What’s Up?
Missions accomplished. We left at 4:30am and arrived at DeSoto at 6:48. The gate opened at 7:00 as usual, 27 minutes after sunrise. Bird photography was much better than I had anticipated. And there were more photographers than I thought there would be. I checked Hidden Lagoon and was delighted to see a group of 18 Roseate Spoonbills at the entrance to the lagoon. I was the first one there and was delighted to see single spoonbills perched nicely on the roots of two different long-dead mangrove trees. I photographed each of them before other photographers arrived. Each of them photographed while standing (a mistake) and working off sun angle (a bigger mistake). After ten minutes the perched birds jumped down to the beach. That marked the end of that fun as it was impossible to isolate a subject, and to my eye, there was no group shot available. I walked to the main pool and found a nice selection of shorebirds including Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers (along with a single Least Sandpiper). I made some decent images of all of those but for the least.
By that time, I had met and chatted with several nice photographers. Having enjoyed an unexpectedly great morning, it was time to get back to the car, meet up with Jim, and head to Bradenton. Note: in the Fort DeSoto Site Guide I wrote something like this: “Fort DeSoto is one of the few bird photography hotspots in the US that has the potential to be great every day of the year.”
We arrived at Dr. Rucker’s office early and so did he. We chatted for a while before he injected my right shoulder front and back with Prolozone. Then it was off to Lakeland to pay off the lease on my SUV. That went smoothly, but still took several hours. Then we headed to Lake Wales. I picked up some scrips at The Apothecary Shop and some fresh tuna at Junior’s Fish Market. We finally got home just before 4pm, 12 hours after we had woken up. Huge thanks to my right-hand man Jim Litzenberg for the great job of driving.
Today is Wednesday 8 June 2022. The forecast for ILE this morning is calling for clear skies with a breeze from the SW. Despite the forecast, I will be heading down to the lake early to see what’s about. 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 eighty-five days in a row with a new one.
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BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)
Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.
Another Induro GIT 304L Price Drop
Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906.
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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. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
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This image was created on 7 June 2022 at Fort DeSoto Park in Tierra Verde, FL. While seated on damp sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Roseate Spoonbill |
A Brand-New World With Fat Boy (the Sony 400mm f/2.8 OSS GM lens)
I opted to leave the 600mm f/4 and the tripod in the car and work exclusively with the handheld 400mm f/2.8 GM lens. There were many benefits, more than I had envisioned. Without having to lug around a tripod you are much more mobile. At 14 inches without the hood, and with most of the weight in the rear of the lens, Fat Boy is much easier to handhold than the 600. For the same reasons, it is easier to work with when using the ankle-pod technique and working off the tilted rear screen. For larger birds like the spoonbill in Image #1, I added the 1.4X TC to get to 560mm at f/4. When working with the much smaller sandpipers, I went with the 2X TC for 800mm at f/5.6.
The only thing I’ll miss on rare occasion when working exclusively with the 400 on the beach is 1200mm. But I surely did not need that yesterday as the birds were typically tame. Once again, the possibility looms that I was wrong about the value of a 400mm f/2.8 lens for bird photography. That said, if I could only own one of those two great lenses, it would be the 600mm f/4 GM. Don’t forget that the fast Sony super-telephotos are the lightest ever made …
It’s All About Perspective
With the lens on my left knee, the green strip of beach vegetation passed right through the center of the bird. So, I went to the ankle-pod technique. That placed the green just below the perch and resulted in a much more pleasing image. When I worked the shorebirds, I tried something new with Fat Boy by placing the bottom of the lens hood on the beach for an ultra-low perspective. Working off the rear screen, I raised the camera and made images with my right hand. It was tough to find the bird in the frame at first but as with all things bird photography, that got a lot easier with some practice.
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This image was created on 7 June 2022 at Fort DeSoto Park in Tierra Verde, FL. While seated on damp sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:16:24am as a cloud covered the sun. Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Laughing Gull in basic (non-breeding plumage) |
An Afterthought …
When you create a really nice image, you usually know it as soon as you press the shutter button. You are excited and cannot wait to see the image on your computer. That’s how I felt with Image #1. After I worked the shorebirds, it began to cloud over. I walked away from the pool to chat with a young guy with a Sony 600 f/4. When I turned around and saw this plain looking Laughing Gull, I sat down, flipped out the rear screen, set the exposure, created a few rather small-in-the-frame images, and thought nothing of them. When I saw Image #2 on the laptop, I fell in love with the super-low angle, the down-the-lens-barrel stare, and the suffused layers of earth toned colors offset by the lovely blue of the Gulf.
This image was created with the bottom of the lens hood placed right on the dried mud.
The Pink and the Plain at Fort DeSoto
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best, the pink spoonbill, or the plain gull? Everyone is invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice. Is this question a no-brainer?
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BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPTClockwise from upper left to center: Breeding plumage Dunlin, breeding plumage dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, breeding plumage Laughing Gull, breeding plumage Laughing Gull with fish, Laughing Gull on pelican’s head, screaming Royal Tern, Royal Terns copulating, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a very rare-in-Florida, breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper. |
Fort DeSoto Site Guide
Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all our Site Guides here.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Good afternoon Guru. Hope you’re doing fine.
Not long ago you advised 600mm f/4 telephoto is better than 400mm 2.8 + converter.
Wondering whether you still maintain that!
Best regards.
Sanjeed
Am thanks, and ditto. It helps if you read the whole post :). Here is what I wrote above: “… if I could only own one of those two great lenses, it would be the 600mm f/4 GM.”
So yes, I still maintain that.
with love, artie
Thank you Guru.
So, when possible, I’ll opt for Canon RF 600mm f/4L and the amazing EOS R3 that follows my eyeball for AF.
Hope you wouldn’t disapprove my choices.
Regards.
I have no problem with whatever choices you make as long as you realize that Sony is better. with love, artie
Love the dreamy effects of #2, no question between the two for me.
I like Topaz DeNoise but Artie, because there is not much weight difference in weight between 400 & 200-600 … what would be the only one go-to lens especially for evening events pls? Always 400mm can be paired with TC’s… assuming the speed is a big plus..
Hey John C,
The weight difference is a bit more than 1 1/2 lbs. And the 2-6 is easier to manage in the field as it is far less bulky. As far as TCs, see today’s post above 🙂 So yes, the speed of the 400mm f/2.8 can be a huge advantage. The 400 f/2.8 costs six times as much as a 200-600. If you are OK with the cost, the additional weight, and the greater bulk, then for evening shoots and other low light situations, the 400 f/2.8 will always win the day. If you get one, please use Bedfords and the BAA discount code at checkout. They have no waiting list right now.
with love, artie
Artie want to rent a Canon lens for a week could you recommend someone trustworthy to rent from
Hi John,
I’ve never rented camera gear. I did try to set up an affiliate account with several of the rental places, but nobody answered :). If any readers have rented and been happy they can help John out via e-mail: johnvabegglen@gmail.com.
with love, artie
Ft. D comes through! I prefer image 2 simply because it gives me a better sense of the place I so love.
The ultra-low angle makes image #2 a very special image!
Definitely the laughing gull. A wonderful image, enhanced IMO by the low perspective and scale. In my old age I’m coming to appreciate well done small-in-the-frame wildlife images.
Thanks, Ron. Me too 🙂
with love, artie
#2 for me is the more pleasing one of the two. I like those strips of OOF colors and the dream-like atmosphere plus the rule of thirds being applied. Very nice job!
Thanks, Yves.
Me too 🙂
with love, artie
There are many reasons to love a 400 f/2.8 and for years I used that lens along with the lighter and more compact 300 f/2.8. They’re fast, sharp, relatively lightweight, and take TC’s extremely well. Out of curiosity, was a there a reason you eschewed your 200-600 as it appears you were working with a reasonable amount of light and sacrificing 1 1/3 stops seemed feasible under the circumstances? Early mornings or late evenings frequently necessitate the faster lenses and I presume that was your rationale?
Interestingly, I was traveling recently with the Canon 100-500 which is f/7.1 at the long end and dropping the 1.4x tc yields a f/10 aperture wide open. Even in solid light, one has to work at insane ISO’s to achieve decent TV. Not very satisfying.
Yes, I have learned to love it very quickly. They didn’t used to be “relatively lightweight.” A decade ago, most weighed 12 or 13 or more pounds 🙂 Strangely enough, the 400 f/2.8 and the 200-600 do overlap (right in the middle). Once I have mastered the 400 f/2.8 I am sure that I will get back to using the 200-600 more when the situation is right.
As far as rationale, the best way to learn about a new lens is to use it ASAP so that is what I am doing. As far as ridiculously high ISOs, that is why God gave us Topaz DeNoise 🙂
with love, artie