What’s Up?
Today is Wednesday 10 July. I am hoping to receive a phone call from Europe in a very few minutes that might solve the post notifications (and other) problems on the blog. Wish us luck.
Please remember to use the B&H 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!
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.
Important Notice
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We have been aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. A new post is published every other day. You can always check them out by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Summer On Long Island
Check out the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings here and consider joining us to learn a ton, make lots of great images, and improve your image processing skills.
Save 15%!
If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.
I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.
Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.
Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com
B&H
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
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 Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
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.
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 stave 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 7 July 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the front seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x 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. 1/2000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:48:13am on a sunny morning with a touch of haze in the air. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Osprey in the lake, the original |
Plans for the Original
As you saw in the last YouTube video here, one of the problems I had photographing the whistling ducks and the Ospreys along the edge of the lake was minimizing or eliminating the (pretty-much-ugly) shoreline. As I pressed the shutter button when creating this series of images, I visualized a large crop to a vertical. The line of dirt through the bird’s reflection dictated the crop. See Image #2 immediately below.
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Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: The optimized (vertical) version of the Osprey in the lake image |
A 75% Crop!
Slightly more than 75% of the original pixels in today’s featured image were cropped away and discarded. The flattened 8-bit .TIF file comprises exactly 24.9% of the original pixels. Though I had planned for a vertical from the get go, a 75% crop is unusual for me. In any case, such large crops are possible because of the quality of sharp Sony a-1 51 MP raw files. Getting similar high quality results with the smaller (24MP) a9 iii files would be iffy at best.
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Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: An unsharpened 100% crop of the Osprey in the lake image |
The 100% Crop
The 100% crop of the optimized .TIF file shows the incredible detail you can render even at 1200mm. Sharpness is compromised to a very small degree with the addition of either teleconverter, more of course with the 2X than with the 1.4 TC.
Typos
With all blog posts including this one, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Hi Artie
I had the same problem as Lugene. Not just the latest post but going back they were all unreadable.
Looks like they are now fixed.
I don’t think the problem was at our end.
It’s possible that some work was being done on the back end. Glad that it looks normal now.
with love, artie
Nice!
Artie, The print is shadowed. Very light and can’t read it!
Sorry Lugene. It looks perfect here so the problem must be on your end. Try re-booting or clearing the cache 🙂
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