Denver is at about 8,000 feet and is a favorite stopping point for hummingbirds. I spent time watching and shooting these amazing little creatures and while I didn’t have the equipment necessary to really capture them, I was able to get close enough to create some interesting textures. In response to this week’s challenge, I’m including a collage of some of my favorites. Hope you enjoy my impressions of these fast-moving beauties!
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Hope you’re enjoying your time here in Colorado. The hummers are quite fast when they descend upon a feeder. I tend to favor the stake-out method, watch the feeder for about an hour or so with camera in hand. Not the most reliable method since it is like watching for the kettle to boil. 🙂
Continued safe travels and good adventures.
They are all beauties. Wondrous creatures!
There really turned out quite pretty. Nice work
Thanks Nora – you know what they say…Necessity is the mother of invention! >
Tina
As always great pictures. I’m glad you didn’t have the “right” equipment. You may not have captured this Impressionist painting look.
Hope your trip is going well.
Andy
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Aww, thanks Andy. I hadn’t thought of it that way. It did make me revisit my quickly eroding photoshop layers skills :-). Having a great summer, hope the same for you. >
Very nice and creative use of your images. I love watching hummingbirds.
Thanks PJB – they’re amazing to watch. I was stunned at how quickly such tiny creatures could devour a huge amount of sugar water!
This summer was going to be the ultimate Hummingbird photo. I planted bee balm, salvia, and several other plants in the garden surrounding a hummingbird feeder. I positioned my camera at the window on a timer. They do come but only for a couple of seconds. It is impossible to get a decent picture much less multiple photos of this elusive bird. Would your brother mind visitors. 😏
LOL Kathy! They’re elusive little devils aren’t they?!?! >
awesome 🙂
Thanks Quarksire!
Just wonderful Tina. Each one perfect and your applied textures pure magic. Congrats 🙂
You are most generous Andrew, many thanks! Hope you’re enjoying a wonderful summer.
We are indeed: hot, hot, hot. Sadly however thousands have been evacuated from the interior due to fires.
It’s hard to capture humming birds. You done it beautifully!
Thanks very much Sumith
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your sensational project had me humming and soaring – interesting textures too
Awww, thanks Laura. You made my day!
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A beautiful collage of amazing shots.
Many thanks Dahlia!
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Beautiful, expressive images.
Many thanks Margaret
T…. we are in Montana where the hummingbirds are larger and more. Numerous than ever! How in the world you caught these rapid little creatures is amazing… love this very creative post!
EVERYTHING is bigger and more abundant in Montana, don’t you think???!!!! Is the canola still in bloom? It was SO beautiful when we visited. Have a ball and thanks for taking the time to stop by!
Ummm .. yes T you really did capture them ! !
I saw my first hummingbird this summer out by my new feeder😊& I quickly pulled out my camera … no luck …they disappear too fast for me! So I will just happily enjoy my window view along with your talent that brings us such awesome photos! Thanks !!
Thanks Diane – I’d love to have captured them properly with the right equipment but was happy to get anything at all considering their speed! I had to work especially hard to keep the feeder and the house out of the shots!
Beautiful shots of those fast-moving little creatures, Tina. Like the collage effect.
Thanks Jane – they’re a challenge to capture that’s for sure!
🙂 Tina,
this is a really beautiful collage!
Enjoy your stay in Colorado. It’s been way too long since I’ve been there!
Have a very HAPPY weekend 🙂
Thanks Claudia – and a happy weekend to you too!
Seeing hummingbirds is such a joyful thing! Their fluttering wings are amazing….. How lucky to have seen and captured so
many, so beautifully displayed! 8000 ft eh! Wow! I’m impressed 🙂
I agree ML, they’re amazing to watch. The thing that amazed me, beyond their beauty and speed of course, was how quickly they polished off the sugar water. Once it was gone they’d fly directly in front of the glass door and stare at us, as if to say OK folks, time for a refill LOL!
Stunning. Simply stunning and each shot a winner. Love the sepia tones that you added in as well, a really lovely collage. Imagine getting to see these every day…what a treat. Safe travels and happy holidays 😊
Many thanks Mabel – I had fun working to find the right background for each little beauty so appreciate your comment on the tones. I told my brother if they were as plentiful where I lived I’d never put my camera down 🙂 Appreciate your visit as always
Great idea Tina…love what you did with these shots. The backgrounds are a perfect fit. Well done 🙂
Thanks Andy – sometimes the right texture can save what might have otherwise been headed for the reject pile :-). Glad you enjoyed.
I love the subtle backgrounds you gave each of your hummers, very nicely done.
Thanks Annette – I tried not to overpower them as they’re quite beautiful on their own. Thanks for stopping by.
just gorgeous Tina…love ‘fluttering by’….they r very special birds!!!😘 great eye as always!! enjoy!!!
Thanks April. I enjoyed watching them despite the complexity of capturing the speedy little devils!
Marvelous…summer’s jewels.
Thanks Sally, they are indeed. Well said.
What a lovely collage!
Thanks Cayman.
Creative and inventive collages, Tina. Such amazing and fast birds and you’ve captured them well. You’ve made them into paintings!
Thanks Jane! Quite the test of patience and perseverance – you know how that goes!
Beautiful Tina! I love my hummingbirds and your photo’s with the backgrounds are wonderful! 🙂 I’ve been taking photo’s of the Hummingbirds all week, some of the young ones are making appearances! 🙂
I googled how to photograph them and quit reading after the part where they explained how to set up 3 separate remote flashes LOL. They’re pretty amazing little creatures – lucky you to have them nearby. I had to travel halfway across the country and up to the top of a mountain for my views!!!
I don’t think you need all that equipment! I just take snaps while I sit on my porch! 🙂
Your collage is great! Looking at the pictures before I read your text I thought they were all watercolor paintings from the 1800’s. 😊
Wow, now you’ve made my day with this comment Dor! Thanks as always for stopping by.
Amazing photos of amazing creatures! Love how you illustrated them!
Thanks Laurel – just trying to make some lemonade out of lemons LOL.
Wonderful creatures and what a good job you did, Tina! Lovely work, love the textures. If I had these beauties outside my window, I’d be glued to the place.
Thanks Dina. I actually WAS pretty much glued to the place LOL. After a second or two the hummingbirds couldn’t have cared less that I was sharing their space, as long as I wasn’t taking any of their sugarwater.
🙂
Beautiful little creatures – last time one came and checked me out I burst out with , “Hi sweetie.”
Sweet is how they look – but they seemed a bit aggressive toward one another as I watched them travel in and out of the feeder!
Glad to see they are still around
As long as there’s sugar water I think they’re there to stay LOL!
Beautiful artistic images, Tina!
Thanks very much Sue
You are most welcome!
Six little pieces of art – all rolled into one! Lovely!
Many thanks Grammy!
God these guys are so hard to get pictures of! Fantastic pictures, thanks for uploading
LOL, you should have seen the ones I threw away :-). Thanks for stopping by!
Wonderful images, Tina! BTW, I don’t remember whether I told you how much I enjoyed your Maine photos. They are so wonderful. You obviously had a great time there! Thank you for sharing with the rest of us:) Maine is on bucket list — even more so now that I’ve seen you photos!
Thanks Svetlana. Maine is a beautiful place – quite wild and undeveloped in many places. It takes a hearty soul to brave their winters but then you’d know all about that 🙂
Beautiful.
Thanks Rabirius
Extraordinary images, Tina! Love the backdrops! Just gorgeous!
Many thanks Terri. Sometimes applying textures is just the thing, especially when nothing else works 🙂
Love the funky composition!
😍😍 thanks Leslee!
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There are collages like my daylilies and then there are collages of hummingbirds – you win hands down. 🙂 I love everything about hummingbirds. We have seen a great decline over the past ten years. I may see one or two a summer. So, for you to have been able to catch these beautiful birds as they fly at mock speed, I applaud your skills, and I thank you for sharing – beautiful. Be a good guest so they invite you back for more photo opportunities. 🙂
Amazing Tina. Looks like hand painting.
Thanks rupali. I wish I were talented enough to paint like that! >
You are talented enough to create the magic. Have a nice weekend.
I thoroughly enjoyed your collages! Beautifully executed, Tina! Lovely.
Thanks Patti! >
hi tina, wonderful and interesting pictures, i love them all.
Thanks very much Robert >
Really nice, Tina! We enjoy our favorite little visitors every morning on the front porch. They are indeed hard to capture. But despite your lack of equipment you did very well!
Thanks Alexandria – they’re really fascinating creatures, don’t you think?! >
Impressive! Great job.
Thanks very much Irene.
So beautifully done, Tina! Hummingbirds are so difficult to capture.
Crazy difficult Amy – I have a friend who did a great job but had 3 remote flashes hooked up to do it! Thanks for stopping by
Very nice!!
Many thanks Julieallyn >
So soft and lovely! Did you superimpose the bird photos over some sheet music or other pretty papers? I love your artistry!
Thanks Lex – I started with the bird photos and applied textures on top using Frenchkiss textures in Photoshop. Sometimes a fun exercise 🙂 >
I just love them!