I Followed My Own Oft-Given Advice ...

What’s Up?

The fourth and last morning of the first DeSoto IPT was nothing short of spectacular. The Fabulous Spoonbill Four posed right in front of us in sweet light and still blue water. They slept and preened and stretched and flapped until the folks on the IPT became tired of them! We had two dancing dark morph Reddish Egrets, an uncharacteristically dancing Snowy Egret, a Tricolored Heron, and our first two juvenile Little Blue Herons. Those along with lots of foraging shorebirds and a Belted Kingfisher. Once again, Mike DeRosa learned a ton. I instructed him on the basics of JPEG capture. He got the hang of it quickly and is a lot happier creating ready to use JPEGs than he was shooting raw.

I was glad to learn of yet another sign-up for the second DeSoto IPT; Jim Miller of Tallahassee, FL is driving down for his fourth trip to DeSoto with me.

Today is Friday 24 September. We are headed to Lake Blue Cypress aboard Clemens Van der Werf’s flats boat to try for Barred Owls. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about forty-five minutes to prepare including the time spent on the image optimization.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

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, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would 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 for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And 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.

This image was created on 22 September 2021 on the fourth and last morning of the first DeSoto IPT. While standing to photograph a dancing Reddish Egret, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and the beyond amazing Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 640. The exposure for a dark morph Reddish Egret was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was brighter than perfect: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:58am on sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed about perfectly and produced a sharp-on-the-eye image. Be sure to click on the image to view the spectacular hi-res version. Image 1: Red Knot, fading adult landing/2X3 Crop

I Followed My Own Oft-Given Advice …

I was set up for dark morph Reddish Egret when something spooked all the shorebirds. A small flock of Red Knots took flight, circled, and landed right at us into the east wind. Rather than try to adjust the exposure by going a bit darker, I raised the 600 and fired off about ten frames. When I viewed the image on the back of the camera, the knot’s light-toned underparts were all flashing black with blinkies indicating severe overexposure. But with what I’ve learned over the past year while working with RawDigger, I had hope. RawDigger showed only a smattering of hot pixels on the leggings of the bird’s right leg. As all were in the GREEN channel, I knew that recovering the detail in the brightest highlights would be a snap. It was.

The Lesson

When unexpected action occurs, press the shutter button. If you attempt to change a setting, you will miss the action and wind up with nothing.

This image was created on 22 September 2021 he fourth and last morning of the first DeSoto IPT. While standing to photograph a dancing Reddish Egret, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and the beyond amazing Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only) ISO 640. The exposure for a dark morph Reddish Egret was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was brighter than perfect: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:58am on sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed about perfectly and produced a sharp-on-the-eye image. Be sure to click on the image to view the spectacular hi-res version. Image 1A: Red Knot, fading adult landing/Square Crop

The Square Crop

Image #1 was a healthy crop of the original frame. With the amazing image quality of a sharp a1 file, getting down to only one bird with a square crop presented no problems at all.

Your Fave?

Understanding that both of today’s featured images were created from the same raw file, which do you think is the stronger image, the 3X2 crop or the square crop. Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

The Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2

3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 5 October through the morning session on Friday 8 October. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings 3.

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3

3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 19 October through the morning session on Friday 22 October. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings 4.

Fort DeSoto in Fall

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And we will get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.

On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button.. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.

There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB information.

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Up Early, Stay Out Late!

Obviously folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. The length of cloudy morning sessions will often be extended. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.