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.
Eaglets in the Nest Indian Lake Estates In-the-Field Workshops
Join me for two hours of instruction at Indian Lake Estates any day from now through the morning of Monday 13 February: $200.00. Add a working brunch with image review and a Photoshop session for another $100.00 to round out an incredibly educational morning. Though we will concentrate on the baby eagles, there is lots going on right now. Backup subjects include Sandhill Cranes, Ospreys building nests, and more. If you would like to set up a session on a suitable weather morning, please contact me via e-mail.
The Homer IPTs
It’s Never Too Late!
I hate sailing with a less than full boat. If you would like to make a low-ball offer on one or more of the Bald Eagle IPTs below, please click here.
IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Sold Out
IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.
IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers. Openings: 1.
Rooms at Land’s End Resort are currently available for all of the dates above.
What’s Up?
Thanks for all the comments on yesterday’s post. I shall respond as needed when I get back from the lake. As noted briefly yesterday, I had a great morning at the eagle nest. I started doing backlit and then drove around to the sunny side. Both were great but still no branching eaglets. And most amazingly, I finished my 2022 taxes yesterday afternoon. Today I will be getting everything off to my great accountant, Chip Jackson. Aside from being pleasant, efficient, and thorough, with a great sense of humor, Chip is a retired IRS agent.
Today is Wednesday 8 February. The forecast for this morning is looking perfect with clear skies and an east/northeast breeze. I am bringing my ladder down to the lake! This blog post took less than an hour to prepare plus more than an hour at the computer creating today’s featured image, and makes three hundred sixteen 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.
The two images that created this partial composite were created yesterday, 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.
The Situation
Both chicks were sitting up as I got into position working at 1200mm. But they were facing away from me, looking to the east. I knew that I needed to wait for them to change position. When one of the adults, probably the female, flew in and landed on her favorite perch above the nest, the two eaglets looked up expectantly. I had the shot I wanted. But there was a bigger story to be told so I swung the lens up and to the left. I was using manual focus. The adult eagle lit up with the red Focus Peaking overlay, so I did not have to worry about accurate focus. Being in Manual mode, I knew that the exposure was perfect, so I made a short series of images of the adult on the perch.
Screwed Up Again! What’s Real? What’s Fake?
Then I seriously screwed up.
Enlarge the image and then take a very close look at the image. For the eagle-eyed, there will be lots of clues as to what parts of the image are real, and what parts are fake.
If you analyze things accurately, you should be able to figure out what I did not do.
Whether you figure it out or not, all are invited to leave a comment on the image or anything else that comes to mind.
I will reveal all on Friday.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I went down to the lake well before I finished today’s blog post and had an incredible morning at the eagle nest. I could have been really famous when one of the adult eagles flew in with a fish, but I had the exposure set for the nearly all-black baby eagles and — in that moment — forgot about papa’s white head. If you had signed up for an In-the-Field Session this morning, you would have been over the moon! If you live in Central Florida or are visiting right now, it might behoove you to give me a buzz today as the weather is looking even better than it was today with an east wind.
Eaglets in the Nest Indian Lake Estates In-the-Field Workshops
Join me for two hours of instruction at Indian Lake Estates any day from now through the morning of Monday 13 February: $200.00. Add a working brunch with image review and a Photoshop session for another $100.00 to round out an incredibly educational morning. Though we will concentrate on the baby eagles, there is lots going on right now. Backup subjects include Sandhill Cranes, Ospreys building nests, and more. If you would like to set up a session on a suitable weather morning, please contact me via e-mail.
The Homer IPTs
It’s Never Too Late!
I hate sailing with a less than full boat. If you would like to make a low-ball offer on one or more of the Bald Eagle IPTs below, please click here.
IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Sold Out
IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.
IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers. Openings: 1.
Rooms at Land’s End Resort are currently available for all of the dates above.
What’s Up?
Many thanks for the honest comments at yesterday’s blog post. About half the folks who commented liked one of the two images, the other half felt strongly that both were a waste of pixels. Of those who commented, all but two liked the first image best. I, and two others, both IPT veterans, preferred the softer tones in the horizontal image. Cliff Beittel wrote, I expected to like the vertical better (waterfall feeling), but in fact much prefer the horizontal for the softer, more soothing feather pattern and the nice gray/blue background. That’s the one I can see hanging in an office or home. And I liked David Pugsley’s idea of a tight crop for that one.
When I got to Skipper’s Cove Bar and Grill in Fort Pierce, I texted Danny and Sol, my two AEPi (Brooklyn Poly) pledge brothers and let them know that I had a table. Danny texted back and said, We are at the bar. I asked a waitress, Where is the bar? She pointed and said, Those two guys have been there for a while. Glancing, I replied, That ain’t them. I walked towards them when I realized that the short one was Sol and the tall one was Danny. And they realized that the shaved head guy was me. Then we all started laughing and hugging, while realizing that each of us had aged a bit over the 57 or so years. We enjoyed the food and enjoyed catching up.
Today is Tuesday 7 February. The forecast for this morning is again calling for sunny skies with a northeast breeze so I will be heading down to the lake for a bit. This blog post took more than three hours to prepare and makes three hundred fifteen 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.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Whimbrel in flight — downstroke wing position
San Diego Shorebirds
On a San Diego IPT, you might expect to see and photograph about a dozen or so species of shorebirds.
The larger ones include Marbled Godwit, Whimbrel, Willet, and Black (and rarely American) Oystercatchers. The smaller Calidrids that we usually encounter include Spotted Sandpiper, Sanderling, Black and Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plover, Western and Last Sandpipers, Semipalmated and possibly Showy Plovers. Lees-than-guaranteed species would be Red Knot, Wandering Tattler, and Surfbird.
You can learn everything that you wanted to know about North American shorebirds in my softcover book, Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers.
This image was created on 11 January along the Silver Strand that connects Coronado with Imperial Beach, CA. Standing at full height I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial. Multi-metering +1.7 stops in S (Shutter Priority): 1/800 second at f/6.3 (wide-open). AUTO ISO set ISO 1250. AWB at 4:57:42pm on a mostly sunny afternoon. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect.
Tracking: Expand Spot S/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Willet in surf just before sunset
Why an Automatic Exposure Mode?
In yesterday’s blog post, Larry Hollar left a comment asking Doesn’t AUTO-ISO override your manual settings?
Good question, Larry, and it’s nice to see you commenting. Each comment is greatly appreciated. The short answer is Yes. But there is lots to learn here so thanks for asking!
First off, I have long railed against the use of AUTO-ISO in Manual mode. It makes zero sense. Why? You are using manual mode so that you have complete control of all three exposure parameters. With AUTO-ISO you are obviously giving up control of one of those. And nobody is fast enough to change the Exposure Compensation (EC) in response to changing backgrounds and a host of other variables. Period.
So why do I occasionally go to Shutter or Aperture Priority with AUTO-ISO?
I opt for the former in situations when the backgrounds are relatively consistent, most often when doing pleasing blurs in the pre-dawn light at the beach when the backgrounds are uniformly light-toned. In those situations, I switch to AUTO-ISO while assigning EC to the Thumb Dial. Then, it is easy to change the shutter speed to experiment with differing degrees of blurring. And I can fine-tune the exposure with the Thumb Dial by changing the EC as needed. I usually start with +2 or +2 1/3 stops and adjust as needed.
I often use the exact same technique when shooting silhouetted flight, but rather than setting slow shutter speeds as above, I will set fast ones in the range of from 1/4000 down to 1/1000 or even 1/500 sec. on occasion. Again, +2 or +2 1/3 is usually close to perfect; everyone under-exposes silhouettes.
Finally, with Shutter Priority, it can be extremely helpful when you are trying to deal with strongly backlit silhouetted subjects where the brightness of the scene may vary dramatically from one second to the next. Such were the conditions when I created Image #2.
When I need to control the depth-of-field by setting small apertures, I will go to Aperture Priority, again with AUTO-ISO and again with EC on the Thumb Dial. Note that since I am doing tight abstracts that there is little to no background to throw off the meter.
This image was created on 23 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA on the last 2023 San Diego IPT. Seated on wet rocks and dodging waves, I employed the knee-pod technique with the handheld 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 1000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:10:59am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: expand Spot/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #3: Black Oystercatcher on sandstone shelf
Black Oystercatcher
This species is my favorite San Diego shorebird. I tried and failed on several occasions to make a great image of one with a wave crashing overhead but I will surely get it next year. I will again be returning to San Diego for five full weeks next season and will again be running three IPTs. I will be announcing the dates here very soon.
Your Call?
Which of today’s three featured images do you like best? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice. Please note: brutal honesty is always welcome.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
