Stuff
Saturday morning was pretty poor at best. We met up with physiotherapist Amy Novotny and friends Bryan Holliday and Kim at Gilbert. They added lots of water to the best ponds … We did get some nice flight images of Ring-necked Ducks.
We had a great dinner at Rodizio Grill, The Brazilian Steakhouse in Mesa. We had a very nice chat with the general manager, the delightful and — at only 28 years old — amazingly polished, Shawna Fitzgerald.
The Streak
Today makes two hundred sixteen days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about 30 minutes 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 and my continuing insanity willing.
The Used Gear Page
Action on the Used Gear Page recently has been fantastic. You can see all current listings on the Used Photo Gear page here.
Booking.Com
Several folks on the Spoonbill IPTs used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created on February 17, 2018 at Gatorland with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 500mm) and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. ISO 800. Matrix metering probably at +1/3 stop as originally framed: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. WB: AUTO0 at 9:02am on a foggy morning. Center Group/Shutter Button AF as originally framed; the diamond pattern was on the male’s shoulder. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Image #1: Great Egret pair copulating at the nest |
Image Design
Note that though I chose the center AF cluster that the bird is nicely back in the frame, that in part due to a crop from below and from our right. As I often do, I opted to maintain the 3X2 proportion of the original by hitting C for the Crop Tool, selecting 2X3, and then flopping that to 3X2 by hitting the two-way arrow.
New Policies, New Possibilities
The new early entry policy at Gatorland — now four days a week, and earlier entry times — opens up some great photographic possibilities for those who know where to be when. Join me at Gatorland to learn my early morning strategies and allow me to share the rest of my BIRDS AS ART Gatorland knowledge with you.
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This image was created at Gatorland on the morning of February 22, 2018 with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 1250. Matrix metering +2/3 stop as originally framed: 1/500 sec. at f6.3. Cloudy WB at 7:28am in the shade. Center Group (grp) shutter Button AF with the AF cluster centered on the bird’s neck. AF Fine-tune: +5. (Please see and carefully read Nikon Focus Fine-tune Guide item below). Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Great Egret with single egg in nest |
Your Favorite?
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best? Be sure to let us know why. Again, I have a very clear favorite and will share it with you here soon along with my reasons.
Please Note
I have been getting lots of e-mails below on qualifying for a free Nikon D850/D5 Focus Fine-tune Guide (should I ever actually get started on and finish it). “I once met you in San Diego; do I qualify for a free guide? I bought your micro-adjusting guide; do I get a free copy of the Nikon D850/D5 Focus Fine-tune Guide? Please read the item below before e-mailing as it clearly states the qualifications for getting the guide for free 🙂
The Nikon D850/D5 Focus Fine-tune Guide
I hope to be working on a Nikon D850/D5 Focus Fine-tune Guide while I am in Phoenix. There is lots of mis-information out there on Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune. Working with Patrick Sparkman, we perfected a method of using the Focus Peaking feature available only on the D850 to quickly and accurately micro-adjust all of your lenses and TC-Es with your D-850. Both Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune and D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune require a LensAlign Mark II kit. If you know for sure whether the very popular Nikon D500 DSLR Camera (Body Only) (or any other of the newer Nikon dSLRs) offer Automatic AF Fine-tune.
Folks who purchase a Nikon D850, a Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Body Only, Dual XQD Slots), or any Nikon gear totaling more than $2,000 will receive the new guide free. I hope to have it finished in three weeks but don’t hold me to it 🙂
Registering for an IPT
To register for any of the IPTs below call Jim or Jen in the office at 863-692-0906 from Monday morning through Friday lunch with your credit card in hand to leave your $500 non-refundable deposit. Balances may not be paid by credit card so you will be asked to send a check for your balance along with the signed paperwork that you will find here.
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Great Egrets in breeding plumage are quite beautiful |
Gatorland IPT #1. Sunrise: 7:25am, Sunset: 7:40pm
3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 22 March through and including the morning of SUN 25 MAR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.
(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 23 March through and including the morning of SUN 25 MAR. $1199.
Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Friday and Saturday. Thursday late-stay is under discussion. Gatorland IPT #1 is best for killer breeding plumage Great Egrets. With chicks. Also Wood Stork and Cattle Egret. Surprisingly, there are already more than a few Snowy Egrets and Tricolored Herons in breeding plumage! Learn to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.
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Tame birds in breeding plumage are great fun. |
Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.
3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.
(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.
Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Friday and Saturday. Thursday late-stay is under discussion. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.
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Large Tricolored Heron chicks (lower left) are to die for! |
Gatorland #3. Sunrise: 6:33am. Sunset: 8:10pm.
3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 17 MAY through and including the morning of SUN 20 MAY. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.
(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 18 MAY through and including the morning of SUN 20 MAY. $1199.
Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Friday and Saturday. Thursday late-stay is under discussion. Gatorland IPT #3 is best for medium sized chicks of the following species: Cattle Egret, Snowy Egret, and Tricolored Heron. Head portraits of handsome fledged Great Egrets are pretty much guaranteed. Learn to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.
Help Support the Blog
Please help support my (stupendous) efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie
If In Doubt …
If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
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.
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.
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 :).
Hey Arthur, The egret with the egg is my favorite. Nice composition and you can clearly see the egg. The green vegetation framing the bird is quite nice.
Hi, Artie. I much prefer image 2. It seems to be telling a story. Why is the bird looking at the egg? Is it going to sit on it, or perhaps lay another egg, or order a fried-egg sandwich? Also, the vegetation nicely frames the bird in this image, while in image 1 it is more distracting to me.
Hi Artie.
The second image is easily my favourite. To me the Egret looking at the single blue egg is very striking. I love the broody pose of the Egret and the beautiful tail plumes. ( if that’s the right word to use).
David.
From a technical perspective, the first image was shot on AWB and it appears to have a bit of a magenta cast and is a bit cool. The second one using “cloudy” appears to have a more neutral color balance.
I prefer the second image with the single bird and egg in it. If the first image had been mine, I would have cropped out the dark tangle of dead shrubbery at the top which, in my opinion, detracts from the image.
Hi Artie
I realise there our tecnical reasons beyond your control for the all in focus of the Images. I prefer to see the back ground out of focus and less distracting it makes the image look even more crisp and very sharp, its only my opinum.
Best and love
Ken
UK
Me too. But completely unrealistic:)
a
Hi Art,
Greetings from Toronto. I prefer image #1. It is more interesting.
Hi Artie
Your Images of the Great Egrets bring back some happy memories, I photographed
this wonderful US bird at the Venice Rookery Florida they where displaying with their beautiful white plumes, it was in February 1998 I still have my journal to consult. Your Images our pin sharp perfectly exposed and doing something, my only criticism is the foliage is in focus, which be difficult to alter. Can we presume you intently wanted to show the nest site by stepping down your aperture and giving the Image a all in focus Image.
Best and love
Ken
UK
Hi Ken.
Your comments above do not make sense.
#1: what is it about the foliage that you do not like?
#2: your comments on “stepping down the aperture” show a lack of understanding of depth of field.
a- the aperture in each image was stopped down only one-third stop, from f/5.6 to f/6.3. This would have an insignificant effect on d-o-f.
b-The reason that all of the foliage (along with the branches and twigs) is sharp is because of the distance to the nests. Depth of field increases dramatically as the camera to subject distance increases. At f/6.3 at 500mm at 10 feet, the total d-o-f is about 1/2 inch. At 100 feet, it is almost five feet.
with love, artie
That’s a very important lesson to learn on DoF – the further away the subject the greater the DoF. Photopils helps to calculate and understand what the DoF is for varying cameras, lens and apertures. Thanks Artie