Homer Late Registration Discounts
If you are interested in traveling to Homer, AK with me in FEB/MAR 2023 to photograph Bald Eagles, shoot me an e-mail for late registration discount info. Several folks are in the process of registering so do not tarry. The first IPT is looking sold out as I await the last deposit check.
What’s Up?
I had thoughts of heading to La Jolla for a one last (very short) photo session on Tuesday morning before my 11:15am flight to Orlando. That turned out to be unrealistic as I woke up pretty early, finished packing, tidied up the AirBnB, headed to the airport, dropped off my bags, returned the rental car, took the shuttle bus to the terminal, breezed through security, and arrived at Gate 22 just seven minutes before boarding. Yikes! The non-stop flight was uneventful but for a delay getting into a gate.
Jim picked me up and we stopped at Longhorn Grill by the airport for dinner. We got home at 10pm. Still on west coast time, I stayed up until 1am and slept until 8am. Pretty good.
Today is Wednesday 25 January 2023. I’ll be doing some laundry and getting back in the pool after a long absence. This blog post took about an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the two image optimizations), and makes three hundred-two days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases.
The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other day.
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!
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.
Induro GIT 304L Tripod
Out of production for more than two years, BAA sold its last one in December. The good news? We have located two more new-in-the-box tripods. They are now available for shipping. Best to order yours now to be sure that you get one. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now to avoid being disappointed.
Bedfords Amazing 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.
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This image was created on 3 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be a bit better than perfect (ho hum). AWB at 8:04:02am on cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Brown Pelican with pelican-covered cliff background |
So Many Pelicans!
In fifty years of visiting San Diego in winter, I have never seen as many pelicans in La Jolla as I did this year. Early on, young pelicans predominated; more than ninety percent of the birds were one or two years old — they have white bellies. By mid-January, about 75% of the birds were adults.
On a stormy day with a strong west wind, I saw the opportunity to create an image of a pelican in flight with a background of solid pelicans on a cliff. I made many such images. Image #1 though not perfect, was the best in the series. If you think that you know what bugs me in Image #1, please leave a comment. I am pretty sure that nobody will figure that out.
If you know La Jolla, you can figure out where I was when I was for this unique view. If you own the San Diego Site Guide (please send proof of purchase), or purchase a copy here, I’ll clue you in on the exact location and shoot you a short e-mail with additional 2023 tips.
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This image was also created on 3 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA. Again, standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect (ho hum). AWB at 8:05:40am on cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2: Brown Pelican with cliff background |
Same Spot, Different Background
Image #2 was created from the same spot as Image #1. This image also features a unique background.
Your Call?
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to shoot me an e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
The main subject, while flying towards the bottom of the image, is already in the bottom part of the image, thus the image feels a bit unbalanced. It would have been better if it still was in the top part to give it more “runway”.
Typically you would have moved the pelican up, but giving the very busy background, that would have been a very time-consuming job.
I like the concept of framing the PIF against the pelicans on the cliff. If I had to guess what bothers you it is either the blob in the lower right corner or perhaps that the wing primaries are up on one side and flat/slightly downturned on the other?
Did we miss a January 24th post?
It was accidentally published the previous evening, here.
with love, artie
Thanks Artie!
I like image 1 but I think it might be stronger if the background was darkened slightly. My 2 cents.
J
I prefer image #2 because the bird is so much clearer against the background. For me, the background in the first image is too close in color to the one that is flying towards us.
On a separate note, the bird in image #1 appears to be moving slightly when I look at it. I know it’s not, but still… I thought it might just be my old eyes so I asked my wife to look also. She saw the same thing without prompting.
I really like image #2. The brown smudges in image #1 seem like a distraction.
Which smudges?
a
Images #1 and #2 of Brown Pelican and cliff background are interesting and well made!!
I like the second shot. The flying pelican is highlighted against a dark background, and the two background pelican are recognizable but not distracting. The first shot seems too busy to me, but it does show some interesting context in terms of the number of pelicans present.
Is it the dark spot at mid-frame against the lower edge of the frame?