Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

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 extreme images is your favorite? Why did you make your choice?

In the Last Blog Post

In the last blog post, Going to Extremes, here, I asked “Which of today’s three featured extreme images is your favorite. Why did you make your choice? Which one do you consider the most extreme? Why?”

Thanks to the many who left comments. My favorite image was Anita’s wide angle crane family image because of its uniqueness. Who would think to try to photograph a crane family with a wide angle zoom lens? Here was also the most extreme for me for the same reason. That said, I was thrilled to get one sharp one of the Anhinga with the bass and loved creating the preening spoonbill image hand held at 1120mm with the 400-800 and the 1.4X TC.

What’s Up?

As always, the rookery at St. Augustine Alligator Farm (and all other rookeries, as well), is a very tough place to shoot: clutter, whitewash, and tough shooting angles. And all of those problems are exacerbated when the sun is shining. Yikes. I almost forgot the wires that have been installed above the top of the boardwalk railing. More on those when I post some images.

Pat Fishburne joined me for an In-the-Field Session and we worked on dealing with everything above. In addition, we went over the shutter speed basics for her when hand holding her Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens (with and without the 1.4X TC). I added that primer to the Sony 300mm Lens Guide along with several dozen new images. I still have a few days work to do before I start on the 400-800 guide. Big time thanks to Paul Sher who ordered his 4-8 with Bedford yesterday.

Today is Thursday 10 April 2025 and I will be headed back to the rookery boardwalk early this morning to look for some more neat birds and some cool shooting angles. 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 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.

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 12-17, 19-24, & 29-30. The first half of May should be ideal as well. Please e-mail for costs and additional information. Or, shoot me a text to 863-221-2372.

This image was created down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake on 8 April 2025 on a BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field instructional session with Joe Norton. Crouching a bit and working off the tilted rear monitor, 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 12,800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/250 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:29:05am on a cloudy, overcast, sometimes drizzly morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #1: Sandhill Crane chick body shot Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A Brilliant Move and a Huge Success

Accomplished shooter Joe Norton signed up for a Stick Marsh In-the-Field session for Tuesday 8 April but I got in touch with him on Monday and let him know that the weather forecast for Fellsmere and the spoonbills was terrible — cloudy dark with drizzle. I suggested that we meet at Indian Lake Estates and do the baby cranes instead. He jumped at the chance and was glad that he did. He was astounded when we sat on the wet grass and two of the five crane families, those with the 1-day old chicks, walked right up to us.

To deal with the extreme low light conditions, we both went with our Sony a- ii bodies and our 300mm f/2.8 lenses. That done, we began using ridiculously high ISOs. From where I sit, Image #1 made at ISO 25,800, looks quite acceptable in all regards including noise.

This image was created down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake on 8 April 2025 on a BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field instructional session with Joe Norton. Crouching a bit and working off the tilted rear monitor, 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 5,000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/250 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:31:17 am on a cloudy, overcast, sometimes drizzly morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #2: Photographer Joe Norton and pair of crane chicks Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Too Close to Focus

Here, two 10-day old chicks walk within six feet of Joe who is crouching steeply on the bank that leads down to the South Canal.

Via Text from Joe Norton

Art, thanks so much for sharing your Sandhill Crane Colts with me at Indian Lake yesterday morning.  It was a blast!  Can’t wait to slowly review all the images when I get home. I safely made it to Cordele, GA last night, and begin the second leg of my trip home shortly which will take me to Paducah, KY.

This image was created down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake on 8 April 2025 on a BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field instructional session with Joe Norton. Working from well down on the slope that leads to the 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. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 2500: 1/500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:56:23am on a cloudy, overcast, sometimes drizzly morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #3: Sandhill Crane chick twins Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Autofocus Problem Leads to Fine Result

When the two chicks posed near momma’s legs as dad flew off to tilt at windmills, I framed the shot. Though it was slightly farther away, I wanted the bird between the adult’s leg sharp. While using Wide, however, I noticed that the AF point was going from the eye of one chick to the eye of the other. I grabbed the sharp chick on our right and the adult’s leg and belly using a Quick Mask, brought it into the image with the chick on our left sharp, positioned it carefully, warped the selection a bit using the Transform Command, and refined the mask using a Regular Layer mask. The result — a somewhat crude form of focus stacking that produced an image with two razor sharp chicks. That despite the fact that they were on different planes at the moment of exposure.

Confused by the above? Learn it all and tons more in Digital Basics II and in the Digital Basics III Video Series.

This image was created down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake on 8 April 2025 on a BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field instructional session with Joe Norton. Crouching a bit and working off the tilted rear monitor, 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. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 3200: 1/500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 8:05:36am on a cloudy, overcast, sometimes drizzly morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #4: Sandhill Crane chick standing tall Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Hating Sitting on Wet Grass

To avoid sitting down on the wet grass and having to get back up off the ground again, I used the vertical tilt screen while holding the camera down at thigh levels. Note that as this is not the most stable of hand held shooting methods, I raised the shutter speed from 1/250 to 1/500 second to ensure a sharp result.

This image was created down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake on 8 April 2025 on a BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field instructional session with Joe Norton. Crouching a bit, 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. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 3200: 1/640 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 8:32:33am on a cloudy, overcast, sometimes drizzly morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #5: Sandhill Crane chick with foot raised in a light drizzle Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Working Down the Slope

By making my way down the slope that leads to the South Canal, I am able to get at eye level with the crane chicks. As we have seen here previously on many occasions, the single raised foot is a huge plus.

This is a 100% crop of Image #5A. Image #5A: Rain droplets on the head of the Sandhill Crane chick in the previous image Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A 100% Crop

To me, the sharpness of the water droplets — AKA light rain — is wonderful. Especially since the wide open aperture of f/2.8 was used.

This image was created down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake on 8 April 2025 on a BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field instructional session with Joe Norton. Seated in the driver’s seat of my SUV (Joe was right behind me), I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 2500: 1/800 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 8:53:43am on a cloudy, overcast, sometimes drizzly 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: Sandhill Crane colt about 7 weeks of age

The Elusive Colt

This is the colt that survived for three weeks unseen by me. I was shocked two weeks ago when I saw it at the south end of the South Peninsula, looking fit and healthy. Joe and I got to photograph it out in the open for the first time since I relocated it. Anita was envious. It is one shy guy. Or gal.

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 10 very excellent featured images do you think are the strongest? Why? Which is the weakest/most ordinary of the lot? My answers are crystal clean and will be shared with you on the next blog post.

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.

This Just In!

It is 8:44am here in Florida. I just got back from the lakeshore. I am amazed to report that there are now nine very young Sandhill Cranes down by the lake at ILE. Those include a pair of five day old chicks, a pair of eight day old chicks, a pair of three week old chicks, a pair of small colts, and a single large colt. The latter is a bird that I was sure had perished as I did not see it for three full weeks in March.

I am presently available for morning BAA Baby Crane In-the-Field sessions on the following dates: April 13-17, 19-24, & 29-30. The first half of May should be ideal as well. Please e-mail for costs and additional information. Or, shoot me a text to 863-221-2372.

Totally Blessed in Many Ways and Loving Life

With my 79th birthday about five weeks away, I am thrilled to be doing more photography than ever before. Since 25 October 2024 — the day that Bob Eastman arrived, I have missed perhaps five morning photo sessions, and three of those were traveling to and from Homer, AK. My many blessings include the following:

1- Two loving, healthy daughters and their families.
2- Though I have a few of the expected aches and pains, I can still get up and down off the ground without killing myself.
3- I am strong enough to hand hold the 400-800 for extended shooting sessions.
4- I’ve been making many fabulous images on an almost daily basis.
5- I enjoy the image optimization process as much as I do being afield and creating new and exciting photographs. And viewing the final images full screen is the icing on the cake.
6- I have a large number of client/friends and the number of folks joining IPTs continues to increase.
7- I have zero financial worries.
8- I have two Sony a- ii bodies!
9- Great friends like Anita North, Bob Eastman, and too many more to name.
10- Having two great affiliate partners — B&H Photo & Izzy Flamm and Bedfords & Steve Elkins.
11- Some excellent bird photography at Indian Lake Estates when I am home — see This Just In immediately above for more on that topic!

Note: Bob headed back to Wisconsin by truck on 9 February 2025.

What’s Up?

The Family Affair Extended Stick Marsh IPT was a huge success. Though the spoonbill action at Stick Marsh slowed down just a bit, everyone enjoyed a ton of flight action for three consecutive mornings. And best of all, learning was rampant, not only in the field but during our extensive image review sessions at our Vero Lake Estates AirBnB.

Huge thanks to 81-year old multiple IPT veteran and dear friend Carolyn Johnson (CJ) for arranging the trip and allowing me to become part of her extended family for three wonderful days. To show my appreciation, I loaned CJ my 300mm f/2.8 GM lens for our final morning shoot. She fell in love instantly. That last morning session ended with a spectacular fly-in Great Egret that grabbed a long vine before leaving the scene.

We ended our Saturday morning session a bit early as the family, led by CJ, had a 3-hour drive to Crystal Springs, Florida and a 1:15pm reservation to swim with the manatees (Manatee Adventures). Next was a two hour drive back to an Orlando hotel for a short night’s rest. CJ, Marni, and Katie have a 6:00am Sunday morning flight back to California while Cousins Kate and Kim begin their drive back to Virginia.

That afternoon, I got lots of work done on revising the Sony 300mm GM Lens Guide and should be sending out the redone document within a week. Then I drove back to ILE for dinner and a swim and a night’s sleep in my own bed. There are now six crane chicks, the one very shy colt, and at least one tiny Killdeer chick.

Today is Sunday 6 April 2025 and I will be headed down to the lake quite early to see what’s up and about. 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 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.

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

I’ve been using the new 4-8 more and more at Stick Marsh whenever the sun comes out. 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 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. The last eight of today’s ten images were created with the 4-8 and those include my two top picks.

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 for $101.43.

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.

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

This image was created at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on 1 April 2025. Seated in the driver’s seat of my SUV, I leaned over the console and shot out the passenger side window with the door frame supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and the Latest, Greatest Sony Flagship body, the -a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera. ISO 2000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1000 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:34:39am on cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Green Heron adult on perch Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

One Good One

My goal at every photo session is to make one good one, one image that makes me happy. On my recent visit to Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island NWR, things were not looking good. We were in the perfect spot for sunrise but there were no birds in the pools. On our second trip around, I spotted this lovely Green Heron on a nice perch with a distant green background. I leaned far over the console and rested the lens hood on the passenger side door frame. I squared things up using the in camera level and chose a fast enough shutter speed to overcome my very awkward shooting position. One is way better than none.

This image was created on 2 April 2025 on the second Stick Marsh Extended IPT. Seated on a pillow atop a sturdy milk crate, 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. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 800: 1/4000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:44:56am just as the sun was breaking through the distant fog bank. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #2: Roseate Spoonbill dropping twig in flight Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Looking for Different I

With today’s amazing mirrorless camera bodies and lightweight intermediate telephoto and telephoto zoom lenses, even spectacular incoming flight shots of the spoonbills at Stick Marsh are becoming borderline blasé. I learned on my recent extended visit that when the birds take flight with nesting material — almost always away from us as they head for one of the two rookery islands to the northwest, they will occasionally drop the twig or vine they were carrying. As above, this can lead to some unusual and exciting poses. It pays therefore, to be aggressive when shooting the take-offs as you never know what to expect. I fanned on more than a few birds that dropped the nesting material and immediately made a U-turn and returned to land again.

This image was created on 2 April 2025 on an Extended Stick Marsh IPT at Fellsmere, FL. Seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, 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 2500: 1/3200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:58:34am 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: Wood Stork with nesting material Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A First and a Beauty

I had never seen a Wood Stork fly into the spit next to the airboat ramp to gather nesting material. Until last Wednesday. If I had had the 300mm lens in my hands, I would have gotten some great incoming flight shots of the bird braking to land. But with the big zoom, I had some great opportunities for head shots as the bird adjusted its grip on the leafed branch.

This image was created on 2 April 2025 on an Extended Stick Marsh IPT at Fellsmere, FL. Seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 400mm) 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 dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:09:07am 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: Roseate Spoonbill in flight with nesting material/body crop Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Looking for Different II

Even zoomed out to 400mm, the 400-800 was way too much lens for the take-off shot. As a result, I chopped off the poor bird’s head. I could not, however, resist the urge to find a crop that would showcase both the bird’s bright, copper-orange tail and the dried vegetation that it had collected for its nest.

This image was created on 3 April 2025 on an Extended Stick Marsh IPT at Fellsmere, FL. Seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, 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: 1/4000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:37:28am 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: Roseate Spoonbill incoming flight/vertical original! Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Not for the Faint of Heart

Shooting vertical original flight shots with lenses as light as the 70-200mm f/2.8s is difficult enough. With the 5.45 pound 400-800, creating vertical originals is a huge challenge. A vertical grip would help, but I opt not to use one to save weight. The lens, however, is just light enough and manageable enough so that I had some really good chances late each morning.

Note: most vertical flight images are created from horizontal originals.

This image was created on 3 April 2025 on an Extended Stick Marsh IPT at Fellsmere, FL. Seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 493mm) 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 dead solid perfect. AWB at 9:08:34am 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 #6: Boat-tailed Grackle male ruffling Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A Tough Exposure

I knew that I needed to add lots of light to reveal detail in the grackle’s dark iridescent feathers. The images that I made with lots of Zebras on the rock perch all went in the trash as the highlights were not recoverable. Those that I made with some Zebras on the rock perch were perfect. Teed up on the “pointy rock” this bird put on quite a show for several minutes.

This image was created on 4 April 2025 on an Extended Stick Marsh IPT at Fellsmere, FL. Seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 450mm) 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 7:50:47 am 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 #7: Roseate Spoonbill in flowers Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Kudos to Anita North

We arrived at Fellsmere on 25 March on a rainy afternoon. Anita and Vasili Chernishof headed right to Stick Marsh for an exploratory visit. For the past few years, there was an expanse of black plastic mesh along the edge of the bank that ruined most images of birds on the ground. Anita attacked the mesh with a pair of very sharp clippers and after more than an hour of hard work, had eliminated all visible traces of it. More recently, she put on her waders and went into the water in the predawn with a rake and a pair of clippers. Covered by biting mosquitos, she cleaned up the background right behind the stand of flowers in Image #7. If you have been recently and made some nice images of spoonbills on the ground, you owe her a big thank you. Thus, I say, Thanks a stack, Anita.

This image was created on 4 April 2025 on an Extended Stick Marsh IPT at Fellsmere, FL. Seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, 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 2500: 1/3200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:51:13am 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 #8: Roseate Spoonbill head and neck flight portrait! Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Flight Head Shots with the 400-800

I’ve tried images like this with the tripod mounted 600mm f/4, the 1.4X TC, and the a-1. I’ve made a few decent ones. But none nearly as good as Image #8. I struggle a bit with the framing of these tight shots with 400-800 at 800mm with the a-1 ii, but when I am able to get the bird’s head in the middle of the frame the AF performance is astounding.

This is an unsharpened 100% crop of Image #8. Image #8A: Roseate Spoonbill head and neck flight portrait! Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

How Sharp are Sony G Lenses?

I am often asked how much sharper the Sony GM lenses like the 600mm f/4, the 400mm f/2.8, and the 300mm f/2.8 are than the far less expensive G lenses like the 200-600 and the 400-800. My answer: they are not any sharper.

This image was created on 4 April 2025 on an Extended Stick Marsh IPT at Fellsmere, FL. Standing at full height at The Point, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 750mm) 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/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:42:22am 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 #9: Great Blue Heron head portrait with crest blowing Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Patience and Persistence Pay Off

With extreme care, I was able to approach this Great Blue Heron to within about 10 yards, more than close enough for some head shots. The problem was that the bird was looking slightly away from me for more than ten minutes. I made all kinds of squeaking noises in an attempt to have the bird turn its head toward me, but nothing worked. And the 400-800 is not a lens that you want to hold aloft for any length of time without a tripod or a monopod. Anyhoo, as another photographer came up behind me the bird finally gave me a decent head turn. The blowing crest is a plus.

This image was created on 5 April 2025 on an Extended Stick Marsh IPT at Fellsmere, FL. Standing at full height, 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 1250: 1/5000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:25:07am 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 #10: Great Egret wrestling with vine for nest Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Another Rare Airboat Ramp Visitor

Though there are at least a dozen pairs of Great Egrets building nests at Stick Marsh, they only rarely come to the airboat ramp. As with Image #3, the Wood Stork head shot, I had way too much lens in my hands as this handsome bird flew in. But the 400-800, again at 800mm, opened up some unique opportunities. In any case, I made the most of the situation.

Typos

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

Change Your Life

Roseate Spoonbill and/or Baby Sandhill Crane In-the-Field Instruction

Join me for one, two, or three mornings of Roseate Spoonbill photography on April 6, 7, and or 8. I have room for you at the Vero Lake Estates AirBnB from April 5, 6, and 7. Baby cranes at Indian Lake Estates would be do-able on the mornings of April 6 and 7. If interested, please contact me immediately e-mail or by text to 863-221-2372 for a price quote. Out of town folks might wish to arrange a flight to Melbourne (airport pick-up is possible). Riding with me is also possible.

Your Call

Which is the strongest of the five very excellent spoonbill images? Why did you make your choice?

What’s Up?

On Monday morning artie and the three ladies had a wonderful morning photographing the two baby cranes on the South Peninsula at ILE. On Tuesday morning we let the AirBnB at 5:15 and headed to Merritt Island NWR in Titusville in hopes of a glorious red sunrise like the one I shared with Jim Dolgin several years ago. Instead, we were fogged out. Once it got light we traversed Black Point Wildlife Drive twice and saw fewer birds than I’d ever seen in my previous three dozen trips. On our second time around, we had our best chance with a perched adult Green Heron. Other than that there was only a smattering of Snowy and Reddish Egrets, Great Blue and Little Blue Heron, along with a kingfisher and an Anhinga or two and a smattering of shorebirds.

Today is Wednesday 2 April 2025. We are headed back to Stick Marsh for the first group’s last shot at the spoonbills. Judy and Colleen head home this afternoon. It’s been great. Multiple IPT veteran Carolyn Johnson, her daughter Marni, her granddaughter Katie, and two cousins from Virginia will be getting to the AirBnb today at varying times and joining me for three mornings of spoonbill photography. 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.

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.

Used Induro GIT 505 XL Tripod Bargain

Price reduced $50.00 on 2 April 2025

Your truly, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, is offering a rarely used Induro Stealth GIT 505XXL in like new condition for $475 (was $525.00). This is the monster of all tripods. It offers maximum strength and rigidity and can support 88.2 pounds of gear with ease. It stands 81.3″ tall with the legs fully extended. It is perfect for folks desiring maximum stability in windy conditions, those working from a fixed position with very slow shutter speeds, and in situations where you need to ge very tall such as when working a tree nest possibly while standing on a ladder. This is not a tripod that you want to be carrying around in the field unless you are Superman. The sale includes only the legs and insured ground shipping to your lower 48 address. Please contact artie via e-mail. I could not find a single one for sale anywhere in the world. I paid B&H $802.50 for it when purchased new in 2021.

Sony Alpha 1 (a-1) Mirrorless Camera Body

Used Gear Page regular, IPT veteran, and dear BAA friend Bill Schneider is offering a Sony a-1 (ILCE-1) mirrorless camera body (Firmware v1.32) in like-new condition for a ridiculously low $3,498.00. The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. As this was Bill’s back-up a-1, it was used only rarely.

Please contact Bill via e-mail or by phone at 1-262-269-8628 (Eastern time zone).

I used Sony a-1 bodies as my workhorse cameras for three years. They produce stunning 51MP files with vivid natural colors. The AF system is science-fiction-like. 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 $3000.00 by grabbing Bill’s pretty much as good as new copy ASAP. Currently, B&H is offering a used a-1 in 9+ (like-new condition) for $4,507.95. That makes Bill’s a- an absolute steal. artie

This image was created on 28 March 2025 on the 2025 Stick March Extended IPT by multiple IPT veteran Vasili Chernishof. Seated on a pillow on a jetty rock, he used the hand held Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (at 280mm) and the remarkable Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 8000: 1/2500 sec at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:27:6am on a cloudy morning. Image #1: Roseate Spoonbill touching down Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Vasili Chernishof Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Touch Down!

Kudos to Vasili for nailing this spoonbill just as it was about to land. I love the soft light, the swept back wings, the feet just touching the rocks, and the rocks themselves. Kudos also for zooming out to 280mm to ensure getting the whole bird in the frame.

Vasili’s Mistake

Vasili should have listened to his teacher. I told him to leave the 1.4X TC off for early morning/low light flight photography. Had he listened, he could have been at 280mm at f/4 at ISO 4000 or, even better, at 280mm at f/2.8 at ISO 2000. That said, the image is quite lovely. Note that there would have been pretty much no difference in the depth of field at f/2.8 as compared to f/4.

This image was created on 29 March on the 2025 Stick March Extended IPT. Seated on a pillow atop a sturdy plastic milk crate, 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 1250. 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 7:34:32am on a partly cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #2: Roseate Spoonbill turning in flight Image 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Always Go For The Higher Bird!

There are often two or three or four incoming spoonbills at a given moment. My advice is that folks always pick the higher bird. Why? It is always easy to determine the flight path of the typically low-flying spoonbills. On the other hand, birds approached the tiny spit of land that are 20 40 feet in the air are far more likely to twist and turn in flight as they make their final approach. Like the bird in Image #2.

My Mistake

I absolutely should have been at 1/3200 second at ISO 2000. The result of this error was a bit of motion blur on the spoonbills head.

This image was created on 29 March by Anita North on the 2025 Stick March Extended IPT. Lying in the grass on her back, she 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 1250. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/400 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:16:39am on a partly cloudy morning. Tracking Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #3: Roseate Spoonbill with vine for nest Image courtesy of and copyright 2025 Anita North Image optimization by Anita North

Lying on Her Back?

Yes, Anita North often lies flat on her back on the ground with here feet pointed toward the subject to create stunning low-perspective images. She often winds up covered with bug bites and her technique would not work for most folks as it requires great core strength and bending your neck awkwardly to get your eye to the viewfinder. But the super-low perspectives are a great way to reduce clutter and produce intimate portraits of birds and animals. The strand of vine and the perfect head angle here make for a superb image.

This image was created by Judy Stepenaskie on 30 March on the 2025 Stick March Extended IPT. Seated on a pillow atop a sturdy plastic milk crate, she used the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z Lens (Black, Canon RF) with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x and the impressive Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinkies on the JPEG. AWB at 8:04:06m on a cloudy morning. ISO 2000: 1/3200 sec. at f/4. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Roseate Spoonbill taking flight Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2025: Judy Stepenaskie Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Bingo!

Both Judy and the r6 ii did a fine job that led to this lovely image of a spoonbill taking flight. that without pre-capture! Way to go Judy.

No mistakes with this one.

This image was created by Colleen O’Connor on 30 March on the 2025 Stick March Extended IPT. Seated on a pillow atop a sturdy plastic milk crate, she used the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z Lens (White, Canon RF) with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinkies on the JPEG. AWB at 7:57:04am on a cloudy morning. ISO 1250: 1/2000 sec. at f/4. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Roseate Spoonbill landing Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2025: Colleen O’Connor Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Nailed by the R5 ii

Kudos to Colleen who arrived in San Diego last January without a clue. She has worked hard to master the basics of bird photography in a relatively short time.

Colleen’s Error

Colleen made the exact same mistake with this image that I made with Image #3; she should have been at 1/3200 sec. at ISO 2000 in the low light.

This image was created by Colleen O’Connor on 13 January 2025 on the San Diego Extended IPT. Standing at full height by the bridge club, she used the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. Evaluative metering +0.7 stops. AUTO ISO sent ISO 1250; 1/3200. sec. at f/5.6. AWB at 9:39:11am on a cloudy morning. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #6: California Sea Lions in breaking wave — one jumping Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2025: Colleen O’Connor Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Why Not Spoonbills?

Colleen made this amazing image on the San Diego IPT this past January. As she did not stay with the group in the AirBnB, I did not get to see or optimize it before doing the blog post that featured images from the rest of the group. I was 100% sure that I had run it on the blog but was 100% wrong so I decided to add it to today’s post. With apologies.

Photographing the jumping sea lions is a huge challenge as you never know when one will jump. Getting the right exposure is a huge challenge as one second you might have a sea lion — a dark subject, in the dark face of a breaking wave and an instant later have the same animal in the bright white of a breaking wave. I suggested to the group that they try Shutter Priority mode with AUTO ISO with the Exposure Compensation (EC) set to +2/3 stop noting that it would be the best option in an almost impossible exposure situation. Colleen listened to my advice and nailed the shot.

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 seven featured images are you favorites? Please be so kind as to let us know why you made your choices.

What’s Up?

We’ve had two straight excellent mornings with the spoonbills on the Extended Stick Marsh IPT. On Friday, San Diego IPT veteran Colleen (Irish Lass) O’Connor joined multiple IPT vets Judy Stepenaskie, Vasili Chernishof, Anita North and me for a great morning session. I continued to experiment with the new Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens, learned a lot more, and made some very fine images.

I was glad to learn that Used Gear Page veteran Robert Hollyer sold his Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in Like-New condition for a BAA record low $8998.00! (was $9,998.00) I late March. BAA friend Kevin Hice purchased my last used Induro GIT 304 L by phone on Friday.

Today is Saturday 29 March 2025. The five of us will be up early to head over to Indian Lake Estates to check on the baby Sandhill Cranes and lots more. 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 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.

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

I used the new 4-8 a good deal on both of our Stick Marsh mornings. After a while, I felt the weight. Sitting on a milk crate allowed me to support my left forearm and the weight of the lens in a rest position. Working in Manual mode, I needed to be at f/8 to avoid any exposure screw-ups. As there was a lot more sun on Thursday, I found the lens a lot more useful for flight than on Friday when we had some early clouds come in. 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 and 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 for $101.43.

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.

Thanking me for the previous 4395 educational blog posts by using one of my two affiliate links could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your e-mail receipts for major purchases.

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

This image was created on 26 March 2025 at Stick Marsh, Fellsmere, FL. Crouching, 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 exposure compensation (EC) on the thumb dial. Multi-metering +2.3 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 20,000 (yes, 20,000 is not a typo): 1/200 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was about one stop under. AWB at 7:47:11pm right about the time of sunset. 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: Anhinga calling Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Pushing The Envelope

The relatively slow 400-800 lens was not a great choice for this shot. But I was experimenting with my new toy so I made the best of things. Note the ISO of 20,000! With the EC at +2.3 stops, this image was almost a stop too dark. I had hoped the 1/200 sec. shutter speed would yield a fairly sharp face while blurring the flapping wings. As expected, very few of the photos in the 35-frame sequence were sharp.

This image was created on 27 March 2025 at Stick Marsh, Fellsmere, FL. Seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 418mm) 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 7:52:12am on sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Roseate Spoonbill braking to land in early morning light Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Unexpectedly, the Sony 400-800 Does Stick Marsh

When I was exploring the possibility of getting a 400-800 loaner from Sony, I did not envision using it much at Stick Marsh because the 300mm f/2.8 is perfect for the incoming flight. But on my first morning there, I grabbed the big zoom when the sun came out. The first thing that I learned was that by zooming out to the short end, it was pretty good for incoming flight (Image #2). That should not have surprised me because I had used the 400mm f/2.8 GM lens in that same exact situation and done quite well. But the long end of the zoom range enable me to create some new and different stuff. As below.

This image was created on 27 March 2025 at Stick Marsh, Fellsmere, FL. Seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800) 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 perfect. AWB at 8:18:47am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: Roseate Spoonbill in flight — landing head shot! Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Sorry, But This One is Amazing

Yes, this bird is actually in flight and coming in for a landing. I’ve made a few successful flight head shots with the tripod-mounted 600mm lens and the 1.4X TC but framing such images is a huge challenge. Being able to hand hold the smaller, somewhat lighter 400-800 at 800mm makes framing a lot easier. Not easy for sure, but ea-si-er.

This image was also created on 27 March 2025 at Stick Marsh, Fellsmere, FL. Seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800) 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 perfect. AWB at 8:18:47am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #4: Roseate Spoonbill flat 747-like flight Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The 747 Look

As you have seen in several recent blog posts, I love flat flight shots with the bird flying directly at me with both eyes visible, the 747 look. Being able to go from 418mm (Image #1) to 800mm with a simple twist of the wrist quarter turn of the zoom ring is a boon to the tremendous versatility of the Sony 400-800 G lens.

This image was also created on 28 March 2025 at Stick Marsh, Fellsmere, FL. Seated again on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800) 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: 1/250 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:26:03am on 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 #5: Roseate Spoonbill adult preening tail with chin — body shot Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

He Who Hesitates Can Be Saved By Photoshop

This bird was standing behind a rock preening. Thus, the somewhat odd body-crop (as I could not see the feet anyway). I tried some horizontals and some verticals. The best tack in such situations is often to zoom out and crop as needed. But I was greedy for pixels on the subject. The optimized version above was created from a vertical original in which I cut off fold of the wing. So, I expanded canvas and borrowed the wing of the same bird from a previous frame.

This image was also created on 28 March 2025 at Stick Marsh, Fellsmere, FL. Still seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, I used the hand held Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 450mm) 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: 1/320 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:26:57am on 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 #6: Roseate Spoonbill adult stepping to the next rock Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

High Stepping

When photographing birds, a raised foot can elevate an image from ordinary to special.

This image was also created on 28 March 2025 at Stick Marsh, Fellsmere, FL. Still seated on a sturdy plastic milk crate topped with an old pillow, 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 3200: 1/500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:31:19am on cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #7: Roseate Spoonbill adult boxy crop Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Grass Framed

With yet another 800mm image — I absolutely love the reach at the long end of the 400-800 and the out-of-focus green vegetation on each side of the bottom of the frame is a nice touch.

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, A You Tube Video: Taking a Second Look at Images from Not-So-Great Morning at Fort DeSoto Park, here, my very favorite image was #1, Great Egret perched on Red Mangrove roots. I love the soft light and the pattern of the roots — a lovely environmental portrait. Two folks mentioned my favorite as the worst of the lot. Images 3, 4, 5, & 6 were all tied second place for me. Note that three of those four were “just portraits.” I thought that Image #2 was the weakest of the lot.

What’s Up?

On Sunday morning Dr. North and I headed back to The Celery Fields in Sarasota in hopes of having some good chances with the single Sandhill Crane chick that she had photographed on Friday morning. Our hopes were realized. The two crane chicks that had hatched here at Indian Lake Estates during the last week of February perished in early March within days of each other. I’ve been hoping for at least one more nest to hatch. On Monday morning, that hope was realized when I discovered a pair of 3-4 day old crane chicks at ILE. We did very well again.

On Sunday evening, Anita went down to the lake and found a second crane family with two somewhat larger chicks! Will miracles never cease?

I was happy to learn that Tim Griffy purchased the better of my two Induro GIT 304L Stealth tripods.

Today is Tuesday 24 March 2025. We will be driving over to Vero Estates for almost two weeks of Roseate Spoonbill photography at Stick Marsh. I will be there from 24 March through the morning of Tuesday 8 April. All In-the Field Sessions are sold out until the morning of April 6th. I have room for at least two folks at the AirBnb for the nights of the 5th, 6th, & 7th. If you would like to join me for a morning or three of Stick Marsh In-the-Field instruction please LMK via e-mail.

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 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.

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.

Peter Kes is job hunting

Peter Kes

Peter Kes, friend of 3 decades and longtime BAA blog webmaster, is a brilliant IT (information technology) and computer expert. He is currently running a Bushveld Farm in Dinokeng Game Reserve, Pretoria, Gauteng, RSA (Republic of South Africa) and is looking to re-locate. You can learn more about Peter and check out his impressive resume at his LinkedIn profile page here. You can contact Peter via e-mail.

Used Induro Tripod Bargains at Give-away Prices/One Sold on Day One

Your truly, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, is offering the following used Induro tripods for sale as below. Each includes only the legs and insured ground shipping to your lower 48 address. Please contact artie via e-mail.

Induro Stealth GIT 304L Tripod

Price reduced $25.00 on 25 March 2025

Induro Stealth GIT 304L in very good to excellent condition: a steal at $250.00 (was $275.00) as this one is also in perfect working condition. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than eight years. It is perfect for big lenses for folks as tall as 6 feet or so.

Induro Stealth GIT 505XL Tripod

Price reduced $50.00 on 25 March 2025

Induro Stealth GIT 505XXL (used only very rarely) in like new condition: an absolute steal at $475.00 (was $525.00). This is the monster of all tripods. It offers maximum strength and rigidity and can support 88.2 pounds of gear with ease. It stands 81.3″ tall with the legs fully extended. It is perfect for folks desiring maximum stability in windy conditions, those working from a fixed position with very slow shutter speeds, and in situations where you need to get very tall such as when working a tree nest possibly while standing on a ladder. This is not a tripod that you want to be carrying around in the field unless you are Superman.

I could not find a single one for sale anywhere in the world. I paid B&H $802.50 for this one when it was purchased new in 2021.

This image also was created on 22 March 2025 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Seated on damp sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and the Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 640: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 9:01:31am on a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #1: Royal Tern in breeding (alternate) plumage Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Head Hunting on My Own

Much as it had been on Thursday morning, North Beach was deader than dead at dawn when we returned on Saturday (only there were even fewer birds). I left early for my favorite morning backup spot as it had been pretty good on Thursday. But there were very few birds around so I headed back to North Beach to look for Anita. On the way up Outback Key, I ran into a small group of Royal Terns resting along the shoreline on a small sandbar. I knew that I could get close but I also knew that I did not want to sit down in the cold water to get on sun angle. So, I walked them away from the shoreline onto the sandbar just with a good sized tidal pool just beyond that. I eased onto the ground perhaps ten or twelve feet from the birds. The small flock re-shuffled but they did not fly. Once that I was on the ground, I knew that I had it made in the shade.

I butt-crawled a bit forward and a bit to my left trying to get the handsomest bird, the one with the raised crest, right on sun angle. That done, I bent forward at the waist to get a bit lower. The tidal pool made for a gorgeous blue background. After about ten minutes all the birds up and down the beach took flight at once. I am not sure what scared them; it might have been a raptor.

If I had been with another photographer, I am pretty sure that I would not have been able to duplicate my stealthy actions; sometimes, shooting by your lonesome pays large dividends.

This image also was created on 22 March 2025 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Seated on damp sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and the Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 640: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 9:02:41am on a sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #2: Royal Tern in breeding (alternate) plumage Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

If Possible, Stop Down When Working at Point Blank Range

Understand that with more than 99% of my bird photography, I am working at the wide open aperture so that I can use fast shutter speeds in conjunction with relatively low ISOs. When I am working close to the minimum focusing distance of a lens, however, I will stop down for some additional depth-of-field. When working relatively distant subjects with a telephoto lens, it is never necessary to stop down as depth of field increases exponentially as the distance to the subject increases.

With today’s Royal Tern head portraits, I worked at 1/2000 sec. at f/8 (stopped down one stop). An option would have been to go with 1/1000 sec. at f/16 (stopped down two stops).

Which is the Stronger Image

When selecting the two images for today’s blog post, one of today’s featured images really caught my eye. But in retrospect, I am not so sure which one I like best. What do you like about Image #1? What do you like about Image #2? Which one do you like best and why?

The Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM Lens

The more I used this lens either alone or with either TC, the more I have come to love it. It is fast, sharp, versatile, small, light, and eminently hand hold-able by pretty much everybody. Getting onto the terns with any lens on a tripod simply would not have worked as tripods are cumbersome and awkward to use. In short, if you need to get close they will scare the birds. A hand hold-able 600mm f/5.6 lens is nothing to sneeze at. Nor is a 300mm f/2.8 or a 420mm f/4, the latter my favorite flight rig when the birds are fairly close.

For those who did not use my link to purchase their Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens, you can order your copy here for $209.93. Click on the image to enlarge and to be able to read the fine print.

The BAA Sony 300mm f/2.8 Lens Guide

Impressed by my Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images? Use either my Bedfords or B&H affiliate link to purchase your Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and shoot me your receipt via e-mail and request a copy of the first-ever BAA Lens Guide. I thought that it would take only minutes to create this guide, but I was dead wrong. In the process of creating it, I learned a ton about the lens. And even better, I discovered a simple yet potentially fatal flaw that was resulting in sporadically unsharp flight images. The set-up fix is simple. Be sure to use one of my affiliate links so that you get the guide for free.

If not, you can purchase a copy here for $209.93. Yes, it never hurts to use my links and it never costs you one penny more. And if you contact me via e-mail before you make a major purchase, I can often save you some money.

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.

Typos

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

Your Call?

Which of today’s three featured WHIB images do you like best? Why? Which background color do you prefer, the dark green or the light yellow? Which raised wing photo is the strongest, #2 or #3? Why? Each and every comment is greatly appreciated.

In the Last Blog Post

In the last blog post, A Very Unusual Morning Photo Session here, my favorite image was #1, the AWPE with the Cypress Tree trunk. That despite the fact that I wished that the pelican’s head were turned just a bit more towards me. Kudos to multiple IPT veteran Warren Robb for being the first to nail that. I also loved Image #2 for the same reason that lots of other folks did.

What’s Up?

On Wednesday afternoon Anita North and I enjoyed lots of action at the Brandon Rookery. Thursday morning was my first at DeSoto in since the spring of 2024 I cannot believe that I did not visit last fall. Anyhow, most of North Beach was dead but two of my backup spots saved the morning with lots of Willets, Red Knots, Ruddy Turnstones, Great and Snowy Egrets, and handsome breeding plumage Laughing Gulls.

We took the afternoon off and had an early dinner at Pia’s Trattoria in Gulfport. We were saddened to see that Neptune Grill is boarded up. They are currently closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene and are awaiting permits and FEMA approval to begin to rebuild and reopen, but do not have an anticipated timeline yet. It seems that I have had a zillion great IPT lunches/image review and optimization session there; the grilled fish tacos were the bomb! I’d get three and discard two of the tortillas.

If you are seriously interested in exploring the possibility of joining me next fall to do the Ospreys and tons more at Sebastian Inlet, please get in touch via e-mail. I have an AirBnb and will be staying there for two whole months, from 25 September until 24 November 2025. Multiple IPT veteran Eugen Dolan will be joining me for the first month.

Today is Friday 21 March 2025. We will head down to the Celery Fields in Sarasota as we have heard that there are several active pairs of Least Bitterns there. I have never been. We will be meeting 26-time IPT veteran — yes, 26 is not a typo — Lou Newman. It will be great to see him again. 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 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.

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.

Thanking me for the previous 4391 educational blog posts by using one of my two affiliate links could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your e-mail receipts for major purchases.

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

Used Induro Tripod Bargains at Give-away Prices

Your truly, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, is offering the following used Induru tripods for sale as below. Each includes only the legs and insured ground shipping to your lower 48 address. Please contact artie via e-mail.

Induro Stealth GIT 304L in excellent plus condition: a steal at $325.00. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than eight years. It is perfect for big lenses for folks as tall as 6 feet or so. B&H is offering one in the same condition here for $441.95 (plus tax).

Induro Stealth GIT 304L in very good to excellent condition: a steal at $275.00 as this one is also in perfect working condition. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than eight years. It is perfect for big lenses for folks as tall as 6 feet or so.

Induro Stealth GIT 505XXL (used only very rarely) in like new condition: an absolute steal at $525.00. This is the monster of all tripods. It offers maximum strength and rigidity and can support 88.2 pounds of gear with ease. It stands 81.3″ tall with the legs fully extended. It is perfect for folks desiring maximum stability in windy conditions, those working from a fixed position with very slow shutter speeds, and in situations where you need to ge very tall such as when working a tree nest possibly while standing on a ladder. This is not a tripod that you want to be carrying around in the field unless you are Superman.

I could not find a single one for sale anywhere in the world. It sold new for $809.95 when it was in production. I paid B&H $802.50 for it when purchased new in 2021.

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 19 March 2025 at Brandon, FL. Standing at full height, I used the 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 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 800: 1/2000 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 5:5:47:54pm on a on sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: White Ibis breeding plumage adult with wings raised

Happy on the Railing

There is a small observation deck at the Brandon Rookery. As the light is relatively harsh in the early afternoons Anita and I arrived at 5:15pm. As we were the first to arrive, we found some White Ibises on the railing of the deck. With the time of sunset at 7:40pm that day, the light was still plenty harsh when we arrived. That brings us here:

The Number One Tip for Shooting in Harsh Sunlight

My number one tip for shooting in bright sun is to use your longest lens and strive to get perfectly on sun angle with your shadow pointed directly at the subject’s head to eliminate most dark or black shadows. That done it was just a matter of getting some good head angles. The raised wings here were a bonus. It is probable that the somewhat bedraggled look of this individual was the result of a recent bath.

A Note on Sony Zebras

Note the three perfect exposures. With Sony’s Zebra technology properly set up and employed, you know you have a perfect exposure before you press the shutter button whether you are working in full sun (Image #) or in total shade (Images #2 and #3). And there is never a need to create and evaluate a test image.

This image was created on 19 March 2025 at Brandon, FL. Standing at full height, I used the 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 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 2000: 1/200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 5:50:31pm in the shade on a on sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2: White Ibis breeding plumage adult — single wing salute

The Number Two Tip for Shooting in Harsh Sunlight

My number two tip for shooting in harsh sunlight is to find subjects in the shade. Even better is to find a subject in the shade with the background lit by the sun. With Images #2 & #3, the combination of a shaded subject and sunlit vegetation produced the spectacular look that included the sweet yellow background. Note that the background in the first image — distant vegetation, is exactly the same as the background in the next two images. Hard to believe, but true.

Note the soft tones in the whites and again, the perfect head angle. The raised wing salute was a big plus. This bird was not wet so it much have been showing off. I’ve never before seen the pink blush on the breast of a White Ibis.

This image was created on 19 March 2025 at Brandon, FL. Standing at full height, I used the 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 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 2000: 1/200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 5:50:51pm in the shade on a on sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #3: White Ibis breeding plumage adult — double overhead wingstretch

20 Seconds Later

The same bird took two small steps forward on the railing. Two more and I would have been blocked by vegetation is I was very happy when it stopped where it did. This time, it raised both wings and posed for about two seconds. As I had forgotten to reset Pre-Capture from one full second back to 0.2 seconds, that meant 60 raw files.

A Note on the Shutter Speed

I decided not to go any higher than 1/200 second so that I would not need to go beyond ISO 2000. The was somewhat of a gamble as all of the images made while the bird was moving its head were not sharp. But with these last two images, the subject kindly stood completely still. I am glad it liked showing off.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide

126 pages, 87 photographs by (the late) Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.

Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back-and-forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Below are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide. Please note that last season, Gatorland did not offer a Photographer’s Pass.

• Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
• Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery. Note: In 2024, this theme park eliminated its Photographer’s Pass Program that allowed for early entry.
• The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
• Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of beautiful habitats.
• Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds in the various lakes here including and especially American White Pelican (AWPE) during the colder months.
• Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
• West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here, if you are lucky, you will have a chance for two difficult birds: Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
• Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.

Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.

You can purchase a copy 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.

Your Calls

Which are the two strongest images? Which are the two weakest images? Why did you make those choices?

The Last Blog Post

The times they are a’ changing …

In the last blog post, Important Rerun: Field Etiquette for Nature Photographers, here, I was a surprised that only a single reader, David Policansky (Dr. Fish), left a comment that was on point. When the article was first published on the blog 23 years ago, there were 17 comments.

Have we gotten so used to lots of photos, ten-second IG reels, and whatever goes on at TikTok (I have never visited) that a 2500 word essay is simply too much to handle? If you have any ideas as to why only one person had a story to share, please do tell.

Dr. Fish made a good point. If you keep your eyes open you can often use the behavior of oblivious folks to make a great image simply be getting ready for the take-off shot! They scare the bird or birds and you make a great image or two.

Used Induro Tripod Bargains at Give-away Prices

Your truly, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, is offering the following used Induru tripods for sale as below. Each includes only the legs and insured ground shipping to your lower 48 address. Please contact artie via e-mail.

Induro Stealth GIT 304L in excellent plus condition: a steal at $325.00. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than eight years. It is perfect for big lenses for folks as tall as 6 feet or so. B&H is offering one in the same condition here for $441.95 (plus tax).

Induro Stealth GIT 304L in very good to excellent condition: a steal at $275.00 as this one is also in perfect working condition. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than eight years. It is perfect for big lenses for folks as tall as 6 feet or so.

Induro Stealth GIT 505XXL (used only very rarely) in like new condition: an absolute steal at $525.00. This is the monster of all tripods. It offers maximum strength and rigidity and can support 88.2 pounds of gear with ease. It stands 81.3″ tall with the legs fully extended. It is perfect for folks desiring maximum stability in windy conditions, those working from a fixed position with very slow shutter speeds, and in situations where you need to ge very tall such as when working a tree nest possibly while standing on a ladder. This is not a tripod that you want to be carrying around in the field unless you are Superman.

I could not find a single one for sale anywhere in the world. It sold new for $809.95 when it was in production. I paid B&H $802.50 for it when purchased new in 2021.

What’s Up?

Anita North and I headed back to Stick Marsh on Sunday morning and enjoyed another excellent session. With a fairly brisk wind from the southeast, things were different but the results were excellent. I created 1600 photos, about half the images that I made on each of our three previous 2025 visits, but wound up with 140 keepers after the first edit. Those included a few that I really like.

Today is Monday 17 March 2025. The forecast is for partly cloudy with a WNW wind so we will be heading down to the lake early despite the less than favorable wind direction, hoping — of course, for more clouds than sun. 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 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.

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.

Amazing Stick Marsh Spoonbills

Sit with me at my laptop as I comment on selected keeper images from three pretty good days with the Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh. Learn that while picking your keepers it is very important to consider the potential crops and to visualize a plan for the image optimizations. In this 20 minute video I share my thoughts on exactly what I am looking for in the field and the gear I am using — mostly the Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM and the incredible a-1 ii. You will learn what I am looking for when I pick my keepers and why your vision for the crop and the image optimization process are vitally important as you are deciding which images to keep and which to trash.

Stick Marsh

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The Stick Marsh Site Guide Subscription Service

The Site Guide Subscription Service currently consists of seven e-mails:

Stick Marsh Site Guide e-Mail #1: The Basics. It includes specific directions to the site, and a map of the rookery with specific instructions on wind direction, light, and where-to-be advice. There are lots of photographers at Stick Marsh most days. Many are skilled at hand-holding 500 and 600mm f/4 telephotos lenses. But with all due respect, none of them can come anywhere near me when it comes to analyzing the photo opps at a given location. With the exception of a very nice and very helpful man I met, Fred Vaughn, every single photographer got to their favorite spot and never moved. We moved around a lot and had great and different chances all day long.

The six e-mails that follow detail additional photographic discoveries and shooting recommendations with annotated maps and lots of images. I did not send any updates in 2024 or 2025 as the first seven e-mails cover all the relevant situations. I will be sending a March 2025 Update soon.

To sign up for the Stick Marsh Site Guide Subscription Service, send a PayPal for $100.00 to us at birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words Stick Marsh Site Guide. Or, call Jim MON thru THURS at 1-863-692-0906 to pay by credit card.

I fully understand that you can go to Google Maps, find Stick Marsh without much trouble, visit, and likely make some good or great images. You might think, I can do fine just without artie’s advice. But you will do a whole lot better with it. Please contact me via e-mail to explore the possibilities of a morning In-the-Field Instructional Session or two at Stick Marsh.

This image was created on 7 February 2025 at Stick Marsh. Seated on a milk crate and two pillows, I used the 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 800: 1/4000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 7:08:48am on a cloudy-bright morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper high res version. Image #1: Incoming Roseate Spoonbill in early morning light Image courtesy of and copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A Dime a Dozen

With today’s amazing mirrorless camera bodies, images like this, though perhaps not as perfect as Image #1 above, have become relatively commonplace for folks who visit Stick Marsh regularly. The sweet early morning light, the bits of green, and the perfectly illuminated underwings with zero shadows make this one very special for me. As I have been so often and have many dozens if not hundreds of similar images, I have recently been grabbing the 600mm f/4, often with the 1.4X TC, in an effort to come up with some new and different stuff.

Made for Stick Marsh

The Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens was made for Stick Marsh. With dozens of incoming birds early every morning with the right winds, the focal length is perfect and the fast f/2.8 aperture enables you to transition early on from pleasing blurs to sharp. It was also my go-to lens on the 2025 Homer Bald Eagle IPTs.

While Nikon has been introducing some fabulous telephoto lenses recently, including several super-telephoto lenses with built in teleconverters, the huge hole in their lens line-up is a lightweight Z 300mm f/2.8. The Sony version weighs 3.25 pounds and is easily hand-holdable for most folks. The most recent Nikon version, the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II, weighs a whopping 6.38 pounds. Similarly, Canon does not offer a lightweight RF 300mm f/2.8 lens. Their most recent version, the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, tips the scale at a rather embarrassing 5.29 pounds. Vasili Chernikoff’s favorite lens, the versatile Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens (Canon RF), comes in at a hefty 5.7 pounds.

This image was created on 9 February 2025 at Stick Marsh. Seated on a milk crate and two pillows, I used the 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; 1/2500 second at f/7.1 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:42:03am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Roseate Spoonbill flat incoming flight Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Right Down the Lens Barrel

As you saw with more than a few of my Homer Bald Eagle images, I am a sucker for birds flying directly at me while staring right down the barrel of the lens. With 840mm of reach, the bokeh of distant backgrounds could not be any sweeter. Different is good.

The Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro

It goes without saying that the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro is by far the cream of the current tripod crop. This counter-balanced ballhead (say goodbye to ballhead flop) acts like a gimbal is smooth and lightweight. Flight photography with long lenses is a dream. Simply put, there is nothing out there close to it. If yo are trying to use a Really Wrong Stuff BH-55 ballhead with any telephoto lens use it is a fishing sinker for deepwater codfish instead and get yourself a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro.

In addition, there is no longer a need to travel with one tripod head for super-telephotos and another for scenic photography. How so? The Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro features a bi-directional clamp.

This image was also created on 9 February 2025 at Stick Marsh. Again seated on a milk crate and two pillows, I used the 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; 1/2500 second at f/7.1 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:42:05am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: Roseate Spoonbill in flight (tight vertical) Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Incredible Mirrorless AF

Autofocus with the high end mirrorless camera bodies is so good that I encourage folks to keep shooting even when the bird is well beyond filling the frame. Be sure to compare the optimized version above with the original in the video to see how I cropped this one and added lots of canvas at the top.

This image was created on 15 February 2025 at Stick Marsh. seated on a milk crate and two pillows, I used the 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; 1/2500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:10:30am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #4: Roseate Spoonbill with stick for nest Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

I Just Could Not Do It

Check out the original in the video and you will see that the wing of a young spoonbill was in the background and merged with the neck of the subject. I tried and tried and tried to preserve the fluffy feathers on the neck just above the upper breast, but could not manage it. So, I cropped most of them away from below and eliminated the rest of them with the Remove Tool. Bummer.

This image was also created on 15 February 2025 at Stick Marsh. Standing at full height I used the hand held 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 1250 1/4000 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:37:39am on 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: Roseate Spoonbill (tight) flap Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Dreaded Water Hyacinth

As you saw in the video, the bird was bathing quite close to the ramp and the leaves of water hyacinths at the bottom of the frame were problematic at best. Thus, the somewhat pano crop for Image #5.

This image was also created on 15 February 2025 at Stick Marsh. Standing at full height I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 500. 1/4000 second at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:44:29am on a clear sunny morning. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger, high res version. Image #6: Roseate Spoonbill bathing Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Decent at Last

There were lots of folks photographing the bathing spoonbill so space was at a premium, especially as I was somewhat late to the party. I was much too tight at 840mm so I removed the TC and was delighted that the bird bathed a second time. As he was a bit farther from the shoreline, I only had to remove only a single hyacinth leaf. Again, we were fighting the leaves at the bottom of the frame because they were quite distracting.

Note the prefect look-back head turn in Image #6.

This image was created on 15 February 2025 at Stick Marsh. seated on a milk crate and two pillows, I used the 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; 1/2500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:10:30am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #7 Roseate Spoonbill preening

Why a Square?

As you saw in the video, the reflection of a large white sign in front of the South Island Rookery in the upper left portion of the frame that necessitated the square crop. Remember that it is important to consider all the cropping possibilities before marking a given image for the trash bin.

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 two years 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 order the 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.

Typos

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

Just for the Record

Both Homer 2026 IPTS are nearly sold out via personal invitation by e-mail despite the fact that they have not been formerly announced. If you are seriously interested in joining me, please get in touch via e-mail immediately (or sooner).

What’s Up?

On Wednesday morning Anita North and I headed early to Lakeland hoping for another fabulous morning with the American White Pelicans. I was working hard to finish the last blog post. I was not quite done when we arrived. I was glad to see about 50 AWPEs on the bulkhead wall. I saw a nice image of a pelican and a Cypress Tree trunk so I grabbed my 300mm f/2.8 with the a-1 ii, made a very few images, and then returned to the vehicle to finish the Wednesday’s blog post. Almost done, I noticed that two women had parked behind me and figured that they were photographers. Unfortunately, they were.

I exited the vehicle for a second time, ready to set up my big lens on the tripod. I noticed that most of the pelicans had left. I asked Anita what happened. She told me that she had approached the birds carefully and was seated on the grass when she sensed the two women standing right behind her. Both were using hand held Canon 100-500mm lenses. She turned to them and said quietly, “Please stay low and move slowly so as not to scare the birds.” One of them replied, “We live nearby and come here all the time. The birds will be fine.” Within minutes, they had scared all but a handful of the birds off the bulkhead wall and left to pursue other subjects.

When you see a bird photographer seated and actively photographing it is 100% rude to walk up behind them without getting their attention and asking if it would be OK to join them. That done, proper field ethics call for a very slow approach. I will find the article on field ethics and re-post it here soon as there are many new folks who simply have no idea how to conduct themselves when photographing with others.

We decide to head to a nearby lake and see what was about. We did not find much. Our streak of fabulous morning sessions had come to an end.

In today’s post, you will learn how I managed to come up empty in spite of the fact that I had been perfectly prepared for the take-off shot while Anita North hit the nail squarely on the head. Including the time spent on the image optimizations, this post took more than three hours to prepare.

Today is Friday 4 March 2025 and we will be headed down to the lake just before sunrise. 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 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.

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.

This image was created on 13 March 2025 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated in the front seat of my SUV I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 2000. 1/1600 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:20:04am on a clear sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #1: Red-shouldered Hawk on The Perch II Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A Slow Morning

Early on an unseasonably chilly Thursday morning there was a ton of fog on the South Canal. As the sun rose, fire-in-the mist conditions were perfect but for the lack of subjects. All three of Bob Eastman’s perches on the South Peninsula were empty so we headed back north. The Perch II had been vacant when we first got down to the lake so I was pleased to see a handsome red-shouldered Hawk on it when we re-checked it. As my first instinct is to go for clean, tight, and graphic, with lots of pixel on the subject, I added the 2X TC to my 600 and Anita did the same. With both rigs on the BLUBBs I approached slowly to get on sun angle. Working at 1200mm, we both made some fine images. Image #1, above, was my favorite.

Be sure to click on the screen cap to view a larger high res version. Image #2: A Photo Mechanic screen capture of the same bird made with the 600 and the 1.4X TC. Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Getting There

After making a few tight portraits I decided to try for the take-off shot so I switched out the 2X for the 1.4X. Anita went with the bare 600mm. After making an image or two (as above), I realized that Anita was right — 840mm was too much lens for the take-off image so I removed the 1.4X.

Note how far to the right the raw file is exposed. Keep reading.

Be sure to click on the screen cap to view a larger high res version. Image #3: A Photo Mechanic screen capture of the same bird made with the 600 alone. Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Perfect Preparation and Set-Up

I had the 600 alone on the BLUBB. There was lots of room for the bird to raise its wings and take off in any direction. I made sure that the Direct Manual Focus (DMF) switch on the lens was set to OFF to prevent accidentally throwing off the focus. I had time to add (Non-tracking: Wide) to my AF options vi May Menu and set that as it is the best AF method when trying the wide take-off shot. Then, again via My Menu, I upped the Pre-Capture time from my usual .2 seconds to a full 1.0 seconds, the max. With my right index finger half-pressing the shutter button and actively focusing, I was ready of the take-off. After five minutes the bird was still sitting on the perch and my right shoulder was beginning to hurt. There was one thing left to do to make my life easier …

I reached into the console and grabbed the Vello RS-S2II Wired Remote Switch for Select Cameras with Sony Multi-Terminal Connector that I keep there. (I have a second one in my fanny pack.) With my rig perfectly balanced on the BLUBB and the photo framed perfectly as you see in Image #3, adding the remote switch (cable release) allowed me to keep the shutter button half-pressed with my hand resting on my lap. Not having to keep my right arm raised completely eliminates shoulder fatigue (and the resulting pain). I use this same technique often in the field when working on a tripod and waiting for a take-off or for some interesting behavior.

The Key to Abject Failure

So, everything was perfect. I could not miss. And still the bird sat. For another four minutes. Because I had failed to angle the car correctly and my head had been turned hard left, my neck began to ache. As I turned my head to the right for a quick relaxing stretch, I heard Anita fire off a long burst. I knew I was toast. After minutes of good luck, preparedness, and hard concentration, I had managed to miss everything. The key to abject failure was one second of inattention.

This image was created on 13 March 2025 by Anita North down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated in the back seat of my SUV she used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 2500. 1/5000 second at f/8 (stopped down 2 stops in error) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was about 1/2 stop short of dead-solid perfect — in other words, not bad at all. AWB at 8:29:56am on a clear sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #4: Red-shouldered Hawk leaving The Perch II Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Anita North Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Pre-Capture Rocks!

The small hawk had given no indication that it was about to take off for the smaller perch to our right. So, even though Anita had been right on the action, Pre-Capture recorded the first two images in the sequence for her. As she had the shot framed a bit too high to begin with, she clipped the wings in the previous frame, the wings fully raised shot. But she nailed both the leaving-the-perch shot above and the money shot, Image #5, below.

Anita was thrilled as this was her first time photographing this species.

Aperture Question

How did Anita wind up at f/8 (with a relatively high ISO) rather than at f/4 (with a six-clicks lower ISO)?

This image was also created on 13 March 2025 by Anita North down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated in the back seat of my SUV she used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 2500. 1/5000 second at f/8 (stopped down 2 stops in error) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was about 1/2 stop short of dead-solid perfect — in other words, not bad at all. AWB at 8:29:56am on a clear sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #5: Red-shouldered Hawk taking flight with wings fully raised Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Anita North Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Sony a-1/a-1 ii Crop-ability

Sharp raw files from both high-end Sony camera bodies allow for significant cropping while maintaining excellent image quality.

Kudos to Anita for making two fabulous images and allowing me to share them with you here today. The other day, Anita inadvertently grabbed her a-1 body while shooting foraging Cattle Egrets. After I noticed that, she switched to her a-1 ii. Within moments she said, “It is amazing how much better the eye-tracking is with the a-1 ii as compared to the original a-1; I agree but only 100%.

Composite #1: All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body. Images copyright Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The a-1 ii for General Bird Photography

I have found that eye-tracking for general bird photography with the a-1 ii is far, far better than with the original Sony a-1. It grabs the eye and tracks it faster and far more consistently and focus is rarely lost, even with backgrounds other than sky.

Composite #2: All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body. Images copyright Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The a-1 ii for Birds in Flight

For birds in flight, the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body has no equal. As Arash Hazeghi says, “It is better than the a-1.” When I am late getting on a bird in flight, I have consistently been amazed at how often the AF system of the a-1 ii finds and tracks the bird’s eye.

Composite #3: All the result of using Pre-Capture with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body. Images copyright Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Pre-Capture with the Sony a-1 ii

When it comes to Pre-Capture with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body, Arash and I agree 100%. And with my slower reflexes, Pre-Capture is more important for me than it is for Arash. Understand that in each of the images in Composite #3, I did not push the shutter button until after the bird took flight!

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

I ordered my second a-1 ii six weeks ago and still have not received it 🙁 Every day that I use mine, the more I am 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 while 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 to mention that Bird Face-Eye tracking on the a-1 ii is vastly improved as compared to both the a-1 and the a9 iii and that the 51MP files are to die for.

So, the big question is, is the a-1 ii “worth” a gear upgrade. Remembering that I can never know whether or not something is worth it to you, 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).

With the price of a 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 for bird photography than the original a-1.

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 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.

Your Call

Please take a moment and list your five favorite images in no particular order and let us know what you liked about each of your favorites. I will share my thoughts with you in the next post (although the task is quite a difficult one he said modestly). After you have read the post, be sure to scroll down all the way and check out The BAA Middle of Florida Site Guide.

What’s Up?

Anita North and I killed on Friday morning at Stick Marsh, spent an amazing Saturday morning in Lakeland with nearly one hundred American White Pelicans, killed again on Sunday morning at Stick Marsh, and then drove from my home to Orlando Wetlands to photograph a distant spoonbill nest with four chicks in it. On Sunday alone we spent seven hours in the car and put more than 350 miles on the odometer of my SUV. We did not get back to ILE until just before 10pm. On Sunday alone, I created 7131 photos that have not yet been first edited (culled).

Today’s blog post featured an even dozen images made at Lakeland on the morning of 8 March. Including the time spent on the image optimizations, this one took about seven hours to prepare. As you view the images, consider the incredible variety of image designs, lighting conditions, and backgrounds. And be sure to note how and why I worked at the three distinctly different heights to change my perspectives. I was thanking God for Sony’s Zebra technology all morning as the sun was in and out quite often. Read carefully to learn the single biggest secret to becoming a great bird and nature photographer.

If your business is in need of a fabulous IT person, be sure to check out the Peter Kes item below.

Today is Monday 10 March 2025. The forecast is for cloudy skies with a strong southwest wind; we will likely get down to the lake at some point this morning. 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 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.

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.

Peter Kes is job hunting

Peter Kes

Peter Kes, friend of 3 decades and longtime BAA blog webmaster, is a brilliant IT (information technology) and computer expert. He is currently running a Bushveld Farm in Dinokeng Game Reserve, Pretoria, Gauteng, RSA (Republic of South Africa) and is looking to re-locate. You can learn more about Peter and check out his impressive resume at his LinkedIn profile page here. You can contact Peter via e-mail.

This image was created at Lakeland, FL on the morning of Saturday 8 March. Standing at full height, I used the iPhone 15 Pro Max. ISO 64: 1/1086 sec. at f/1.8 at 7:00:11am before the sun hit the birds. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger version. Image #1 iPhone Pano: the scene at Lakeland

Breathtaking!

When Anita and I turned the last corner, we could hardly believe our eyes. About 90 American White Pelicans — more than I had ever seen at this spot before, were resting comfortably on the bulkhead wall. When we left 2 /2 hours later, more than 50 of them were still in the same spot while another 25 or so floated on the lake.

With so many birds so close together I was thinking long focal lengths before I even got out of the car. As you will see below, 840 and 1200mm were my ticket to success.

This image was created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. Standing at full height, I used the 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 a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1250: 1/320 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:06:49am in the shade on what would be a variably sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #2: American White Pelican head portrait in soft light

Soft, Soft Light

I love photographing white or light-toned birds against light-toned backgrounds before the sun gets on the subjects. The front portion of the horn on this pelican’s bill was badly damaged, possibly by the pointy bill tip of another pelican. The repairs were made via two Quick Masks.

This image was also created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. Standing at full height, I used the 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 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1000. 1/250 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:10:56am on then mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #3: American White Pelicans floating in yellow reflections Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Party of Two

During a recent discussion with Anita North, I realized that when I am at work in the field that I have no goals but for making images that please me. Toward that end, I am inspired and motivated only by what I see. In Lakeland, one of the prime motivating factors is the color of the reflections in the lake. Therefore, when photographing swimming or floating birds, I am moving almost constantly to put the birds right where I want them in the most pleasingly colored reflections. And the same is true when creating the tight shots that you see here as well. The color of the background is often a greater influence on my choice of perspective than sun angle. That said, I only very rarely work more than 15° on either side of the line of my shadow. That of course, only when the sun is shining 🙂

This image was also created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. Standing at full height, I used the 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 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1000. 1/800 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:25:27am on then mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #4: American White Pelican tight face portrait Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Clean, Tight, and Graphic

I was drawn to this individual because of the raised crest, the spotless feathers, the bright yellows, and the pretty much perfect bill. The obvious way to go was 1200mm. Sharpness at 1200mm with my Sony gear is unparalleled. A sliver of another bird was removed from the left frame edge using the Patch Tool to make the selection followed by Shift + Delete — Content Aware Fill.

This image was created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. Standing at full height, I used the 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 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1250. 1/640 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:31:10am on then partly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #5: American White Pelican adult preening Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Devil is in the Details

With the bird’s bill parallel to the imaging sensor and the eye visible, I created several long series of this preening pelican. Only a single perfect frame featured the bird delicately preening a tiny feather on its back.

This image was also created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. Again, standing at full height, I used the 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 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 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 perfect. AWB at 7:33:11am on then sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #6: American White Pelican adult scissors preening

The Devil is in the Background

Above is a tight example of how strongly my work is background driven. When working at 1200mm, getting your tripod in the exact right spot is often a matter of inches. Or less. Folks often ask, “What is the one big secret to becoming a great nature photographer?” My response is always the same: Paying attention to the small details.

This image was also created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. Standing at full height, I used the 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 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1600. 1/800 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:35:13am on then mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #7: Redhead drake floating on still blue water Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

How “Lower” when Standing?

When standing at full height and photographing a duck in the water at 1200mm (or any bird on the ground), the images will look as if they were created from a much lower perspective. Why? As you will be a good distance to the subject, the angle of declination, the degree at which you are pointing the lens downward, is relatively shallow.

This image was created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. Standing at full height, I used the 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 a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 500: 1/1600 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:01:14am on a then sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #8: American White Pelican with bill open Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Young and Soft and Sweet

In hatch-year American White Pelicans, the upper mandibles are pink and the bill pouches are a much paler yellow than on the adults. Note that a relatively fast shutter speed was needed to freeze the action.

This image was also created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. For this one, still standing at full height, I used the 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 a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 800: 1/1600 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:39:09am on then cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #9: American White Pelican head throw Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Thanks Anita

Head throws in Lakeland are exceedingly difficult because there are so many birds packed together. I rarely even try for them. Anita, tenacious as always, was trying to make a few good white pelican head throw images and finally persuaded me to give it a try. So, I swapped the 2X TC for the 1.4X and got lucky. Parts of two extraneous pelicans were removed from the bottom of the frame.

This image was also created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. For this one, crouching a bit and working off the tilted rear screen with the front leg of the tripod pulled out, I used the 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 a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 1600: 1/2000 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:46:55am on then partly cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #10: American White Pelican — Cypress Tree trunk background Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Why Lower?

Why was it imperative that I got a bit lower when creating this image? Here is the same question in a different form: what would the problem have been if I made this image while standing at full height.

This image was also created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. Standing at full height, I used the 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 a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 640: 1/2500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 9:00:11am on then mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #11: American White Pelican flotilla in blue and silver water Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Designing the Flotilla Image

Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection allowed me to place the lead bird exactly where I wanted it in the frame: high enough to include the whole reflection along with a generous helping of blue and silver water below that.

This image was also created on 8 March 2025 at Lakeland, FL. For this one, I sat on the ground and used the toe-pod technique with the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — ISO 800: 1/4000 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 9:11:09am on then completely sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to view a larger high res version. Image #12: American White Pelican in dark green reflections Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Dealing with Harsh Light

By 9:00am on a sunny, clear-sky day, the light is getting a bit harsh. The way to combat that is to work as low as possible and be sure to get right on sun angle. The latter helps to eliminate shadows. So, with a flick of the lever, I grabbed the lens off the tripod, sat down, and used the toe-pod technique to get right down to the bird’s level. Again, we see the importance of the background in bird photography.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide

126 pages, 87 photographs by (the late) Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.

Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back-and-forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Below are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide. Please note that last season, Gatorland did not offer a Photographer’s Pass.

• Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
• Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery. Note: In 2024, this theme park eliminated its Photographer’s Pass Program that allowed for early entry.
• The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
• Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of beautiful habitats.
• Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds in the various lakes here including and especially American White Pelican (AWPE) during the colder months.
• Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
• West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here, if you are lucky, you will have a chance for two difficult birds: Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
• Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.

Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.

You can purchase a copy 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.

Questions for You

1- Which is the stronger image? Why did you make your choice?

2- Which sky color do you prefer, the slightly blue sky in Image #1 or the grayer sky in Image #2?

3- What are the two main reasons that I had zero chance of creating a sharp, pleasing take-off shot despite the fact that Pre-Capture (PC) was set to ON with the P-C time set to one full second?

Canon EF 600mm f4/L IS II Lens

BAA Record-low Price for Excellent Plus condition!

Used Gear Page vet Todd Koudelka is offering a Canon EF 600mm f4/L IS II lens in excellent plus condition for a BIRDS AS ART record low $5333.95. The glass is perfect with no scratches or blemishes. There are two practically imperceptible paint blemishes on the barrel and two others on the base of the lens hood. The sale includes the lens trunk, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, the front lens cover, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses.

Please contact Todd via e-mail or by phone at 1-608 577 5375.

The 600mm f/4 lenses have been the state of the art super-telephoto lenses for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many years. When I was using Canon and could get it to my location, my 600 II was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With both the EF 600mm f/4L IS III and the RF 600mm f/4L IS going for $12,999.00, and used 600mm versions IIs very hard to find, you’d do well to grab Todd’s lens ASAP. Not to mention that B&H is offering a used one — Condition: 8+ Moderate wear, in other words, in relatively poor condition, here, for $6,933.95. Todd is beating that used price by $1600.00!

Add a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R to use this lens with your Canon mirrorless camera. artie

What’s Up?

There are two (currently un-photographable) young Bald Eagles in the nest across the South Canal. Two first winter Bonaparte’s Gulls have been hanging out with the Forster’s Terns on the pier railings. Tuesday morning was not great despite the nice light and the first east wind since I got back from Homer. I did have a few decent chances on Ospreys bringing in nesting material.

Today is Wednesday 5 March 2025. I should have mentioned previously that my 19-stitch incision is healing nicely. I got lots of work done on my 2024 taxes yesterday. I will be heading down to the lakeshore this morning almost as always. 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 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.

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.

This image was created on 3 March 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 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1600. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1000 second at f/10 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:58:49am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: Boat-tailed Grackle male displaying

Why Photograph Common Birds?

Boat-tailed Grackles are abundant at Indian Lake Estates in most seasons. Though the males, with their long oddly shaped tails and iridescent colors, are quite handsome, their appearance does not hold a candle to many more colorful passerines (perching birds). In addition, the golden tones of the females are quite pleasing.

I often pass this species by but on occasion, will do my best to photograph both sexes.

The question is why? There are many explanations. Here goes, in the order of importance as I see things:

1- Photographing black birds with iridescent feathers is a great way to fine-tune your understanding of exposure.
2- Photographing common species taking flight allows you to learn a ton about your camera’s autofocus system and, about Pre-Capture (if your camera body offers this amazing feature).
3- In addition, by attempting to photograph common species taking flight, you get to learn about choosing effective shutter speeds.
4- Common species often provide a chance to capture images depicting a variety of interesting behaviors.
5- Photographing something is always better than photographing nothing.

Worth Noting

As mentioned here previously, Bob Eastman put up three tall perches in the South Marsh when he visited. I helped, but not very much. From north to south they are the “Skinny Perch,” the “V-perch,” and the “pine perch.” Both of today’s images were created on the “V-perch” (though the tight view does not show both sides of the “V.”)

This image was also and obviously created on 3 March 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 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 2000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1000 second at f/10 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 7:59:29am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Boat-tailed Grackle male about to take flight — full width pano crop

The Pre-Take-off Pose

Many species of birds lean forward just prior to taking flight. Folks with very fast reactions times may not need Pre-Capture to create successful images of birds taking flight. I am not in that group.

Note that the crop here was from the top. The width here represents the full frame original.

Why f/10?

When working a bird large in the frame at relatively close range, it often pays to stop down a bit for additional depth-of-field. Was that plan successful with these two image? I am not sure.

BLUBB Tip

It is vitally important to remember that when using a telephoto lens on the BLUBB or any inferior beanbag, that — if your system offers Direct Manual Focus DMF), you must remember to turn it off either via the switch on the lens or in your camera body’s menu (depending on the system). If DMF is not turned off, you risk throwing off the focus as you recompose or attempt to follow a bird in flight.

Summing Up

Photographing common birds is fun and educational and best of all, doing so helps you to improve your skills and become a better bird photographer.

Typos

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