Did you know that Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards? They can also fly sideways and upside. Pretty amazing. Not only are hummingbirds wonders in flight but make great photographs due to their iridescent colors. Its best to take pictures of hummingbirds in bright sun so you can capture their iridescent colors. With regard to equipment, I suggest that you use zoom or telephoto lens so you can get a good close-up. Additionally, I recommend using a tripod or monopod for stabilization. If your lens has a stabilizer feature then make sure it is turned on.

By using the auto-focus (AF) setting on your camera this will allow you to refocus on the hummingbird as it is darting around. Its helpful to use the center AF point for focusing. You also need to use a fast shutter speed of 1/800 and an ISO of about 400. Keep in mind, that if either are too high in low light you will get too much noise making your picture look grainy.

Especially with hummingbirds, you will want to take a lot of pictures. But once you capture that great image it will be well worth the effort.

Happy shooting,
Mike