Spent the morning a week ago shooting a couple of male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.  I did a quick setup using some private tricks of the trade with Wild Columbine and a nice natural background (a great topic for a 1-on-1 lesson!).  Within about 15 minutes, I ended up with a couple nice shots before the lighting really turned and became harsh.

Obviously more time was spent during the setup steps and post-processing but living where we live has been amazing for Hummers.  Dad typically sees shots like this from me and immediately says, “You managed the classic Josh background again!”  There is something about nicely colored, well-blurred backgrounds that make images like this so nice.  All the focus is on the bird which is exactly where it needs to be.  This is typically a great technique for Bird Photography but don’t be afraid to break the rules.  Some of my favorite flight shots are of birds that show enough detail in the background to illustrate the native habitat of the bird.  Stopping down even just a couple of stops can give a blurred background but with added detail and depth.