What’s Up?
By the time the game began, I realized that I wanted the Chiefs to win. With just over 7 minutes left in the game Kansas City’s chance of winning was 4%. I had just about given up hope when the Mahomes’ magic began. The final score of Chiefs: 31, 49ers: 20 did not indicate that San Francisco outplayed KC for much of the game. Patrick Mahomes was named MVP of the Super Bowl LIV and I went to bed happy.
The pool was up to a balmy 71 degrees on Sunday afternoon for my slow 50-length swim; 88 lengths to the mile. On Monday morning steam was rising from the pool as the sun came up. This afternoon’s swim will be a very cold one …
Please get in touch via e-mail or cell (863-221-2372) if a trip to Homer to photograph Bald Eagles at point-blank range is on your bucket list.
Coming Soon
We will be releasing a one hour, sixteen-minute screen capture video in Wednesday’s blog post. Watch me pick my keepers from an almost 800-image folder entitled San Diego II. Learn what makes one image better than a very similar one. Learn the minutiae of head and light angles, compositional fine points including the importance of adding diagonal lines to your images, more on wing positions and flight poses, my image optimization plans for many images, and tons more. With today’s digital camera bodies offering superb AF accuracy, fast frame rates, and often ridiculously large image files, learning to edit (pick your keepers) tightly is an important skill to develop.
The Homer Bald Eagle IPTs
For the first trip only, I am offering a $500/person discount for those who sign up with a friend or spouse. You can access the complete trip offering here.
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1.
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Greg Ferguson:
I attended this IPT in 2011 and can only say it was the most intensive bird photography I have ever experienced. My arms were tired and sore from shooting so many action photos. It is highly recommended! I called Jim today and signed up for a reprise. Greg
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Dick Curtain:
I attended the Homer IPT in the past and can only say it was a great experience. Many eagles, beautiful scenery, great instruction, and many fond memories. Don’t miss it.
IPT Updates
- The Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPTs:
- IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00 (Price reduced to $3999.00!). Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1.
- IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2
- The 2020 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — MAR 19 thru the morning session 22 MAR 2020: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Sold out
BIRDS AS ART
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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.
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.
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This image was created on January 10, 2020 at La Jolla, CA. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 397mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 640. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/320 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 10:55am on a cloudy morning. Upper Right Zone Continuous (C) AF got the job done. Click to enlarge and enjoy a slightly larger version. Brown Pelican start of wing stretch |
What Factors Made Creating This Image Quite Difficult?
- A- Getting the framing right
- B- Getting the right exposure
- C- Getting both eyes visible and relatively sharp
- D- A & B
- E- A & C
- F- A, B, & C
The correct answer, as I see it, will be posted here in a few days at most.
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 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.
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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 :).
C- Getting both eyes visible and relatively sharp. With the large bill and the potential for the bird blinking, the pelican would have to face you directly, have his eyes open and looking at you.
Artie: I tried to reply yesterday, but apparently failed. I said, and still think, answer E, which means A and C. Framing obviously is a challenge. To me, getting both eyes visible and relatively sharp is a huge challenge and congratulations for getting that. I agree with others that the exposure was no great challenge, especially for you. So that leaves only answer E.
To me, A & C would be my practical choices… Getting both eyes sharp and visible, and getting the framing right…
Take care and see you soon!
Hi Artie,
I would imagine exposure was not an issue.
I’d say Framing and Getting both eyes in focus, given the head angle. So: E.
I’m going with A – framing. A large in the frame bird with a huge beak will be tricky to handle.
I figure that the a9 will cope well with the eye autofocus and you are using the zebra technique on a cloudy day so exposure should be fine.
I really like the image, the open bill and engaging eyes are great.
Pardon me Artie, if I ignore your multiple-choice quiz but here is what I find challenging in that picture. The long bill of the pelican pointing at you is always a depth of field challenge. At 1/320 of a second you were not set up for sudden movements so that’s a challenge. Framing looks like an obvious challenge as your subject moved. Exposure is a combination of light and dark but nothing out of the ordinary.
Thanks for commenting, Ed. You mention depth-of-field but that was not a problem. The d-o-f is what it was. I never try to go to a smaller aperture on the fly. But there was a very important consideration that I mentioned but that you did not address. The relatively slow shutter speed was a problem but I got lucky there. … Good ono the framing being a challenge and good on exposure being nothing to be concerned about. That rules out choices D and F 🙂
with love, a
F. Warren’s reasoning seems right on.
F!
Framing is difficult because of the wing stretch and standing on 1 leg.
The exposure was tough because the wing stretch shows the “shaded” lower side of the wing (and bright area inside the bill).
And the eyes would have been difficult to focus on because there was only a small area to focus on based on the head angle. If the focus point was just a little off (i.e. left, right…) the you could have been way front focused on the bill or way back focused on the body. So, you had a small area to focus on with a moving target…
Those are my first thoughts, at least…