The Stronger Image?
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.
What’s Up?
On Friday morning I made a few nice images of the young eagle in the nest getting fed. I was thrilled to learn that six of Steve Zarate’s listed Canon gear items sold on the first day. I pretty much have everything running on the new machine, but was having trouble with Topaz DeNoise. Anita North suggested that I delete the App, log in at the Topaz Labs website, and then re-install the app. That worked! Once I download and install the NIK collection I will be good to go on the new machine.
Several folks kindly offered suggestions that did not work. I was thrilled when Long ago Nickerson Beach In-the-Field participant Dennis Miller texted me on how to get my Actions and my Keyboard Shortcuts from the old machine to the new. The key was getting access to the Library folder. I had not realized that not having access to the Actions and Keyboard Shortcuts completely paralyzes one’s Photoshop workflow. Setting up both of those important items is covered in detail in Digital Basics II.
I headed down to the lake at 5:40pm after I noted a nice east wind on the WINDY App on my iPhone and was reward with some nice sky color and some nice images.
Today is Saturday 12 February 2022. The forecast for the morning is for cloudy turning sunny with a very gentle southwest breeze. I will get down to the lake for a while and then must begin packing my cold weather gear suitcase for Homer. I leave the house at about 3:30am this coming Tuesday. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes 91 days in a row with a new one.
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) 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 earn 3% cash back 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.
Wanting a Nikon Z9?
If you are hot to get a Nikon Z9, your best bet is almost surely to go with Bedfords. Tip: joining Nikon Professional Services and getting your NPS number to Steve Elkins will get advance you to the top of the list!
Brand New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex 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 check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists 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 a 1, 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.
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This image was created by Alan Murphy with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter, and Nikon’s best ever body, the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Crested Caracara juvenile in rib cage. |
On Switching to Mirrorless
When I saw that Alan Murphy had begun working with the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera, was very impressed with the AF system, and had made some amazing flight shots, I sent him this short e-mail:
Welcome to the amazing world of mirrorless. As I have long been saying, “Younger, stronger, more skilled folks with superior hand eye coordination, reflexes, and fine motor skills will be in the best position to take advantage of the new AF technologies. You are further proof of that.”
Note: Alan saw the carcass on a roadside and brought it by truck to the blind. He made another great images of a pair of caracaras copulating on top of it. What a strange bed! When it comes to set-ups, Alan is the world’s reigning genius.
The Laguna Seca Caracara Experience
Both of today’s featured images were created at Laguna Seca Ranch in Texas (by Alan Murphy). The ranch owner, Gene Gwin, was a top-gun fighter pilot who flew McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs and McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagles in the US Air Force for 21 years. After that, he worked as a commercial pilot, first for America West, and then for American Airlines for 15 years. He has owned and operated Laguna Seca Ranch for the past 13 years. He developed the ranch as a superb destination for local and visiting bird photographers. Early on, he sought and took advice from Alan Murphy and other professionals; as a result, distant backgrounds and smartly designed blinds rule the roost at Laguna Seca.
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This image was created by Alan Murphy with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens, the Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter, and Nikon’s best ever body, the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Inca Dove in flight in the rain |
Alan Murphy on Nikon Z9 Autofocus
I’ve been shooting the Z9 now for a few weeks now and wanted to share my experience with the autofocus for those that might be interested. First off, my experience is not necessarily a Nikon one, but more that’s it’s mirrorless. I was shooting next to Sony and Canons during my workshop, comparing how to auto-focus on small birds flying short distances with extremely dark skies (we had basically 4 days of rain). The backgrounds were somewhat out of focus, but still a challenge for any DLSR ; I know, as I’ve tried.
You can read anything on the internet if you dig deep enough. I read that the Z9 is not good at focus acquisition in low light. I can tell you that was not my experience. You can’t tell in the images below, but it was very dark; I was shooting at 4000 to 10,000 ISO wide open on my 300/2.8. I was using the FTZ || adapter while hand holding. I adjusted the ISO to keep my shutter speed at 1/4000 second.
I experimented with both 3D and Wide L auto-focus modes. when trying to focus on a bird that’s already flying, Wide L works best. If a bird is on a staging perch and preparing to fly, then 3D is best.
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These images were created by Alan Murphy with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens, the Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter, and Nikon’s best ever body, the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Northern Cardinal flight composite |
Northern Cardinal Flight Composite
In the frames above of a Northern Cardinal the bird decided during mid flight to abort and took a sharp dive down to the ground. Yet in each frame the bird is sharp, even in the last image where he’s almost out of the frame. This could never be done with the D5 or the D850.
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These images were created by Alan Murphy with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens, the Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter, and Nikon’s best ever body, the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Long-billed Thrasher flight composite |
Northern Cardinal Flight Composite
I’ve been photographing birds in flight for about 30 years and feel comfortable panning birds as they fly pass, but these were totally different situations and difficult challenges at best. Using 3D I would allow the small auto-focus square to settle on the bird before he launched from the perch. I re-composed by putting the bird on the far right of the frame (still with the auto-focus square on the bird).
Without any notice, the bird would fly to the landing setup. I had less than a second to take images and as you can see in the frames above, I over-panned almost losing the bird as he landed. Amazingly, the 3D auto-focus point stayed right on the bird, no matter where it was within the frame. Each frame of the Long-billed Thrasher is tack sharp.
Alan’s e-Books and Videos
Alan offers a great variety of e-Books and videos that can teach you to be a better bird photography. Click here to see all of the titles. Be sure to see The Guide to Songbird Setup Photography.
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Birds Through the Lens Volume 1 |
Birds Through the Lens Volume 1
Click here to purchase.
The first video in the series will cover topics that include:
How to look for, find and choose the right perch
What perches do not work and why
How to match the perch for a particular species
How to trim a perch
How to support the perch
How many perches?
Working with mounds, stumps and elevated perches
How to choose a good background
How to deal with background challenges
How to break up a flat background so that it’s mottled
How to find and use gradient backgrounds
How far should the background be from the perch?
Should you wear camo?
Working from a blind
How to set up your lens and tripod for blind work
Is concealment important?
Plus, many tips for being a better bird photographer
This Hi Definition MP4 video can be either downloaded to your dropbox, computer, tablet, mobile device, or can be streamed. Total run time: 1 hour.
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Birds Through the Lens Volume 2 |
Birds Through the Lens Volume 2
Click here to purchase.
This second video in the series is now available and covers topics that include:
How to prepare your backyard for photography
How to work with backyard feeders
Which feeders work best for bird photography
How to get birds from your feeders onto perches
How to set up a water drip
How to work with berry perches
How to make and use home made suet
How to bring in woodpeckers
Which food works best for what species
How to set up perches around feeders
Photo blinds for the backyard
The video can be downloaded to your Mac or PC, streamed to your favorite device, or saved to your Dropbox Account.
Total run time: 1 hour: More than 1 hour.
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Birds Through the Lens Volume 3 |
Birds Through the Lens Volume 3
Click here to purchase.
This third video in the series is now available and covers topics that include:
How to do ambient light hummingbird photography
How to setup for multi-flash hummingbird photography
How to photograph songbirds in flight using a tiny feeder
How to setup and use a PhotoTrap trigger system
How to make and use a decoy owl for photographing raptors in flight
What gear and settings work best
Blind construction and camo for flight photography
Flight photography techniques that will help you succeed
The video can be downloaded to your Mac or PC, streamed to your favorite device, or saved to your Dropbox Account.
Total run time: 1 hour: More than 1.5 hours.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
My experience with the Z9 is that they nailed the DX mode and made it a replacement for the Nikon D500 for those who need to shoot in DX mode. In DX mode I get almost unlimited buffer with a Delkin Green Series card. Wide L AF seems to work better if the bird is already in flight vs 3D tracking. My lenses are working as well on the Z9 as they did on the D500 with the FTZII attached. I also have one of the FN buttons set to change the AF from Wide L AF to single point for those times when an animal is in or behind a tree/tree branches etc.
Thanks, Mr. Stemple!
with love, artie
Saturday the 12th (not 11th)
Thanks, Jeff!
Glad you are up to snuff. So How long are those supercharged Apple laptops supposed to last? Is 2 maybe 2 & a 1/2 years common?
On average, probably about that. Depending on how you treat them. I used to do slide shows at the beach in the rain under a bridge with one of my MacBook Pros. When it failed, I brought it into Apple. They asked, “Do you have any idea why the mother board is encrusted with sand and salt corrosion?”
That said, one or two of my very old MacBooks are still being used by my grandkids.
Seems like an awful lot of dough for a hi-tech item and I know you use yours a ton, but is that the expected lifetime of the High end apple laptop?
Yes, nearly $7K is a lot for a laptop but remember that I spend as much as ten hours a day working on my laptop. In addition, I do all of my image processing on it and do not use a big desktop computer with a big monitor. Also, it is a tax deduction 🙂 I am glad to pay for the amazing speed and convenience.
Great how you allow other top notch photographers like Mr. Murphy space to comment and provide info. Tip o’ the cap to you Artie! And to Mr. Murphy as well.
Thanks for appreciating that, Jeff.
with love, artie
Typo: One I download and install the NIK collection I will be good to go on the new machine.
I think first word should be once?
Once is correct, sir!
thanks, a