A hummingbird hovers at a red passionflower on a climbing vine, beak deep in the bloom and wings blurred mid-beat. I photographed it in the rainforest, waiting by the vine until the bird returned to feed and settled into the gap between the leaves.
The bird is a white-vented plumeleteer, a sturdy, glittering hummingbird of the Central and South American tropics. Its green body catches the light like polished metal. Hummingbirds feed every few minutes from dawn to dusk to fuel their wingbeats, and many flowers have evolved alongside them. The passionflower is one: its long, tubular shape keeps the nectar out of reach of most insects and leaves it for long-billed birds, which carry pollen from flower to flower on their heads.
The composition is deliberately spare. The vine makes one long diagonal from the bottom of the frame to the top, and the dark teal background lets three things stand out: the red petals, the green bird and the fresh green leaves.
It works as a quiet, colourful focal point in a living room, bedroom or study, and pairs well with botanical prints and natural timber.
THE PRINT
Archival pigment print (giclée) on museum-grade fine art paper. Limited edition of 30. Hand-signed and numbered by John Wiseman and issued with a signed certificate of authenticity.
SIZE
Image size 76 x 51 cm (30 x 20 in). Other sizes are available. Please enquire.
DELIVERY AND FRAMING
Made to order in Sydney, Australia. Shipped unframed, rolled in a protective tube. Custom framing in natural timber, black or white can be added through Bluethumb.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
John Wiseman is an award-winning Australian wildlife and nature photographer with more than 25 years in the field, photographing across six continents. Winner, Science & Nature, International Loupe Awards. Represented by IRID Gallery, Melbourne and Sydney.