The Best Three?
Please leave a comment letting us know which three images you think are the strongest, and why you made your choices. Thanks to Anita North for allowing me to share her fine images with you here on the blog.
Anita’s African Gear Bag
Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)
Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only)
Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens
On her upcoming August trip, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital camera body will be replacing her a9 ii. She will also have the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM lens along.
Please join me in wishing her another great trip to the Dark Continent.
What’s Up?
Thursday dawned mostly clear and sunny in great contrast with the forecast. I tried some flowers early on and wound up deleting all of those. Then I drove down to the lake to check on the three crane families. All five colts were fine and dandy. I made and kept a few images of the smallest set of colts and made and kept a few of the oldest, largest colt now getting some pink feathers for its cap.
I was home early and finished and sent e-mail #18 to the Sony Alpha a1 Info and Updates group: AF with Two Birds and Odds and Ends. Today I need to follow up on questions and responses. I did my bursts and my founder exercises and between thunderstorms, I got in my swim and my walk. I was pleased to learn of the sale of Bug Bob Allen’s Canon 5D Mark IV at the full asking price $1549.00 soon after it was listed.
I spent several hours starting work on an On-line Traffic School course to avoid having the points for my fairly recent speeding ticket on my license. You gotta love that!
Continuing to recognize that one of the very best ways to improve your own photography is to look at as much good or great photography as possible, I share ten of Anita North’s best image from her Tanzania trip in 2020. She loves Africa, and will be returning soon to photograph the great migration. And lots more.
Today is 25 June 2021. It is a cloudy-day at 6:50am and I have a ton to do to get ready for my trip to Jacksonville for the Mini-IPT so I will likely be staying in this morning. Likely … Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
This blog post took more than an hour to prepare and makes 181 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 close to 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 somewhere in Africa in 2020 by Anita North. She used SONY gear. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version. Image #1: Elephant Contortions |
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This image was created somewhere in Tanzania in 2020 by Anita North. She used SONY gear. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version. Image #2: Zebra Colt Running Thru Muddy Water |
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This image was created somewhere in Tanzania in 2020 by Anita North. She used SONY gear. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version. Image #3: Weaver at Nest |
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This image was created somewhere in Tanzania in 2020 by Anita North. She used SONY gear. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version. Image #4: Yellow-billed Storks Allopreening |
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This image was created somewhere in Tanzania in 2020 by Anita North. She used SONY gear. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version. Image #5: Cattle Egret on Elephant |
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This image was created somewhere in Tanzania in 2020 by Anita North. She used SONY gear. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version. Image #6: Weaver (??) with Thin Stick for Nest |
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This image was created somewhere in Tanzania in 2020 by Anita North. She used SONY gear. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version. Image #7: Newborn Wildebeest Calf With Mother |
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This image was created somewhere in Tanzania in 2020 by Anita North. She used SONY gear. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version. Image #8: Cape Buffalo Adults/Calf Juxtaposition |
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This image was created somewhere in Tanzania in 2020 by Anita North. She used SONY gear. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version. Image #9: Lion Cub Head Portrait |
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This image was created somewhere in Tanzania in 2020 by Anita North. She used SONY gear. Click on the image to see an inexplicably sharper version. Image #10: Grey Heron |
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
All ten are excellent. To select 3, I would default to the images which I feel are more expressive, which demonstrate more emotion and or action. The elephant is exhibiting an interesting movement/action, the Tanzanian Masked Weaver at it’s nest with a fabulous wing position, The Wildebeest with it’s calf tucked in, perhaps it had just finishing suckling. Artie thank you for posting and Anita thank you for sharing 🙂
Love ’em all. I think I like the Zebra Colt as #1. Weaver showing green nest #2. Heron & Elephant with Cattle Egret tie for #3. Awesome, Epic shots. Thanks to Ms. North and many safe prayers and wishes for your next trip to Africa. Thanks to all.
Absolutely superb
All brilliant, especially 1, 2, 3, 4 & 9. Difficult to choose which order of preference to put them in!
I like Weaver at Nest, Zebra colt, and Wildebeest with Mother. However, I’d like to know how she packed all those heavy lenses etc. in one bag. Or did someone carry one or two for her?
Thanks, Barbara. Anita uses the big Think Tank roller and I think that she has a separate pan for her 600. And she may put a lens or two into a checked bag wrapped in lots of clothing. Anita pushes the limit with her carry-ons but has yet to be thrown off the plane or into jail.
with love, artie
Anita:
Very impressive collection of images, Anita! My favorites are: #7 Wildebeasts, #2 Zebra colt, #3 Weaver at nest and #9 Lion cub.
All photos nice and CUTE!! I just wish that all three on Cape Buffalo Adults were in sharp focus but still nice!! HaHaHa I think I could see the calf under the elephant that Mike Cristina said about!
Thanks, Sue. You can wish all you want but you need to learn about the realities of depth-of-field with super-telephoto lenses 🙂 Until you do that, you will spend a lot more time wishing and hoping 🙂
with love, artie
A lovely lady and very talented photographer. I was a pleasure for Dottie and I to meet her with you at Lake Morton. I love them all but if I must pick it would be the first one of the Elephant. Thank you for sharing these images.
Weaver at nest, storks allopreening, and lion cub for me. Sweet color and eye contact.
All are lovely, well done images! I’m attracted to the Grey Heron image! I can’t image how difficult it was to get such a nice reflection shot with no ripples in the water!
It’s hard to identify the weavers without knowing their location, but our guess is:
#3: Vitelline Masked Weaver
#6: Rufous-tailed Weaver
Did anyone notice the calf under the elephant? That photo gets my pick because of the pose.
ALL ARE VERY GOOD SHOTS, SO IT IS HARD TO CHOOSE ONE OVER TE OTHERS. BUT—- I WILL GO WITH THE LION CUB BECAUSE HE/SHE GIVES THE BEST POSE. NEXT THE ZEBRA, THINKING THAT, GET OUT OF THERE, THERE ARE CROCS IN THAT WATER. NET THE ELEPHANT
WHAT AN ODD POSE FOR SUCH A BIG ANIMAL.