"shining city upon a hill"
by tvsometime

Comment:
I like this shot. Thought it deserved better! I’m guessing some voters thought it represented reflection and not shine:(

Message edited by author 2021-09-13 06:35:44.

rust kicked in
by Tiberius

Comment:
I really thought this would be on the front page. It was well conceived and executed.

About to be a Newlywed!
by Lydia

Comment:
Very surprised this didn’t do better. Maybe if you had zoomed in a little or were able to get a starburst off of the diamonds with lighting.

Audi - shining circles with striking stars
by pgirish007

Comment:
I agree with Pennystreet on the crop but all in all an excellent entry. I like those starbursts. Congrats on the yellow.

polished
by PennyStreet

Comment:
I wouldn’t mind having one of those even with the dent! They are very shiny. Congrats on 4th.

smooth
by MichaelC

Comment:
Really nice Mike. I had to zoom in to see if it is the real thing. Still not sure! I like the added water. Terrific lighting. Congrats on the Red to match the car!

metallic contrast
by primabarbara

Comment:
There was no doubt you had the Blue on this shot. It perfectly represents the challenge with an intriguing pattern. Great find!

paper daisy closing up for the night
by roz

Comment:
Loved hearing your story of trial and error and your perseverence in getting a result you were happy with. It’s a beautiful result. Sometimes we end up with something different than what was imagined that actually turns up better! I like your outtakes as well. Congrats on HM.

Mid Air
by Refocused

Comment:

Originally posted by roz: been waiting till i could see this on my computer before commenting .. felt i wouldnt be doing it justice on my phone .. and i was totally right .. the details ... that tac sharp eye .. the little tongue poking out . this is an amazing capture .. and amazing viewed large .. what i do love most are those little curled over legs .. extremely cute . many congrats on the ribbon .. :) ps.. would love to know the shutter speed etc etc that you'd be using to get a photo like this .. we dont have hummingbirds where i live .. but from what i do know . they are very small . and move very very fast .. :) oh .. just scrolled down to post and noticed Lev's comment .. lol .. ;)

Thanks for the very kind comment Roz. To answer your question on this particular shot I used my 100-400 1:4.5-5.6 IS II lens, shutter speed 1/1000, f/8, ISO 1000. It was sunny out so I underexposed the shot to bring out the color in the neck without making them appear overly bright and adjusted in photoshop. I having been observing and shooting the hummers for several years now and no one shot is the same as far as camera settings are concerned. It depends on the time of the season, the weather conditions, the location of the shot, distance to the subject, background, and the personality of the particular hummer I am shooting! I observe them for quite a while before I shoot to learn their particular flight patterns and habits.

grounded angel
by tanguera

Comment:
Outstanding portrait. I thought it would ribbon for sure. It was an 8 from me.