Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

In the Last Blog Post

In the last blog post, Image #5 was the top choice (though very few folks commented). Dan Cadieux figured out two of the three images that had some significant Photoshop work done on them (though he did not see any evidence). I liked all of the images with #5 also my favorite, that followed by Image #4. I loved the neatly edged feathers of the juvie Ospreys. Only one person– thanks for trying, Elinor, took a shot at this rather softball question:

After checking the EXIF for Image #3, how do we know for sure that the bird in Image #2 was actually taking fight?

Answer: The EXIF shows that the two images were created in the same second at 7:05:38am.

What’s Up?

Early on Tuesday morning was gorgeous at ILE. The water in South of Pier Bay was like a mirror. A young Great Egret, an adult Snowy Egret, and a very handsome pied (admixed white and indigo blue feathering) juvenile Little Blue Heron that has been eluding me for weeks foraged in the still water bathed in butter light and accompanied by their perfect reflections. Five more Great Egrets and a Limpkin were perched on the pier railing. I put the 600 with the 2X on the BLUBB, stayed well back so as not to flush any of the birds, and pulled in close to the pier with the car angled at about 30°to get on sun angle for the juvie Little Blue. Then, every bird flew away as a pier-walking neighbor waved a friendly hello and said, “Good morning.” I wanted to reply, “It was till you came along” but I stifled the thought and drove away to looking for something to photograph.

After hearing that Clemens (Van der Werf) had had a great afternoon at DeSoto last week, I grabbed an AirBnB in St. Pete for two nights on a whim and Jim and I drove over on on Tuesday afternoon. I found the oystercatcher chicks easily but both chicks had been banded that morning 🙁 I walked north all the way to the inlet and saw pretty much nothing. Almost back to the car I came across a Least Tern fishing. It hovered right in front of me right down sun angle for five minutes as I created more than a thousand images. I really liked one and will share it with you here soon.

There were very few birds at DeSoto on Wednesday morning. The wind was supposed to be southeast (OK) but had already switched to southwest by sunrise (bad). I met Matt Milnes visiting from Georgia and we spent most of the morning together. Matt had kindly helped me with some ILE turtle nest questions a few years back. Out of desperation, we headed to my morning backup location where we found nothing as well. On our way back to the parking lot we came upon three White Ibises feeding in the shallow surf. One was quite bright red so we worked it for about twenty minutes. Realizing after that that I had I lost my prescription reading glasses somewhere near the Gulf, I headed back to North Beach to look for them. Matt kindly joined me to help, but we came up empty.

I made a rookie mistake on Wednesday afternoon. Having struck out the previous afternoon, I decided not to take my fanny pack with extra cards and batteries. So, of course, with a gorgeous breeding plumage Dunlin and a handsome Semipalmated Plover right in front of me, and a Reddish Egret dancing in the distance right down sun angle — all is sweet late afternoon light of course, the dreaded ‘card full” message popped up on the back of my a-1 ii. I filled the 160GB card. My Delkin Black 960GB CF Express A card accidentally wound up in the a-1 body that is sitting on my desk 🙁

Overlapping Sticks

The twigs and sticks that overlapped the handsome young Osprey really bugged me. Removing them with the Clone Stamp Tool is tedious work and the results are iffy at best. The relatively new Remove Tool is the way to go. The clean-up took some time and effort but the results are superb. Most of the time, the Remove Tool does a great job blending the surrounding areas. I was not happy with one spot that had turned the feather to mush so I painted a small Quick Mask of a feather tip and moved it into place to complete the repair.

If anyone can shed some Lightroom light on the Remove Tool please leave a comment. My understanding is that at best, it is difficult to access it (in LR).

Bump on the Perch

I did not care for the two chunks of wood that merged with the primaries of the Osprey’s far wing. I used the Divide and Conquer technique to separate the chunks into smaller, easier to eliminate sections. The free floating chunks were then removed using the Patch Tool. Those that abutted the wing feathers were easily removed via the Remove Tool as it is superb whenever edges are involved.

Bill Cleanup

You guessed it. The Remove Tool makes bill cleanup child’s play. All you need to do is work large. Here’s a high level tip for dealing with strips of specular highlights on a bird’s bill:

1- Complete your bill cleanup work without touching the strip of specular highlights.
2- Add a new layer.
3- Use one swipe of the Remove Tool and paint over the strip of specular highlights.
4- Now, reduce the Opacity of the top layer to taste, usually between 40 and 60%. You will still see the strip but it will be reduced in intensity.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II). You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

The techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

Please note: the Divide and Conquer technique was inadvertently omitted from DB II. It is detailed in a free excerpt in the blog post here.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: most of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.

You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.

You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.

The Digital Basics III Video Series

The Digital Basics III Video Series

I realized more than a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing a Digital Basics III. More recently, I learned and begun working with two great new Photoshop Tools, the Remove Tool and the Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. The former is like a smarter Spot Healing Brush Tool on steroids and the latter is a step up from the fabulous Color Mixer Tool. During that same time frame, I came up with a new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.

As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born.

You can save recipe all five videos in Volume I by clicking here. The videos will be most valuable for folks using the latest version of Photoshop (2024) or Lightroom along with Topaz DeNoise AI and Topaz Sharpen AI.

Preserving the Natural History Moment

Note that in each of the three images, the natural history moment depicted by the original raw files has been preserved. Each looks just a bit better and makes me a bit happier. Please remember that JIJO applies — junk in equals junk out.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

What’s Up?

About a week ago, I had three Greater Yellowlegs fly in left of the pier as I was driving away 🙁 I had never seen even one before. On Tuesday and Wednesday, a first-ever Sanderling visited the beach left of the pier, SOP (South of Pier) Bay. It has been difficult to keep track of the crane colts as some of the families are beginning to disperse. I am pretty sure that at least seven of the 12 chicks that hatched this season are doing well.

While clearing space on my laptop, I checked my ILE folders from last spring and learned that I was right: good sized flocks of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were present until early July. They have been very scarce for the past two weeks but I did have some good flight chances when a small group flew in at about 7:30am on Friday morning.

Today is Saturday 24 May 2025 and I will be heading down to the lake early as is usual when I am home. Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful and productive day. Do remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

To learn of the late-registration discounts and AirrBnB availability for the Jackonsville Royal Terns with chicks and more extended IPT late June/early Julyl, or If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on an Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025) or in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Both offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and ground transportation during your stay.

BILD EXPO Presented by B&H

Why Attend? BIRDS AS ART Appearances, Speakers, Gear, Deals, and More!

I am pleased to announce that I will be doing portfolio reviews and four round table sessions at BILD this June. Here are the round table topics:

1- Systems, Lenses, and Camera Bodies for Bird Photography

2- Creating Sharp Bird Photographs

3- Bird Photography Hotspots

4- Creating Bird Photographs that depict Flight, Action, and Behavior

Stay tuned for a definitive schedule. I hope to see you there.

Bild Expo is back! Join us at The Javits Center in New York City for an unforgettable event featuring 100+ expert speakers, 250+ exhibitors, hands-on experiences, and the world’s greatest creative community. B&H’s incredible show specials will be the icing on the cake! Whether you’re a seasoned pro, an enthusiast, or a beginner, at Bild you will get inspired, learn, meet like-minded people, and celebrate being part of this amazing world of creativity.

Click here or on the logo link above for more information.

Click here to register.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!

Bedfords Simplified

Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.

B&H

Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. But when I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.

Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.

Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

These two images were created on 21 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported/hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 476mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1600: 1/1250 second at f/7.1 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. Top image: AWB at 7:10:22am on a windless, hazy, sunny morning. Tracking: Spot XS AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly Bottom image: AWB at 7:10:27am on a windless, hazy, sunny morning. Manual focus Click on the composite to better be able to read the fine print Image #1:The two raw files for the Black-bellied Whistling Duck stitched pano below Images copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Creating a 2-Frame Stitched Panorama with a Super Telephoto or Super-telephoto Zoom Lens

1- Visualize the image.
2- Set the exposure in Manual mode.
3- If using a zoom lens, zoom to the desired focal length.
4- Create the frame with the bird in it with autofocus active, i.e., turned on. Note that for frame _DSC6105 I used the joystick to move the AF point to cover the bird.
5- Being careful not to change anything, move the AF switch to Off, reframe, and create the second image after allowing for 15% or so overlap.
6- Use your post processing skills to bring the two images together seamlessly. As below.

Note: this is a lot easier to do when you are on using a zoom lens on a tripod than when hand holding or working on a BLUBB- as there is less chance of changing the focal length when you move the AF switch to go to Manual focus. The added advantage of being on a tripod is that it is much easier to keep the lens square to the world when you pan.

These two images were created on 21 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported/hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 476mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1600: 1/1250 second at f/7.1 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. Top image: AWB at 7:10:22am on a windless, hazy, sunny morning. Tracking: Spot XS AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Bottom image: AWB at 7:10:27am on a windless, hazy, sunny morning. Manual focus. Click on the image to view the larger, inexplicably sharper high res version Image #2: Black-bellied Whistling Duck stitched pano Images copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Elevation Question

When I visualized this two-frame stitched pano, my vehicle was on the beach. Fortunately, there is a small hill, perhaps 10 or 12 feet high, behind the bathroom building near the parking circle. Most conveniently, the hill was right on sun angle. What is the main reason that I drove to the top of the hill to create the two images that I needed to create the stitched panorama?

Note: I could have grabbed the 70-200, made a single image, and cropped to a pano? I did not that for two closely related reasons:

1- to get a lot more pixels on the subject.
2- to create a much larger image file.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

A DeSoto Morning with the Sony 400-800 & the a-1 II By Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

I did not want to like the Sony 400-800 when I borrowed one from Sony to try at Stick Marsh. It was too heavy at 5.45 pounds and too slow at f/8 at the long end. Instead, I fell in love with its incredible versatility and reach. Check out the Bird Face-Eye accuracy and the befores and afters of my favorites from that morning in this short video. Heck, by DeSoto standards, it was a pretty poor morning. And be sure to learn more about the creation of each image and see three of Mishael Voison’s three fine Canon photos from that same morning below.

Sony Alpha 1 (a-1) Mirrorless Camera Body

Multiple IPT veteran and long time BAA friend Pat Fishburne is offering a rarely used Sony a-1 (ILCE-1) mirrorless camera body in excellent plus condition for a BIRDS AS ART record low $3,298.00. This body has been updated to Firmware 3.00 that reportedly improves Bird Face-Eye tracking to levels attained by the a1-ii. The camera has my latest a-1 set-up on it. The sale includes the current Buttons and Dials Guide and the Info Sheet, the original product box, one battery, the charger, the camera strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Pat via e-mail.

I used Sony a-1 bodies as my workhorse camera bodies for more than three years. They produce stunning 51MP files with vivid natural colors. The AF system is superb. They are rugged and dependable and 30 frames per second is nothing to sneeze at. With a brand new a-1 ii going for $6498.00, you can save an even $3200.00 by grabbing Pat’s nearly as good as new a- copy ASAP. Right now, B&H is offering a used Sony a-1 in the same condition, 9+, for $4,674.95 here. Don’t believe me? Click the link. Prices of some used gear items like the Sony a-1 are actually rising in anticipation of the coming tariff.

I-Phone image artie and Misha leaving DeSoto after a morning of sun and fun and learning Image copyright 2025: Mishael Voison

Misha and artie

We had a fun week and enjoyed lots of good chances. Misha sent me this text on his drive to Miami:
Hey Art,Thank you so much for the invitation to come to ILE, your hospitality, and persistent coaching. I’ve learnt so much in these past 4 days it’s amazing! Can’t wait to meet up again. In the meantime God bless and keep you my brother. Much love, Mishael

This image was created on 15 May 2025 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Standing at full height, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 670mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2500: 1/2500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:19:06am on a then windless sunny morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: Winter plumage Willet with its reflection Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Very First Image of the Day

As we approached some shorebirds feeding on a shallow flat, I noted a Willet standing in still water with a nice reflection. As I had set up for a white bird in flight (just to be ready for anything) I simply reduced my shutter speed by 1/3 stop and made this image before getting down on the ground. It is rare that the very first frame of the day is a keeper but that was the case here as this one featured the best framing.

This image also was created on 15 May 2025 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Seated on damp sand, I used the knee-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2500: 1/2000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:22:44am on a then windless sunny morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Dunlin molting into breeding plumage foraging for invertebrates Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Tips on Shooting Feeding Shorebirds in Still Water for Misha and for You

1- Get low.
2- Aquire focus.
3- Keep the bird up in the frame so as to include the whole reflection.
4- When the bird is relatively square to the back of the camera press and hold the shutter button and hope for the best. If you wait to see the perfect shot you will have missed it.

Image #2A: Unsharpened 100% Crop of the Dunlin molting into breeding plumage foraging for invertebrates image Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Cripsy Eye Skins

When your feeding shorebirds images feature crisp, sharply focused eye skins you know that you are focusing accurately, have a sharp lens, and are using a fast enough shutter speed.

This image also was created on 15 May 2025 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Seated on dry sand, I used the knee-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 674mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2000: 1/3200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:37:17am on a sunny morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: Ruddy Turnstone male in breeding plumage with tiny bivalve (mollusk) Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Good Foot/Bad Foot

Misha, just to my right, created an almost identical frame of this bird at this exact instant. This handsome turnstone was missing a toe or two on its right foot so we were lucky that the bad foot was partially buried in the wet sand while the good foot was nicely raised.

This image also was created on 15 May 2025 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Standing at full height, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 689mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1600: 1/4000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:43:03am on a sunny morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #4: Snowy Egret in flight Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Tight Flight Shots

If a flight shot is exceptionally sharp on the eye but I have badly clipped a wing, I will always look for a pleasing crop. Such images show more detail than a flight image with the whole bird in the frame.

This image was created on 15 May 2025 by Mishael Voison during an In-the-Field session at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Standing at full height, he used the hand held Canon RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens with the Canon Extender RF 2x and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1000; 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:53:31am on a variably sunny morning. Whole Area AF with Animal Detection. Image #5: Great Egret bird of the year Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Mishael Voison Image optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

An Important Question for Misha and for You

Misha was standing at full hight when he created this image. What should he have done to gotten more of the beautiful blue water in the frame?

This image also was created on 15 May 2025 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Seated on damp sand I employed the toe-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 544mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1600: 1/3200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:26:18am on a sunny morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #6: Reddish Egret catching silversides Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Failure to Zoom In

Using the toe-pod technique to photograph this bird dancing with raised wings I was zoomed out to between 500 and 600mm for almost every frame. Image #6 is a large crop. Had I zoomed in to 800mm I would have had a lot more pixels on the subject.

This image was created on 15 May 2025 during an In-the-Field session at Fort Desoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL by Mishael Voison. Seated on damp sand, he used the hand held Canon RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 500; 1/4000 second at f/4 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:33:53am on a sunny morning. Whole Area AF with Animal Detection. Image #7: Reddish Egret basic plumage dancing Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Mishael Voison Image optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Score One for Misha and Canon

I was quite impressed with the autofocus system of the R5 II; while reviewing Misha’s dancing Reddish Egret images, pretty much every one was sharp on the bird’s eye or eyes. When he joined me for a day at Stick Marsh in April, he was not even aware of sun angle. But he is obviously a quick learner and he nailed this one just to the right of perfect — note the bit of a shadow on the right on the bird’s upper neck.

This image also was created on 15 May 2025 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Crouching a bit, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2000: 1/4000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:26:18am on a sunny morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #8: Reddish Egret basic plumage eyeing baitfish — head and neck vertical portrait Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What You Do Not Want to See If You are a Baitfish

If you are a baitfish swimming along peacefully you do not want to look up and see a Reddish Egret looking down right at you with a hungry look in its eyes.

This image was created on 15 May 2025 during an In-the-Field session at Fort Desoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL by Mishael Voison. Kneeing on dry sand, he used the hand held Canon RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 100; 1/4000 second at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 9:19:32am on a sunny morning. Whole Area AF with Animal Detection. Image #9: White Ibis grabbing mole crab in surf Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Mishael Voison Image optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

When the Light is Bright …

When the light is bright, get low and work right on sun angle. The tighter the better. This image was made nearly 2 1/2 hours after sunrise on a clear sunny day yet the light looks just fine. Nice job Misha! And great timing getting the mole crab in midair.

This image also was created on 15 May 2025 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Seated on very wet sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 705mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1250: 1/500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 9:26:28am in the shade on a sunny morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #10: Snowy Egret hunting in the shade of a pier Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Subject in Shade, Background in Sun

Learn where I found shade at the beach on a bright sunny day in the YouTube video above. White subjects in the shade with the background in bright sun presents a difficult exposure challenge. With Sony it was easy by going for lots of Zebras on the background.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

Wanted to Buy

If you have a Canon EOS R5 MkII (in Excellent plus or better condition) and the matching battery grip BG-20 sitting on a shelf gathering dust and would like to sell it for a fair price, please get in touch me via e-mail and I will put you in touch with the interested party.

What’s Up?

After flying from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada to Orlando International Airport with lots of Canon gear, Mishael Voisin arrived at ILE safely on Monday afternoon for a week of photography instruction; he heads to Miami and Grand Cayman after our morning session on Friday. As it was cloudy after our early pool deck dinner, we began with a long afternoon session that went quite well and ended with a decent sunset. Tuesday morning was fabulous as the pier crane colts fed in the shallow bay left of the pier. That afternoon, our chances were looking slim at best until we found the three recently hatched Killdeer chicks near the Lakefront Pavilion. After several days of torrential rain, the 100% guaranteed Black-bellied Whistling Ducks abandoned SOP (South-of-Pier) Bay to feed in the flooded North Field. Bummer on that.

Today is Wednesday May 14, 2025. We headed down to the lake at 6:15am and enjoyed yet another successful session. Whatever you choose to do, I hope that you opt to enjoy life and have a wondrous day. There is still AirBnB room at Jacksonville from Thursday 26 June until 1 July. If you would like to change your life, please get in touch via e-mail. You can see the complete trip info here.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or especially, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro tripod head -— for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. If you are making a major purchase from B&H be sure to get in touch with me via e-mail if you would like to learn how to save some serious dollars on a B&H transaction. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!

Bedfords Simplified

Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.

B&H

Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. But when I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.

Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.

Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

This image was created on 11 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the front seat of my SUV in a driving rain, I used the BLUBB--supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 5000: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was 1 1/2 stops too dark. AWB at 6:37:53am on a dark, stormy afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed adequately. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version Image #1: Photo Mechanic Screen Capture for the Great Blue Heron with Atlantic Needlefish image Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

I Could Barely See the Bird Thru the Torrential Downpour

Would you try to optimize the raw file above?

It was raining. A brisk wind below from the west. It was very dark and getting darker. I was photographing the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks frolicking in the deluge. I am not sure what made me look across the breadth of the bay to the south of the pier, but to my surprise, I spotted a Great Blue Heron with a fish in its bill about 60 yards away. Reluctant to go below 1/250 sec. or above 5000 ISO, I knew that the image would be under-exposed. It was. I created more than 500 photos in a very few minutes despite that fact that I knew the heron’s head was angled away in most every frame. I got luck with this one.

I was sure that I was looking at a needlefish but was pretty sure that the live only in saltwater. AI Overview turned up this:

“Atlantic needlefish (Strongylura marina) can be found in freshwater in Florida, according to the Fisherman and the Florida Springs Institute. While they are typically marine and estuary species, they are known to venture into freshwater rivers, streams, and springs in Florida. Research also indicates that they can spawn in both freshwater and saltwater habitats.”

Live and learn. Thanks to blog regular David Policanksy, AKA Dr. Fish, for confirming the ID.

Image #1A: Great Blue Heron with Atlantic Needlefish image Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Optimized .TIF Master File

After increasing the exposure by 0.70 stops and moving the contrast slider to +59, most of the rest of the image optimization was straightforward as detailed in both the Digital Basics II PDF and the Digital Basics III Video Series. You can learn more about these offerings or purchase them here.

Considering the abject conditions, I was quite happy with the final result. See below for the single negative.

Image #1B: 100% crop of the Great Blue Heron with Atlantic Needlefish image Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Big Problem with an ISO 5000 Under-exposure

The single biggest problem with being 1 1/2 stops too dark with an ISO 5000 raw file is the almost complete loss of fine feather and other detail. I tried to rectify that to some degree by selecting the subject, taking the image back into Adobe Camera Raw, adding Grain, applying a bit of Sharpening under the Detail tab, and moving the Dehaze slider to +8. As you can see, those effort were not very successful as the bird’s feathers look quite like wax.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II). You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

The techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

Please note: the Divide and Conquer technique was inadvertently omitted from DB II. It is detailed in a free excerpt in the blog post here.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: most of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.

You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.

You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.

The Digital Basics III Video Series

The Digital Basics III Video Series

I realized more than a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing a Digital Basics III. More recently, I learned and begun working with two great new Photoshop Tools, the Remove Tool and the Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. The former is like a smarter Spot Healing Brush Tool on steroids and the latter is a step up from the fabulous Color Mixer Tool. During that same time frame, I came up with a new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.

As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born. The videos will be most valuable for folks using the latest version of Photoshop (2024) or Lightroom along with Topaz DeNoise AI and Topaz Sharpen AI.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

The Biggest Take-Away from Today’s Blog Post

For me, the Sony 400-800mm is an auxiliary lens (incredibly versatile as is it). But for many folks, a 600mm f/4 or a 400mm f/2.8, both priced well north of $10K, are simply not in the budget. For them, the 400-800 can be their primary workhorse lens for only $3K. As you will learn below, that will open up a new world of super-telephoto photography for them. Please remember to write for one of my affiliate links to earn a free copy of the BAA Sony 400-800mm Lens Guide.

Your Calls?

For me, two of today’s 12 featured images stand out as best. Which ones do you think that I like best? And which two do you prefer? Why for all?

This image was created on 7 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on the grass on the South Peninsula, I used the knee-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 469mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1600: 1/1000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:54:42am on early sunny smoke/fog morning. Tracking: Spot XS AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: Sandhill Crane colt (about ten weeks old) resting Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize That You Can Use Your Vehicle as an Exit Blind

When working from your car, you are usually shooting down at your subjects But if you simply get out with the intention of sitting on the ground, the bird or bird might fly away, or as was the case with Image #1, stand up. There are two ways to use your car as an exit blind:

1- If you think that the bird or birds are not super-skittish, pull the car to sun angle with your open window facing the subject. It is usually a good idea to make a few images off the BLUBB before attempting to get out. That also gives the subject a chance to get used to the lens to some degree. Next, open your door very slowly and wait a minute or so, again to get the bird accustomed to your presence. Then, ever-so-slowly, while holding your lens, get your feet on the ground and maneuver even more slowly onto the ground. This is much easier to do without a tripod than with a tripod so either the knee-pod or toe- or foot-pod techniques are often perfect. As the young crane was on a rise, I went the knee-pod route. Had I gone toe-pod, the lower half of the bird would have been hidden behind the grasses. So yes, it is possible to be too low.

2- If the bird or birds are super-skittish, get into position just short of sun angle with the driver’s side of the vehicle facing the sun rather than facing the subject as in #1 above. This time when you exit, you will be hidden behind your vehicle. Then, again, ever-so slowly, get on the ground and butt-crawl just past your vehicle. You should be very close to sun angle and ready to get to work.

In either case, if your stalking (and butt-crawling) skills are top-notch, you are often able to approach the subject as desired.

This image was created on 7 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on the grass on the South Peninsula, I used the knee-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 689mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1600: 1/1000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:54:42am on early sunny smoke/fog morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Sandhill Crane colt (about ten weeks old) — vertical head and neck portrait of resting bird Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize That You Can Soften the Background Simply by Zooming to a Longer Focal Length

Note above that though I made both images from the same spot at the same aperture, f/8, the background in #2 is much smoother and de-focused than in #1. Why? In such situations, the longer focal length — 689mm, will always result in a more pleasing background than the shorter focal length — 469mm.

This image was also created on 7 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on the sand on the beach left of the pier, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 474mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 2500: 1/4000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:40:38am on then mostly sunny morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: Black-bellied Whistling Duck splashing down Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize That Sony a-1 ii Bird Face-Eye Tracking is Far Superior to Sony a-1 Bird Face-Eye Tracking

The difference in fact, is startling. Another thing that you might not realize, is that when photographing most species of birds in flight (like the BBWD above), Bird Face-Eye Tracking rarely misses even when you are late getting on the subject. But with a very few species, most notably Roseate Spoonbill and Osprey (in my experience) the performance of the AF system of the a-1 ii is far from perfect even when you are on the subject early.

Note that with perched subjects or birds on the ground or swimming, the a-1 ii is virtually perfect with all species 100% of the time.

This image was created on 5 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on the sand on the beach left of the pier, I used the toe-pod technique with the held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 488mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1250: 1/1250 second at f/11 (stopped down one full stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:57:33am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Spot XS AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #4: Black-bellied Whistling Duck pair Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize That Stopping Down One Full Stop With a Super-Telephoto Lens Usually Does Not Help Much

With Image #4 (while focused on the eye of the right hand bird), I stopped down one full stop from f/8 to f/11 in hopes of rendering the face and eye of the left hand bird sharp. That approach did not work. I tried a contrast mask and some Topaz AI sharpening. The latter helped a bit.

This image was created on 23 April 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on the sand left of the pier, I used the knee-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 607mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1600: 1/3200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:21:50am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Spot XS AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #5: Crested Caracara and Turkey Vulture squabbling over eel carcass Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize That the Canon RF 200-800 is an Abomination

The Sony 400-800mm lens features internal focusing — the length of the lens does not change as you zoom in or out. Zooming is super-smooth and a quarter-turn twist of the wrist gets you quickly and smoothly from 800 to 400 and then back again. Though it is a pound lighter and $1,000 less than the Sony 4-8, I am baffled every time that I see someone using the Canon RF 200-800. When you zoom this lens from 200 to 800 the length of the lens increase by a whopping four inches (to more than 16 inches) making it impossible to balance on a tripod and causing huge handling problems as well when hand holding. Not to mention that it takes several turns of the zoom ring to get from 200 to 800. And even worse is the fact that the zoom mechanism is stiff even when the tension ring is set to smooth. Just like the RF 100-500. As I said, an abomination. At times, I am amazed by the power of brand loyalty.

Quickly zooming out to 607mm when the two birds in Image #5 began to go at it saved the day.

This image was created on 23 April 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated in the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported/hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 696mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1600: 1/3200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:45:50am on a sunny morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #6: Bald Eagle in fresh juvenal plumage with wings raised Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize the Cause of the Shadow Under the Bird’s Near-Wing

The shadow was — Unfortunately — caused by a branch well above the bird. Bad luck.

This image was created on 23 April 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on the sand left of the pier, I used the knee-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 720mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1600: 1/3200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:40:46am on a sunny morning with a faint cloud covering the sun. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #7: Crested Caracara juvenile in shallow water and the edge of Lake Walk-in-Water Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize How Easy it is to Properly Optimize an Image that is Exposed Well to the Right

RawDigger showed that the brightness of the raw file was dead solid perfect. The raw file, however, looked washed out at best. The key to success — creating a pleasing vibrant master .TIF master file was simply adjusting the sliders under the Light tab as the first step of the raw conversion in Adobe Camera Raw. As detailed in both Digital Basics II and the Digital Basics III Video Series.

This image was created on 8 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the front seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1000: 1/1000 second at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:56:52am on a sunny morning with a faint cloud covering the sun. Upper center Tracking: Spot XS AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #8: Turkey Vulture adult preening neck feather Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize This Use for the Vello Cable Release

With the lens firmly stabilized atop the BLUBB, my bum right shoulder cannot take minutes on end of being raised to keep my index finger on the shutter button. Especially when creating verticals — as a weight-saving measure, I never use a vertical grip with my super lightweight Sony mirrorless bodies.

For me, the solution is to reach into the console and grab one of my Vello RS-S2II Wired Remote Switch for Select Cameras with Sony Multi-Terminal Connectors. Then, I am able to keep my hand on my lap, work off the rear screen with my reading glasses on, and release the shutter button as needed.

And I do the same thing often when waiting for a great pose or action when working on a tripod.The Vello Cable release costs only a fraction of the various Sony versions; that’s why I can afford to own several. And, they work great all the time.

Image #8A: Unsharpened 100% crop of the Turkey Vulture adult preening neck feather image Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize How Sharp the 400-800 G Lens Is

Sony GM lenses are supposed to be sharper than Sony G lenses. Arash Hazeghi, who used a large quality monitor to optimize his very fine images, feels that the Sony 600mm f/4 is noticeably sharper than his 400-800. I do all of my work on a MacBook Pro and can’t see any difference in the sharpness of 400-800 images when compared to images made with my 600mm f/4 GM lens.

Is that due to ignorance on my part?

This image was created on 29 April 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from just outside my vehicle, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1600: 1/250 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:16:39am on a cloudy morning. Wide AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #9: Bald Eagle fresh juvenal plumage perched on dead pine tree branch Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize That the the Sony 400-800 Can Be Effective on Cloudy Days and in Low Light

On cloudy days you need to pick your spots with the relatively slow (f/6.3 to f/9) 400-800. In order to create sharp images at relatively slow shutter speeds you need to employ excellent sharpness techniques and have the lens firmly supported. I exited my vehicle and grabbed my tall tripod so that I could reduce the angle of inclination to the young eagle perched well up on the pine tree that held the previous year’s nest by getting my lens as elevated as possible.

This image was created on 5 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on the sand beach left of the pier, I used the toe-pod technique with the held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 800: 1/1250 second at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:20:19am on a sunny morning. Wide AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #10: Black-bellied Whistling Duck vertical with complete reflection Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize That the Size of the Subject in the Frame is a Function of the Square of the Focal Length

If you are currently one of the 180- or 200-600 zoom lenses, your maximum focal length is 600mm. If you switch to a lens that reaches to 800mm (disregarding focus breathing), the size of the subject in the frame will be nearly doubled; the bird will be 1.77 times larger at 800mm than at 600mm. How is this possible when the focal length has only been increased by 33.55%? Because the size of the bird in the frame, the area is covers, is a function of the square of the focal length: 6 squared is 36, 8 squared is 64, and 64/36 =1.778 1.77. QED.

This image was created on 5 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on the sand beach left of the pier, I used the held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 2500: 1/2500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:53:28am on a sunny morning. Wide AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #11: Black-bellied Whistling Duck braking to land Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize Why Zoom Lenses Can Be So Effective for Flight Photography

When utilizing the longest focal length of your telephoto zoom lens for flight photography — in this case 800mm, proper technique involves first zooming out to 600 or 700mm and then zooming in to 800mm (if needed). This technique makes it far easier to find and frame the bird and acquire focus.

This image was created on 7 May 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing on the sloped that leads down to the South Canal, I used the held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 2000: 1/1000 second at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:45:44am on a sunny morning. Wide AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #12: Sandhill Crane colt about 8 weeks old — head and neck portrait Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Might Not Realize the Importance of Subject to Sensor Plane Juxtaposition

When working at close range, the best way to have sufficient depth of field to cover the subject is to make the image when the bird is exactly parallel to the imaging sensor. Not that stopping down 1/3-stop to f9 helped only marginally. It was very nice of this colt to pose for ten seconds as it searched for its next invertebrate meal.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

Robus, Right Now, the World’s Best Tripods for Telephoto Lenses
A Brand New YouTube Video from Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Watch the video to pick up some great tripod handling tips and learn which of the three featured Robus tripods would be best for you.

While the current rage is to hand hold everything, nearly all serious photographers know that to consistently create sharp images using relatively long focal lengths and slow shutter speeds while avoiding ridiculously high ISO settings, a sturdy tripod is an absolute must for 99% of the nature photographers out there. Both Gitzo and Really Wrong Stuff tripods are vastly over-priced and vastly over-rated. Robus offers three truly great carbon fiber models that operate smoothly and efficiently, are relatively inexpensive yet rugged, and stand up to sand and even saltwater without blinking. I have advised B&H that the Robus tripods are underpriced! I have been using Robus for three years and am totally in love with them.

If you would like some advice on which of the three might be best for you, shoot me an e-mail with the words “Which Robus Tripod for Me? cut and pasted into the subject line. Please include your height and your longest super-telephoto lens. I may be able to save you a few bucks.

The Tripod Leg Tabs

The Tripod Leg Tabs

As touched upon in the video, the leg tabs on your tripod can be a bird photographer’s best friend. In a perfect world, they will — like those on the Robus tripods, pull out smoothly and easily so that you can quickly adjust the leg angles as needed. If you are photographing on a level surface it is best to have all the leg tabs in the In position with the legs of the tripod fully spread and the stops firmly against the stops.

If you need to get a foot or so lower, pull out the leg tab of the forward-facing tripod leg and the lower the angle of that leg. If you are in a pinch and pressed for time, you can do the same thing with two or three of the legs. Beware, however, when using slow shutter speeds as the stability of the tripod will be reduced (as compared to working with all of the leg tabs in the In position with the tabs flush against the stops).

When working on a slope with some sort of sidehill lie (as was the case when I created today’s featured images), proper technique calls for having all three leg tabs pulled out so that you can work the leg angles to level the tripod platform. (Note: the tripod “platform” is the circular plate above the tripod legs onto which you mount your tripod head. If I am not pressed for time in similar situations, I will first level the tripod platform and then take a moment to fine-tune the leveling by centering the bubble in the scribed circle of the world’s best tripod head, the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro.

If the leg tabs on your tripod have become sticky over time, lubricating them with either WD-40 or Lock-Ease will usually help.

Robus Tripod Chart

Which is the Best Robus Tripod for You?

For the past three years, I have been blessed to own and use all three of the Robus tripods detailed in the YouTube video. Again, if you are unsure of which one would be best for you, shoot me an e-mail with the words “Which Robus Tripod for Me? cut and pasted into the subject line. Please include your height and your longest super-telephoto lens.

What’s Up?

Photography at ILE this spring continues to be excellent. On Thursday morning, I ignored all the young crane families and sat on a pillow atop a milk crate to the left of the pier to try for incoming Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (BBWDs). Not much luck there, but I had some good chances with Mottled Duck, Tricolored Heron, Boat-tailed Grackle, and Common Moorhen.

On Friday morning I did get some nice stuff on the incoming whistling ducks and a vulture on The Perch II put on a very nice wingstretch show. I’ve been getting lots of work done on the BAA 400-800mm Lens Guide. As was the case with the BAA 300mm f/2.8 GM Lens Guide, I have learned a ton about this amazingly versatile lens that I had not been aware of at first glance.

Two Surprises

1- For the first time in 25 years at ILE, I heard a gator booming.
2- I was working from my car shooting the perched vulture out of the opened, west-facing driver’s side window. I had opened the passenger side window hoping for a bit of a cooling breeze. Out of nowhere, the deafening sound of birdsong filled the inside my vehicle. The only explanation was that somehow I-Bird had opened on my iPhone and was playing the song of a very loud species via Car Play. As I turned to my right, I saw a Northern Mockingbird flying away; it had perched on the opened, east-facing window and sang for a second or two. The inside of my X5 had acted like an echo chamber!

Today is Saturday 3 May 2025. I will be heading down to the lake early to try for the BBWDs. Whatever you plan on doing, I hope that you too opt to have a wonderful day. Do remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

In the Last Blog Post

In the last blog post, Five Lenses On the Front Passenger Seat of My X5 SUV!, my two favorites were #1, The Venerable Orchestra Conductor, #4, Black-necked Stilt adult calling in flight, and #5, Osprey taking flight from the shallow water. Yes, I know that I’ve listed three favorites but I could not in good conscious leave any one of those out. Thanks to all who commented.

Supporting My Efforts Here

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

This image was created on 23 March 2025 at Celery Fields, Sarasota, Standing on the slope of a berm, I used the somewhat lowered Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1600; 1/800 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:42:36am on a variably cloudy morning. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: Sandhill Crane 4-day old chick with damselfly Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Working With a Sidehill Lie

In golf, sidehill lies are quite difficult. And the same is true with bird photography. I was on a fairly steep slope with the chick atop the berm getting fed by the adult. I was concerned with sun angle even though the shadows were fairly faint. Every time I moved, it was necessary to adjust the height of the tripod in addition to dealing with varying degrees of slope. The huge trick in these situations (as noted above) is to pull out all the leg tabs so that you can do most of your adjusting by changing the angle of the each of the three legs independently so that the tripod platform at least approximates being level.

This image was also created on 23 March 2025 at Celery Fields, Sarasota, Standing on the slope of a berm, I used the somewhat lowered Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1600; 1/800 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:42:36am on a variably cloudy morning. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Sandhill Crane 4-day old chick with damselfly (huge crop) Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Seven Frames Later …

Seven frames later, in the same second, I had a perfect look at the damselfly. Unfortunately, the baby crane had turned its head away from me to grab the small flying insect. Image #2 is obviously a huge crop that shows what you can do with a sharp a-1 ii raw file. Sharp, in part, because I was on a sturdy Robus tripod. Though some can do it, I would not want to be hand holding at 840mm for a relatively static subject even at a fast shutter speed! My left arm begins to ache when I just think about doing that.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

Your Call?

Which two of today’s nine featured images are your favorites? Why do you like each one?

Thanks to the many who commented at the last post. The majority picked the first images as best while admitted that they loved the second image, the goofy looking crane colt staring right at me. I will follow up Cliff Beittel’s excellent suggestion that I lighten the irises of the colt in the vertical.

Tariff Warnings

In the face of tariff concerns, there is lots online about possible huge price increases for photography equipment — cameras and lenses and more. There was one doomsday report on Facebook stating definitively that a $700 price increase on the Sony 400-800 lens is already in place. That is pure BS. When Dr. Cliff Oliver posted that he ordered one on Wednesday from Bedfords using the BIRDSASART discount code, received the lens on Friday for the current price — $2898.00, got his BAA discount and free second-day air Fed Ex shipping, his comment was of course deleted.

I spoke to Steve Elkins last week and he stated that as long as Sony does not raise the prices on future delivered stock items that he will honor the currently posted prices. If Sony jacks up the current prices, buyers will be notified of the price increase and asked if they would like to go through with their purchase.

B&H states clearly that if you place an order at a given price, they will honor that price when your item or items are delivered even if Sony raises the price. And the same, of course, goes with backordered stuff including and especially the Sony a-1 ii and the 400-800.

So, if you are considering purchasing a Sony a-1 ii, a Sony 400-800, or any camera, lens, or accessory, my advice at this minute is to stop what you are doing and place your order right now (using one of my two affiliate links of course). Or risk paying appreciably more at some point. Please remember that you only live once.

As noted the other day, the pipeline on the a-1 ii is beginning to open up and you can get a 400-800 soon with a bit of luck.

Very recently Patrick Sparkman, Geri Georg, Charlie Curr, and Bryan Love received their a-1 ii bodies and Cliff Oliver and Ramona Boone got their 400-800s, all from Bedfords. Bedford’s wait lists are always shorter than the B&H lists.

What’s Up?

Friday morning on the Osprey boat was fabulous with a brisk east wind and some sweet light. Saturday morning began well but when the wind died, so did the action. Clemens Van der Werf joined Anita North and me both days.

In the very early mornings when I am done trying to create a good pleasing blur or two, I go to either the 300mm f/2.8 GM or the 400mm f/2.8 GM when I start trying to create sharp images. Those often with the 1.4X TC in place. But as soon as it is bright enough to work with my favorite new lens, I grab the 400-800 and get to work. Be sure to check out the amazing variety of images that can be made with Sony’s fabulous new monster zoom.

On Sunday morning Anita and I headed down to Lake Walk-in-Water to check on the baby cranes and lots more. A flock of about 80 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flew in left of the pier very early; we got some nice stuff on them in the low light before they flew off. Last year this species provided a ton of action in May and early June and things are looking very positive for a 2025 repeat. Neighbor Ron told us weeks ago that the had seen eleven young cranes this year. I did not believe him until this morning when I saw all eleven! We photographed several pairs of chicks and small colts.

Today in Monday 28 April 2028. We will, of course, be heading down to the lake in the dark to see what’s around. Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful and productive day. Do remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on an Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025) or in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Both offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and ground transportation during your stay.

Indian Lake Estates BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field Sessions

I am currently available for morning BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field sessions on the following dates: April 29-30 and at least the first half of May. Please e-mail for costs and additional information. Or, shoot me a text to 863-221-2372.

BILD EXPO Presented by B&H

Why Attend? Speakers, Gear, Deals, and More!

Bild Expo is back! Join us at The Javits Center in New York City for an unforgettable event featuring 100+ expert speakers, 250+ exhibitors, hands-on experiences, and the world’s greatest creative community. B&H’s incredible show specials will be the icing on the cake! Whether you’re a seasoned pro, an enthusiast, or a beginner, at Bild you will get inspired, learn, meet like-minded people, and celebrate being part of this amazing world of creativity.

Click here or on the logo link above for more information.

Click here to register.

This image was created on 18 April 2025 at Lake Blue Cypress. I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 678mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1250: 1/1600 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 9:20:30 am on a bright sunny morning. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: American Alligator head and snout portrait Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Lissy’s Favorite

Younger daughter Alissa was thrilled to see this nine foot gator after we got off the Osprey boat on the family outing nine days ago. When I first spotted it basking on the exit road, I grabbed my 400-800 for the reach. It turned out to be the perfect lens choice.

This image was created on 25 April 2025 at Lake Blue Cypress. I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 455mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. Multi-metering +2.7 stops in Shutter Priority mode with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the Thumb Dial. AUTO ISO set ISO 4000: 1/10 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Mythical Cypress Tree/Osprey landing on water Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Mythical Cypress Tree/Osprey

Creating blurs is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get. As I do not like to sit around doing nothing in extreme low light situations with a camera and lens in my hands. Waiting around for enough light to create sharp images is a complete waste of time. Thus, I am a huge fan of trying to create pleasing blurs. I was working on jiggle blurs of the Cypress Trees at 1/10 second. I kept four traditional jiggle blurs plus this totally serendipitous one.

Not only does this mythical bird have two wings, it even has the crest of feathers that can be seen at times on the back of an Osprey’s head.

This image was created on 25 April 2025 from a pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 423mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 2500: 1/4000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:52:11am on a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: Osprey — female taking flight Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

400-800 at the Short End

The incredible versatility of the 4-8 makes up for its lack of speed (f/6.3 to f/8). Zooming out practically all the way was the winning move for this image. A quarter-turn twist of the wrist get you from 400mm to 800mm and back again just as easily.

This image was created on 25 April 2025 from a pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 2000: 1/5000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:12:39am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #4: Osprey feeding two chicks Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A Huge Crop

With a fairly brisk wind and the boat rocking considerably, I was having trouble keeping the adult bird in the middle of the frame and acquiring and maintaining focus. I did manage to create more than a few sharp frames; this was the best of the lot. Clemens was shooting at 1200mm and Anita wound up at 1600mm (400-800 at 800mm with the 2X TC at f/16!). I am not sure how they did it, but they both made some very good images.

Sharp a-1 ii raw files allow for very large crops and that is exactly what I needed to create a presentable image.

This image was created on 25 April 2025 from a pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1600: 1/5000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:27:18am on a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #5: Osprey in nest adorned with fall color Cypress bough Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Fall Color Nest

A very few nests had orange sprigs of left-over fall color mixed in with the sticks and the Spanish moss. Staying well back and working at 800mm allowed for a rather shallow angle of inclination and the handsome Osprey was the icing on the cake. The performance of Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection enabled is quite remarkable. It is so good that I have eliminated both Zone and Tracking: Zone on nothing of my a-1 ii bodies. That leaves me with only two check-boxed AF patterns — Wide and Tracking: Spot XS.

This image was created on 25 April 2025 from a pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1600: 1/5000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:27:50am on a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #6: Osprey — head portrait of bird in nest Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Same Bird

The bird in Image #5 is the very same bird in the very same spot as the bird in Image #4. Only the perspective is different. Despite the steep angle of inclination, I find this one pleasing. And again, we see the amazing versatility of the Sony 400-800.

This image was created on 25 April 2025 from a pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 604mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 2000: 1/5000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:39:37am on a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #7: Osprey — male landing at nest Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A Very Good Wind

The wind was close to perfect on Friday morning, 12-15mph from the east with a touch of south in it as the morning wore on. The result: lots of action and lots of take-offs and landings.

This image was created on 25 April 2025 from a pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 414mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 2500: 1/4000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:45:24am on a partly sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #8: Osprey — female taking flight from a vertical original Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Trying for Vertical Takeoff Shots

When most birds take flight, their first move is often to raise both wings straight overhead. So, when working at fairly close range, it often pays to try for the vertical take off shot. With the bird well up in the original frame, I went to a full width square crop with this one.

This image was created on 26 April 2025 from a pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 6400: 1/1000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was two stops too dark. AWB at 6:55:46am — five minutes before sunrise with single cloud on the eastern horizon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #9: Peregrine perched in Cypress tree Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Whoa, Don. Stop the Boat!

We were cruising slowly looking for good situations in the extreme low light of dawn when I spotted the distinctive shape of a Peregrine perched low in a small Cypress tree. As I was in a bit of a hurry as the captain approached the falcon, I grabbed the 400-800 that was set up for doing blurs, switched to Manual mode, set 1/1000 sec. as my hopefully-sharp-enough-shutter speed, raised the ISO to 6400 (knowing that I would be way under-exposed but not wanting to go any higher), and created a few frames. This one was the sharpest of the lot.

If I had had time, it would have been better to grab the 400mm f/2.8 and add the 2X TC to save one full stop of ISO. As my late Mom used to say, “Oh well.”

The Sony 400-800mm G Zoom Lens — Slow, a Bit on the Heavy Side: But With New, Different, and Spectacular Results!

I did not think that I would like this lens — too heavy, too slow. Instead, I have fallen in love with it.

I learned three new things about Sony’s big zoom last Monday:

1- It is the first and, as far as I know, the only Sony G lens to offer a Direct Manual Focus (DMF) switch. This is a huge plus as it allows you to pre-focus manually with the AF switch set to AF. All GM super-telephotos have a DMF switch. The 200-600 G lens does not have a DMF switch.

2- Sony switched the design of the mounting holes on the new lens. It will take some research to come up with a suitable low foot. Note: the lower the foot, the better the performance of the lens on a tripod topped by a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro.

3- Optically, the 4-8 with the 1.4X TC is superb. At f/11, this is of course a very slow combination, but on sunny days, brilliant results can be achieved. Note that at 1/500 second, I needed ISO 2000 to come up with a perfect exposure, that despite the abundance of sunshine. More recently, Anita North made some sharp Osprey feeding young images with here 4-8 with the 2X TC at 1600mmm at f/16. From a rocking boat!

I’ve continued to use the new 4-8 more and more at various locations. Working in Manual mode, I need to be at f/8 to avoid any exposure screw-ups. The high shutter speeds needed for flight and action find me working with ISOs ranging from 1600 to 2500 (or more for dark subjects) even in bright conditions. It goes without saying, however, that the relatively low maximum aperture of f/8 is a handicap in cloudy conditions. But the images are the payoff.

Huge thanks to Anita North, Larry Master, and Pamela Viale, who each used A BAA affiliate link to order their Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lenses. Pam is pairing her 4-8 with her 300mm f/2.8 (plus both TCs); that seems like a perfect marriage to me. Each of them and everyone else who uses either my B&H link or the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout with Bedfords to purchase their 400-800 will receive a free lens guide in approximately three weeks. If you are confused as to using the links, please e-mail for details.

Those who do not use a BAA affiliate link to purchase their 400-800s will be able to purchase the 400-800 lens guide by sending a PayPal for $101.43 to birdsasart@verizon.net. I am bringing my 400-800 to the Alligator Farm and will be using it on a tripod for the first time. For now, the Wimberley P-35 Plate is the best option.

Should You Upgrade to or Purchase a Sony a-1 ii?

I received my second a-1 ii two weeks ago. I continue to be amazed by speed and accuracy of the Bird Face-Eye tracking in AF-C and the overall performance of the camera. I feel blessed every time I pick one up.

Aside from the improved ergonomics as compared to the a-1, other nice features include the fact that the rear screen tilts both ways. Pre-capture has proven to be a huge plus; in my opinion, the Speed Boost feature is a total waste for bird photography. In addition, the resolution on the rear monitor has been improved dramatically (not that I would notice). Bird Face-Eye tracking on the a-1 ii is vastly improved as compared to both the a-1 and the a9 iii and the 51MP files are to die for.

So, the big question is, is the a-1 ii “worth” a gear upgrade. Remember that I can never know whether or not something is worth it to for someone else. I can say that I was not floored when first using my a-1 ii. The differences between the a-1 ii and the original a-1, seemed to be neither huge nor eye-opening. But over time, I came to realize that I was 100% wrong.

The huge difference between the new camera body and the older a9 iii is, of course, the 51MP a-1 raw files (as compared to the 24MP files rendered by the a9 iii). That said, Pat’s image above stood up quite well to a rather substantial crop from below and from our left.

With the price of a brand new a-1 having recently dropped $1500.00 to $4,998.00, the decision for new Sony buyers is a tough one. The a-1 ii sells new for $6,498.00. And the price of used a-1 bodies will continue to drop (but surely not as much as I had thought before using the a-1 ii). But for me, the a-1 ii is clearly far superior to the original a-1 for bird photography.

If you do purchase an a-1 ii, be sure to use one of my two affiliate links so that you will receive my a-1 ii settings (in the form of a CAMSEa1ii.DAT file), the Buttons and Dials Guide, and an Info Sheet. Folks who do not purchase their new a-i ii using my B&H link or from Bedfords here and entering the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout will be able to purchase the a-1 ii guide for $227.43. If you are at all confused and do not want to screw up your order, please get in touch via e-mail.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

“If—” a poem by Rudyard Kipling, 1865 – 1936

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run—
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

What can I say? Kipling had a way with words. By the way, his first name was Joseph. Rudyard was actually his middle name. Please note that the poem is in the public domain.

In the Last Blog Post

In the last blog post, Teacher & Student Burrowing Owl Successes at Cape Coral, here, thanks to the very few folks who left a comment. I loved #4, the alarmed baby owl for the posture and the wide-eyed look. #2, “The Lineup” was very special as well. As was Pat’s image. Perhaps my very favorite was #5, Burrowing Owl large chick stretching one wing; I love the wing stretch, the composition-balancing stalk in the upper right, and the overall softness of the image. Everyone I’ve shared the image had a very positive reaction to this photo. Thus, I was quite surprised that one commenter went out of her way to state this about Image #5: … doesn’t do a lot for me.

I guess that there is no accounting for taste.

What’s Up?

We had a fabulous Monday morning with Pat Fishburne at Cape Coral. I was headed home, exhausted, to ILE before 11:00am. Tuesday morning at ILE was quite excellent as well. We saw seven of the nine young cranes and photographed six of them. We also got to photograph two Cattle Egrets standing in the water along the shore of Lake Walk-in-Water (AKA Lake Weohyakapka) along with a very handsome juvenile Crested Caracara.

The a-1 ii pipeline is opening up a bit. I was glad to learn yesterday that Rupert (Charlie) Curry and Geri Georg got their a-1 ii bodies from Bedfords. The previous week Larry Master and Robin Roberts got theirs from B&H. I spent lots of time updating my a-1 ii bodies to Firmware 2.01 and my remaining a-1 body to Firmware 3.01. I also got a bit more work done on the BAA 400-800mm Lens Guide (free to all who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase their 4-8; otherwise, $101.43 via PayPal to e-mail.) Right now, it is very difficult to get your hands on either a 400-800 or an a-1 ii. Be sure to use one of my two affiliate links to earn your free lens or camera guide. The latter includes my settings in the form of a .DAT file, instructions on getting that onto your camera, a Button and Dials Guide, and a detailed INFO sheet.

This rather short blog post took more than two hours to create including the time spent on the image optimizations.

Today is Wednesday 23 April 2025. We will be headed down to the lake in the dark to practice shooting the baby cranes at ISO 25600. No kidding. Then, I will be working on the Buttons and Dials Guides and the INFO Sheets for both the a-1 and a-1 ii Firmware updates. Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful and productive day. Do remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on an Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025) or in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Both offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and ground transportation during your stay.

Indian Lake Estates BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field Sessions

I am currently available for morning BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field sessions on the following dates: April 24, 29-30, and at least the first half of May. Please e-mail for costs and additional information. Or, shoot me a text to 863-221-2372.

These two image were created on 22 April down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing on the slope leading down to the South Canal, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 320. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 8:11:22am on a variably sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #1: A Two-frame Composite Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Wide Autofocus Tip For All (especially Mirrorless) Systems

I am pretty sure that all high-end mirrorless and most of the more recent dSLR camera bodies offer some sort of broad or wide AF patterns that cover nearly all of the frame. In addition, most of the bodies mentioned previously have some smaller zone AF coverage choices. In the situation that I was faced with above — one bird on my right and two on my left, the trick to getting the camera to focus where you want it to is to place the desired subject or subjects in the center of the frame, acquire focus, and then recompose.

I was using Wide AF-C with Bird Face-Eye enabled. As the single bird on my right was slightly closer to me than the adult and the large chick on my left, I first centered the single large chick on my right in the center of the frame (and thus in the center of the AF coverage), half-pressed the shutter button to acquire focus, and then moved the lens to the left so as to include the other two birds in the frame. That of course is the image on our left above.

Then I had a brilliant thought — focus on the two birds on the left and create an image that could be focus stacked with the first image. So I followed the same procedure as above: I first centered the two cranes on my left in the middle of the frame (and thus in the center of the AF coverage), half-pressed the shutter button to acquire focus, and then moved the lens to the right so as to include the single young bird in the frame. That of course is the image on our right above.

This image was created from the two images above — a sort of crude, two-frame focusing stacking. Be sure to click on the image to view the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Sandhill Crane adult feeding one of its two chicks Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Image Optimization

I converted both images using the same settings (via Apply Previous Settings, of course). Then I painted a Quick Mask of the single bird, the sky, and the foreground grass in _DSC2519 and moved it roughly into place atop _DSC2522. After fine tuning the placement, I added a Regular Layer Mask and brushed away some of the upper layer to minimize the depth of field mismatch in the foreground grass. After flattening the top two layers, I ran a 65-pixel Gaussian Blur on a new layer, hid that with an Inverse (Hide-all, or Black) Mask, and incrementally painted in some blur on the grasses in front of the sharp bird. I was more than happy with the result.

Note that I added a bit of out of focus greenery to the left of the feeding to balance the image design. I used the Remove Tool to eliminate a very few sharp blades of grass. The whole image optimization process will be part the Digital Basics IV Video Series that will hopefully be available at the end of May. 2025.

Compare the two originals and note that because I was hand holding, the framing of the two images was different.

h2>Image #3: A 100% crop of the Sandhill Crane adult feeding one of its two chicks image Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

This tight, 100% crop of the feeding shows the incredible detail that comes with every sharp Sony a-1 ii raw (ARW) file.

Should You Upgrade to or Purchase a Sony a-1 ii?

I received my second a-1 ii two weeks ago. I continue to be amazed by speed and accuracy of the Bird Face-Eye tracking in AF-C and the overall performance of the camera.

Aside from the improved ergonomics as compared to the a-1, other nice features include the fact that the rear screen tilts both ways. Pre-capture has proven to be a huge plus; in my opinion, the Speed Boost feature is a total waste for bird photography. In addition, the resolution on the rear monitor has been improved dramatically (not that I would notice). Bird Face-Eye tracking on the a-1 ii is vastly improved as compared to both the a-1 and the a9 iii and the 51MP files are to die for.

So, the big question is, is the a-1 ii “worth” a gear upgrade. Remember that I can never know whether or not something is worth it to for someone else. I can say that I was not floored when first using my a-1 ii. The differences between the a-1 ii and the original a-1, seemed to be neither huge nor eye-opening. But over time, I came to realize that I was 100% wrong.

The huge difference between the new camera body and the older a9 iii is, of course, the 51MP a-1 raw files (as compared to the 24MP files rendered by the a9 iii). That said, Pat’s image above stood up quite well to a rather substantial crop from below and from our left.

With the price of a brand new a-1 having recently dropped $1500.00 to $4,998.00, the decision for new Sony buyers is a tough one. The a-1 ii sells new for $6,498.00. And the price of used a-1 bodies will continue to drop (but surely not as much as I had thought before using the a-1 ii). But for me, the a-1 ii is clearly far superior to the original a-1 for bird photography.

If you do purchase an a-1 ii, be sure to use one of my two affiliate links so that you will receive my a-1 ii settings (in the form of a CAMSEa1ii.DAT file), the Buttons and Dials Guide, and an Info Sheet. Folks who do not purchase their new a-i ii using my B&H link or from Bedfords here and entering the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout will be able to purchase the a-1 ii guide for $227.43. If you are at all confused and do not want to screw up your order, please get in touch via e-mail.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

Continuing Crane Family Blessings

Nine of this year’s ten young cranes continue to survive, flourish, and grow. The two 2-chick families on the South Peninsula continue to cooperate beyond all expectations. On Wednesday morning past, the two fairly large colts at the north end did the same. Even the very oldest largest colt at the south end is becoming easier to work with on some mornings.

Wanted to Buy

I have a friend looking to purchase a used Sony a9 iii. If you have one in excellent or better condition sitting on a shelf somewhere doing nothing and would like to get a fair price for it, please get in touch with me via e-mail. And if you are looking for a piece of used gear, do the same and LMK what gear you are seeking.

Sony Alpha 1 (a-1) Mirrorless Camera Body

Multiple IPT veteran and longtime BAA friend Pat Fishburne is offering a rarely used Sony a-1 (ILCE-1) mirrorless camera body in excellent plus condition for a BIRDS AS ART record low $3,298.00. This body has been updated to Firmware 3.00 that reportedly improves Bird Face-Eye tracking to levels attained by the a1-ii. The camera has my current a-1 set-up on it. The sale includes the current Buttons and Dials Guide and the Info Sheet, the original product box, one battery, the charger, the camera strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Pat via e-mail

I used Sony a-1 bodies as my workhorse cameras for more than three years. They produce stunning 51MP files with vivid natural colors. The AF system is superb. They are rugged and dependable and 30 frames per second is nothing to sneeze at. With a brand new A-1 ii going for $6498.00, you can save an even $3200.00 by grabbing Pat’s nearly as good as new a- copy ASAP. Right now, B&H is offering a used Sony a-1 in 9+ condition for $$4,507.95 (here). Prices of some used gear items are actually rising in anticipation of the tariff wars coming.

artie

What’s Up?

On Thursday morning, photography at ILE continued to be excellent. All of the record nine young cranes are doing fabulously well. After we did the chicks we had an Osprey on a branch near its natural nest devouring a huge crappie. Several bold and brazen Fish Crows were attempting to steal scraps of fish from the rather large by comparison raptor. Just as I took my eye from the viewfinder for a moment to scratch my ear, a crow swooped in from above; Anita created a wonderful series of images depicting the theft.

On Friday morning, older daughter Jennifer and her husband Erik and younger daughter Alissa along with her younger son Idris joined Anita North and me for a very early morning sail on Lake Blue Cypress. The weatherman lied again. The forecast called for an east wind at 5 mph. Instead, we had death on bird photography conditions: a NW wind at about 10mph that had all the Ospreys landing away from us. Being out on the lake early, however, was wonderfully peaceful as the lake is gorgeous. Despite the very tough conditions Anita and I made a very few good images. Amazingly, my son-in-law Erik, photographing birds for the first time in 30 years, hand held my Sony 200-600 with an a-1 ii and made three very excellent photos. Yes, with only a modicum of instruction.

After a BBQ chicken pool deck brunch with a big salad and Anita’s fabulous homemade cole slaw, Anita and I drove to the Brandon Mall to visit the Apple Store where we each had a genius bar appointment. Each of our MacBook Pros had a single sticking key. Both of our keyboards were cleaned and my”1″ key was replaced. With clear blue skies, bright sun, and a brisk east wind, we took the afternoon off rather than head to Tampa for an afternoon at the North Tampa Rookery.

Today is Saturday 19 April 2025. We will wake early and head to Fort DeSoto to see if things there have improved after the last two big hurricanes. Then it is on to Cape Coral for two days of In-the Field Instruction with longtime friend and student Pat Fishburne and the Burrowing Owls. Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful day. Do remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com.

Yesterday, I did some more work on the BAA 400-800mm Lens Guide (free to all who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase their 4-8; otherwise, $101.43 via PayPal to e-mail.) Right now, it is very difficult to get your hands on either a 400-800 or an a-1 ii. Be sure to use one of my two affiliate links to earn your free lens or camera guide. The latter includes my settings in the form of a .DAT file, instructions on getting that onto your camera, a Button and Dials Guide, and a detailed INFO sheet.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on an Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025) or in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or, shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Both offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and ground transportation during your stay.

Your Call

Which of today’s six featured baby crane images do you think is the strongest? Warning: they are all pretty darned special. Please let us know why you made your choice.

Indian Lake Estates BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field Sessions

I am currently available for morning BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field sessions on the following dates: April 22-24, 29-30, and the first half of May. Please e-mail for costs and additional information. Or, shoot me a text to 863-221-2372.

This image was created on 15 April 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on dry sand, I used the heel pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1250. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/1250 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:39:34am early on a partly cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #1: Sandhill Crane chick foraging in heaven (no pier) Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Pier Chicks

I am pretty sure that the chicks from the crane family that hangs out by the ILE pier were the last to hatch. They have been incredibly tame, even curious, since day one. In Image #1, I think that the chick is about three weeks old, perhaps less a very few days.

The big challenge with photographing the chicks and colts is controlling the background. A big consideration there is how low you position the lens. We strive to avoid any sort of sharp horizon line bisecting the subject or subjects.

This image was created on 16 April 2025 on the North Field down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on damp grass, I used the knee-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/2000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:42:11am on a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #2: Sandhill Crane colt stretching near wing Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The North End Colts

There a two handsome colts at the north end of the North Field. As they spend a lot of time in the various backyards, it was a real pleasure to find them foraging in the open field last Wednesday morning early on when the light was gorgeous. I barely fit this bird in the frame when it stretched its wing. The chest and a foot of one of the parents was in the upper right corner of the frame. I eliminated the adult bird, expanded canvas all around, and spent 20 minutes trying to smooth the background in the upper right corner. Without success. Anita North saved the day by suggesting that I used the mask feature in Adobe Camera Raw to get the job done.

Is there any sound evidence in the optimized version above of the presence of the adult in the original frame? If yes, what are you seeing?

This image was also created on 16 April 2025 on the North Field down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on damp grass, I used the toe-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:42:52am on a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #3: Sandhill Crane colt running with wings raised Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Sony 400mm f/2.8 Bokeh

The background here is 100% natural. I love the softness surrounding the bird below and above. As the bird was on a slight rise and the lens nearly on the ground, the foreground is beautifully blurred.

This image was also created on 16 April 2025 on the North Field down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on damp grass, I used the toe-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:42:52am on a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #4: Sandhill Crane colt stretching far wing Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Speed Demon with Sky in the Background

It is hard to believe that Image #4 was created a mere three seconds after Image #3, but the EXIF never lies. In that time, I needed to re-frame, acquire focus, re-level the shot, and press the shutter button. I guess that you might say that I was quick on my toes. The speed of initial focusing acquisition with the a-1 ii was an important factor in pulling off the second image. Note that there is some sky in the background because the bird in Image #4 was closer to me than in the previous image and thus the lens was angled up a bit more.

This image was created on 17 April 2025 on the South Peninsula down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing on the slope that leads down to the South Canal, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 4000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/640 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:02:23 am early on what would become a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #5: Sandhill Crane chick biting sibling’s head Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Squabbling Chicks

When the crane chicks are small, they squabble often. Getting two halfway decent head angles is a huge challenge. Wide AF grabbed the head of the biting bird and since they were very close to being on the exact same plane, the faces of both birds are sharp. In the extreme low light conditions (ISO 4000 at f/2.8!), I was glad to create a sharp image at only 1/640 second.

Part of the key to the success of this image was lightening the iris of the parent bird using Tim Grey Dodge and Burn.

This image was also created on 17 April 2025 on the South Peninsula down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing on the slope that leads down to the South Canal, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 4000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:12:01am early on what soon became a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #6: Sandhill Crane chick running toward adult Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

f/2.8 and Be There

Note that each of today’s featured images was created with a super-fast telephoto lens wide open at f/2.8. For nearly the past 43 years I have been working at the wide open aperture and focusing on the bird’s eye with zero regard for the narrow depth of field. This tack has served me so well that I have no reason to consider changing now. When working at point blank range I will stop down a bit if I have sufficient light to do so.

a-1 ii AF

Image #6 was my slight favorite from a 40-frame burst that saw the tiny green eye-tracking box squarely on the chick’s left eye. That as verified in Viewer, part of Sony’s Imaging Edge Desktop application.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

In the Last Blog Post

In the last blog post, Why Photograph Boat-tailed Grackle? here, I could not pick a favorite; I love them both for the action they depict and the sharpness. Not to mention that Pre-Capture on the Sony a-1 ii is the bomb!

Your Call?

Which of today’s five featured images do you feel is the strongest? Why did you make your choice?

What’s Up?

Photography at ILE in the mornings has been very good. All nine young cranes continue to survive and grow. There are flocks of feeding Cattle Egrets in the fields; some are looking pretty spiffy. And the two fledged Bald Eagles have provided a few good chances as well.

Today is Tuesday 15 April 2025. I will be down to the lake early to see what’s around. Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you too opt to have a wonderful day. Do remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com.

Yesterday, I finished updating the BAA 300mm Lens Guide. Today, I will send the greatly improved revision to those who used my link to purchase their Sony 300mm GM using one of my two affiliate links and to those who purchased the guide. Right now, it is very difficult to get either a 400-800 or an a- ii. Be sure to use one of my two affiliate links to earn your free lens or camera guide. The latter includes my settings in the form of a .DAT file, instructions on getting that onto your camera, a Button and Dials Guide, and a detailed INFO sheet.

On Friday morning, older daughter Jennifer and younger daughter Alissa along with her younger son Idris will be joining Anita North and I for a very early morning sail on Lake Blue Cypress. After that, we head to Tampa for an afternoon at the North Tampa Rookery and Saturday morning at Fort DeSoto. From there, I head to Cape Coral for two days of In-the Field Instruction with longtime friend and student Pat Fishburne and the Burrowing Owls.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

BILD EXPO Presented by B&H

Why Attend? Speakers, Gear, Deals, and More!

Bild Expo is back! Join us at The Javits Center in New York City for an unforgettable event featuring 100+ expert speakers, 250+ exhibitors, hands-on experiences, and the world’s greatest creative community. B&H’s incredible show specials will be the icing on the cake! Whether you’re a seasoned pro, an enthusiast, or a beginner, at Bild you will get inspired, learn, meet like-minded people, and celebrate being part of this amazing world of creativity.

Click here or on the logo link above for more information.

Click here to register.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!

Bedfords Simplified

Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.

B&H

Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. But when I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.

Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.

Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

YouTube Video: Tips and Thoughts on Using a Monopod with Big Glass

After 39 years, I finally tried using a monopod with a big lens for the first time in July 2022, more than three years ago. Pretty much everything that I share in the video remains accurate. Sadly, Joe Pryzbyla passed away about two years ago. This 6 1/2-minute video was created by Anke Frohlich. I talk about setting up, using, and carrying a monopod and cover lots of the positives and negatives in the video. I did forget to mention one problem when using a monopod at the beach: if you want to use the knee-pod, ankle-pod, or foot-pod techniques, you may have a hard time finding a place to put the monopod. You can order your Wimberley MonoGimbal head here. Note that in the video I was using the Robus RCM-633, the 6-section version. Today, I far prefer the Robus RCM-439, the 4-section model.

To learn more about using a monopod, check out the Tips and Thoughts on Using a Monopod with Big Glass. And a Compendium: Everything you wanted to know about using a monopod but were afraid to ask blog post here.

This image was created on 9 April 2025 at St. Augustine, FL. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod, 65/Wimberley MonoGimbal Head-supported Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 528mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 4000: 1/500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:33:00am on a partly cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: Great Egret breeding plumage adult with twig for nest Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Robus MonoPodding With the Sony 400-800 G Lens

As regular readers know, I have never been a huge fan of monopods. But I brought my Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod, 65 topped by a Wimberley MonoGimbal Head and gave it a whirl with my new favorite lens, the relatively slow and relatively heavy Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E). It turned out to be a match made in heaven. Working in the shade at 1/500 hand held in the vicinity of 800mm would yield spotty results in terms of sharpness. But with the monopod, most every image at 1/500 second is sharp but for rapid subject movement.

When your lens is too heavy to hold in place for more than a few seconds and you need to be maneuverable, a monopod is clearly the best option. And the Robus RCM-439 is clearly the best on the market. Not to mention that a Robus Monopod/Wimberley MonoGimabl head rig weighs only a small fraction of a sturdy Robus tripod topped by a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro setup.

Monopod Stability Tip

When working with a monopod on a boardwalk, stabilize the monopod by placing it strategically against the railing. At the St. Augustine rookery, there are fenceposts every few inches; it was easy to wedge the monopod between adjacent posts to further increase stability.

This image was also created on 9 April 2025 at St. Augustine, FL. Again, standing at full height, I used the Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod, 65/Wimberley MonoGimbal Head-supported Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 3200: 1/500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:48:00am on a partly cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Great Egret breeding plumage adult with stretched wing Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Robus Monopod Twist Leg Locks

Like the Robus tripods that I love and use every day, both Robus monopods feature twist leg locks that are thicker and grippier and stickier (they tighten more snugly) than the legs locks on competing brands. So what’s good about that? They are far easier to loosen and tighten than then slimmer, more slippery-slidey legs locks of other brands. With just a quick flip of the wrist, the locks loosen and tighten instantly without your have to exert undo pressure. Older folks with hand and wrist strength or arthritic problems will find the Robus grips a blessing. Anita North struggles mightily with the leg locks on Induro and Gitzo tripods but has zero problems with Robus leg locks.

Younger, fitter folks will enjoy the speed and ease involved when shortening or lengthening the leg sections on a Robus monopod. As with the Robus tripods, the sturdy construction of the monopods stands up well to rain, sand and other grit, and even salt spray. A quick rinse with fresh water after exposure to the latter is of course advised.

Wing Question

Does the wing in the background belong to the subject bird? How do you know?

This image was created on 12 April 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing at the bottom of a slope that leads down to the South Canal I used the Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod, 65/Wimberley MonoGimbal Head-supported Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 1250: 1/320 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:59:52am on sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: Sandhill Crane 8-week old colt in the shade on a sunny day Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Monopod Saves the Day

With the shy colt in the shade and working at 800mm, I needed the relatively slow shutter speed of 1/320 second to come up with a decent exposure. The ground on the slopes is quite uneven and broken after being visited relentlessly by ILE’s brush hog machine. Setting up a monopod in such conditions takes only a moment. While a tripod is surely sturdier in the long run than a monopod, setting one up on a slope on rough ground is a time-consuming chore even for those with superb tripod-handling skills.

This image was created on 12 April 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing at the bottom of the slope that leads down to the South Canal I used the Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod, 65/Wimberley MonoGimbal Head-supported Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 615mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 1250: 1/1250 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:06:37am on sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #4: Sandhill Crane 8-week old colt Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Superior Monopod Mobility

When the colt moved into the sunlight, it was far easier for me to move well to my right to stay on sun angle than if I had been working with a tripod.

The Two Robus Monopods

Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod

The Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod (65″) is my monopod of choice.

It quickly extends to a eye level for me with three simple turns of the twist-locks. The 4-section design provides a strong platform with no bending or bowing and the sturdy, smooth sliding 10x carbon fiber tubes offer rigidity and strength for a stable platform. It supports equipment weighing up to 39 pounds and comes with interchangeable rubber and spiked feet. I use only the rubber foot. This model folds down to 21.1″ for easy portability and storage. It weighs only 1.22 pounds and sells for a ridiculously low $139.95.

Robus RCM-633 6-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod

The other Robus monopod option is the Robus RCM-633 6-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod (65″).

This 6-section design seems lighter than the 4-section model above as the tubes are thinner, but in fact, it tips the scales at 1.27 pounds, just a bit more than the RCM-439. I would recommend this model only for folks who are dressed for packing space as it offers a smaller collapsed size. The maximum height and low price are the same as with the 4-section model.

This image was created on 13 April 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing outside my SUV, I used the Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod, 65/Wimberley MonoGimbal Head-supported Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 637mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 2500: 1/3200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:48:58am on sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #5: Bald Eagle in fresh juvenal plumage with wings raised Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Setup Speed

When speed is of the essence (as is often the case with bird photography), you can set up a monopod more quickly than you can set up a tripod. With my tripod in the trunk right next to the monopod, that is why I went with the monopod when I got out of my SUV to do the perched baby eagles. The action began a moment after I got set up and in position. Note that proper technique had me leaning slightly back against the door of my car to increase stability.

The Wimberley MonoGimbal Head

Kudos to Clay Wimberley on the brilliantly clever design of the Wimberley MonoGimbal Head. With Clay’s gimbal design, lens flop is a thing of the past and lens handling is a dream. I strongly recommend placing the clamp on your right. With the 400-800, this allows easy access to both the zoom ring and the focusing ring. From where I sit, nothing– even those priced two to three times more, even qualifies for second place.

More On Monopods

Here are some facts, “artie-facts” if you would. (Thanks, Gill Arden.)

1- A tripod will always be more stable than a monopod.

2- When seated, using the knee-pod technique is at least as stable a using a shortened monopod.

3- When using a monopod to keep your lens on this or that subject for extended periods, the monopod supports the weight of your lens and camera body. Note, however, that fatigue will become a factor over time as it requires some effort on your part to stabilize the rig, to hold the monopod and keep it in the same spot. Lactic acid will build up, especially in your left arm. With a tripod the three legs provide the support needed to keep the lens in the exact same spot with no effort required on your part.

4- You cannot shoot at ground level with a monopod.

5- Unlike a tripod, you cannot use your monopod as a clothes horse on which to hang your vest (if you wear one). In the same vein, simple tasks that are easily done when working on a tripod are more difficult to execute when working on a monopod. These tasks include adding or removing teleconverters, switching cards, or changing a battery. Why? You need to hold onto the monopod while executing the chore. You do not need to hold a tripod.

6- If you are doing flight photography at the beach with the monopod and you want to switch to the knee-pod technique, finding a good spot for the monopod can be difficult. I just plunk mine down in the sand without any ill effects.

7- If you are close to your vehicle and waiting for action in an otherwise static situation, say at an eagle or Osprey nest, for example, choosing a monopod over a tripod is insanity (unless you are pressed for time or keen on experimenting with the former).

8- (Former) blog regular Adam posted this comment at the original monopod post: I returned to the redtail nest the next day with a big lens and a monopod — I didn’t want to drag the tripod through the overgrown field. I regretted every moment of as one of the fledglings kept making high speed passes at me; tracking the bird was problematic with the lens on the monopod. Once I went to handholding, there was no problem keeping the bird in the viewfinder.

Adam is 100% correct. If you are capable of hand holding a big lens (or an intermediate telephoto lens for that matter) for short periods of time, most folks will generally do a lot better handholding than working off a monopod or a tripod. But, here are the buts:

a- Many folks are simply not capable of handholding a 600mm f/4 lens, even the latest greatest lightest versions, for even a few moments.

b- Most folks, including all mortals, handholding a big lens for extended shooting sessions is simply not possible. You will never see folks like Arash Hazeghi using a monopod as at present, he is more than strong enough to hand hold a 600 f/4 for hours of flight photography.

9- Here is the great news. I have developed a new technique for shooting flight with big glass on a monopod. It’s like handholding with the lens on a sky hook. It is much easier to shoot flight off the monopod using this method than it is when working off a tripod. At places like Jacksonville, where the flight photography is nonstop, but you want and need to be light and mobile, this new technique will be a Godsend. I used this setup and technique every morning at Jacksonville. Be sure to watch the YouTube video that opens this post.

10- Folks who work with intermediate telephoto lenses who walk and stalk and point and shoot (can you say warblers and songbirds?) and have trouble with the weight of their rigs, may very well do much better with a monopod than with straight handholding. They too will benefit from the information in the Monopod/Monoball Video.

11- I have removed the hand strap from my Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod, 65 because I have no use for it and it occasionally gets in the way. On a related note, if you have a camera strap on your camera body when using any telephoto lens, ditch it fast.

12- When doing pure flight, I lengthen the monopod so that the viewfinder is right at eye-level.

13- The Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod, 65 is 65 inches tall. It should be good for flight for folks as tall as about 6-foot 3 or 4 inches tall. The only viable option that I can find for super-tall folks is the Gitzo GM4552L Series 4 Carbon Fiber Monopod. At nearly 75 inches tall, this one would work for flight for all but the very tallest NBA players, those over 7-foot 1 or 2 inches tall. It is, however, a Series 4 model that weighs 1.6 pounds, 1/2-pound heavier than the recommended Robus model. And it cost $300.88 more than the RCM-439 4.

Additional Monopod Comments

I forgot to mention that if you are using a ballhead atop your monopod rather than the Wimberley MonoGimbal Head you are making your life very difficult. For no reason at all.

It is obvious that you can get lower when using the toe-pod or foot-pod techniques and working off the tilted rear monitor than you can when working off a shortened monopod. In addition, I feel using the knee-pod technique is more stable than using a shortened monopod. At DeSoto, I will explore the possibility of using a hybrid technique: the shortened monopod/knee-pod technique. The big advantage there (if it wires!) would be that you do not have to find a parking spot for your monopod.

The Monopod Calming Effect

One thing seems perfectly clear to me: approaching a bird is a lot easier with a monopod-mounted lens than it is with a tripod-mounted lens. Most of the Great Blue Herons that sit on the pier railings at ILE do not allow a close approach. They tend to fly off when you are a mile away. Perhaps the monopod/monoball combo has some sort of tranquilizing effect on the birds at ILE.

Conclusion

I will not be selling my Robus tripods or my Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pros any time soon. I will continue to use a tripod for most of my bird photography when I am not hand holding. I have learned, however, as noted several times above, that the Robus RCM-439 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod (65″) is the often the best tool for the job at hand. I look forward to doing more Robus MonoPodding at places like Jacksonville, Fort DeSoto, and San Diego.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.