Hummingbird Photography Workshop #1
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2024
Dates: April 27 - May 3, 2024(SOLD OUT) Signup on Waitlist \ Request new trip
2025
Dates: May 10 - May 16, 2025(SPACE AVAILABLE) Register for the Workshop
Locations: Best Hummingbird lodges in Ecuador and Quito, Ecuador
Fee: $4,995 USD PP.
Single Supplement of $500.
Deposit: $1,000
Limit: 4 photographers. 2 photographers per light setup
Duration: 7 days/6 nights
Skill Level: Beginner to Pro
Non-Photographers Discount: $250
Trip Leader: Matt Shetzer
Trip Origination: Quito, Ecuador
Trip Discount: Save $500.00 when you book the Hummingbirds Photography Workshop with one of our Galápagos Photo Workshops.
Galápagos West Photo Workshop
Galápagos East Photo Workshop
More: We offer another Hummingbird photo workshop in Ecuador. More at:
Hummingbird Photo Workshop #2 – Mindo and Beyond
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
Explore the vibrant cloud forests and amazon region of Ecuador with us during our Hummingbird Photography Workshop!
Over the course of the hummingbird photography workshop you will learn specialized techniques to create stunning images of hummingbirds as they feast on native flowers. In pursuit of this goal, we will journey over mountain passes and across the equator into Ecuador’s famous cloud forests.
Trip Discount: Save $500.00 when you book the Hummingbirds Photography Workshop with one of our Galápagos Photo Workshop:
Galápagos West
Galápagos East
We will visit five (5) of Ecuador’s finest hummingbird lodges. At each hummingbird lodge, you will photograph diverse species of hummingbirds and many native flowers, giving you the opportunity to create your own exclusive portfolio of exotic hummingbird images.
Why Ecuador for our Hummingbird Photography Workshop?
Ecuador is home to over 120 species of hummingbirds and has the best hummingbird photography opportunities than any country in the world. The lodges across Ecuador have dedicated viewing areas for various species of hummingbirds and we visit several of the most impressive hummingbird lodges, where we will photograph a rainbow of hummingbird species.
See all the hummingbird species that can be seen in Ecuador.
The weather in Ecuador is incredibly comfortable, ranging from 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit during our trip window.
Participants who opt for a break from photography will have opportunities to explore the history and culture of Quito, and hike amazing trails only feet from our lodges.
Small Groups Only!These lodges cater specifically to photographers, and have time-tested systems for attracting rare and diverse groups of hummingbirds, allowing our guests to capture many different species of hummingbirds without having to travel more than is necessary.The best hummingbird photography is in small groups to maximize your time in the setups. Only 2 photographers per setup on this trip.
Although Ecuador is a beautiful country, our main purpose here is to photograph the hummingbirds!
How do you photograph hummingbirds?
We will use advanced multi-flash setups to help us freeze these notoriously fast birds in their tracks. Participants in the Hummingbird Photography Workshop will be guided in the cutting-edge, state-of-the-art techniques used to photograph hummingbirds.

A violet-tailed sylph hummingbird drinks from a local flower in the Cloud forest.
These tiny birds can flap their wings up to 80 times a second, which can present quite the challenge for a photographer.
We have perfected our hummingbird photography setup by using a series of seven to eight flashes synchronized by wireless radio transmitters. The multi-flash technique creates a strobe effect and freezes hummingbird wings in their tracks.
The effect is very impressive; you will notice details in your pictures which would be impossible to observe in real life.
Topics we will cover:
- Master the Multi-Flash hummingbird light setup
- Balancing flash and natural light
- Natural light techniques for creating sharp and blurred wing images
- Priority exposures vs manual exposure – Benefits of each mode
- Different metering modes
- Techniques for sharp and high quality images
- Learn attractive compositions with local flowers
- Create natural looking images with flash
- Manual flash configuration to gain control
- Remote flash techniques and flash placement
- Focusing techniques for hummingbirds in flight
- Image post processing with Lightroom and Photoshop
- Best Photoshop Plug-ins to speed up post processing
Hummingbird species found at the lodges we visit
- Velvet-purple Coronet (Boissonneaua jardini)
- Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera)
- Booted Racket-tail (Ocreatus underwoodii)
- Violet-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis)
- Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingii)
- Tourmaline Sunangel (Heliangelus exortis)
- Andean Emerald (Amazilia franciae)
- Brown Inca (Coeligena wilsoni)
- Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae)
- Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens)
- Buff-winged Starfrontlet (Coeligena lutetiae)
- Chestnut-breasted Coronet (Boissonneaua matthewsii)
- Collared Inca (Coeligena torquata)
- Fawn-breasted Brilliant) (Heliodoxa rubinoides)
- Glowing Puffleg (Eriocnemis vestita)
- Gorgeted Woodstar (Chaetocercus heliodor)
- White-whiskered hermit (Phaethornis yaruqui)
- Lesser Violetear (Colibri cyanotus)
- Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula)
- Mountain Velvetbreast (Lafresnaya lafresnayi)
- Purple-bibbed Whitetip (Urosticte benjamini)
- Purple-throated Woodstar (Callipholox mitchellii)
- Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl)
- Shining Sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis)
- Sparkling Violetear (Colibri coruscans)
- Speckled Hummingbird (Adelomyia melanogenys)
- Tawny-bellied hermit (Phaethornis syrmatophorus)
- Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina)
- Wedge-billed Hummingbird (Schistes geoffroyi)
- Western Emerald (Chorostilbon melanorhynchus)
- White-bellied Woodstar (Chaetocercus mulsant)
- White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora)
- Empress brilliant (Heliodoxa imperatrix)
- Green-crowned woodnymph (Thalurania colombica fannyi)
HUMMINGBIRD WORKSHOP #1
TABLE OF CONTENTS