Finding the Slot ...

What’s Up?

My wonderful Mom, Hazel Louise Morris, died mercifully on the late afternoon of Wednesday, April 5 at the age of 94. Her condition worsened with lightning quick speed over the past few days. All of the family is glad that she is now at peace. More on her soon.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

The Streak: 20!

Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 20 days in a row with a new educational blog post. As always–and folks have been doing a really great for a long time now–please remember to use our B&H links for your major gear purchases. For best results use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This image was created with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 560mm) and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops as framed: 1/250 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: +1. Two AF points to the right of the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was just a bit below and to the right of the bird’s eye. Image #1: Large Great Egret chicks standing in nest

Finding the Slot …

At first glance, after seeing all the leaves and branches, most photographers — thinking that the chances of making a good image — would walk right past the two chicks above. Heck, many folks did just that. But in situations like this, experienced nature photographers will take their time and explore things, looking for a slot to shoot through. At Gatorland, at St. Augustine, and at other cluttered venues this strategy can pay huge dividends. Though I always have at least one step stool with me at Gatorland, I was able to create both of today’s images right from the boardwalk.

Here are some tips for finding the slot: move slowly from side to side and up and down. Sometimes getting really low or using a step stool — if one is available — to get higher can help you to find the slot and find the shot. When it comes to getting higher or lower, think creatively. At times sitting on your butt can be the answer, and at other times something as simple as standing on a board or two or a bench can you the elevation that you need to get the image. Lastly, do not restrict yourself to the most obvious vantage point; moving well left or well right just might open things up nicely.

This image was created on my Sunday morning, April 2nd busman’s holiday at Gatorland with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 218mm) and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops as framed: 1/250 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: +1. One AF point to the right of the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was squarely on the eye of the chick in the middle of the frame. Image #2: Large Great Egret chick in nest, head portrait

The Reward

I watched these two birds as smaller chicks for several weeks. When they were little, it was nearly impossible to get high enough to create a decent image, even when they stood up and even with my trusty milk crate as a step stool. I love the bright white feathers and the white on white high key look with Image #2. And I love the frizzy hair-do. Notice the super-slim depth of field even at f/11; the face is razor sharp yet the distal end of the bill is not at all.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

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Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).