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Who can resist the candy-colored plumes and the pixie-like wings of a hummingbird? For Roger Levien, it wasn’t about taking the quintessential shot of the bird’s profile. His photograph features the back end of a broad-tailed hummingbird, with its feathers spread out like toes on a frog. Levien took the photo during a shoot arranged by the American Society of Media Photographers in Sante Fe, New Mexico. He and a band of companions were snapping three different species of hummingbirds, in a landscape that was full of feeders and light. Levien says that it was one of the best experiences he’s had behind the lens.
Levien tries to find beauty in all types of settings. His website features rodeos, caverns, and even flamenco dancers. A second photo from his hummingbird shoot will be featured in an upcoming Audubon calendar. But it’s the unusual posture in this image that makes it one of Levien’s favorites. He discovered that hummingbirds are resplendent, no matter which angle you see them from.
This image was a Top 100 photo from the 2013 Audubon Magazine Photography Awards. To see all of the photos, click here.