Alan Murphy Kills with the Nikon Z9!

What’s Up?

The folks at ILE cut down the big vulture tree on Wednesday, and the tall skinny one — my beloved favorite, on Thursday morning. All as expected despite my pleas and explanations as to the value of dead trees to all sorts of wildlife, including and especially birds. I’ve done (and continue to do) The Work on the destruction, and I am at peace with it. I can hear my late Mom saying, “Oh well.” And I can here Katie asking, “Is that a stressful thought or a peaceful thought?” I did enjoy a nice Vulture Tree sunrise just before the proverbial axe (AKA chain saw) fell.

If you are looking for a great holiday gift for your favorite Nikon bird photographer (or yourself!), the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera is in stock at B&H. It has been nearly impossible to find since its release on 24 December 2021. If they (or you) already have a Z9 or are getting one soon, you will surely want to get them (or you) a copy of The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers by my friend Warren Hatch

Be sure to check out Alan’s great videos and e-books here and enjoy 20% off your purchase by using the HOLIDAY code at checkout!

Today is Friday 16 December. The forecast for the morning is for mostly cloudy skies with a breeze from the southwest. If I had any brains, I would stay in and do some more packing for San Diego. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes two hundred sixty-three days in a row with a new, educational post just for you. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

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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.

You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store for $69.00. Or Call Jim weekdays at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers

The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers/by Warren Hatch
Editorial Consultant: Arthur Morris

In this downloadable e-book (you will receive a link by e-mail), you’ll learn everything a wildlife photographer needs to know about the Nikon Z9. The Z9 is one of the most complex camera bodies ever made. In this guide, the brilliant Warren Hatch will teach you exactly how to set up your Z9 for bird, wildlife, and nature photography. The camera offers hundreds of settings and options. Selecting the right combination of these is essential in order to effectively use the Z9 in the field. This guide has been updated to reflect the latest firmware version.

This 83-page guide, created in the tradition of the many mega-successful BIRDS AS ART Camera User’s Guides, includes:

1- Extensive information on the autofocus system and the optimal settings for the various shooting situations that wildlife photographers encounter including and especially for birds in flight.

2- The camera controls – what they do and how to customize them for your shooting style and varying conditions.

3- Configuring the camera so that you never need to take your eye from the viewfinder when the action unfolds.

5- Insights and details on using legacy F-mount lenses on the Z-9.

6- Practical advice about the camera batteries and chargers.

7- How to take advantage of the new capabilities introduced with firmware v2.00.

8- The AF-area Modes you should use and those you should avoid.

Order yours here in the BAA Online Store for $69.00. Or Call Jim weekdays at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand.

So, Who the Heck is Warren Hatch?

When it comes to Nikon camera bodies and nature photography, Warren Hatch is not chopped liver.

Warren retired from the information technology field eight years ago. He began as a computer programmer and retired as the Chief Information Officer of a multibillion-dollar consulting firm. He has been photographing full-time since then. His images have been honored by Audubon, Nature’s Best, and other international photo contests. Like me, photography is both his profession and his passion. For decades, Warren has made a concerted effort to understand what each and every camera body feature does and believes that his in-depth knowledge of his cameras’ buttons, dials, and capabilities has improved his photography.

Because of his close ties to Nikon, Warren was one of the first in the US to get his hands on a Z9. Not to mention a Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens!

For the past ten years, Warren has extracted the encrypted metadata from the Nikon NEF (raw) files for all Nikon professional camera bodies. The metadata contains the camera settings that include detailed autofocus information that is not available in Nikon’s NX Studio. He shares the extracted metadata with Phil Harvey who uses it in his hugely popular ExifTool software.

This image was created on October 27 2022 by Alan Murphy with the tripod-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter, and Nikon’s best ever body, the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1250: 1/800 second at f/5.6. Image #1: Northern Flicker — red-shafted form perched on snowy day. Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Alan Murphy

Alan Murphy

Alan Murphy has been a great bird photographer for many decades. He’s made great images with whatever Nikon camera he has had in his hands. That said he has upped his game since going to the Z9. Last fall, he moved from his home in Houston, Texas, to the Rocky Mountains, west of Denver, Colorado. He and wife Kim are now settled in and loving their new home and property. They purchased 1.5 acres at 7,500 feet elevation and built their home. The first order of business was putting out some bird feeders 🙂 He is going through 20 pounds of seed a day and using lots of suet as well. The bird life is fantastic! In addition, within the first two days of moving in, we saw Black Bear, Red Fox, White-tailed Deer, elk, and skunk, all in our backyard.

Though Alan concentrates on birds in flight and in action, he knows how to design gorgeous images of static birds as well. I love the inclusion and placement of the three fronds of conifer needles in the image above.

This image was created on June 8, 2022 by Alan Murphy with the tripod-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter, and Nikon’s best ever body, the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1250: 1/5000 second at f/4. Image #2: Northern Flicker — red-shafted form braking to land. Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Alan Murphy

Alan Murphy on the Z9 Guide

I was excited to learn that Warren Hatch had written a guide to the Nikon Z9 as I began learning about the camera from him the moment I got mine. I’ve had the Z9 for almost a year now. Whenever I was puzzled by my new mirrorless camera body, I’d call Warren. He always had the answer. Now, everything that he knows about this great camera body — it continues to amaze me, is available to everyone. Warren’s Z9 guide is great asset for Nikon shooters.

This image was created by Alan Murphy with the tripod-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter, and Nikon’s best ever body, the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1250: 1/5000 second at f/4. Image #3: Male Cape May Warblers squabbling (above an orange feeder set-up). Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Alan Murphy

Totally Sick!

Take two of American’s most elusive and difficult-to-photograph warbler species, have them battle in midair right in front of you against a sweet green background, and throw in two perfect head angles and the result just might be one of the more amazing images you could ever hope to see. (Note: this image was featured in a previous blog post but is so good that I opted to re-run it today.

This image was created on November 5,2022 by Alan Murphy with the handheld Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4D IF-ED lens with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, the Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter, and Nikon’s best ever body, the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1000: 1/5000 second at f/6.3. Image #4: Yellow-billed Magpie braking to land. Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Alan Murphy

Do Understand

Do understand that while Alan is justifiably crazy about the Nikon Z9, he possesses the superior strength, stamina, reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills needed to handle large super-telephoto lenses effectively for bird photography. In addition, his knowledge of bird behavior and his ability to create a variety of effective set-ups enable him to create amazing images on a consistent basis.

Alan’s e-Books and Videos

Alan offers a great variety of e-Books and videos that can teach you to be a better bird photography. Click here to see all the titles. Be sure to see The Guide to Songbird Setup Photography.

Birds Through the Lens Volume 1

Birds Through the Lens Volume 1

Click here to purchase.

The first video in the series will cover topics that include:

How to look for, find and choose the right perch
What perches do not work and why
How to match the perch for a particular species
How to trim a perch
How to support the perch
How many perches?
Working with mounds, stumps and elevated perches
How to choose a good background
How to deal with background challenges
How to break up a flat background so that it’s mottled
How to find and use gradient backgrounds
How far should the background be from the perch?
Should you wear camo?
Working from a blind
How to set up your lens and tripod for blind work
Is concealment important?
Plus, many tips for being a better bird photographer

This Hi Definition MP4 video can be either downloaded to your dropbox, computer, tablet, mobile device, or can be streamed. Total run time: 1 hour.

Birds Through the Lens Volume 2

Birds Through the Lens Volume 2

Click here to purchase.

This second video in the series is now available and covers topics that include:

How to prepare your backyard for photography
How to work with backyard feeders
Which feeders work best for bird photography
How to get birds from your feeders onto perches
How to set up a water drip
How to work with berry perches
How to make and use homemade suet
How to bring in woodpeckers
Which food works best for what species
How to set up perches around feeders
Photo blinds for the backyard

The video can be downloaded to your Mac or PC, streamed to your favorite device, or saved to your Dropbox Account.

Total run time: 1 hour: More than 1 hour.

Birds Through the Lens Volume 3

Birds Through the Lens Volume 3

Click here to purchase.

This third video in the series is now available and covers topics that include:

How to do ambient light hummingbird photography
How to setup for multi-flash hummingbird photography
How to photograph songbirds in flight using a tiny feeder
How to setup and use a PhotoTrap trigger system
How to make and use a decoy owl for photographing raptors in flight
What gear and settings work best
Blind construction and camo for flight photography
Flight photography techniques that will help you succeed

The video can be downloaded to your Mac or PC, streamed to your favorite device, or saved to your Dropbox Account.

Total run time: 1 hour: More than 1.5 hours.

Your Call?

Which of today’s four featured Alan Murphy images do you like best? Leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.