After reading the article below, please take a moment to sign and share the petition below. I did, and it only took a minute as most of the work has been done for you.
In addition, call the Governor’s office at 1-850-717-9337. Press option 1 and voice your dispaproval of all plans to develop Florida State Parks.
It is hard to comprehend that these plans were announced by the Department of Environmental Protection. What’s in a name anyway? Governor Ron DeSantis wholeheartedly backs the plans.
I first learned of this important issue on William Steele’s Facebook page. The first round of scheduled meetings has been postponed. You can find lots more important information here.
Florida Is Trying to Ram Development of State Parks, “Skirting the Legal Process”
Posted August 21 2024
By Jason Cochran (from the Frommer’s Website here.)
Floridians are sounding a red alert after the state unexpectedly revealed its intent to allow rapid development at nine of Florida’s nature reserves, sidestepping the usual process that allows for public participation.
“This appears to be something that has been planned in secret, and it doesn’t appear to have involved the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who are volunteers in the parks, the citizen support organizations, or the many people who have been involved in helping to create and develop Florida’s award-winning park system,” said Eric Draper, who served as the director of Florida’s state parks between 2017 and 2021, in the Tampa Bay Times.
On Aug. 19, Florida’s current Department of Environmental Protection announced plans to carve out major sections of nine state parks for several construction projects. Many of the areas are on pristine land that has never before been built upon.
One proposal obtained by citizen watchdogs called for the bulldozing of a section of John Dickinson State Park, north of Jupiter, to be replaced by two 18-hole golf courses, another 9-hole golf course, and a clubhouse. The development would destroy protected Atlantic coastal scrub habitat and a heritage observation tower at Hobe Mountain, pictured above.
“I’m not sure who is feeling a desperate lack of golf courses in southeast Florida, but what I can tell you is we are feeling a desperate lack of native scrub habitat,” Julie Brashears Wraithmell, executive director of Audubon Florida, told the Palm Beach Post. “Putting in a golf course on top of habitat is not what state parks are meant to be.”
Plans for construction at all nine state parks were announced simultaneously, and, contrary to the legal protocol, the state gave members of the public just 8 days to research the impact to the natural habitat, study potential conflicts, and catch corruption in government contracting before public comment is solicited.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, other projects suddenly threatening Florida’s nature reserves include a new 350-room lodge at Anastasia State Park near St. Augustine and another 350-room lodge at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park near Panama City Beach.
Sections of Hillsborough River State Park near Tampa are slated to be cleared for a “disc golf course” and paved over for pickleball courts. New space for “glamping” was announced for Oleta River State Park, a rare green space in the urban Miami Beach area.
Most of the state parks already have amenities for recreation and overnight visitors. The Hillsborough River State Park Preservation Society, for instance, says that location already has a 106-site family campground, picnic areas, pavilions, and a canoe launch.
In interviews, the Tampa Bay Times found that even officials who run the state parks had not been informed of the construction plans. Meanwhile, the state’s newly filed land planning documents claim the changes have been in the works, including through “field meetings,” since 2022.
The public comment process is happening in a manner that will severely limit citizen input. The Florida government is scheduling eight different public comment meetings to be held on a single day—Tuesday, Aug. 27—spread across various locations spanning a whopping 620 miles across the state.
That far-flung simultaneous scheduling, which comes just 6 work days after the plans were announced, will make it impossible for citizens to attend more than one hearing or to comment on the scheme as a whole.
“This seems like a process that is deliberately intended to avoid public participation. The whole spirit of the law is to encourage public participation,” Draper told the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—famous for loving golf (he even owns a $28,000 golf simulator, courtesy of a political donor) and his administration have named the state park destruction plans the “Great Outdoors Initiative.”
The Tampa Bay Times has spent this week pressing Gov. DeSantis’ office and the state’s environmental agency to answer questions about the surprise development scheme, but so far, DeSantis and company have stonewalled journalists.
This isn’t the first time the DeSantis government has gone around state residents to force its commercial will upon vacation-related destinations. In 2021, after a majority of Key West voters approved a legal referendum to limit the number of cruise passengers permitted to disembark in the town, the DeSantis administration and the Republican-dominated state legislature simply passed a new law to reverse the result of the public vote.
This also isn’t the first time Florida’s ruling elites have tried to convert the state’s nature reserves into cash cows catering to personal leisure interests. In 2011, the Florida legislature attempted to pass a law to allow celebrity golfer Jack Nicklaus to build golf courses in state parks. That plot was withdrawn after public outcry.
It should go without saying that nature reserves have a deep value to our society and our heritage (not to mention the Earth), and citizens should always have an extensive opportunity to examine and approve any construction plans that affect public lands.
The DeSantis government, hiding behind closed doors and trying to splinter any opposition by scheduling distant in-person public hearings swiftly and simultaneously, is trying to force irreversible destruction and commercial exploitation on Florida’s dwindling and threatened ecosystem, and the public deserves better.
Nature reserves are not a partisan issue, and any changes to them must be conducted in the sunshine. The so-called Sunshine State is now depriving Americans of both political parties of the right to appropriately scrutinize and evaluate any changes to our public lands.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Judy Stepenaskie showed up barely understanding how to operate her Canon gear. After a 90-minute camera body setup session, and a bit of in the field instruction, she began making some excellent images. And she continued to do so for the next five days. When she got back home, she shared some of her images with her partner, Dave, and sent me this e-mail:
Hi Artie: I can’t believe it – Dave was looking at some of my pics and he said: “You never made pictures like this before”!!!
I can believe it. Bird photography is not rocket science. If you cannot join an IPT, be sure too study and bookmark the Improve Your Bird (and Nature) Photography By Leaps and Bounds blog post here.
Which of Judy’s five featured images do you think is the strongest? Be so kind as to leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.
What’s Up?
I removed my bandages yesterday for the first time. The trigger finger (thumb) incision — six stitches, is looking good, and the carpal tunnel (laparoscopic) incision is barely visible. As expected, I continue to have a bit of numbness in the first four fingers but the debilitating tingling and pain is blessedly gone. I am feeling a bit better each day. As the nerves continue to calm down, I am looking forward to a full and complete recovery.
In the previous blog post here, I was a bit surprised that all but one person picked Image #3 as best. Monte Brown and I liked the first image best. Me because of the blue water and the bit of seaweed. (From the original The Art of Bird Photography, “Add green whenever possible.”)
Today is Monday 26 August. I will be finishing up and submitting my Bird Watcher’s Digest Magazine Fort DeSoto article and get back to work on Murder on the Beach. I hope that you too have a great day.
First Ever Emperor Penguin Chicks Cliff Diving
Check out this amazing video by National Geographic photographer Bertie Gregory:
If, like me, you have never heard of Bertie Gregory, click here. I did, and was awestruck. Do not miss his spine-tingling stuff on Antarctic Killer Whales here. His accomplishments at age 30 are mind boggling. If you start surfing his site, be prepared to spend at least a few hours with your jaw hanging down…
This image was created on 5 January 2023 on a San Diego Instructional Photo-Tour at La Jolla, CA. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000: 1/320 sec. at f/5.6 (a mistake) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:02:16pm on cloudy afternoon.
Tracking: Expand Spot AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1:Judy Stepenaskie on the beach with her Canon RF 100-500mm.R6 II rig.
The First E-mail Exchange
AM: Hi Judy,
Good to hear from you. Thanks for getting in touch. I am just finishing up with the Bald Eagles in Homer, AK.
A few questions if you would: Can you easily handhold the Canon 100-500 or do you use it on a tripod for flight? How much bird photography have you done? Where do you live? What camera and telephoto lenses have you used previously?
JS: I am interested in the July Photo-tour at Nickerson Beach.
AM: Great.
JS: I was wondering how much individual instruction is given.
AM: Lots. Always. Right now, Monte Brown, the only person signed up has been with me many times and has the basics down pat.
JS: I am using a Canon EOS R6m2 with a 100-500 mm zoom lens. I have not been able to capture birds in flight with this camera and need help with the settings to do this.
AM: Though I have never used either the R6 or the R6 II, I am fairly confident that I can help you out with the AF settings.
If you sign up for the IPT I wills send you a free copy of our R5/R6 guide. I used the R5 and a 100-500 for more than a few months when it first came out.
JS: Would I be getting the help I need, or would a day of individual instruction be better?
AM: In general, beginners and/of folks with new camera bodies would benefit greatly from a day of private instruction the day before an IPT begins. I do that often.
LMK on my questions and any additional thoughts you might have.
With love, artie
This image was created by Judy Stepenaskie on 27 July 2024 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY on the first afternoon of the first Nickerson Beach (Extended) IPT. Seated on dry sand, she used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens (at 400mm) and the impressive Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinks on the JPEG. AWB at 5:51:10pm on a sunny afternoon. ISO 1250: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Black Skimmer adult calling
Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2024: Judy Stepenaskie
The First Afternoon
Judy showed up 90 minutes early as planned with her R6 II/RF 100-500 rig. She explained that she had been working in Aperture Priority with AUTO ISO. Her camera set-up was 100% inefficient. I explained to her that working in an automatic exposure mode was a terrible approach as the exposure would change as the tonality of the background changed. As she had no understanding for exposure theory, I frankly explained to her that any good images that she had created previously were due to luck.
She understood, she did not take my comments personally, and quickly agreed to work in Manual mode.
Next was the camera set-up. We reviewed the R5/R6 guide and made lots of menu changes. We set up her R6 so that she could toggle the histogram in the viewfinder On and Off and use it to determine her exposures. I taught her to examine the resulting image for blinkies and thus evaluate her exposures in each new situation. We limited her AF options and made it easy for her to change from one AF pattern to another. As it had been quite a while since I had used the similar R5, we phoned BPN Avian Forum Super-Moderator Dan Cadieux who helped immensely in tying up the loose ends. He saved us a ton of time.
Judy was a quick study, and more importantly, she trusted me. We headed to the beach and in short order, she began creatitng quality images that were sharp and correctly exposed. The skimmer image above was her first keeper. With the southeast wind, she did a great job of waiting for the look-back head turn!
This image was also created by Judy Stepenaskie on 27 July 2024 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY on the first afternoon of the first Nickerson Beach (Extended) IPT. Seated on dry sand, she used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the impressive Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinks on the JPEG. AWB at 5:51:10pm on a sunny afternoon. ISO 2000: 1/1250 sec. at f/7.1.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Common Tern — large chick begging
Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2024: Judy Stepenaskie
Incredible!
I was amazed that same afternoon when Judy came up with a long series of sharp, perfectly exposed images of a frantically begging Common Tern chick. We had a hard time picking the best of the lot in Photo Mechanic and I was quite impressed with the Animal Eye tracking AF system as it had no problems tracking the eyes of birds.
This image was also created by Judy Stepenaskie. This one on 30 July at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY on the third morning of the first Nickerson Beach (Extended) IPT. Seated on dry sand, she used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the impressive Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinks on the JPEG. AWB at 7:13:58pm on a sunny afternoon. ISO 500: 1/1000 sec. at f/7.1.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Adult Common Tern feeding chick
Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2024: Judy Stepenaskie
Nobody Ever Believes This One
I often state that beginning photographers, with their cameras set up properly and a modicum of instruction, can, on occasion, produce images as good or better than those created by a professional sitting right next to them. That, however, is exactly what happened when Judy created Image #3. As I was to her right when she created Image #3, she had a better angle than I did. She did however, nail the focus and the exposure. QED. (Quod erat demonstrandum: “Which was to be demonstrated.”)
This image was also created by Judy Stepenaskie. This one on 31 July at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY on the fourth morning of the first Nickerson Beach (Extended) IPT. Seated on dry sand, she used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the impressive Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinks on the JPEG. AWB at 8:02:02am on a sunny afternoon. ISO 250: 1/1250 sec. at f/7.1.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Adult American Oystercatcher preening (& large chick)
Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2024: Judy Stepenaskie
The 1.6x (crop)
As Judy’s longest available focal length (500mm) was shorter than everyone else’s (600mm), I recommended that we set her camera to 1.6X crop mode. On the Red Menu, screen 1, the third item down is Cropping/aspect ratio. The default is FULL. We changed that to [1.6x (crop)].That gave her an effective 160 – 800mm lens. Image quality remained quite good.
On the Canon RF100-500mm f/4.5 to f/7.1 L IS USM Super-Telephoto Zoom Lens
At f/7.1 on the long end, this lens is quite slow, faster only than some of the off-brand telephoto zooms. My biggest problem with this lens, however, is the balky, inefficient zoom mechanism. Even with the Tight/Smooth ring set to Smooth, zooming in and out is quit difficult. And the fact that the physical length of the lens changes as you zoom, is a huge negative. The zoom ratio is also poor. I know more than a few very good photographers who use this lens very often. My hat goes off to those who do and produce some very fine work.
Kudos again to Judy for not being afraid of the higher ISOs she needed in various situations to properly expose to the right when using appropriate shutter speeds as needed for a given situation. By correctly choosing a fast enough shutter speed, Judy consistently created sharp images.
This image was also created by Judy Stepenaskie. This one on 31 July at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY on the fourth morning of the first Nickerson Beach (Extended) IPT. Seated on dry sand, she used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens (at 300mm) and the impressive Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinks on the JPEG. AWB at 8:02:02am on a sunny afternoon. ISO 2000: 1/4000 sec. at f/6.3
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #5: Common Tern adult in flight above colony
Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2024: Judy Stepenaskie
Judy’s Biggest Problem with the Canon RF 100-500mm Lens
Judy’s biggest problem was a direct result of the zoom mechanism problems mentioned above; she found it nearly impossible o change the focal length of the lens on the fly.
I cannot help but compare the Canon RF 100-500 (3 lbs.) with the Sony 200-600 (4.65 lbs.). Aside from the significant weight advantage of the RF 100-500, the speed (f/6.3 to f/7.1), the reach (600mm to 500mm), the price ($700 less), and the smooth internal zoom mechanism (the length of the lens does not change as you zoom in and out) and much faster zoom ratio are all clear wins for the Sony super-telephoto zoom.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
My surgery went well. I am healing nicely at younger daughter Alissa’s home in Ronkonkoma in Suffolk County, Long Island. The best news is that the tingling pain that came and went in the first four fingers of my right hand is pretty much gone. And, I have not had to take any oxycodone. If all continues to go well as we expect, I will have my stitches taken out on 3 September, drive to Lorton, VA on the 4th, and be headed south on the Auto Train that same evening. I should be back home at ILE just after lunch on the 5th.
Today is Friday 23 August 2024. After publishing the new YouTube video and this post, I will begin work on an article for the new Bird Watcher’s Digest (BWD) Magazine; the working title is Shifting Sands; Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto County Park. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have a great day.
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, 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.
Save 15%!
If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.
I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.
Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.
Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com
B&H
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
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Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often stave you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
The Second Edit — Two Afternoons of Young Skimmers Skimming
On my recent month-long Nickerson Beach (Lido Beach, Long Island, NY) visit, we had two excellent afternoons with decent light and the wind from the WSW. Those conditions had the young Black Skimmers practicing skimming mostly right at us. Sit beside me as I select my second edit keepers as I explain the various factors that helped me decide to tag or delete each image. I kept 27 out of 48 (21 deleted) from the first session and 22 out of 41 (19 deleted) from the afternoon of 11 August. If you like flight photography, you will learn a ton.
The 89 first round keepers had previously been selected from two afternoon folders totaling more than 5,000 images. Do understand that each of the 40 images deleted after the second round of editing (Untagged > Command A — select all, > Command Delete in Photo Mechanic), and another 2000 or so deleted after the first edit, would have thrilled me as recently as five years ago. Why? Flight photography technology has improved drastically with the advent of high end mirrorless camera bodies. Right now, the science-fiction-like autofocus that I had dreamed of for so long is pretty much a reality.
On the first afternoon I used the a1. The next day, I went with the a9 iii. Below are my three favorites from the 49 keepers. I find it a bit strange that all were made at 420mm (300mm f/2.8 + 1.4X TC) rather than at 600mm (300mm f/2.8 + 2X TC).
This image was created on 10 August 2024 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. Seated on damp 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 One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 4000. 1/3200 second at f/4 (wide open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:28:14pm on a sunny afternoon. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be dead solid 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 juvenile flying with seaweed
Practice Skimming
Though I have been watching young Black Skimmers skim near the shore at Nickerson Beach in August for more than two decades, I have never once seen one catch a fish. They will often pick up bits of grass, seaweed, or small sticks while skimming, but never a fish. They will skim in shallow puddles, and even skim the sand on occasion. It seems obvious to me that they are simply practicing skimming. Most will likely catch their first fish either on very calm mornings or by visiting and fishing nearby sheltered bays.
This image was created on 11 August 2024 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. Seated on damp 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. 1/4000 second at f/4 (wide open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:20:02pm on a barely sunny afternoon. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be dead solid 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 #2: Black Skimmer juvenile practice skimming with bill in foamy water
A9 iii AF
With most of the a9 iii images, as expected, Bird Face-Eye AF grabbed and tracked the young skimmer’s eye more consistently than the a1 did. Nonetheless, all of the a1 keepers were sharp on the eye despite the fact that with some of the images, a7 INFO showed the AF point on the bird’s wing or on the background. A possible explanation is that the recording of the active AF point or points on the a1 is not quite fast enough to keep up with the AF technology, not as fast as the recording capabilities of the a9 iii. Sharp a1 images will always offer superior quality when compared to sharp a9 iii images, and the a9 iii will always offer those shooting at 60 or 120 fps more wing positions and flight poses. Take your pick.
This image was also created on 11 August 2024 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. Seated on damp sand, I again 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 6400. 1/3200 second at f/4 (wide open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:32:14pm on then cloudy afternoon. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be dead solid 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 #3: Black Skimmer juvenile practice skimming leaving wake
Your Call?
Which of today’s three featured images is your favorite? Why?
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
