As you can see below, I had fun on Friday morning at the eagle nest. Neither of the young birds has branched yet. I’ve also been getting some good stuff on Mottled Ducks from the car. My daughters’ families got me a nice gift certificate for the holidays from some seafood joint in Alaska. I ordered scallops and salmon. I had the former for brunch. They were so amazingly delicious that I had them for dinner last night and will have them for brunch this morning. Then I will break out some King Salmon. Thanks Jen and Lissy!
I got some online shopping done. I finally broke down and ordered the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM lens from B&H. It is not a lens that I will use a lot, but there have been a several occasions over the past few months when I really wished I had it.
Today is Saturday 11 February 2023. The forecast is for cloudy early with a southeast breeze. It is not likely that I will be doing any backlit sunrise stuff, but it might be a good morning for video. Or perhaps, to photograph one of the eaglets flapping and jumping up on the perfect perch right next to the nest. I do not have much time left for that. This blog post took about 90 minutes hours to prepare and makes three hundred nineteen days in a row with a new educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases. If you use B&H, please be sure to click on any link in the blog to start your search. Or simply start with this link. There is always the option of e-mailing me for gear advice and for the correct links.
The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other day.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon 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!
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.
What I’ve Learned About Video
1- You do not want any Zebras or blinkies when you are shooting video as you are really shooting JPEGs. And that is true even with dark birds against white skies.
2- I might have to improve my processing game as iMovie is limiting in many respects.
3- Folks like sound to go with their videos.
Thanks again to the few who commented on the videos. I am not giving up yet.
White Pelicans in Lakeland, the secret North Tampa Rookery, and 1 1/2 DAYS on the Hooptie Deux for Spoonbills
If you would like to join Gary Chappell and me in Lakeland on Tuesday morning for American White Pelicans, at the secret rookery in North Tampa that afternoon, and on the 1 1/2 day Spoonbill IPT beginning on Wednesday, get in touch via e-mail or text me at 1-863-221-2372.
Manual Focus with Focus Peaking worked perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Bald Eagle landing after jumping out of nest
Comparing the Two Exposures
Image #1: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 using ISO 125.
Image #2: 1/2500 sec. at f/8 at ISO 500.
So, the shutter speed for #1 is 1/3-stop faster (1/3-stop darker). The aperture for #1 is two stops brighter. The ISO for #1 is 2 stops darker than for Image #2. The last two exposure parameters cancel each other out. If my reckoning is correct, the exposure for the first image was 1/3 stop darker than for the second image. How can you explain that RawDigger showed that Image #1, the image that received 1/3-stop less light, was dead solid perfect while #2 was a full stop too dark?
To come up with the answer, all you need to do is look at each image.
This image was created on 10 February down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on damp mud, I used the no-longer available Induro GIT 504XL tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted 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 500. 1/2500 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be almost one full stop under. AWB at 7:22:48on a partly cloudy morning.
Manual Focus with Focus Peaking worked perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Bald Eagle landing after jumping out of nest
How Did I Do It?
Today’s featured images illustrate the new methodology I have been working on. I think that it is pretty neat, and cannot understand why I had never thought of it before. Do understand that both images were created in virtually the same instant. Image #1 was created at 560mm. Image #2 was created at 1200mm. Image #2 is not a crop of Image #1. They are two separate and distinct images. How did I do it? Please be specific.
Your Call?
Which of the two images of the same moment do you like best, the wide image or the tight image? Why did you make your choice?
All images on this card were created by Arthur Morris on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks
A full day on WED 15 FEB and the morning of Thursday 16 FEB 2023: 1 1/2 days.
Two morning and one afternoon photo session (weather permitting) via customized pontoon boat.
For early-arriving folks, artie is throwing in a free afternoon In-the-Field session at a little-known but very active rookery in North Tampa on Tuesday 14 February.
We will be leaving the dock in Gibsonton, FL very early for the morning sessions in hopes of photographing a pre-dawn White Ibis blast-off and creating some dramatic silhouettes or pleasing blurs. The morning sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. We have several options for the afternoons including returning to Alafia. We may spend one afternoon on foot at the North Tampa rookery mentioned above. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, and Double Crested Cormorant, many carrying nesting material. This IPT includes all boat and guide fees, in-the-field instruction from two great leaders, chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit), and three working lunches (Monday thru Wednesday). For the most part we will be standing in mid-calf to knee-deep water behind our tripods. We help you get in and out of the boat safely with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.
Mid-February is prime time for photographing spoonbills at the absolute peak of breeding plumage. For unknown reasons, the spoonbills at Alafia are much more colorful than the birds that breed at Stick Marsh later in the season. The Hooptie IPT represents an incredible opportunity and I do hope that you can join us. All of the images on the cards were made on the Hooptie Duex during the last two weeks of February, prime time for the spoonies in mega-breeding plumage.
You may hold your spot with an e-mail request. Then, you may either secure your spot by calling Jim or Jennifer at the office at 863-692-0906 and leaving the $599 deposit on credit card or sending your check for payment in full to us as follows with the check made out to:
BIRDS AS ART
Please send it via US mail here:
BIRDS AS ART
PO BOX 7245
Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855
If you call to leave your deposit, you will be asked to mail your check for the balance ASAP. Be sure to give us your e-mail address.
Images courtesy of our guide; copyright 2017 Captain James Shadle (aka Froggie). All of the images here were created at Alafia Banks. Card creation and design by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.
Everybody Wants Spoonbills!
Roseate Spoonbill is one of if not the most sought after avian photographic subjects in Florida. They are generally hard to find and somewhat difficult to approach. They are relatively easy to find at Alafia Banks—heck, you can’t miss seeing them, but even there they can on some days be somewhat difficult to approach. On some days we may be able to get ridiculously close to them. The huge incentive to get out to Alafia Banks in mid-February is the chance to photograph this species at the height of its spectacular breeding plumage…. with long telephoto lenses. A 500 or 600 with a 1.4X TC is perfect for flight.
As above, there will — weather permitting — three boat trips — 2 mornings and 1 afternoon — on this MINI IPT. All to Alafia Banks for spoonbills and Brown Pelicans (with lots of flight photography often with the birds likely carrying nesting material), Double-crested Cormorants, ibises (both Glossy and White) in breeding plumage. Many of the White Ibises will be sporting their spectacular, distended, red, naked (un-feathered) throat pouches—typically larger in the females. In addition, we may get to photograph egrets including Great and Reddish, both in full breeding plumage, shorebirds, and more. There will be lots of flight photography opportunities. Afternoon trips either to Alafia Banks for spoonbills and more or to a more sheltered inland rookery location for a variety of nesting birds. In the event of horrific weather artie will either take the group to Fort DeSoto or will conduct an image review/Photoshop session. This IPT includes lunches on the full day with small group image sharing and review and some over-the-shoulder Photoshop instruction.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I had another good morning down by the lake on Thursday. My new idea fizzled, but I have figured a way to improve it. The young eagles are flapping like crazy, but only in the nest. 🙁 I swam twice, and did a bit more packing for my upcoming trip to Homer, AK.
Though very few folks commented on the two recently posted videos,, I learned a lot from those comments and will follow up on what I have learned soon. I was glad to learn that the sale of Anthony Ardito’s Sony 600mm f/4GM is pending.
Today is Friday 10 February. I will run down to the lake early if it is clear to see what’s up, and then continue getting ready for my Alaska trip. I need to order a few things today for the trip. This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes three hundred eighteen days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases. If you use B&H, please be sure to click on any link in the blog to start your search. Or simply start with this link. There is always the option of e-mailing me for gear advice and for the correct links.
The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other day.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon 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!
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.
Price Drops
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR Lens with extra
BAA Record-low Price! Price reduced $200.00 on 9 FEB 2023
John Armitage is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens in excellent condition for a BAA record low $1,395.95. The sale includes the original tripod mount, a Lens Collar Support Tripod Mount Ring RT-1 for Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens (a $29.99 value), the soft case, the front and rear caps, the original box, 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.
The skilled and venerable Anita Gail Erica North owned and used this lens a lot on her international travels when she shot Nikon. It is light in weight and focuses quickly and accurately. artie
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens
Price reduced $100.00 on 10 FEB 2023
Homer IPT registrant Charlie Curry is offering a Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens in like-new condition for a very low $899.00 (was $999.00). The sale includes the original box, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, the soft case, the manuals, 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.
This is a fast, versatile, wide angle zoom lens the features advanced G Master optics, a robust physical design, and a bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture. It is the go-to lens for folks shooting scenic landscapes, sports, and portraiture. It is noted for its high resolution and sharpness throughout the zoom range due to the correction of a wide variety of spherical and chromatic aberrations. Sony & B&H
Version II of this lens sells for $2,298.00 so you can pocket some handsome savings by grabbing Charlie’s lens now. artie
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens
Price reduced $100.00 on 10 FEB 2023
Homer IPT registrant Charlie Curry is offering a Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM lens in like-new condition for a very low $1398 (was $1498.00). The sale includes the front and rear caps, the lens hood, the soft case, 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.
Offering G Master performance in a compact, fast, and versatile form, the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM is a wide-angle zoom covering ultra-wide to standard wide-angle fields of view. It is Ideal for a range of subjects from scenic landscapes to lifestyle to architecture. The lens’s advanced optics and bright f/2.8 design pair with a flexible zoom design to suit working in a variety of shooting conditions. It is designed to achieve notably high resolution and sharpness across the zoom range via the correction of a wide variety of spherical and chromatic aberrations. Sony & B&H
This lens sells new for $2,198.00 so you can save a very nice $800.00 by grabbing this one right now. artie
Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens
Price reduced $100.00 on 10 FEB 2023
Homer IPT registrant Charlie Curry is offering a Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS lens in excellent condition for a very low $448.00 (was $548.00.) The sale includes the front and rear caps, the 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.
This lens from Sony will satisfy nearly all the wide-angle needs of full-frame E-mount shooters. The flexible wide zoom is characterized by a constant f/4 maximum aperture, making this an ideal lens for street photography, landscapes, cityscapes, and other subjects requiring a broad field of view and the inherent versatility of a zoom. Based on the ZEISS Tessar optical concept, this lens uses has 12 elements in ten groups that help ensure a smaller overall lens size along with reduced flare, distortion, and chromatic aberration. The constant f/4 maximum aperture offers consistent performance throughout the zoom range and also lends greater control over focus position when using shallow depths of field. The rounded seven-blade diaphragm yields a pleasing bokeh quality. Sony & B&H
This lens sells new for $998.00; save a very nice $550.00 on this lightweight wide-angle by purchasing Charlie’s Vario-Tessar 16-35. artie
Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera with LifePixel Full Spectrum Infrared Conversion
Price reduced $200.00 on 10 FEB 2023
Charlie Curry is offering a Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera with LifePixel Full Spectrum Infrared Conversion in like-new condition with only 1171 shutter actuations for a silly low $1499.00 (was $1699.00). The sale includes the LifePixel box, the manuals & cords, one battery and the charger, the front cap, the camera strap, a (no longer available) SmallRig L-bracket, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only — inquire for shipping to other locations. Payment by cashier’s check only.
I dabbled with infrared several years ago. And loved it. Getting Charlie’s a7R IV infrared body for the same price as the body alone is a huge steal as the conversions cost several hundred dollars at a minimum. artie
This is a two-image composite that should have been a three- or four-image composite. Both were created on 7 February 2023. Seated on damp mud, I used the lowered, no-longer available Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted 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 640. 1/3200 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:24:12am on a clear morning.
Manual focus with Focus Peaking performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Bald Eagle chicks in the nest: Look! Mommy’s Home.
How I Screwed Up in the Field
In the Screwed Up Again! What’s Real? What’s Fake? blog post here, I posted a botched version of the composite above. The three folks who commented all realized that the lower left corner of the frame was a mess. I had tried to very hard to fill in the added canvas lower left with a combination of Quick Masks, the Clone Stamp, and Content-Aware Fill, but the result simply would not pass muster.
My huge mistake had been not realizing that I needed to create at least a third image for the pano. (It would have been relatively easy to fill in the sky in the upper right.) Once I made the image now on the upper left, I could have simply pointed the lens down and created an image or two. As I was using Manual focus and manual exposure, adding such an image to the composite would have been child’s play. It is a lesson that I will remember for a long time.
If anyone would like to take a crack at filling in the canvas, please shoot me an e-mail and I will get the .TIF file to you via a large file sender.
Why I Screwed Up in the Field
Failure to think things through. If I am able to create a decent four-frame rectangular or square pano in the future, I will be sure to post it here. 🙂
This image was created on 2 February 2020 at Lakeland, FL. Seated on damp grass, I used the lowered, no-longer available (except from BAA) Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 500. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1600 second at f/7.1 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:27:20am on sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #2: American White Pelican head and shoulders portrait in sweet early morning light
White Pelicans in Lakeland, the secret North Tampa Rookery, and 1 1/2 DAYS on the Hooptie Deux for Spoonbills
If you would like to join Gary Chappell and me in Lakeland on Tuesday morning for American White Pelicans, at the secret rookery in North Tampa that afternoon, and on the 1 1/2 day Spoonbill IPT beginning on Wednesday, get in touch via e-mail or text me at 1-863-221-2372.
Image #2A: A7INFO screen capture for the American White Pelican head and shoulders portrait in sweet early morning light image
Science-Fiction-Like Autofocus
The latest/greatest mirrorless camera bodies from several companies offer amazing AF performance by being able to find and track a subject’s eye. I firmly believe that all things considered, the Sony A1 is the best of the lot. If you would like to learn why, please click here.
Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action.
Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. By June 1, 2022, the group was up to an astounding 124 lucky and blessed folks. (More than a few folks own two or more a1 bodies! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that everyone in the group receives an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. Your entry into the group includes a consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE. New a1 folks will now receive six e-mails instead of the previous 28! You will receive new e-mails as they are published. Simply put, this e-mail guide is an incredible resource for anyone with an a1.
All who purchased their Alpha 1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link — B&H or Bedfords — will receive a free Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up Guide and free entry into the Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.). Others can purchase their guide here in the BAA Online Store.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe Przybyla online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back and forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:
Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.
Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.
You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I had another good morning down by the lake and came up with some exciting new ideas. If they work, I will be sharing them with you here soon. I got my 2022 taxes off to the accountant early for the first time ever. I enjoyed an afternoon swim, and began packing for my trip to Homer, AK.
Today is Thursday 9 February. I will run down to the lake to see what’s about and then continue getting ready for my Alaska trip. If you would like to join Gary Chappell and me in Lakeland on Tuesday morning for American White Pelicans, at the secret rookery in North Tampa that afternoon, and on the 1 1/2 day Spoonbill IPT beginning on Wednesday, get in touch via e-mail or text me at 1-863-221-2372.
This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes three hundred seventeen days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases.
The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other day.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon 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!
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.
San Diego Brown Pelican Video
When I was talking about a zillion pelicans this season in La Jolla, I am sure that many assumed that I was exaggerating. The first clip, created with the tripod-mounted Sony 70-200mm f/2.8II GM lens, will convince you that I was not. I have never seen anything like it. The second clip was created with the tripod-mounted 600mm f/4 GM. The Levered-clamp FlexShooter worked well for shooting video of birds in flight. Be sure to check out the gorgeous pelican that bites the head of the landing bird. The last clip, the preening clip pelican, was made with the tripod-mounted 400mm f/2.8.
I forgot to mention that in Mark Smith’s Sony A1 Video Capture Guide Online Course (below), he teaches you to set up the a1 so that you can start and stop video capture with the shutter button! This enables you to shoot video with your eye to the viewfinder.
Sony A1 Video Capture Guide – The Complete Online Course by Mark Smith
On sale for $297.00
Mark Smith has posted many astounding videos on YouTube. As a result, he has been asked hundreds of times: How do you capture great video with the Sony a1? Early on, he spent hundreds of hours shooting video right after the a1 was released. He has had dozens of videos go viral and amass millions of views. It took an unbelievable amount of time and effort to unlock the a1’s full video potential. In his online course, he shares everything he’s learned along with the techniques that he has developed.
To order the course or to learn more, click here, click on Online Courses, click on the access the course link, and then scroll down to see the course contents. There are 46 lessons with just under three hours of video telling you everything you could possibly want to know about capturing breathtaking video using the Sony A1. Included is a great cheat sheet that simplifies the various settings. I am currently studying the lessons so that I can better understand how Mark set up my a1 and consider a slew of options!
Your Call?
Which of the three video clips did you find most interesting? Why?
This all-new card includes images created on my JAN 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
The 2023/2024 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs
San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 27 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 30 DEC 2023. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.
San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: TUES 9 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 13 JAN 2024: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.
San Diego IPT #3: 4 1/2 DAYS: TEUS 23 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 27 JAN 2024: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.
Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT morning sessions.
Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.
I discovered some really neat spots on my 2022/23 visit. As a result, the first and second IPTs may include an afternoon or two of landscape photography.
Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not
Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on exposure along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode so that you can get the right exposure every time (as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant). Or two seconds with SONY zebras … And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.
Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
It Ain’t Just Pelicans
With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning, there is usually some excellent flight photography, at times with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego. Each IPT will include one or two duck sessions.
Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
The San Diego Details
These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon shoot. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Deposit Info
A $699 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2023/2024 San Diego IPTs. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due three months before the trip.
Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late
On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
