I Slept Through This! How Would You Have Felt?

What’s Up?

We sailed twice on Monday and enjoyed two excellent sessions and a second consecutive colorful sunset. Today is Tuesday 28 February 2023. The long-predicted heavy snowfall began at about 4:00am. We are having breakfast (again) at the Duncan House Diner in town and will be on the boat for a very long session at 8:30am. We are all looking forward to a long-anticipated and epic day. This blog post took about 2 hours to prepare (including more than 90 minutes on the image optimization) and makes three hundred thirty-five days in a row with a new educational post written just for you. 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. If you use B&H, please be sure to click on any B&H link in the blog to start your search. Or simply start with this link. There is always the option of e-mailing me for gear advice and for the correct links.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then begin 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.

B&H

Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.

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, prior purchases.

Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

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.

This image was created on 26 February 2023 by Bob Eastman. He used the tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera with the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM lens (at 16mm). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000. Ten seconds at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 10:25:16pm on a very cold clear night. Manual focus with Focus Peaking and Bright Spot Monitoring performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Northern Lights — Homer, AK Image courtesy of and copyright Robert Eastman Image optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

I Slept Through This! How Would You Have Felt?

According to the locals, the Northern Lights display in Homer on Sunday evening past was the largest and most intense ever. Kudos to blog-friend and first time IPT-er Bob Eastman. He had never photographed Northern Lights before, but did a bang-up job on the images. He even taped the manual focus ring after setting the focus. He had obviously done some studying beforehand. Bob said that he’d wished that he had a wider lens.” I know that he was going out to try to photograph the aurora which usually peaks at about 3:00am. My brand-new Sony 12-24mm lens was in my Think Tank bag locked up on the boat. The display began just after sunset at 7:30pm. The colors got more intense, and the lights were really dancing by 9:30. Bob was back in bed by 11:30!

The image optimization took so long as I opted to remove about one thousand lights on the headland, most in and surrounding the town of Homer.

Do note that the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro has a bi-directional clamp; Bob was able to easily and securely mount his camera on the tripod by way of a Wimberley P-20 plate.

I asked Bob, “What were the most important things you learned on the first Homer IPT?” He stated, “Getting the exposure right, seeing the shot, and improving my image design and compositional skills.”

Bob, who attended the first IPT and will be joining me for the third one, has led a beyond amazing life. I will be sharing his life story and some of his eagle images in a future blog post here.

How would you have felt if you had slept through this event without even peeking out the window?

Typos

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