Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

I am between extended IPTs without any clients. The Killing Shoreline is once again open for business on Saturday morning. Pretty much in the dark, I saw a Great Black-backed Gull approach, kill, and rip apart a surf-weakened Black Skimmer fledging — see the two ISO 12800 images at the end of the video. Later in the morning I saw two other young skimmers meet their demise.

I always root for the predators and I always let nature take its course (except when humanity is the immediate cause of a bird’s problems).

Saturday afternoon was fantastic with afternoon sun and a nice wind from the SW that had dozens of young skimmers flying right at me while practicing skimming. The only thing that they were catching was seaweed.

Sunday morning was strange. It began cloudy very dark with practically no wind at all and would up mixed sun and clouds with a northeast wind. I worked very hard without much payoff. Maybe I will find one great one …

Nope. Just finished editing and breakfast. Breakfast was the clear winner.

Seventeen Before and After Nickerson Beach Images

Check out 17 raw files, hear my plans for improving them in Photoshop, and then compare the originals with the optimized files. Some of the changes are minor, some fairly astounding. Learn a lot about how and what I see in the field and what I can do on my laptop.

If you like what you saw, you will want to check out the Digital Basics II PDF here and the The Digital Basics III Video Series here. Details below.

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 about 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 begun 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.

Order the first five videos in Volume I 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.

Typos

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

Your Call?

Which of today’s three featured images is the strongest? If you are so kind as to leave a comment, please let us know why you made your choice.

What’s Up?

The images that 86-year old, new-to-Sony Pat Fishburne has been making at Nickerson Beach with her 300mm f/2.8 GM/a9 iii rig have astounded me. And they have astounded her as well. Images and more soon. And I am pretty darned sure that they will astound you too.

Today is Wednesday 7 August 2024. The current forecast is for four straight days of nonstop rain. We shall see. I am betting that I will be making a few good images between now and Saturday.

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 also not to overcook them. I bake or broil the lightly seasoned salmon filets skin side down in olive or coconut oil. Crisp the skin and eat it as it contains the most nutrients.

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 their other fish and seafood, including Ahi Tuna, Shrimp, Scallops, Cod, etc., are responsibly sourced, caught the right way and closely inspected by Capt. Tony to meet their high standards for quality and freshness. They catch and process all 5 species of wild pacific salmon, and source their 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.

Note

Nutritionally, if you are eating farm-raised salmon, you might as well be eating pop tarts. Sockeye salmon has the highest amount of Omega 3 of any fish with approximately 2.7 grams per 100-gram portion. Therefore, just one serving of Alaska salmon per week can help to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Scallops are widely considered one of the healthiest seafoods. Made up of 80% protein and sporting a low fat content, they can help you feel fuller longer and are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are also a great source of antioxidants. Dr. Morris 🙂

Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM Lens

BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price!

Mark Harrington is offering a Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM in excellent plus condition (the glass is pristine) for a BIRDS AS ART record low $647.00. The sale includes the lens with front and rear caps, original product box, manual and software, Lens case LZ1326 and Lens Hood 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 Mark via e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 1-612-308-5776 MST.

The versatile 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses have long been big favorites of many nature photographers. They are great for landscapes especially with fall color peaking in many areas. I have used this lens with Canon and Nikon and SONY. I used my Canon version to photograph granddaughter Maya’s dance recitals and to create bird-scapes and pre-dawn blast-off blurs at Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico. They are fast and sharp and have 1000 uses. The 70-200 f/2.8 lenses are a specialty lens for bird photographers. Like the bad little child, when they are good, they are really, really good! I’ve used mine mostly for flight photography at point blank range where their performance is unmatched, especially in low light. I’ve killed with these lenses on the gannet boat in the UK, in Homer for eagles, for pre-dawn and blizzard blast-offs at Bosque, and at Merritt Island on feeding sprees right next to the road. Lenses in this class are easily hand holdable by just about everyone. artie

ps: To see what the 70-200 zoom lenses can do, see the blog post here.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens

BIRDS AS ART Shock-the World Record Low Price!

Mark Harrington is offering a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM in excellent plus condition (the glass is pristine) for a BIRDS AS ART shock-the-world record low $599.00. The sale includes the lens with front and rear caps, Lens Case LP1219 and Lens Hood EW-88C, Lens instructions, original box, 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 Mark via e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 1-612-308-5776 MST.

The 24-70II is the serious landscape photographer’s dream lens. There is a used copy on B&H that sells for $1,442.00! So, you can save a ton by grabbing Mark’s copy today. artie

This image was created on 31 July 2024 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY on the 1st Nickerson Beach (extended) IPT. Seated on dry sand behind my lowered Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/2500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 6:08:22pm on cloudy afternoon. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect. Zone AF-C AF with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Black Skimmer — large chick running at full speed with wings raised

Superior Sony a9 iii AF

In action situations similar to Image #1, Sony a1 AF will fail to grab the eye perhaps 90% of the time and grab the wing. Sony a9 iii AF will nail the eye more than 90% of the time.

As compared to the a9 iii, colors with the a1 are richer (especially in the golden light of early morning and late afternoon), and sharp a1 raw files are of higher image quality with more fine feather detail. But what good are more pleasing color and superior image quality if the images are not razor sharp?

This image was created on 4 August 2024 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY on the 2nd Nickerson Beach (extended) IPT. Seated on dry sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 second at f/4 (wide open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:54:01am on a cloudy morning. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect. Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Black Skimmer — large chick, short practice flight

Orvilles

For fairly obvious reasons, avian researchers studying tern and skimmer chicks that are struggling to learn to fly call such young birds “Orvilles.” That in honor of the efforts of
American aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright. The Wright brothers crashed many early versions of the Wright Flyer in the sandy hills south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. When the young birds are first learning to fly, their landings are often comical wrecks.

Pat Fishburne and I were seated on the sand in range of several young skimmers. The bird in the photo ran toward us twice flapping its wings. When it walked back to the rusty fence post again, we got ready. The third time was the charm and the a9 iii nailed the eye!

This image was created on 4 August at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY on the 2nd Nickerson (extended) IPT. Standing at full height on the berm, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500. 1/3200 second at f/4 (wide open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 6:39:22am on an overcast morning. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect. Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Black Skimmer — fledged, flying juvenile

From Egg to Expert Flyer

At about four weeks after hatching as virtually helpless (but precocial) chicks, most young skimmers are making their first flights. A week later, they are confident flyers capable of skimming and catching fish on their own. The transformation from tiny chicks to strong fliers in such a short time is remarkable.

Right now at Nickerson there are still newly hatching chicks along with dozens of fledged and flying young. Along with many hundreds of young skimmer of all sizes and ages in between. Though we have not seen a Great Black-backed Gull grab a young skimmer and rip it apart, it will not be long till that happens. We did see a large, fledged skimmer chick that was injured and flopping helplessly on the beach. The researchers picked it up on Tuesday morning. All young beach nesting birds do not make it.

Typos

All questions and comments are welcome. With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.