Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1344370
26 | OHCC LIVING | MARCH 2021 | During the recent scavenger hunt photo shoot, your reporter tried unsuccessfully to take photos of hummingbirds at the feeder in our back yard. Hundreds of photos yielded little in the way of satisfying results. There were two major problems. The first was that the background was a slope which was dark green. Guess what color the bird was – dark green with a splash of red. The second was that the bird seemed to know it was being watched, and hung around the other side of the feeder, making it a matter of chance to get a clear shot. The camera was a Nikon D7200, with a 300mm telephoto lens with vibration reduction. The problem wasn't the camera. (The fact that the bird had to chase away bees didn't help.) If you've ever seen the close-up bird photographs in National Geographic, and wondered if you can do as well – the sad truth is that you probably can't, not without spending a considerable sum of money and investing a lot of time and effort. But it is possible to achieve good results relatively inexpensively. Modern smartphones have a telephoto capability which approximates what you see with the naked eye. It can be hard to operate one successfully in bright light, since you can't see the screen very well. The advantage of the phone is that it fulfills the old adage that the best camera is the one you have with you. There is such a thing as digital camera binoculars – you can get some from Hammacher Schlemmer for around $200 that give you 8x images, or similar ones from Sharper Image with 12x magnification for about the same price. Either can be mounted on a tripod and produce high quality images, but not National Geographic quality. The next time I try to take hummingbird photos in the backyard, I will use a tripod, and bring more patience. Also I'll try to shoot just before dusk, when the birds are hungry and don't jump around so much. The OHCC Photo Club still can't meet in person, but we'll try to keep some life in the club by having the occasional photo shoot. Please stay tuned. Photography