Stuff
On Wednesday I watched Game 6 of the World Series on TIVO. Wow, what an exciting series it has been. I am looking forward to Game 7 on Wednesday night. As an old Brooklynite I am rooting for the Dodgers.
The afternoon was spent working on Used Gear Stuff, a nice swim in a cool pool, and exercise.
The next Cheap Weekend Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instructional sessions were moved back one week. See the details immediately below.
If you missed last night’s notice of the insanely low Used Gear prices in the Used Gear Sales Market Downturn post, click here.
This Just In
After six thrilling contests, Game 7 of the 2017 World Series was totally boring. Though the Dodgers had their chances — ten left on base I think –congrats go to the Houston Astros led by their tiny but amazing second baseman Jose Altuve.
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Very Recent Fort DeSoto ImagesFrom bottom left clockwise back to center: Great Egret, blasting sunrise highlights; Black Skimmer, winter plumage in pre-dawn light; Roseate Spoonbill foraging; Brown Pelican, juvenile landing; hybrid heron X egret; American Oystercatcher feeding; Royal Tern, worn juvenile; Great Blue Heron from below. |
More Cheap Weekend Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instruction
Moved back one week
Sign up for the full day Saturday 11 NOV and the Friday afternoon on 10 NOV (4:30pm till sunset) session is free!
Saturday, November 11, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149. Add lunch, image review, and Photoshop session: $249 (total).
Saturday, November 11, 2017: Afternoon session — 4:30pm for 3 hours: $99.
Saturday, November 11, 2017, both sessions including lunch: $329. Sign up for the full day Saturday and enjoy a Friday afternoon session for free.
Sunday, November 12, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149.
Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.
Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.
Cheap but great instruction.
The Streak
Today makes ninety-eight days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about an hour to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time (or not …), the plan right now is to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections willing.
Booking.Com
Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.
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.
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This image was created on Saturday morning October 28, 2017, on the Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instructional Session by Lee Sommie 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 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. AWB in sunny but slightly overcast conditions. Two AF points above the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point just caught the tertials at the base of the tern’s near underwing. Sandwich Tern squabbling with Laughing GullImage #1: Courtesy of and copyright 2017: Lee Sommie |
When Unexpected Action Occurs … Do what Lee Sommie did twice!
As I have said here and elsewhere, when unexpected action occurs, strive to push the shutter button immediately. If you even think about changing your exposure or anything to do with AF you will almost surely miss 100% of the action. It seems pretty simple, but with my subconscious desire to have everything perfect, it has been a hard one for me to implement. I am getting better at it on rare occasion. Lee as an intermediate bird photographer is obviously doing quite well at it.
I had been photographing the Laughing Gull on the rock and was walking away in search of a better situation when I looked back and saw the tern fly in at the gull. “Did you get it Lee?” I called out. He answered, “I think so.” And indeed he did.
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This image was also created on Saturday morning, October 28, 2017 on the Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instructional Session by Lee Sommie 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 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. AWB in sunny but slightly overcast conditions. Two AF points above the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was placed on the plumes at the base of the bird’s neck. Snowy Egret with wings raisedlImage #2: Courtesy of and copyright 2017: Lee Sommie |
My Advice for Lee
Lee, for more consistent exposures, quit working in Av mode and start working in Manual mode. Aperture priority can get you in big trouble in situations with changing background tonalities and different subject tonalities …
Which?
Which of Lee’s two images is your favorite? Please leave a comment and let us know why as well.
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This image was created at Fort DeSoto in the pitch dark of early morning on Saturday, October 27 with the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 100mm), and my favorite pier photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering ??? 2 1/2 seconds at f/22 in Av mode. WB: 5500. I used my still flower technique: Live View (for mirror lock) and 2-second timer. Flexi-Sone Single rear focus AF. I selected a point 1/3 of the way out onto the pier. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: zero (extrapolated). Please click on the image to see the spectacular larger version. Pier at night, Fort DeSoto Park, Pinellas County, FL |
The Fun in the Dark with Digital/Starry Night blog post here included these two questions:
Exposure Question
What exposure compensation do you think that I set to come up with the perfect exposure?
Technique Question
Why were both Live View and the 2-second timer both unnecessary precautions?
Friend and IPT participant David Peake left this (slightly revised) comment:
Exposure comp would be something minus. Maybe -3 stops. With the very long exposure mirror lock up and/or the 2-second timer were not needed because any vibrations would last only for very small portion of the exposure time and thus would not affect sharpness in any way.
Minus three stops is exactly what I had used. And he is right about the self-timer/mirror lock stuff. Well done Mr. Peake.
If In Doubt …
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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.
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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 :).
Snowy egret. Subject more interesting. Looks like egret trying to maintain balance on a cliff. Better composition. I don’t like square crops like on the tern shot.
I love both shots because you know, he’s my brother 🙂
Lucky lady. Lee and I have become great friends in no time flat 🙂
with love to you both,
artie
Hey Artie, Thanks for posting my pictures on your blog. It is such an honor. And yes I do need to stay out of Av mode. I use it as a crutch and regret it afterward knowing I could have improved the exposure in manual mode.
You are most welcome. Exposure looks very good in both images but as I said, Manual will give you much more consistency; as you know, I have seen too many large blinkies on the rear LCD of your 5D IV 🙂
with love, artie
I love image 1, the tern and gull. The action is incredible. Is the exposure of 1/100 second a typo? That slow a shutter speed seems amazing for hand-held at 560mm.
Thanks Marvin. I agree. Yes a typo; should have been 1/800 sec. Thanks for that too 🙂
with love, artie