testmeat photoblog

i was under the impression that my photography skills steadily improved throughout my travels in south america, however if you restrict the dataset to hummingbirds the evidence doesn't support that hypothesis. i took this shot about two weeks after i started my trip in brazil in 2010, yet compared to my colombian effort in 2012 it's far superior. i analysed the exif data of the two images to see if i could uncover the difference between the two photos. both were with the same camera, manual focus and an almost identical aperture. i did use a different lens for each, as well as change the shutter speed and iso, although surprisingly it was the colombian photo which was the quicker shot, which should have made it easier to freeze the motion and capture the moment. with the raw data unable to provide any satisfactory answers i concluded that the colombian hummingbirds are just faster and more erratic than their brazilian counterparts. as for what makes the birds in colombia sped up and alert with ceaseless energy - who knows - i guess their hearts just beat that bit faster.

here's the original