Change Your Life

Consider changing your life and becoming a much better bird photographer by joining me on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). DeSoto, San Diego, Homer, and the yet-to-be announced July 2024 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime all offer the opportunity for you to improve your skills both in the field and at the computer and to make some astounding images as well. Click here and see which IPT might be best for you.

I was glad to learn yesterday that newbie Nancy Fischer took advantage of the late registration discount offer and will be joining DeSoto #1 and that many multiple IPT veteran Jim Dolgin will be joining the second DeSoto IPT for two days.

All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK

2023 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs

IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.

IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.

IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers. Openings: 3.

Save $1,000.00 by doing back-to-back trips.

These trips feature non-stop flight photography as well as many opportunities to create both environmental and point-blank portraits of one of North America’s most sought-after avian subjects: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Other reliable subjects will include Sea Otter, Glaucous-winged and Short-billed (formerly Mew) Gulls.

In addition, we should see Common Murre, Black Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, two or three species of loons, and a smattering of ducks including two species of merganser, all three scoters, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Harlequin, and Long-tailed Ducks. Close-range photographic chances for these species will require a ton of good luck. Some of these species, especially when in flocks, can, however, often be used effectively when creating bird-scapes.

If we need to be out early, we will be the first boat out. If conditions are great, we will stay out. And when there is a chance for sunset silhouettes, we will stay out and be in the right spot.

We will be traveling through gorgeous wilderness country; landscape and scenic opportunities abound.

Also featured is a professional leader, often referred to as the world’s most knowledgeable bird photography trip leader, who is conversant in Canon, Nikon, and Sony.

All images from Kachemak Bay in 2022!

What You Will Learn

You will learn practical and creative solutions to everyday photographic problems. You will learn to see the shot, to create dynamic images by fine-tuning your compositions, to best utilize your camera’s AF system, and how to analyze the wind, the sky conditions, and the direction and quality of the light. This is one of the very few trips Homer trips available where you will not be simply put on the birds and told to have fun. You will learn to be a better photographer. But only if that is what you want.

You will learn to get the right exposure when it is sunny, when it cloudy-bright, when it is cloudy, when it is cloudy-dark, or when it is foggy. Not to mention getting the right exposure when creating silhouettes.

You will learn to make pleasing blurs working in manual mode and to create silhouettes working in Shutter Priority mode.

Most importantly you will learn to pick your best flight images from tens of thousands of images.

You will enjoy working with the two best and most creative boat captains on their sturdy, photography-spacious, seaworthy, open-deck crafts.

The second and third IPTs are the only Bald Eagle workshops that feature an incredibly helpful first mate.

Only five photographers (not the usual six), plus the leader.

Small group Photoshop, Image Review, and Image Critiquing sessions.

All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK

What’s Included

One four hour or two two-hour boat trips every day (weather permitting), all boat fees and boat-related expenses (excluding tips), ground transportation to and from the dock and back to the hotel each day, in-the-field instruction and guidance, pre-trip gear advice, small group post-processing and image review sessions, and a thank you dinner for all well-behaved participants.

What’s Not Included

Your airfare to and from Homer, AK (via Anchorage), the cost of your room at Land’s End Resort, all personal items, all meals and beverages, and tips for the boat captain and/or the first mate.

Please Note

On great days, the group may wish to photograph for more than four hours. If the total time on the boat exceeds 20 hours for the five-day trips, or 24 hours for the second trip, the group will share the additional expense at a rate of $225/hour.

Some folks may wish to rent their own vehicle to take advantage of local photographic opportunities around Homer.

Deposit Information

A $3000 non-refundable deposit/trip is required. You may pay your deposit with credit card or by personal check (made out to BIRDS AS ART) and sent via US mail only to Arthur Morris. PO Box 7245. Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Your balance, due 90 days before the date of departure, is payable only by check as above.

In Closing

I have been going to Homer off and on for close to two decades. Every trip has been nothing short of fantastic. Many folks go in mid-March. The earlier you go, the better the chances for snow. The only way to assure that you are on the best of the three trips is to sign up for all of them. Can you keep up with me? If you have any questions, or are good to go for one, two, or all three trips, please let me know via e-mail or give me a call on my cell phone at 863-221-2372.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission on items priced at $1,000 or more. With items less than $1000, there is a $50 flat-fee. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. If you are interested, please click here, read everything carefully, and do what it says. To avoid any misunderstandings, please read the whole thing very carefully. If you agree to the terms, please state so clearly via e-mail and include the template or templates, one for each item you wish to sell. Then we can work together to get your stuff priced and listed.

Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice only to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past years, we have sold many hundreds of items. Do know that prices for used gear only go in one direction. Down. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS II USM Lens

BAA Record-low Price!

Amit Satiya is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for a BIRDS AS ART record low $5898.00. The sale includes the front lens cover, the rear lens cap, lens trunk, the lens strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Amit via e-mail or by phone at 1-201-554-9820 (Eastern time zone).

Whenever I owned a Canon 500mm, I loved the 500 because it was smaller and lighter and thus easier to handhold, focused closer, and was much easier to travel with than the 600. Right now, a new one at B&H sells for $8999.00, and there is a used one in the same condition as Amit’s for a ridiculously high $7,198.95. Whichever on you compare it to, you will save a pocketful of cash by being the one to grab his lens. With a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R $99.00), this lens performs perfectly with an EOS R, R5, R6, or R7! artie

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV 24-600mm Digital Camera (with extras)

Multiple IPT veteran Bill Schneider is offering a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV Digital Camera with extras for a very low $1049.00. The sale includes the original box, the front lens cover, two extra batteries — (a $54 value each), three in all, a dual battery charger (a $25 value), a Sony 64GB card, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Bill via e-mail.

I began bird photography with this great premium super-zoom bridge-camera. It was a great bang for my buck. I was able to get on those small, far away birds, and at the same time, it was a great macro lens. Not to mention everything in between! Anke Frohlich

This super-zoom bridge camera sells new for $1698.00. You can save a handsome $650.00 by grabbing Bill’s DSC-RX10 IV now. artie

Providing speed, reach, and versatile recording features, the Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV from Sony is a compact solution for the multimedia image-makers. Featuring an updated 20.1MP 1″ Exmor RS BSI CMOS sensor and BIONZ X image processor, the RX10 IV is capable of up to 24 fps shooting at ISO 12800, as well as recording UHD 4K/30p or Full HD 1080/120p video. The sensor’s back-illuminated and stacked technologies afford a high degree of image quality with notable clarity and reduced noise to suit working in challenging lighting conditions. Complementing the shooting speed of the sensor and processor combination, this camera also offers a quickened 315-point focal plane phase-detection autofocus system for focus speeds as fast as 0.03 seconds.

Balancing the imaging capabilities, the RX10 IV is also characterized by its 25x ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens, which spans an impressive 24-600mm equivalent focal length range and uses Optical SteadyShot image stabilization to minimize the effects of camera shake by up to 4.5 stops. Its optical design incorporates eight extra-low dispersion elements and six aspherical elements to control a variety of aberrations throughout the zoom range, and its f/2.4-4 maximum aperture range benefits working in low-light conditions.

Rounding out the RX10 IV is its characteristic robust form factor, which includes both a 2.36m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder along with a tilting 3.0″ 1.44m-dot touchscreen LCD. The intuitive design also features three dedicated control rings on the lens-a zoom ring, a manual focus ring, and an aperture ring-and the aperture ring can be de-clicked for smooth, silent aperture adjustments. The magnesium-alloy body is also weather-sealed to permit working in trying environments. Additionally, for sharing and control flexibility, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are also available for wireless image sharing and remote camera control from a linked smartphone or tablet. Sony & B&H

What’s Up?

Wednesday began with a 2.9-mile walk/rope flow walk with a photography break after my 2-mile walk. Again, I worked the Vulture Trees. As my right shoulder continues to get stronger with two daily hanging-from-the-chinning-bar sessions, I have been increasing the length of my daily swims. Again, I did 40 lengths in the morning and 40 more in the afternoon (totaling nine-tenths of a mile).

Thanks to the many who commented on yesterday’s blog post. Jeff Walters suggested deepening the blue. I tried that, but it looked too phony to my brain. Adam suggested replacing the sky, but that it something that I have resisted doing as it seems too phony to me. The two versions that I created were artistic interpretations of the same raw file. Adding a third-party sky does not sit well with me. I am fine if you do it and if you like it. I only suggest that you always let folks know what you did.

Warren Howe summed things up best when he commented:

I think it is interesting just how many opinions there are on this topic. It just goes to show you, never worry what you think others will like. Make it the way YOU like it! BTW, I like the blue version …

BTW, I like the white sky version best. Why? I love the high key look and am always partial to white on white. As always, different strokes for different folks.

Today is Thursday 22 September 2022. I will be heading down to the lake early for a short photo session and then have to head into town for a bit. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post about two hours to prepare makes one hundred eighty-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!

This image was created on 1 March 2022 on an Instructional Photo-Tour at Kachemak Bay, Homer, AK. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras. ISO 2500: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 4:10:09pm during a snow squall. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection focused on the snow. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Out of focus adult Bald Eagle in flight during a brief but heavy snow squall.

Be Careful What You Pray For

For two weeks we had been wishing, hoping, and praying for snow. Late on our very last day, the snow came in spades, in the form of a heavy snow squall that hit out of nowhere. One moment there were a few light flurries, and the next moment the snow was so thick and heavy that we could barely see the eagles. Nor could the AF systems find the birds. They were blinded by the snow between us and the birds, so that is where they focused. The result were a few sharp snowflakes and an out-of-focus subject.

This image was created on 1 March 2022 on an Instructional Photo-Tour at Kachemak Bay, Homer, AK. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras. ISO 2500: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 4:11:44pm during a snow squall. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly with a DMF assist. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Adult Bald Eagle in flight in snow squall.

Problem Solving in the Field

What to do? The AF system could not get through the snow to “see” the subject. Sony GM telephoto lenses offer a Direct Manual Focus (DMF) switch. I recommend that it be set to ON all the time (except when working off a beanbag). When the AF system cannot “see” the subject, you can manually pre-focus even when the AF switch is set to AF, that is, when AF is active. This is a huge advantage for folks using Sony big glass. Aha! I’d zoom to 280mm with my left hand. Then I’d re-grip the lens so that my left hand was on the manual focusing ring. DMF allowed me to pre-focus on the eagles. Once the AF system could see the birds, it would acquire focus on the bird’s head or the eye and track accurately through the snow. The only disadvantage with this approach is that I was not able to zoom out.

As I say here often, I am proud that I am often able to come up with solutions to in-the-field photographic problems. Join me on an IPT to see my brain in action.

This image was created on 1 March 2022 on an Instructional Photo-Tour at Kachemak Bay, Homer, AK. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras. ISO 2500: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 4:14:27pm during a snow squall. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Adult Bald Eagle in flight in light snow.

The Very Brief Snow Squall

Within minutes, the ferocity of the snow squall diminished,, and the AF systems were able to “see” the subjects. With the much lighter snow, the rock wall background became visible.

Your Call?

Which of today’s three featured images do you like best? Why?

Typos

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