High in the rainforest canopy, a booted racket-tail hummingbird comes in to feed at an orange bloom, beak already at the flower. Hummingbirds keep to a circuit and return to the same blooms through the day, so a photograph like this is about patience and placement: the flower on the left, a long run of soft green to the right, and the bird arriving in between.
The booted racket-tail lives in the cloud forests of the Andes. It is one of the smallest hummingbirds, weighing around three grams. The male carries two long, bare tail shafts that end in dark paddles, the "rackets", and he wears puffs of white feathers around his legs, the "boots" that give the species its name. Both are clear in this frame. The paddles trail behind him like a signature at the end of a line.
I kept the background clean on purpose. With nothing else in the frame, the eye goes straight to the details: the green sheen on the back, the white boots, the open wing caught mid-beat, the gap of air between beak and petal.
On the wall it reads as calm and modern: one small bird, one flower and a lot of quiet green. It suits a living room, a bedroom or a study, and it is a strong choice for a bird lover or anyone who has travelled in South America.
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.