A Glimpse into Nature's Masterpiece: Teamwork on a video shoot

The Surprising Team Effort Behind Capturing the Hummingbird's Tiny Tongue

Lydia Parish edits "Rock of Ages" utilizing new footage from Red Rock Canyon

Have you ever seen the very thin and fast tongue of a baby humming bird? I did recently, and it fascinated me to ponder all the intricate details our Creator put into His creation and somehow made it all work together. In “Rock of Ages” by Steve Hall you can see all the stunning details for yourself. But, how this footage came to be was truly a team effort and a surprise for an unlikely video team.

On the first night of a recent family trip from Ohio to California, my family stayed at a motel near Red Rock Canyon in Nevada. Most of us were wide awake at 4 A.M. due to the 3-hour time difference and the excitement of our family’s first trip through a desert. My older two children and I decided to go exploring just before sunrise while my wife stayed back with our younger, two sleeping children.

The air was cool and crisp, and light began to reveal itself on the majestic red rock cliffs on the horizon. Feeling inspired to capture these beautiful moments (so you can enjoy them too), I decided I better head back to the motel and unpack my camera to shoot the sunrise (with the help of my children).

A mother humming bird & her two babies are featured in a new music video called "Rock of Ages" near Red Rock Canyon in Nevada

After the video shoot, my two youngest children bounded toward me and excitedly interrupted each other exclaiming they found baby humming birds in a nest just outside the motel. My wife then explained how the kids saw the humming bird fly by while eating breakfast on a patio and how she began to track the bird’s patterns to a certain area in a tree over time. With a closer look, two babies were then discovered in an intricate, tiny nest.

Senior VP of Production, Aaron Darr and his son set up to shoot

I quickly set the camera, filmed the nest, and hoped to also see the mother return. Disappointment grew after waiting quite a while and still, no mother. Knowing checkout was soon, my son Isaac volunteered to stay by the camera and hit the record button for me if the mother bird came while I was helping my wife pack.

Soon after, Isaac burst through the door and said, “Look what I got!” I watched amazed as he flawlessly captured the moment as the mother flew into the shot feeding her babies with their tiny tongues outstretched.

It ended up being one of my favorite shots ever and a good reminder of teamwork on a video shoot and how God is always at work behind the scenes, using all the parts of the body of Christ whether big or small, to orchestrate a masterpiece.