What’s Up?
Thursday morning was my least productive outings in many weeks. Clemens headed home after the morning shoot and Anita spent most of the day packing for her flight home today. Speaking of today, it is Friday 21 May 2021. The forecast is for partly cloudy with a brisk northeast wind. We will be heading down to the lake for Anita’s last session at least for a while. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a great day.
This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes 148 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords and is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great if you opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now at zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) 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
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This image was created on 19 May 2021 by Anita North. She used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/2500 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:38am on a clear, sunny morning. Wide/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Osprey shaking off after plunge-bathing |
Plunge-bathing Ospreys
At ILE, in spring and summer, it is not uncommon to see Ospreys dive into four- to six-inch deep pools in the marsh, flap around, and bathe. I published one image of a plunge-bathing Osprey last year. When Anita saw this behavior, she hustled down the shoreline (leaving me in the dust) and in a few hundred yards, made this image of a bird shaking water off in flight.
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This image was created down by the lake at ILE on 1 May 2021. I used the Induro GIT 304L/ Tracking Expand Spot/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2:Anita North with the large surviving colt and one parent |
Fitness and Bird Photography
With my 30-year tender bone on bone left knee, I take extreme care traversing the marsh. The soft muck can be four to six inches deep and if you stay out of the mud, the tall grasses and bushes can easily trip you up. Though the bugs love Anita — I am practically immune to their bites and stings, she never hesitates to get down and dirty in pursuit of a good image. The fitter you are, the more easily you are able to get in position to make a great image.
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This image was created on 19 May 2021 by Clemens Van der Werf. Kneeling in the marsh, he used the tripod-mounted Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens (now replaced by the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens), the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR Camera with CFexpress Card and Reader Bundle. ISO 640: 1/1600 sec. at f/8 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:20am on a clear, sunny morning. Wide/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: Black-necked Stilts — post copulatory embrace |
Patience and Determination and Bird Photography
On his first morning in the marsh, Anita and I both left Clemens in our favorite spot as we impatiently headed off in pursuit of more action. While we struck out, Clemens’ determination paid off in spades when our favorite pair of stilts copulated right in front of him while facing straight at him. He created more than a few family jewels from what turned out to be a fabulous sequence.
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This image was created in the marsh down by the lake at ILE. I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 500. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:56am on a clear, sunny morning. Wide/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #4: Clemens in the marsh with the hand held Canon 600 II and the 1D X III |
Strength and Height in Bird Photography
Strong at six foot, six inches, and after pedaling many hundreds of miles a month on his racing bike, Clemens has the physical tools that are a huge plus for anyone wishing to be a great bird, wildlife, or nature photographer. At times, his height can be a big advantage — you can always get shorter but you need a stool to get taller. On his flats boat, he often stands on the rear platform, and I have seen him get even taller by standing atop a big Yeti cooler placed on the rear platform. At times, hand holding the 600. Yikes!
Like Anita, he is driven to make great images no matter how tough the conditions. Like Anita he is quite determined. Approaching my 75th birthday I still have tons of determination — heck, that has always been number one on the list of reasons that I have enjoyed success as a bird photographer. But, I no longer have the stamina and physical tools to make like the Energizer Bunny. That said, I ain’t done yet; I can still give it a good go for a few hours. Hanging with Anita and Clemens inspires me.
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Designing and Creating Pleasing and Dramatic Natural History Images |
Designing and Creating Pleasing and Dramatic Natural History Images
A Video Webinar
In this 1 hour 28 minute plus video you will learn and be inspired. We cover everything from the very basics to the fine points. After a brief bio, the topics include Behavior, Action, Diagonal Lines, and the Cuteness Factor; Birds in Flight — The Holy Grail of Bird Photography; Mis-Framing!; Basic Image Design/HORIZONTALS: Get the subject out of the center of the frame. Basic Image Design/VERTICALS: The center of the frame is generally fine; The Importance of BACKGROUND; Isolating the Subject; Other Elements of Composition; On Getting Low; Going Wide for Bird-scapes; Super-tight!; Working in Sunny Conditions; Working in Cloudy Conditions; Working in Foggy Conditions; Working in the Shade; Working in Bad Weather; Creating Back-lit Images; Creating Silhouettes; and Creating Pleasing Blurs.
Each segment of the program consists of an average of about 15 images that will drive home the points being made, educate you, and inspire. The instructions and advice, given clearly and concisely, are based on my near-38 years of experience photographing birds with telephoto and super-telephoto lenses. And on several decades of creating educational blog posts.
This presentation is based on the webinar that I did for the South Shore Camera Club in April. You can find some of the comments below along with comments from two of the folks who viewed the webinar the night before the DeSoto IPT began.
You can order your copy of Designing and Creating Pleasing and Dramatic Natural History Images/A Video Webinar by clicking here or by calling Jim with your credit card in hand at 863-692-0906.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Stilt shot makes my day!! Thanks to both for sharing..
Artie, I love your comments about fitness and motivation. There is no doubt that excellent health and stamina can allow one to do more physically than a person who does not posses that same form. However, very little can be achieved without motivation and passion. Keep up the great work
Thanks, Jean-Louis.
with love, artie
Just checked my Osprey images. First primary is as long as the fourth, second one is the longest and third one almost as long. In this image the first primary seems to be the longest. But as said, maybe that is an illusion of unordinary pose.
PS. Sorry for not being able to place this comment in correct place 🙂
No worries about placement. The position of the primary feathers is a result of the wind and the action of flight. Nothing odd there.
with love, arite
Yes, in fact they seem to be too long in both wings compared to size of a body or the rest of the wing for example. Maybe that is an illusion but somehow it doesn’t seem to be correct.
The primaries are exactly as they were in life. Regarding the “banding” that you mentioned, and assuming that you were talking about the first few primaries of the bird’s left wing, there is no banding there, only motion blur.
With love, artie
Do I see right but aren’t there somewhat of banding in Osprey’s wings 😉 Nice image though.
Hi Seppo,
Are you looking at the first few primaries on the bird’s left wing?
with love, artie
Howdy Artie
WOW all great images as every time out one can always see something different. I love image #1 as the Osprey does something normal in an everyday moment and Anita capturing that is amazing. Image #3 from Clemens omg what a keeper and capturing that moment is also amazing and my favorite the bg and colors blend so well. There eyes both in focus are striking.
Well done and 2 thumb’s up Artie for getting Anita and Clemens in the moment, i love those.
Always with love b
Thanks, Robert. Did you get your eagle pic?
with love, artie