Picture Perfect Birds

Allen’s Hummingbird, Female (Left) and Juvenile (Right) by Steve Kaye

A Review of the presentation “Hummingbird Photography” by Steve Kaye
By Sunshine Jowell

​Last Saturday at our Red Rock Audubon General Meeting, we were treated with a presentation by guest speaker Steve Kaye about the delights of photographing hummingbirds. The hour was informative and innovative in regards to his decades of work filming these lovely little birds who speed through nature in the blink of the eye. His photographs were captivating, beautiful and inspirational. He even gave those of us romping through the bramble with just a cell phone some helpful tips on how to capture these tiny creatures for our own records.
 
As the presentation went along, I couldn’t help wondering why we do this. Why do we all head outside to sit or walk for hours in search of our winged friends, just to look at them and maybe hope to catch them in a photo? Why are over 70 of us gathered here on a Saturday morning in front of our computers, just to listen to this man talk about birds, and the best way to see them through a camera lens?
 
Throughout Kaye’s talk I noticed one word often repeated: Gratitude. He expressed over and over how thankful he was, not only that he was able to take such beautiful pictures of these birds, but that the birds were giving him their photos. 
 
These little hummingbirds are magical, fast and terrific. They defend their territory with a zeal unexpected in ones so light and unassuming. Their heartbeats distinctively panting in their breasts, as they occasionally rest on their branches and regard their homes.
 
These birds give us so much. They provide us with a glimpse into a world that is still wild and free. A world that is increasingly under threat and pressure from us, and other unexpected changes to their environments. Yet they continue to fly and zip and zoom. And every once in a while, we are gifted with a portrait of their grace.
 
After the presentation ended, I asked Steve what he hoped we had learned from him. 
 
“I’m hoping that I encouraged you to pay more attention to what you see out there,” he said. “I hope that you saw the beauty that can be caught with photography. And if you all took photos, and then shared the photos, then you become ambassadors for nature.”

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​You can learn more about Steve Kaye, his work, and birds at his website www.stevekaye.com. Please check our calendar for more exciting presentations, opportunities to learn, and meetings in the future.