Weapons of Mass Destruction Arriving
Steve Elkins of Bedfords let me know that he will be receiving two Sony 600mm f/4 GM lenses this week. These have been nearly impossible to come by. If you want to change your life, order one right now and be sure to use the BIRDSASART code at checkout to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air Fed-Ex. Click here to order yours now and make sure that you get one of the two (even though it will show up as Place Back Order.) That done, it would not hurt to shoot Steve an e-mail.
Use the discount code and receive any BAA book, e-guide, or e-book free.
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This all-new card includes only images created on my JAN 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. |
The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs
San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 21 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 24 DEC 2022. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.
San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 3.
San Diego IPT #3: 3 1/2 DAYS: FRI 20 JAN thru the morning session on MON 23 JAN 2023: $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.
Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT sessions.
Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.
Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.
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San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. |
Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not
Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on exposure along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode so that you can get the right exposure every time (as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant). Or two seconds with SONY zebras … And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.
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Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. |
It Ain’t Just Pelicans
With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well, often with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.
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Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. |
The San Diego Details
These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.
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San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. |
Deposit Info
A $599 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2022/23 San Diego IPTs. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due three months before the trip.
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Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. |
Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late
On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.
What’s Up?
Me, late. I was in bed a bit after 8:00pm. My left knee (too much walking?) and my right shoulder (too many decades of carry a big lens incorrectly and too much swimming?) have been bugging me, so I took two Advil PM last night. (Dr. Oliver recommends that I never take even one.) I slept an unheard of (for me) eight hours to my first pit stop at 4:00am. I dozed on and off and finally got out of bed at six. For me, that is sleeping in. For whatever reason, I could not get Bosque out of my head for those last two hours. I will e-mail former refuge manager Phil Norton today.
Anyhoo, yesterday morning I decided to wear my knee brace for my rope flow walk. I walked the pier out and back and was thinking that my knee felt fine. Then I realized that I had put the brace onto my good knee, my right. I decided to switch the brace to my left knee, the bad one. I walked up the few steps to the bathroom on the small hill to the left of the base of the pier. I checked out the bench there and was pleased to see that it was clean and dry. So, I sat, took the brace off my right knee — the wrong one, and placed it on my left knee — the right one. I put my sneaker back on to resume my walk when I felt a few nips through my socks and knew instantly what was going on. There were a few dozen fire ants on my legs and they were stinging me through the thin, grey socks (and elsewhere). I’ve been wearing shorts for my walks on the still, warm mornings. I brushed off as many as I could on the way back to the car just a short distance away. I took off the sneakers and socks, put them behind the driver’s seat, drove home, and put them into the washing machine. I wound up with three large welts, all on my right leg. Once everything was dry I drove back to the lake and finished my walk.
I did my swim at about noon and then turned on the TV. Today is Monday 12 September 2022. The plan is to take one full day off from all physical activity. 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 one hundred seventy-one days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.
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.
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. Order yours here while they last.
Please Remember
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.
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.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
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. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. 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.
Insta-Delete or Dead Solid Perfect Exposure?
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This image was created on 20 January 2022 at La Jolla, CA on a San Diego IPT at Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect: 1/1600 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:17:08pm on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Image #1: The Photo Mechanic screen capture for the original Brown Pelican head throw — bill pouch from below image |
Is This an Insta Delete?
While picking your keepers in Photo Mechanic, would you tag this one as a keeper or leave it un-tagged for deletion? Before you scroll down, ask yourself, why or why not? The image sure looks over-exposed to me.
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This image was created on 20 January 2022 at La Jolla, CA on a San Diego IPT at Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect: 1/1600 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:17:08pm on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Image #1A: The RawDigger screen capture for the Brown Pelican head throw — bill pouch from below image |
A Different Story
Examining the raw file in RawDigger reveals that the image is not over-exposed, but is, instead, a dead solid perfect exposure. The 853 OvExp pixels (out of 51 million) are in the specular highlights on the edge of the visible portion of the upper mandible. All images, including verticals, present horizontally in the app. You always want the specular highlights to show as over-exposed else your image will be many stops underexposed.
Learn more about RawDigger e-Guide here.
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This image was created on 20 January 2022 at La Jolla, CA on a San Diego IPT at Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect: 1/1600 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:17:08pm on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Image #1B: The optimized Brown Pelican head throw — bill pouch from below image |
The Image Optimization
Nothing much out of the ordinary is required when optimizing images that are exposed far to the right as long as there are no blown highlights. I began by moving the Exposure slider to -0.15, setting the white and black points, and moving the Highlights slider well to the left. The Clarity, Dehaze, and Vibrance sliders were set by rote. I will admit to doing some Color Mixer work to juice up the Oranges and Yellows of the bill pouch. Most of that (and tons more) is detailed in Digital Basics II.
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This image was created just before but in the same second as the image above. Both of course on 20 January 2022 at La Jolla, CA on a San Diego IPT at Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect: 1/1600 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:17:08pm on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Image #2: Brown Pelican head throw — bill pouch from below image |
Your Call
The last image was created just before Image #1 and was part of about a ten-frame sequence. Head throws can occur unexpectedly and do not last long. The best strategy is to acquire and fire. The 30 frames per second shooting speed of the a1 gives you lots of different poses, even when creating short bursts. If you have a preference for either Image #1B or Image #2, please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.
Framing Tight Head Throw Images
Framing tight head throw images can yield images with tons of interesting detail, but framing them is a big challenge. Best, as I did not do here, it to work wide in horizontal format so that you might create useable images that work as horizontals or when cropped to a vertical.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I don’t know it this will make you feel any better but this is how one YouTuber deals with fire ant nests:
https://youtu.be/IGJ2jMZ-gaI
Does not, and I think that you might have missed the point of the video. The whole thing does not make a lot of sense to me and it would not seem to be a great idea environmentally.
with love, artie
I know the point of the video was to create a sculpture by filling the ant nest with liquid metal and letting it freeze. The cast it makes IS fascinating, admittedly — but at the cost of molten death from the sky for thousands of ants inhabiting the nest. Environmentally, it does reduce the population of an invasive species, but not in a practical way. It takes a lot of energy to melt the aluminum, and this depletes resources and contributes to pollution, so that’s bad for the environment. It was my little joke that the obliteration of these ants might serve as a bit of revenge for the stings you received. (OK, so it wasn’t my best joke.)
Thanks, Steve, No harm, no foul. There are several species of fire ants in Florida. I do not believe that I have yet had the pleasure of encountering the invasive fire ant that came from Brazil on ships.
with love, artie
Hello boss, sorry for the pain, ants included. Suggestion from a slightly younger old geeser. On YouTube search for Bob and Brad. They are p.t.’s (physical therapists) with pretty down to earth short videos for help with shoulder impingement, rotator cuff, knee pain, back pain, hip pain, etc. exercises that may offer some help & relief.
Hope you feel better soon. Just hanging from a pullup bar or tree limb or any other solid beam with overhand grip even if you support some of your weight with legs or a chair, etc., can really help to open back up the shoulder capsule to free up impingements and give room for tendons to clear bones. Also supports a little better blood flow to the area for healing.
You might even Google Dr. John M Kirsch an orthopedic surgeon who came up with hanging as an exercise for the shoulder. He felt most shoulder surgeries were unwarranted. He wrote a small inexpensive book on the subject.
Shoulder Pain?
The Solution & Prevention
The Exercise that Heals the Shoulder
and Relieves Back Pain
The Dr. Has a website with short videos and CT scans & MRI scans showing the shoulder and what hanging can do for it.
God Bless
PS. Normally enjoy your pelican pics but the underside bill pouch misses for me, but understand the exposure lesson you are demonstrating. Thank-you.
Thanks, Jeff. I am totally onto the hanging bit for the shoulder — I have a chinning bar, and am onto Aaron Mattes Isolated Active Stretching and lots more similar stuff. It would help if I did them more 🙂 Both the shoulder and knee pains are chronic the come and go.
My Active Release chiro helps with the knee.
Basically I am doing great but don’t mind some sympathy now and then.
with love, artie
I know you’re ok and that there are many many others much worse off than us. However, I don’t wish pain chronic or otherwise on any one.
One more small tip, may help your knee.
Ever wonder why old folks from our past made and ate jello frequently?
The Knox gelatin is excellent for our joints. (Collagen) I think is the reason?
I had a chiropractor recommend it. You might want to make some jello. My chiropractor recommended just mixing some Knox gelatin in a glass of water or juice, as well as jello.
Hope it helps. You probably already know about this tie bit of info.
Feel strong and pain free. Jeff
Thanks again, Jeff. I’ve done the Knox gelatin bit and lots more. And, I’ve had the injections. I should have mentioned that I am doing some knees-over-toes guy stuff. I am contemplating buying a sled. Check him out on Instagram: kneesovertoesguy
with love, artie
Walking backwards is killer (in a good way) on helping knees. Sledding or not.
I do lots of backwards walking. Every day. Ben, the knees-over-toes guy, calls it ROKP, reversing out knee pain.
with love, artie
Instant delete for me.
Why?
with love, artie
It just doesn’t resonate with me. The background colors are a nice contrast to the bill but the composition reminds me of some type of flower stalk. I have tried compositions similar to this and I have never been happy with my results and have deleted them after spending some post processing time. Sorry, this one is not for me. Just my opinion.
Thanks and appreciated.
with love, a
Hi, Artie. I hope you’re hurting less now. I love both mages 1B and 2, and have a hard time deciding between them. Sometimes in a sequence I found that one stands out and I can happily delete all the others, but sometimes two or three, although slightly different, please me equally and I can’t decide which I like best. I think that’s true of your two for me, but if you forced me to choose right now I’d choose 1B. Tomorrow I might pick 2.
Thanks, David, I hear you. I originally like Image #1B best; I picked it because it offers us a peek at the bird’s eye. Today, I like Image #2 best as it seems to flow better (if that makes sense).
with love, artie
As you observed, the histograms particularly the live ones on my Canon cameras are fairly useless, as are the blinkies on the .jpg displayed in camera. I really miss the Sony zebras and wish Canon would get on board already – they offer zebras for video but not stills. Hope you are feeling better.
Thanks, Adam. With Canon mirrorless, I found that very few or no blinks on the JPEGs (at the default settings) would yield excellent exposures. The huge advantage with Sony is not having to shoot test exposures.
I am always feeling great but sometimes stuff hurts. I take it as a good sign that I am alive.
with love, artie
Artie
Not only could you get Bosque out of your head as you must be thinking of Kachemak Bay, Homer, AK as you took image 2 in 2 places.
I wouldn’t delete it in looking for the right photo. I keep more than i should to see how to get the photos to look great in C1 as far as the details. Still learning in life. I am not versed in RawDigger and have not used it but maybe this is a lesson where i should?
As for both images i like them both however i like image 2 with the slightly more of a lean than image 1B, a toss up as there both really nice.
Always with love b
Thanks, Bob. I caught that cut and past error and fixed in three places, one too few 🙂 All histograms lie. As so the Highlight warnings in Photoshop. Only RAwDigger tells the truth. But as Jack Nicholson said here in here in A Few Good Men, most photographers can’t handle the truth.
I am really looking forward to meeting and working with you in Homer! See you in Anchorage!
with love, artie