In today’s post, I share one of ten of my favorite images from the most amazing day (so far) of the 2025 Homer IPTs. All were made with the incredible Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM/a-i ii combo. Be so kind as to leave a comment noting your two favorite images as well as the two weakest images in this small collection. An explanation is optional. I will share my thoughts with you here soon.
If you are impressed by the images, the image optimization sessions, and the learning that its going on here, and are seriously interested in joining me here next year, please LMK ASAP via e-mail or via text to 863-221-2372.
The Last Blog Post
In the last blog post, One Lens. One Favorite Bald Eagle Image From Days 1-4here, my very favorite image was #3, the Bald Eagle calling from perch with wings raised photo. Why? Sharp, clean, well lit, graphic, light blue sky, dramatic, and a behavior that had eluded me for more than two decades. And yes, Image # was a close second. Thanks to all those who commented, especially Chuck Carlson, who wrote:
February 19, 2025 at 6:45am
Image #3 Bald Eagle calling from perch. It shows more of the eagle: its energy, its gape, talon detail, underwing coverts, plus I get to hear this one.
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART responded/February 19, 2025 at 12:55pm
Thanks, Chuck. I could not have said it any better myself.
with love, artie
Employment Opportunity
Seeking experienced nature photographer for photo editing …
Multiple IPT veteran and friend of 3+ decades Robert (Bear Bob) Sabin is looking to hire someone to download, edit, organize, and optimize thousands of his images. Nassau County, Long Island, NY. Hourly wages — terms negotiable. If you are interested, please contact me via e-mail or via text to 863-221-2372 and I will put you in touch with Robert.
Today’s Post
Including the time spent on the ten image optimizations, this post took about 7 hours to prepare. Despite the absence of any snow cover, Tuesday past was one of the epic days of my 42+ years of bird photography. It was a fun and challenging day. As you can see by checking the images and the EXIF for today’s ten featured images, the light was changing fast and often. Over the course of the morning we went from ISO 5000 for flight to bright sunshine. Along the way we experienced everything in between. Huge advantage: Sony Zebra technology for stills. Though I created nearly 8,000 images, I did not fill my Delkin Black 480GB card and thus, never had to change cards. After deleting more than six thousand perfectly wonderful images, I kept a ridiculous 285 photos after the first edit.
Elisabet Shore made it safely back to Dallas, TX on Wednesday. Old friend Brian Bowers joined Anita North, Bob Sabine, and Steve Shore to fill out Homer IPT group #2. With lots of wind on Thursday, we had a ball with flight photography. Bob Sabine and I got very lucky when we were following one adult eagle in flight when another entered the scene. I will share several of the resulting totally lucky, totally unexpected images with you here soon on the blog.
Today is Friday 21 February 2025 and we are excited as we had a light dusting of snow overnight. As usual, we will be the first eagle photography boat out of the harbor to ensure that we get our chosen spot. Whatever you opt to do, we hope that you too choose to have a great day.
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.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift 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 from the wrong shop.
Should You Upgrade to or Purchase a Sony a-1 ii?
I ordered my second a-1 ii two days ago. Every day that I use mine, the more I am amazed by speed and accuracy of the Bird Face-Eye tracking in AF-C and the overall performance of the camera.
Aside from the improved ergonomics as compared to the a-1, other nice features include the fact that the rear screen tilts both ways. Pre-capture will surely prove to be a plus while in my option, the Speed Boost feature is a total waste for bird photography. In addition, the resolution on the rear monitor has been improved dramatically. Not to mention at Bird Face-Eye tracking on the a-1 ii is vastly improved as compared to both the a-1 and the a9 iii and that the 51MP files are to die for. And don’t forget the Pre-Capture feature!
So, the big question is, is the a-1 ii “worth” a gear upgrade. Remembering that I can never know whether or not something is worth it to you, I can say that I was not floored when using my a-1 ii. The differences between the a-1 ii and the original a-1, are neither huge nor eye-opening. The huge difference between the new camera body and the a9 iii is, of course, the 51MP a-1 raw files (as compared to the 24MP files rendered by the a9 iii).
With the price of a new a-1 having recently dropped $1500.00 to $4,998.00, the decision for new Sony buyers is a very tough one. The a-1 ii sells new for $6,498.00. And the price of used a-1 bodies will continue to drop (but surely not as much as I had thought before using the a-1 ii).
If you do purchase an a-1 ii, be sure to use one of my two affiliate links so that you will receive my a-1 ii settings (in the form of a CAMSEa1ii.DAT file), the Buttons and Dials Guide, and an Info Sheet. Folks who do not purchase their new a-i using my B&H link or from Bedfords here and entering the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout will be able to purchase the a-1 ii guide for $227.43. If you are at all confused and do not want to screw up your order, please get in touch via e-mail.
This image was created on 18 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the last day of the first 2025 Homer IPT. Standing at full height on the beach at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 5000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 5000: 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 9:16:26am early on a then cloudy day.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #1: Bald Eagle dorsal view flight against powder blue sky
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Early Morning
When we first got off the boat at Peterson Bay, there was a bit more light as compared to the previous cloudy mornings as the eastern sky was showed some signs of clearing. To properly expose to the right, I went with ISO 5000 after choosing 1/2500 sec. as my shutter speed. The wide open aperture, f/2.8, was the obvious choice. Not the powder blue (early!) sky color and that the entire bird was sharp as it was covered by the depth of field even at f/2.8. There is rarely any need to stop down when doing fight photography. The distance to the subject will almost always provide the necessary depth of field.
This image was also created on 18 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the last day of the first 2025 Homer IPT. Standing at full height on the beach at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 5000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2500: 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 9:38:23am on a cloudy morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #2: Bald Eagle taking flight
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
The Wings-fully-raised Take-off Shot
Though I was well back from the perch and placed the bird in the lower left third of the horizontal original, I clipped about 1/2 inch off the tip of the third primary of the bird’s right wing. After cropping to a vertical and expanding canvas the missing wingtip was added by painting a Quick Mask of the tip of the fourth primary of that same wing. The selection was moved into place and rotated using the Move Tool (V) and then slightly warped using the Warp command with the Transform Tool.
This image was also created on 18 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the last day of the first 2025 Homer IPT. Standing at full height on the beach at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 5000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2500: 1/2500 sec. at f/3.2 (stopped down 1/3-stop in error) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 9:56:25am on a then sunny morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #3: Bald Eagle incoming above beach grasses
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Seeing the Slot and Seeing the Shot
With most of the group near me, I noticed that as some birds flew in low and left of the perch, there was — for a brief moment, a clean shot of a bird just above the yellow beach grasses with a perfectly clean background of Kachemak Bay and sky. Then, when a bird would approach just the right spot I would call out, “In the zone!” Everyone with me got the shot.
Well-Framed Bald Eagle Approach
This five-second Photo Mechanic quasi-video shows that while hand holding the Sony 300mm f/2.8 lens I was able to keep the bird in the frame in all but one image where I clipped a wing with the lower frame edge. Note that the amazing Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Sony’s Latest Greatest Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera, were used to create all ten of today’s featured images. every single image in the video is tack sharp on the eagle’s eye or eyes.
This image was also created on 18 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the last day of the first 2025 Homer IPT. Standing at full height on the beach at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 5000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2500: 1/3200 sec. at f/3.2 (stopped down 1/3-stop in error) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 9:57:33am on a then partly sunny morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #4: Bald Eagle braking to land
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Pick of the Litter
I kept an even dozen images from the uncluttered, all perfect, less-than-two second end of the 26-frame sequence; Image #4, above, was my favorite. By a very slim margin.
This image was also created on 18 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the last day of the first 2025 Homer IPT. Standing at full height on the beach at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 5000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 640: 1/4000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 10:19:16am on a then sunny morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #5: Bald Eagle taking flight
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Challenging and Changing Light
As the clouds thinned a bit, the light came and went. Cloudy one moment, full sun the next. Sony Zebra technology is a tremendous advantage as you simply adjust the ISO with the Thumb Dial so that you see a few Zebras on the birds head. That said, I toasted the heads of a very few adult eagles in flight when the sun burst out while I was creating a sequence. Challenging but great fun. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, full sun with the wind in your face is death on bird photography. We were blessed with a nice breeze from the east.
This image was also created on 18 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the last day of the first 2025 Homer IPT. Standing at full height on the beach at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 5000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1600: 1/3200 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 10:21:57am on a then partly cloudy morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #6: Bald Eagle taking flight
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Up is Better Than Down
Most of the birds dropped down off the perch to get their beaks on the tossed herring chunks. With the wind picking up, this bird obliged by flying up off the perch. Not that when a light cloudy momentarily covered the sun, I raised the ISO to get yet another dead solid perfect exposure.
This image was also created on 18 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the last day of the first 2025 Homer IPT. Standing at full height on the beach at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 5000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 500: 1/5000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 10:46:05am on a then bright sunny morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #7: Bald Eagle on perch with storm cloud background
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Dark Storm Cloud Backgrounds
With the wind and light behind you, dark clouds opposite the sun always create dramatic situations and images.
This image was also created on 18 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the last day of the first 2025 Homer IPT. Seated on the black gravel beach at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 5000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 400: 1/5000 sec. at f/3.2 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 10:51:59am on a then sunny morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #8: Bald Eagle striking
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Change of Scenery
As conditions change, the best place to be often changes as well. When the wind picked up even more, I led the group down to the beach left of the big rock outcrop at Peterson Bay. We sat on the black gravel beach and made hay when the sun shined.
This image was also created on 18 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the last day of the first 2025 Homer IPT. Again seated on the black gravel beach at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 5000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 500: 1/5000 sec. at f/3.2 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 10:56:42 am on a then sunny morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #9: Bald Eagle incoming flight pano crop
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
The Classic BIRDS AS ART Style
Clean, tight, and graphic with an out of focus blue background seemingly made in heaven. As the sun is low in the sky in Homer in winter, there is no such thing as “bad light” on a sunny day. The golden light just an hour before noon adds tremendously to the success of this image.
This image was also created on 18 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the last day of the first 2025 Homer IPT. Seated on the black gravel beach at Peterson Bay, I used the foot-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 5000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 400: 1/4000 sec. at f/3.5 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 11:21:34am on a then sunny morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #10: Bald Eagle on black gravel beach — ground level vertical!
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Sony a-1 ii Articulating Rear Screen
For years I cursed the a-1 for the lack of a rear screen that could be tilted for vertical ground level shooting. With the a-1 ii, those days are over. Though it takes a bit of practice along with my reading glasses, the results can be quite pleasing.
Summing Up
The Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens coupled with the new a-1 ii is an incredible flight combination when working birds at close range. It is hand holdable and unless the operator screws up the initial focusing acquisition, every image with be sharp on the eye down to the pixel level. It is almost unfair.
For those who did not use my link to purchase their Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens, you can order your a copy here for $209.93.
Click on the image to enlarge and to be able to read the fine print.
The BAA Sony 300mm f/2.8 Lens Guide
Impressed by my (or Pat’s) Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images? Use either my Bedfords or B&H affiliate link to purchase your Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and shoot me your receipt via e-mail and request a copy of the first-ever BAA Lens Guide. I thought that it would take only minutes to create this guide, but I was dead wrong. In the process of creating it, I learned a ton about the lens. And even better, I discovered a simple yet potentially fatal flaw that was resulting in sporadically unsharp flight images. The set-up fix is simple. Just be sure to use one of my affiliate links and get the guide for free.
If not, you can purchase a copy here for $209.93. Yes, it never hurts to use my links and it never costs you one penny more. And if you contact me via e-mail before you make a major purchase, I can often save you some money.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
In today’s post, I share one of my favorite images from each of our first four days of the first 2025 Homer IPT. All were made with the incredible Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM/a-i ii combo. I have yet to even think about adding a teleconverter. I had twenty favorites from Day 2 🙂 For me, one of the images is head and shoulders above the other three. Which one is it? And why do I love it so?
If you are impressed by the images, the image optimization sessions, and the learning that is going on here, and are seriously interested in joining me here next year, please LMK ASAP via e-mail or via text to 863-221-2372.
The Last Blog Post
In the last blog post, The Challenges of Making Very Special Songbird Images — Pre-Capture, Fast Shutter Speeds, and Crazy High ISOshere, only four folks commented on what I thought was a pretty spectacular collection of songbird images. Three of the four mentioned the Boreal Chickadee with the swept back, jet fighter wings as one of their two faves. That was my first pick by a mile. As noted, I could not have made that image (and others in the post as well) without one second Pre-Capture. Image creating an image when you did not press the shutter button until after the bird took flight!
What’ Up?
With the increasingly warmer days, we lost our snow cover and with it, the light that illuminated the eagle’s underwings so beautifully on Days 1-3. Thus, Day 4 was out most challenging. In spite of that, everyone made some great images. Both Elisabet and husband Steve Shore have been improving by leaps and bounds by adding to what they learned at Sebastian Inlet. Robert “Bear Bob: Sabine finally listened to me and purchased a Canon 70-200mm, the EF f/4 version. As a result, his eagle images have improved dramatically as compared to previous Homer IPTs. Anita North is, as expected, making fabulous images every day despite the fact that we have seen the sun for a total of about four minutes in four days so far. Though the unseasonably warm, cloudy weather is supposed to continue, we continue to pray for snow.
With the ongoing renovations at Lands End, it took me a day to find a convenient spot to do our Image Review and Photoshop sessions; we have, therefore, been making lots of hay every evening producing Image Optimization videos that are shared with the group. In today’s bird photography workshop climate these daily, intensive, two hour sessions are pretty much unique.
Today is Tuesday 18 February 2025 and we will be sailing earlier than usual to ensure our getting the location we want Elisabet is flying back to Anchorage on this afternoon and old friend Brian Bower will be joining the group tomorrow. I am especially proud of her progress with bird photography. Not to mention that she has a great eye for landscapes and has been wowing everyone with her scenic photography. Whatever you opt to do, we hope that you too choose to have a great day.
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.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift 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 from the wrong shop.
This image was created on 14 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the 2025 Homer IPT. Standing at full height on a spit in Poot Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 2500. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2500: 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 11:30:17am on a cloudy day.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #1: Bald Eagle gliding flight above dune grasses in light snow
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Day 1
With an overnight inch of fresh snow, conditions at Poot Bay, one of my favorite locations, were excellent. The wind, however, was not from the usual ideal direction so I moved the group around the spit all morning to put us in the best spot as the wind direction shifted over time. Though difficult to see unless you blow up the image, the fine, falling snow helped to create a magical soft light that makes this moody image special for me. The beach grasses are a big plus.
With a fixed focal length lens, the 300mm f/2.8, choosing the appropriate distance to stand away from a perch is an important consideration. If you get to close, you will be clipping wings every time. Steve Shore has also been using his Sony 300mm f/28 GM lens most of the time. Thus, he has been hanging back with me as I encourage the folks with the 70-200s to get closer by moving forward.
This image was created on 15 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the first 2025 Homer IPT. Standing at full height on the shoreline at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 2500. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2500: 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 10:25:41am on a cloudy day.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #2: Bald Eagle adult about to touch down
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Day 2
As mentioned here ad nauseam recently, the light reflected off the snow perfectly illuminates the eagle’s dark underwings (especially on cloudy days). Peterson Bay offer several really attractive, relatively tall, lichen-covered perches. In this image, I love the wings fully spread braking pose, the soft light, and the inclusion of the top of an evergreen tree in the frame.
This image was created on 16 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the first 2025 Homer IPT. Standing at full height on the shoreline at Peterson Bay, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 2500. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1250: 1/2500 sec. at f/3.2 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 11:13:07am on a cloudy-bright day.
Tracking Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #3: Bald Eagle calling from perch with wings raised
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Day 3
Until Day 4, I used the Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) pretty much exclusively. With the cloudy, low light conditions, the f/2.8 speed of this lens enables you to work with relatively low ISOs. With the new a1 II Mirrorless Camera pretty much every single eagle image I have made in the first four days — more than 25,000, has been razor sharp on the eye. The very few unsharp sequences — less than a handful, were caused by me mis-handling my gear as a result of fatigue. I was exceedingly lucky to be the closest one to this bird when it began calling. When another eagle flew by below, the calling bird raised its wings briefly in defense of its perch. Lucky me.
Note: I can say with complete confidence and accuracy that I have trashed more than 15,000 sharp, pleasing to the eye, perfect Bald Eagle flight images from our first four days of shooting. With the science-fiction-like accuracy of the AF systems of today’s top mirrorless camera bodies, the standards as to what makes a great flight image have been raised. The factors involved include flight pose, wing position, lighting, and background & environment. Amazingly, sharpness is a given. For me, the a- ii stands well above all others.
This image was created on 17 February 2025 at Kachemak Bay, AK on the first 2025 Homer IPT. Working from the boat, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000: 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 11:13:07am on a cloudy-bright day.
Tracking Spot XS/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper high resolution version
Image #4: Bald Eagle adult on colorful rock
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Day 4
When I first saw this eagle on this amazingly colored rock, it was partially obscured by another large rock. I had our captain/guide reposition the boat so that all had a clear view of the rock. Fortunately, the eagle answered my prayer and stayed put. Though RawDigger showed a dead solid perfect exposure for this raw file, it is the huge, amazing dynamic range of the sensors of today’s aforementioned top mirrorless camera bodies that allow us to open up the dark tones after having preserved the detail in the adult eagle’s white heads.
With many of the IPT students (and the leader as well, on rare occssaion), under-exposing their raw files, many of our image optimization videos cover in detail the best methods for opening up under-exposed dark tones while minimizing noise. Note: as always, the best first step to controlling noise is to learn to expose well to the right.
If you can identify the type of rock, please leave a comment.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which two images of today’s six featured images do you like best? Why?
In a Previous Blog Post
Thanks to the many who left comments at The Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM Lens & DeSoto’s North Beach blog post here. Several folks liked the scratching GBH best, but the practically monotoned Snowy Plover image, #1, was the clear favorite. It is strange how such a simple image with worm hill curves and light tans, grays, and beiges can be so successful.
What’s Up?
With an unexpected inch of fresh snow, the first Homer group has been 100% blessed. The light reflects off the snow and illuminates the undersides of the eagle’s wings perfectly. In addition we’ve had clouds and relatively warm temperates with little wind. In short, pretty close to perfect. And we’ve ended each sailing with a harbor session photographing Harbor Seal (of course), Sea Otter, Common Goldeneye, Common Loon, Short-billed Gull
Today is Sunday 16 February. We are meeting the captain at 9:30am. Whatever you do, I hope that you have as much fun as we do.
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.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift 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 from the wrong shop.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Pine Grosbeak, bright male on Mountain Ash berry cluster
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
The Pine Grosbeaks
The Pine Grosbeaks were not as plentiful at the Anchor Point feeders as they had been in previous years; and the males were scarce. We learned on our first morning that they came in quite early so on Day 2 we arrived 30 minutes earlier than we had on Thursday and were blessed early on by the presence of this handsome male and several females — one below.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #2: Pine Grosbeak, female on Mountain Ash berry cluster
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Shutter Speeds
Those who viewed the epic and comprehensive Shutter Speeds for Bird Photography YouTube video (5,600+ views) here, know that when mild action might be expected, you are a lot better off at 1/800 or 1/1000 second than you are at 1/500. On day one, I lost some nice images at 1/400 and 1/500 sec. to motion blur. Those latter shutter speeds (and even slower ones down to /60 sec.) are perfectly fine if the birds are perfectly still (as with Image #1, above).
So, on Day 2, I promised myself to work just a bit faster. 1/800 sec was just fast enough to yield a sharp face and eye when the lady grosbeak violently ripped a berry from the cluster and sent the frost flying.
Shutter Speeds for Bird Photography
Learn about choosing a suitable shutter speed for all types of bird photography — for static subjects, for flight, and for various types of action. Not to mention for creating the pleasingly blurred images that I love. There is so much info in this 46 minutes video that serious bird photographers will wish to bookmark it for study.
Learn more and see my expanded summary in the blog post here.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #3: Gray Jay taking flight
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Learning More About Making Pre-Capture Miracles
I made some progress on Day 1, but on Day 2 things really jelled. Understanding that at age 78, with my reflexes and reaction time totally shot, that with Pre-Capture set to one second with the a-1 ii I could press the shutter button after the bird took flight and still create some very special images. That of course, provided that you had the shutter button half-pressed (as discussed here recently).
To reiterate, while I strive to press the shutter button just as the bird leaves the perch, doing so is not 100% necessary. As above, you can press the shutter button after the bird leaves the perch and still come up smelling like roses.
Should You Upgrade to or Purchase a Sony a-1 ii?
I ordered my second a-1 ii two days ago. Every day that I use mine, the more I am amazed by speed and accuracy of the Bird Face-Eye tracking in AF-C and the overall performance of the camera.
Aside from the improved ergonomics as compared to the a-1, other nice features include the fact that the rear screen tilts both ways. Pre-capture will surely prove to be a plus while in my option, the Speed Boost feature is a total waste for bird photography. In addition, the resolution on the rear monitor has been improved dramatically. Not to mention at Bird Face-Eye tracking on the a-1 ii is vastly improved as compared to both the a-1 and the a9 iii and that the 51MP files are to die for. And don’t forget the Pre-Capture feature!
So, the big question is, is the a-1 ii “worth” a gear upgrade. Remembering that I can never know whether or not something is worth it to you, I can say that I was not floored when using my a-1 ii. The differences between the a-1 ii and the original a-1, are neither huge nor eye-opening. The huge difference between the new camera body and the a9 iii is, of course, the 51MP a-1 raw files (as compared to the 24MP files rendered by the a9 iii).
With the price of a new a-1 having recently dropped $1500.00 to $4,998.00, the decision for new Sony buyers is a very tough one. The a-1 ii sells new for $6,498.00. And the price of used a-1 bodies will continue to drop (but surely not as much as I had thought before using the a-1 ii).
If you do purchase an a-1 ii, be sure to use one of my two affiliate links so that you will receive my a-1 ii settings (in the form of a CAMSEa1ii.DAT file), the Buttons and Dials Guide, and an Info Sheet. Folks who do not purchase their new a-i using my B&H link or from Bedfords here and entering the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout will be able to purchase the a-1 ii guide for $227.43. If you are at all confused and do not want to screw up your order, please get in touch via e-mail.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #4: Boreal Chickadee taking flight
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Using Crazy High ISOs
To utilize super fast shutter speeds like 1/4000, 1/5000, and even higher when attempting to photograph songbirds in flight in low light, the use of very high ISOs is mandatory. That said, most of today’s flight and action shots were somewhat under-exposed. My double noise reduction techniques detailed in Digital Basics II and the Digital Basics III Video Series yielded clean smooth noise-free backgrounds with today’s images.
Note: here again, the shutter button was not fully depressed until after the bird took flight. This image was 100% possible for me only because of Pre-Capture.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Please note: the Divide and Conquer technique was inadvertently omitted from DB II. It is detailed in a free excerpt in the blog post here.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: most of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
The Digital Basics III Video Series
The Digital Basics III Video Series
I realized more than a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing a Digital Basics III. More recently, I learned and began working with two great new Photoshop Tools, the Remove Tool and the Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. The former is like a smarter Spot Healing Brush Tool on steroids and the latter is a step up from the fabulous Color Mixer Tool. During that same time frame, I came up with a new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.
As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born.
You can order the first five videos in Volume I — 15 detailed image optimizations that cover a wide variety of challenges, by clicking here. The videos will be most valuable for folks using the latest version of Photoshop (2024) or Lightroom along with Topaz DeNoise AI and Topaz Sharpen AI.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #5: Pine Siskin, bright male on Mountain Ash berry cluster
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Square Crops
As with Image #1, above, and as seen here often recently, square crops often work exceedingly well. While I am not a fan of the horizontal gray area in the background in front of the bird’s feet, the square crop reduced its impact on the image as compared to the original 3X2 capture.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #6: Black-capped Chickadee taking flight
Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Faster and Whiter!
The Black-capped Chickadees are absolute speedsters as compared to the Boreals. And the brighter white feathers require 1/3 stop less light than the other species. I accomplished that by raising the shutter speed click. The key to getting an action shot of a black-capped is to get on them quickly and acquire focus ASAP. You usually do not have to wait long for this jittery species to take flight.
Note: this is another Pre-Capture miracle; I did not press the shutter button until after the bird took flight.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
