Shooting Strategy for Clear Cold Mornings with NW Winds

Your Call?

You know the drill by now. Be a mensch and leave a comment letting everyone know which image you think is the strongest and why you made your choice.

Sony Alpha 1 (a-1)

Used Gear Page regular and BAA friend Anthony Ardito is offering a (firmware v2.02) Sony A-1 camera body in like-new condition for a ridiculously low $3,396.00. The sale includes a like-new Sony VG-C4EM Vertical Grip (a $348.00 value), the original product boxes, the owner’s manual, the USA warranty card, the camera strap, one battery and charger, the cords, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Anthony via email at e-mail.

Simply put, the a-1 is the best camera body I have ever used. By far. It features a science-fiction-like AF system with Bird Face/Eye tracking that produces stunningly sharp 51- MP raw files with rich colors. I currently own two of them and used them both non-stop on my recent 26-day Sebastian Inlet trip. After a $1,000.00 price drop, they are selling new right now at B&H for $5498.00. Grab Anthony’s pretty much new a-1 with the vertical grip and save a handsome $2,500.00. artie

What’s Up?

Winter came early to central Florida. On Friday morning, we woke to clear skies with a brisk northwest winds. And a rather chilly 44° Fahrenheit! I knew that those conditions would be beyond terrible for morning bird photography with the wind blowing right at the sun. Those conditions, however, are perfect for pre-dawn and sunrise silhouettes. I knew that two spots might work. The four amigos decided on the Northwest Pool. The bright orange glow sunrise was gorgeous but our views were blocked by the bridge. We did OK, and then moved to the SE corner of the small bay. Steve and I opted to get our feet wet and get on sun angle while Elisabeth and Bob opted to stay dry. The in-the-water warriors had some good chances on a Caspian Tern fishing in the early morning light. I will share the single best of those images on the blog with you here at some point. I shot 1200mm the whole morning.

With the wind from the west and sunny skies that same afternoon I knew exactly where we needed to be. We did great with several wading bird species
catching baitfish at fairly close range, lots of cooperative Wood Storks, and tern and pelican flight. I shot 1200mm the whole afternoon.

Our somewhat failed experience that morning led us to the South Jetty on Saturday morning. Conditions were virtually identical, but just a bit colder! We left 15 minutes earlier than the day before and that turned out to be the right move as we were greeted in the pre-dawn by a few dozen pelicans fishing between us and the sunrise. A fisherman fought and landed a 5-foot Black-tipped Reef Shark that (quite amazingly) hit a pencil popper, a lure that splashes as it is pulled along the surface. Elisabeth and Bob could not resist so they headed down the beach to photograph the blessed event and the release of the shark.

Steve Shore and I stayed with the pelicans. I shot 1200mm the whole morning. Everyone including and especially me learned a ton and made some good images. I share my favorites of those with you here in this blog post.

We were back in the AirBnb early on getaway day. After breakfast we all finished packing up and cleaning the joint. Bob and I drove back to Indian Lake Estates while the Shores drove to MCO for their non-stop flight to Dallas.

Incredibly, after 26 straight days of great bird photography at Sebastian, Bob Eastman and I headed down to the lake at ILE for sunset on Saturday night. We were blessed with a Great Egret on The Perch II. Shooting from the car at 840mm, I finally got the better of Bob when the bird took flight into another orange marmalade sky. Photos soon.

Today is Sunday 24 November 2024. I am pretty sure that most will not be shocked to learn that Bob and I headed down to the lake early. It is 8:37am now as I get to finishing this post. When you are hot, you are hot. We began our morning doing backlit fire-in-the-mist vulture tree-scapes followed by Sandhill Crane backlit fire-in-the-mist silhouettes follow by a perch Osprey in early morning light followed by backlit Turkey Vulture wing feather patterns. Breakfast will come after I hit Publish.

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.

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.

Sony a-1 II Pre-order Info Updated

Those who wish to receive my Sony a-1 II settings for free in the form of a CAMSET.DAT file with instructions and an explanatory Buttons and Dials Guide should pre-order from one of my affiliate programs as below.

To pre-order your Sony a-1 II from B&H, you must use this link and only this link at or after 9:30am Eastern time today, 20 November 2024:

Sony a-1 II

Once your camera ships, you must send me your B&H receipt to me via e-mail.

If you were on the B&H please-notify-me list and order using a link that they sent you, I will not receive the credit and you will not receive my camera set-up guide information for free.

Those who prefer more personalized service, a far shorter wait list, enjoy free second day air FedEx, and receive 3% back on their credit card when their a1 II ships should to visit the Bedford website here, at or after 9:30am today, search for the Sony a-1 II, pre-order they camera body, and enter the BIRDSASART discount. There is no need to e-mail Steve Elkins.

Thanks to those who pre-order using one of my affiliate links and for the faith they place in the information provided by BIRDS AS ART.

Fresh caught Alaskan seafood caught sustainably. Save $20 on your first order by clicking here.

Wild Alaska Salmon and Seafood Company

Ever since my two daughters sent me a big box of salmon filets and sea scallops from Wild Alaska Salmon and Seafood Company for my birthday a few years ago, I have been ordering salmon and scallops from them. Now that Junior’s Fish Market in Lake Wales is closing, I will be depending on Wild Alaska every month. I always order Sockeye filets and the Sea Scallops. The stuff comes frozen solid, is easy to prepare, and tastes pretty much as good as the fresh stuff would.

You can save $20 on your first order by clicking here. Eating wild caught seafood is about as healthy as you can go. The scallops are a real treat. When you sear them, be sure to cook them in the liquid that comes in the bag and be sure not to overcook them. I bake or broil the lightly seasoned salmon filets skin side down in olive or coconut oil.

Buy Direct from the Fisherman

Captain Tony has been fishing in Alaska since 1990. Wild Alaska is famous for their wild caught Sockeye and King Salmon! All of our other fish, including Ahi Tuna, Shrimp, Scallops, Cod, etc., are responsibly sourced, caught the right way and closely inspected by Capt. Tony to meet our high standards of quality and freshness. They catch and process all 5 species of wild pacific salmon, and source our other seafood products from high quality sustainable fisheries.

The stuff tastes great and is good for you. Internet orders to the continental United States are shipped from their fulfillment center in the Midwest allowing their seafood products to reach US customers in perfect condition. The flavor and texture of their salmon and other products remain fresher than fresh is because the stuff is frozen the same day it is caught.

Learn more and check out some neat salmon and scallop images in the blog post here.

This image was created on 23 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing at full height on the South Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted 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 Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +2.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 400: 1/30 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 6:31:27am roughly 18 minutes before sunrise on a clear day, just 7 minutes after first light! Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Brown Pelican pre-dawn flight blur

Shutter Priority and 1200mms Rock!

As you learned (or re-learned) in the Shutter Priority — Please Do Not Tell Me That Real Photographers Must Use Manual Mode 100% of the Time blog post here, working in Shutter Priority with AUTO ISO and Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial is usually the most efficient way to work at sunrise and sunset. Another plus is that it is super-simple to vary your shutter speeds when creating pleasingly blurred images in low light. You only have one parameter to change; the camera takes care of everything else.

I will be sharing Bob Eastman’s amazing discovery that makes switching from Manual mode to Shutter Priority with AUTO ISO and Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial with the Sony a-1 with my Sony Info and Updates e-mail group soon. It is a real time saver.

On Friday morning, Friday afternoon, and Saturday morning, I need took the 2X teleconverter off my 600mm lens. And I never took my 1200mm rig off the tripod (except when moving from one spot to another). The results have been beyond outstanding. Strange considering that many folks opt to never add even a 1.4X TC to the mix. More soon on that topic.

This image was created in Photoshop from Image #1 above. Image #2: Brown Pelican pre-dawn flight blur (purple trim version)

Messing Around in Photoshop

Most of this funkiness was created by changing the Color Temperature and moving the sliders in Color Mixer.

This image was also created on 23 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing at full height on the South Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted 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 Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +2.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 640: 1/30 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 6:31:57 am roughly 18 minutes before sunrise on a clear day, just 7 minutes after first light! And 30 seconds after Image #1 was created. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Pterodactyl Brown Pelican pre-dawn flight blur

Pterodactyls

Pterodactyls are rarely seen in flight over the Atlantic Ocean anymore. But when working at slow shutter speeds as a Brown Pelican turns in flight to begin a dive, the resemblance can be eerie.

Note: the primaries of the left wing were replaced by the primaries of the right wing using a flopped Quick Mask that was first rotated and warped and then refined after the addition of a regular layer mask.

This image was also created on 23 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing at full height on the South Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted 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 Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +2.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 320: 1/60 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 6:39:33am roughly 10 minutes before sunrise on a clear day. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Brown Pelican pre-dawn diving flight blur

Diving versus Flapping

You never want to try to create a pleasing blur of a single, gliding pelican. A singe flapping bird can be decent as with Image #1. But making images as they begin to run upside down and dive is the bomb, as in Images #3 and #4. Notice that I increased my blur speed from 1/30 to 1/60 second for this one.

This image was also created on 23 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Still standing at full height on the South Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted 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 Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +2.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 500: 1/500 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 6:48:17am right at the time of sunrise on a dead clear day. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Brown Pelican in orange marmalade sunrise sky

Orange Marmalade Sunrise Sky Color

Sunrise on Sunday reminded me of Bosque deal Apache NWR on a cold clear morning. When it used to be good. Wherever you are, you need to arrive very early in order to enjoy the orange pre-dawn glow that intensifies as sunrise approaches. Note that by working in Shutter Priority with AUTO ISO and Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial that it took only a moment to go from a blur speed (1/30 or 1/60 sec.) to a quasi-sharp (for distant subjects) shutter speed — 1/500 sec.

This image was also created on 23 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Still standing at full height on the South Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted 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 Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +1.3 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 2500: 1/4000 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:05:07am about 15 minutes after sunrise on a dead clear day. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #6: Brown Pelican in orange marmalade sunrise sky

Discovering Victory at Sea

Once the sun had been up for a while, I advised the group to concentrate on the bright sky below and left or right of the sun and to try to create some breaking wave-scapes. As I explored the ocean through the lens at 1200m, I noticed that there were some distant pelicans fishing just above the waves. For Image #6, I was able to combine a diving pelican with a backlit breaking wave-scape.

The spray being blown of the tops of the breaking waves is properly called spindrift. Any foam on the surface of the water is called spume.

Home Early

We were actually headed back to the AirBnB by 7:30am on Saturday after enjoying some excellent backlit chances including both blurred and sharp opportunities, I had to laugh as we were leaving as we encounter several photographers showing up to photography diving Ospreys in an utterly impossible wind against sun situation,.

Typos

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

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