What each part of the prompt does
- One feed, one hover
- A single dip into the flower is a complete action that fits in 5 seconds. Asking the bird to visit several flowers makes it jump around the frame.
- Wings in a blur
- Real hummingbird wings blur even when slowed down. Saying so stops the model from drawing crisp, flapping wings that look mechanical.
- Back light for the rim
- Sun from behind lights the edges of the feathers and separates the bird from the background, with no extra lights to describe.
- A steady macro camera
- With the camera still and the depth of field shallow, the background stays a soft wash of green and all the attention goes to the bird.
Variations to try
Same idea, one thing changed. These have no clip yet.
After the rain A green-and-copper hummingbird hovers in front of a red tubular flower covered in raindrops. Motion: slow motion, wings in a soft blur, a drop falls from the petal as the bird feeds. Camera: macro lens, steady at the bird's eye level, very shallow depth of field. Setting and light: soft light after rain, wet leaves shining in the background. Style: wildlife documentary, high detail, natural colours. Sound: the hum of wings, dripping water. Duration: 5 seconds.
Vertical close-up A green-and-copper hummingbird hovers below a hanging orange tubular flower. Motion: slow motion, wings in a soft blur, the bird rises to the flower and feeds. Camera: macro lens, steady, the bird in the lower half of the frame and the flower above. Setting and light: late afternoon sun from behind, blurred green background. Style: wildlife documentary, high detail on the feathers. Sound: the soft hum of wings. Duration: 5 seconds, vertical 9:16.
If the result isn't right
- If the beak and flower merge, add "the beak goes into the open end of the flower".
- Change the flower colour to purple or orange to fit a season or palette. Keep it tubular, which is the shape these birds feed from.
- If the bird drifts out of focus, ask for "the bird stays sharp, the background soft".