Beating the Dead Horse. Is Flopped Better?

What’s Up?

The last morning of the third DeSoto IPT was spectacular. Again, I headed out with the 400mm f/2.8/1.4X TC/Sony a1 rig. This time, a little birdie told me to bring the monopod, so I did. The results were fabulous. In the pre-dawn, the American White Pelicans finally cooperated, not by flying, but by swimming slowly toward us. At first, they swam in still pink/purple/blue predawn water, and soon after that, in the gorgeous soft, sweet light, they in delicious blue water with their mirrored reflections. The monopod allowed me to make sharp images early on at 1/250 second. In addition, it is actually easier to carry the 400 f/2.8 on the monopod than it is to carry the lens alone. And the monopod is, far, far less cumbersome than lugging the tripod.

We had a single fly-by, fishing Caspian Tern when it was cloudy-bright. At the fishing pier, super-tame juvenile Ruddy Turnstones were on the menu. I checked out of my AirBnb at 11:03am and made lots of shopping stops on the way home.

Today is Friday 4 November 2022. I may head down to the lake early to see what’s up and about. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare including the time spent on the image optimizations and makes two hundred twenty-two days in a row with a new one.

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Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords 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, or to any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.

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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 2 November 2022, the third morning of the third DeSoto IPT. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 400. Exposure for the Sandwich Terns was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/5000 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 10:31:55am on a party sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #1: Willet in flight banking to land

Beating the Dead Horse

When something unexpected happens, press the shutter button now and ask questions later. I saw the Willet flying in from right to left at the very last moment and called it out to the group as I raised the lens and fired off a short burst. As happened yesterday with the incoming oystercatcher, no one else was able to get on the bird. It was over almost before it began.

I created only six frames — all of them razor sharp, and kept three of them. I knew as I pressed the shutter button that the images would be under-exposed because I was set up for the diving Sandwich Terns — a much whiter subject. I was right; each image was more than one stop underexposed. Had I taken even a moment to raise the ISO three or four clicks, I would have wound up with nothing. I brightened the image during the raw conversion and Topaz DeNoise handled the noise nicely. Understand, however, that image quality would have been better (as seen when viewed at high magnification) had the raw file been properly exposed to the right. But again, when you do not have the time, grab the shots.

This, the same image flopped, image was created on the computer. Image #2: Willet in flight banking to land/flopped

Heading Left or Heading Right? — That is the Question

Do you prefer Image #1 or Image #2? Image #1 shows the bird as it flew in life. For Image #2, I simply created a new layer, hit Command + T for the Transform Tool, Control left-clicked on the layer, and selected Flop Horizontal from the dropdown menu.

If you prefer one version over the other, please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.

Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action. Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. The group is now up to up to an astounding 131 lucky and blessed folks, and more than a few folks own two or more a1 bodies! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that everyone in the group receives an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. Your entry into the group includes a consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE. New a1 folks will now receive six e-mails instead of the previous 28! You will receive new e-mails as they are published. Simply put, this e-mail guide is an incredible resource for anyone with an a1.

All who purchased their Alpha 1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link — B&H or Bedfords — will receive a free Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up Guide and free entry into the Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.). Others can purchase their guide here in the BAA Online Store.

Typos

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