Photographers Odder than Anything Living in the Rain Forest

When I got back to the park entrance, I found Lars and Jens in the restaurant. We took a short walk over to the hummingbird feeders to watch the high-speed birds in action. Tom and Susan arrived shortly after and I introduced them to the Danes.

Susan began explaining the challenge of photographing a hummingbird. The object, she said, was to capture the hummingbird's wings without motion. I snapped a few shots, which Susan announced would turn out blurry. So what, I said, that's how they look in real life. If I wanted to take a picture of a bird without blurry wings, I'd go to a natural history museum.

As Tom and Susan set up their synchronized flash, I realized nature photographers love the hummingbird because it's a "gearhead" bird. You need about $10,000 worth of equipment to get the perfect shot.

All five of us were watching the same hummingbird and thinking different thoughts.

I was trying to capture the natural blur of the wings.

Tom was probably shooting an amoeba on the bird's head.

Susan was trying to make the wings stop flapping.

Lars was poised with his net, dying to catch one of those buggers just to test his speed.

Jens was probably wondering what they tasted like.