More Homer Images. And Announcing the 2021 Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPTs

What’s Up?

Me early, as usual — still on eastern time 🙂

Photography in Homer has continued to be astounding and the first IPT is going great guns. Multiple IPT vet Donna is thrilled that she made the last-second decision to join the first IPT and made a slew of contest-winning images on DAYS 1 & 2. Mukesh has learned more about bird photography in just two days than he had in his previous 2 1/2 years. Having arrived early, he joined me for an extra day before the IPT and created more than 3,000 insta-deletes. By DAY 2 of the IPT he was creating dozens of lovely, technically perfect images with clean backgrounds to boot. IPT veteran Warren Robb has learned a ton about his new SONY gear and created some very fine images as well. As he is staying for both trips, his images will only keep getting better and better. IPT veteran Marvin Falk shared a whimsical set of images with the group; he spent a good part of Wednesday morning photographing a single, dirty-headed eagle.

I should have noted that 10 minutes after Mukesh and I began photographing on Monday 24 FEB, he declared, “I am signing up for next year!”

Good friend and top (former-) student Clemens Van der Werf headed back to Florida after staying an extra day. The next blog post will feature a slew of the killer images he created with the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR Camera with CFexpress Card and Reader Bundle that he got from Steve Elkins at Bedfords.

I did some more work on the big SONY guide — we are getting very close …

Please consider taking a moment out of your busy day and leaving a comment on today’s images.

If …

If you have purchased a SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens (or more than $10,000 worth of SONY gear) using a BAA link and have not received your free SONY e-Guide and Videos, please shoot me an e-mail with a copy of your receipt so that I can send it along.

The Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPTs

IPT #1: SAT 20 FEB 2021 through the full day on THURS 25 FEB MAR 1, 2021. Six full days: $5499.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4.

IPT #2: SAT 27 FEB 2021 through the full day on WED 3 MAR 2021. Five full days: $4599.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4

Please note the slightly revised dates for IPT #2 above.

From Homer, Alaska

We will do two 2-hour or one 4-hour boat trip to Kachemak Bay each day (weather permitting). Our schedule will be flexible and driven by the wind and sky conditions. We will have numerous and varied mind-boggling opportunities to photograph Bald Eagle, a hugely popular species. We will be feeding the eagles to attract them into photographic range. The trip is costly because chartering the boat is expensive, the fish are very expensive at $1.25/pound (all on me), the costs of in-room breakfasts and one sit-down meal/day are included, hotel to dock transfers are included, as is lodging (double-occupancy). The cost of a single supplement is $90.00/night

We will do lots of flight photography from the boat and on land until you can no longer lift your lens. We will get off the boat on various islands to photograph the birds both perched and in flight. This species takes five years to reach maturity; we will get to photograph birds os all age-classes from juvenile plumage to full adults with their gleaming white heads (and everything in between). There will be numerous informal Image Editing, Photoshop, and Image Review sessions throughout each trip. As I am conversant in Canon, Nikon, and SONY I can help you better understand your gear no matter what you are shooting.

Going up earlier than all other tours this year proved to be fantastic with tons of snow on the ground to light up the eagle’s underwings. You will usually not enjoy those conditions on the March tours (unless you are very lucky). In addition, the eagles are more ravenous early in the season. In FEB 2020 we often had 30-40 or more eagles in the air around the boat with as many as 75 perched in trees or resting on the black sand beaches. Folks who want to do some photography locally during down-time may wish to rent a vehicle.

It is best to register right now to save your spot. Register for both trips and apply a $300 discount.

A $2000 credit card deposit is required to hold your spot. Call Jim ASAP at the office weekdays at 863-221-2372 to leave your deposit. Your balance will be payable only by check no later than July 31, 2020. If you fail to pay your balance, your spot will be forfeited to someone on the waiting list and you will lose your deposit. If you plan on joining me, please e-mail immediately or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372 with any questions or to let me know of your plans. First come, first served.

Not included: your round-trip airfare from home to Homer, AK through Anchorage and back. Your second sit-down meal each day. Alcoholic beverages at our sit down meal.

On these IPTs you will learn:

• 1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
• 2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
• 4- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
• 6- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
• 7- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
• 8- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 9- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
• 11- More than you could ever imagine.

Used Gear Sales

The Used Gear Page has been hotter than hot recently with lots of great buys and lots of in-the-know folks getting the best possible price for their gear.

Very Recent Sales

Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens in mint condition (but for a very few minor blemishes on the lens hood) for the BAA record-low-by-far price of 9,999.00 (was $10,999.00).
Karl Schneck sold his Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens in excellent plus condition for a very low $5399.00 and a Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II in excellent plus condition for a very low $3799.00, both on the second day of listing in mid-FEB 2020.
Tim McCreary sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto lens in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $2399.00 on the first day of listing.
Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Canon EF Extender 1.4X III (teleconverter) in excellent condition for $229.00 in mid-FEB 2020.
Craig Elson sold his Canon 400 f/4 DO IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for $3,599.00, a Canon 300 f/4L IS USM lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00, a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with 13,140 actuations in excellent to near-mint condition for $1,698.00, a Canon 7D Mark II with only 7,169 actuations in near-mint condition for $649.00, a Canon 1.4x Extender EF III in mint condition for $249.00, and a Canon 2.0x Extender EF III in mint condition for $249, al on the first day of listing in mid-FEB 2020.
Joe Randle sold his Canon Speedlite 430EX II in near-mint condition for $50.00 (was $75.00) and his Canon Fisheye EF 8-15 1:4 L USM zoom lens (the “circle lens) in near-mint condition for a crazy low $549.00 (was $749.00) both in mid-FEB 2020.
Bob Lester sold his Sony A7r iii Mirrorless camera body in Very Good Plus condition (shutter count < 14,000) for only $1698.00 in mid-FEB 2020. In addition, the sale of IPT veteran Cris Hamilton's Canon EF 600 f/4L IS III USM lens is pending (as are several other sales).

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.

This image was created at Kachemak Bay, AK on 25 FEB 2020. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 265mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 500. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6. AWB at 9:54am on a cloudy-bright day. Tracking Flexible Spot M Continuous (C) AF performed beautifully. Click on the image to see a larger version. Uncropped. Image #1: Bald Eagle dining on rabbit

The 70-200mm f/2.8 Lenses in Homer

The hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens has been my most valuable piece of gear on this amazing trip. And the same has is true with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II and the Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S. These bare lenses alone (see Image #2 below) are perfect for flight photography as the weather is variable and often cloudy or snowing in Alaska in February; the wide f/2.8 aperture enables folks to stay with relatively low ISOs while enjoying high shutter speeds. Adding the 1.4X TC for extra reach is often a great strategy even allowing for head portraits of these magnificent birds.

This image was created at Kachemak Bay, AK on 25 FEB 2020. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (at 200mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 500. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/3200 sec. at f/3.2. AWB at 9:20am on a cloudy-bright day. Wide Continuous (C) AF performed beautifully. Click on the image to see a larger version. Uncropped. Image #2: Bald Eagle braking to land

Reflected Light

Getting to Homer early pretty much guarantees that you will have snow on the ground. The white stuff serves as a giant reflector and lights the eagles’ dark underwings superbly. In this great situation, I talked to the group about trying to include a small strip of the yellow grasses at the bottom of the frame as the birds landed. And then I did the deed!

Okie Dokie

Please leave a comment letting us know which of today’s featured images is the strongest and why.

If In Doubt …

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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 regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

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Typos

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