Hummingbirds Of Southern California
 

Given the current price of gas, it has limited me getting out in the field to do any kind of filming. I have spent a lot of time sorting or backing up old video files, lots of Honey Do's or being a plain old couch potato. I also made a new video a couple weeks ago, "Hummingbirds Of Southern California. I started filming hummingbird, mostly in my backyard, when I bought my first Panasonic GH3 in the spring of 2013. I then upgraded to a GH4 and then a GH5, which is currently my camera of choice. I also went through a lot of Nikon lenses with an adapter and of course all manual focus up until I bought the Panasonic/Leica 100-400mm lens a few years ago, which gave me auto focus.
I uploaded to Youtube, so feel free take a look and I hope you enjoy it.
Don

Re: Hummingbirds Of Southern California
 

Very nice Don - would love to see in 4K. My only experience of hummers was in Brazil and there inevitably coming to red plastic feeders.

I recently read "The Glitter In The Green" by Jon Dunn - a British lister I suppose, who travelled throughout the Americas in search of hummingbirds.


Ron

Re: Hummingbirds Of Southern California
 

Hello Ron,
Thanks, glad you liked it. Jon Dunn is an American and lives in California and leads field trips for Wings. I have known him since the early 90's, if it's the same person.

Since the video has both HD and 4K footage I rendered it as a 1080. I'll render you a 4K version and replace the Vimeo HD version with the new version.

Re: Hummingbirds Of Southern California
 

Mmmmm? There must be two Jon Dunns - one who according to the dust jacket had a childhood near the Somerset Levels and is now a Shetland based photographer, writer, and tour leader. The other your Californian acquaintance.

(Still, there's more than one Ron Jackson, one at least lives in the US)

Ron

Re: Hummingbirds Of Southern California
 

Should have known, because my JD has never published a book.

Re: Hummingbirds Of Southern California
 

Very good Don, we don’t have humming birds in Australia, but we do have some varieties of honeyeaters, fascinating birds. On a trip to Costa Rica, hummingbirds gathered close around the hotel dining room windows and we could hear them humming. Have you been close enough to hear them, not very loud and that would be a task to record some and fade the hum in and out.

If you’ll pardon my criticism, to maintain interest maybe change the music at around 3 mins then come back to your original Anden piece at 6mins to the end.
Cheers.

Re: Hummingbirds Of Southern California
 

Don, we were talking here about how would you record the sound of humming birds. The humming sound is the fast flapping of their wings and you have to get fairly close to hear it …


So hide a wireless lavalier mic where they congregate and sit and wait. To mix this sound with your music with the appropriate close up video of the bird would really make it something.

Hopefully there’s no other background sounds check that first, you might need a few takes.

Cheers.

Re: Hummingbirds Of Southern California
 

Hi Don,

I always enjoy watching your videos. Your control and composition are impeccable. Does the wind never blow in Southern California?

Over the years I have gotten into the habit of over color grading my hummingbirds. Watching yours with 100% natural color correction is a pleasure and helps me keep my feet on the ground.

Thanks.