SONY Artisan David Burdett on Seeing. And the SONY 200-600 at Bosque ...

What’s Up?

Bosque must have tired me out. I slept nine hours each of the last two nights. On Thursday got back in the pool for the first time in two weeks. Seventy-three degrees is quite chilly but with my snorkeling booties and two neoprene hats I was not cold until I got out.

I lucked out in hitting Bosque at just the right time — November 19th with the six inches of fresh snow and of November 20ieth with thick fog were both spectacular with the geese relatively close to the road and blastoff after blastoff. By the time I left on December 4th the birds were far from the tour loop road and geese numbers seemed well down …

Kudos to the incredible Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera; he secured two SONY 600 f/4GM lenses for BIRDS AS ART folks this past week.

This blog post took nearly four hours to prepare. Please remember to use a BIRDS AS ART affiliate link when purchasing new gear 🙂 Many thanks for that.

Please leave a comment and let us know which of today’s two featured images you like best. And why.

IPT Updates

• The 2020 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) WED JAN 8, 2020 thru and including the morning session on SUN JAN 12: 4 1/2 days: $2099.(Limit: 8/Openings: 5)

Click here for complete IPT info and details.

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Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

The Used Gear page has been hot for the past two months with the continuing price drops on Canon and Nikon gear. There are still lots of great buys right now on the Used Gear Page. In addition to the recent sales below, there are many pending sales.

Recent Sales

Blog-regular Anthony Ardito sold a Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E ED AF-S VR Zoom lens in like-new condition for the very low price of $799.95 (was $899.95) in early December 2019.
Ken Siegel sold a Sony A9 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body in mint condition for $2598.00 (was $2698.00) ten days after it was listed.
Josh Anon (son of noted photographer and Photoshop expert Ellen Anon) sold a SONY a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body in like-new condition for only $2998.00.
Joe Randle sold his Canon 400mm f4L IS DO USM Telephoto lens (the original 400 DO) in near-mint condition for $1999.00 and a Canon Extender EF @x teleconverter in near-mint condition for $229.00 on the second day of listing.
Joe Randle sold a used Canon Extender EF 1.4X teleconverter in near-mint condition for $229.00 moments after it was listed in late November 2019.
Ken Siegel sold a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $3299.00 in mid-November soon after listing.
Jerry Barrack sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Digital Camera Body in near-mint condition for $ 1,999.00, a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $5,799.00, a Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera body in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $648.00 in early November 2019.
BAA friend and multiple IPT veteran Paul Reinstein sold his Canon EOS-1D X Mark II body with a shutter count of 40,759 in near-mint condition for $3,599.00 and his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L S II USM lens in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $1195.00 both in mid-November 2019.
I sold my SONY a9 in near-mint condition for $2,597.00 on November 11, 2019.
Jerry Barrack sold his Canon Extender EF 1.4X III teleconverter in near-mint condition and his Canon Extender EF 2X III teleconverter also in near-mint condition, both for a very low $224.00 in early November.
Jerry Barrack also sold a Wimberley WH-101 Gimbal Head w/QR C-30 clamp (the original) and a heavy-duty Gitzo 410 tripod for the silly low price of $399.00.
Peter Noyes sold his Sony Alpha A7R III Mirrorless Digital Camera body in like-new condition with a shutter count of less than 1,000 for $1998.00 the first day it was listed in early November.

Huge Price Drops on Big Glass and a Telephoto Zoom!

FE Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens

BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Price reduced $400 on 5 DEC 2019

William Schneider is offering an FE Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $10,697.00. This immaculate lens has seen little use. The sale includes the lens hood, the lens trunk, the front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

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

This super-fast lens is amazingly light at 6.4 lbs, the same weight as the Nikon 300mm f/2.8. Patrick made lots of great images at St. Paul in the Pribilof Islands last July with the lens alone and with either the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. He really enjoyed the 8.86 ft close-focusing capability and the beautiful bokeh that the lens produces. As this lens sells new right now for $$12,998.00, you can save a cool $2,701.00 by grabbing his virtually new lens asap. artie

ps: at the time of publication this lens is very hard to get; it is not in stock at B&H or at Bedfords.

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II Lens

BAA record-low Price!
Price Reduced $400.00 on 5 DEC 2019!

David Ramirez is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II lens in Excellent Plus condition for the BAA Record-low price-by far of $5299.00 (was $5699.00). It would be near-mint but for the wear on the knob of the lens hood. Otherwise there are no blemishes. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, the manual the original product box, a 4th Generation Design CRX-5 lens plate (that’s what I used) a Realtree Advantage Max4 HD LensCoat, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Photos are available upon request. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact David via e-mail or by phone at 1-541-892-3726 Pacific Time.

The 500mm f/4 super-telephoto lenses have long been the world’s most popular for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. Canon’s Series II version is light, fast, super-sharp, and, in competent hands, produces amazing images with both the 1.4X and 2X III TCs. The 500 II is relatively small, easily hand-holdable for some folks, and is much easier to travel with, focuses closer than, and costs a lot less than the 600 II. The lighter 600 III costs an astounding $12,999.00. Lastly, and you might find this amazing, the magnification for the 500 II is the same as it is for the 600 II: .15X. How is that possible? Magnification is calculated at the minimum focusing distance of the lens — 12.14 feet (3.7 meters) for the 500 II and 14.77 feet (4.5 meters) for the 600 II. Simply put, the 500 II focuses more than two feet closer than the 600 II. The seller for the last one that sold here had five calls the first day; the first four folks quibbled on price. The fifth one jumped right on it … Please do not tarry if you are seriously interested in David’s lens as it too should sell quite quickly. Or not. As the 500 II goes for $8999.00 new, you will be getting a great copy and saving a very nice $3,300.00. I loved my 500 II. artie

This image was created on Day 1 — October 24, 2018 — on my bucket-list trip to the Snow Hill Island Emperor Penguin colony. While sitting on the snow and ice, I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 195mm) with my Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering plus about 2 stops off the snow: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. Auto 1 WB at 2:43pm on a cloudy-bright afternoon. I selected a Single AF point two up and two to the right of the center/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the penguin’s neck very close to the being on the same plane as the penguin’s eye. I kept my 80-400 rig on my shoulder via an RS-7 Curve Breathe Strap so that it was instantly accessible when I was working with the tripod-mounted 500 PF (that often with the TC-E14 or the TC-E17). Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Emperor Penguin/adult stretching

Nikon 80-400 AFS Nikkor f/4.5-5.6 G ED N VR Lens

BAA record-low Price!
Price Reduced $200.00 on 5 DEC 2019!

Errol Bellon is offering an Nikon 80-400 AFS Nikkor f/4.5-5.6 G ED N VR lens in mint condition for a BAA record-low $1196.95 (was $1396.95). The sale includes a LensCoat, the rear lens cap, the soft lens case with strap, the front lens cap, a Kirk lens foot NC-80-400GN, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only.Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Errol via e-mail.

My Nikon 80-400 was my most-valuable lens on my bucket-list trip to an Emperor Penguin colony in Antarctica. The 80-400 pairs perfectly with the following Nikon VR lenses: the 500 PF, the 500 f/4, and the 600 f/4. Right after I sold mine back in February, 2019 I had seller’s remorse. This lens sell new right now for $2,096.95; you can save $900 by grabbing Errol’s lens now. artie

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… 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.

This image was created on December 2, 2019 on my busman’s holiday after the 2019 Bosque IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 400. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/60sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 6:37am in the pre-dawn. Image #1: Great-tailed Grackles on the eagle perch tree

SONY Artisan David Burdett on Seeing …

It’s amazing to see how camera technology has advanced at such an amazing pace. I witnessed the launch of Apollo XI (the first moon landing mission) in 1969. These 50 years in many ways bookend so much of my work and how I see my role as a photojournalist. Back then it was with basic 35mm reflex cameras (no motors, no meters – everything manual) and now today, the ability to take great pictures has arrived with the astonishing advances in camera technology. But the thing that hasn’t changed is seeing. You still have to see. No matter what camera you use to try to capture what you see, the seeing itself remains the key. And looking, seeing, regarding that ever-changing world around me, is what keeps me interested and excited about photography.

David Burnett says he feels as if he never had to grow up. He began shooting pictures for the yearbook in high school in his hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah. While in college, he started working for TIME Magazine and for 50 years has had a great time documenting his world, the 20ieth and 21st centuries. His work has mainly been published in weekly and monthly magazines.

Do check out David’s “Old Folks in Sports” (my title …) SONY Artisan Gallery here or surf his eclectic work in the various photo-journalistic galleries on his website at www.davidburnett.com. As you might expect, David obviously has a great eye; he knows how to see! Two of my very favorite of his galleries are Classics Old & New and Encounters. . Remember, the more great images you look at and study (regardless of genre), the more your photography will improve.

To learn more about other SONY Artisans of Imagery click here.. One of my very favorite-ever photographers there is Neil Leifer who work has appeared most often in Sports Illustrated. He has created many iconic sports image over the last 50 years; his well-known image is the one of a triumphant Muhammad Ali standing over a flattened Sonny Liston in Lewsiton, Maine in 1965.

This image was created on December 4, 2019 on my very last 2019 morning at Bosque. Moments after creating this image I headed up to the Albuquerque airport. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 318mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 400. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/60 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 6:37am in the pre-dawn. Image #2: Great-tailed Grackles on the dead tree

The SONY 200-600 at Bosque

The SONY 200-600 was surely my most-used and most valuable lens at Bosque. As you can see with today’s two featured images, the 2-6 is extremely versatile. I used it hand held and more often mounted on the Induro GIT 404 topped by my FlexShooter Pro. By a small margin, I favor the FlexShooter Pro over the FlexShooter Mini for the 2-6. The 2-6 was my first choice for the pre-dawn fly-ins and the blast-off blurs. The latter often with either the Singh-Ray 95mm George Lepp Solid 3-stop Neutral Density filter or the 95mm Singh-Ray Mor-Slo 5-stop ND. When it was cloudy I’d go with the 3-stop and in full sun with the 5-stop. Do understand one thing: if you can make a great sharp photo of a big snow-goose blast-off in full sun I will buy you a nice steak at Bodega Burger. As far as I am concerned, blurs are the only way to go with sunny day blast-offs. You’ll need the same NDs in 77mm for most of the popular intermediate telephoto zoom lenses like the 80- and 100-400s and the 70-200s. If you wish to save some money on either the 77mm or the 95mm filters, you can go with a single George Lepp Solid 4-stop Neutral Density filter. To save 10% when purchasing your Singh-Ray filters, click here and be sure to enter and apply the discount code ARTIE10 at checkout.

Yours Truly on Seeing

As regular readers know, I have been saying for years that it ain’t the lens and it ain’t the camera. That it’s what is in the heart and the mind of the person holding the lens and their ability to see the shot.

More than a few cars drove by as I was making Image #1 and the same was true when I was making Image #2. For the second image, there was a guy standing and photographing something else — I had no clue as to what. When I shared what too me was the obvioous image with him, he opted too pass on it. Go figure.

Consider joining me on the San Diego IPT to learn to see the shot.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The 2020 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) WED JAN 8, 2020 thru and including the morning session on SUN JAN 12: 4 1/2 days: $2099.(Limit: 8/Openings: 5)

Introductory Meet and Greet at 7:00pm on the evening before the IPT begins; WED JAN 7, 2020.

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting with eggs and possibly chicks) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions; and Bird of Paradise flowers. And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and the subject of blinkies. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant. And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well. And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of all of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.

Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The San Diego Details

This IPT will include five 3 1/2 hour morning photo sessions, four 2 1/2 hour afternoon photo sessions, four lunches, and after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own.

A $599 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “Arthur Morris) to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 10/11//2018. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late

On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.

If In Doubt …

If you are 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 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 or Bedfords, 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 or Bedfords 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 :).