Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

San Diego IPT Late Registration Discount

If you are at all interested in traveling to San Diego to improve your photography and enjoy the phenomenal Brown Pelican photography this month, please shoot me an e-mail for IPT #2 late registration discount info. The photography has been consistently and astoundingly good.

Homer Late Registration Discounts

If you are at all interested in traveling to Homer with me in FEB/MAR 2023 to photograph Bald Eagles, shoot me an e-mail for late registration discount info. Several folks are in the process of registering so do not tarry.The first IPT is looking very sold out as I await the last two deposit checks.

What’s Up?

Day 3 of the 2nd San Diego IPT was quite amazing. With no big waves things were a bit difficult at the main pelican cliffs so I took the group down the hill. I quickly found a spot with great flight photography for Royal Terns and Brown pelicans. I created 5210 images. All but one of the folks in the group created more images than I did!

Today is Tuesday 10 January 2023. For more than a week, the forecast for today had been for 100% rain all day. By last night it was down to 80%. This morning is showing no rain for many hours beginning at 7:30am so that is when I will meet the group. This blog post took more than two hours to prepare and makes two hundred eighty-seven days in a row with a new, educational post just for you. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

It is looking as if Homer may be sold out fairly soon. Please do not forget to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for your new gear purchases.

My 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.

Induro GIT 304L Tripod

Out of production for more than two years, BAA just sold its last one. The good news? We have located two more new-in-the-box tripods. They will be available for shipping at the end of January. Best to order yours now to be sure that you get one. We will not run your card until your item ships. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now to avoid being disappointed.

This image was created on 6 January 2023. I used the no-longer available (except from BIRDS AS ART) Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with a twist with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 50. 1/2 second at f/14 (stopped down 4 2/3 stops) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:57:56am on a mostly sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect. Manual focus with focus peaking performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Children’s Pool breakwater on huge surf day/100% juiced up version

Three Versions

Today’s post features three versions of the same image, my favorite from the huge surf day in San Diego, 6 January 2023. Image #1 was my first effort and featured juiced up colors. I lowered the color temperature to bring up the BLUE and then played around with the Saturation and Luminance of the AQUAs and GREENs under the Color Mixer tab to really boost the colors. Image #2 was converted conservatively with the original color temperature, the white and black points set as usual, the Highlights slider at -40, the White slider at +20, the Blacks at -50, Clarity at +10, Dehaze at +2, and Vibrance at +10. To create a middle-of-the-road version, I dragged a 50% opacity layer of Image #3 onto Image #2.

This image was created on 6 January 2023. I used the no-longer available (except from BIRDS AS ART) Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with a twist with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 50. 1/2 second at f/14 (stopped down 4 2/3 stops) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:57:56am on a mostly sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect. Manual focus with focus peaking performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Children’s Pool breakwater on huge surf day/straight up conversion version

Singh-Ray 5-stop Mor-Slo Solid Neutral Density (ND) Filter

To get down to 1/2 second, I used a Singh-Ray 5-stop Mor-Slo Solid Neutral Density (ND) Filter that was screwed on to the front of the lens. Note that I still needed to stop down to f/14 for the right exposure at 1/2 second. A 10-stop Mor-Slo™ Solid Neutral Density (ND) Filter would have been better as it would have allowed me to work at a wider aperture. I am not sure if my artie10 discount code still works at Singh-Ray but I will let you know.

Here is some advice for Sony folks that might help others as well. When shooting long exposure blurs, I find that setting the exposure to show no Zebras avoids over-exposing the brightest highlights.

Singh-Ray Filters

Singh-Ray filters have been used by the world’s top photographers for many decades. Who? Art Wolfe, Tony Sweet, Ian Plant, Denise Ippolito, Nevada Weir, Brenda Tharp, Cole Thompson, Chuck Kimmerle, and the late Galen Rowell among others. Singh-Ray has been and is the name in quality filters. I often use a 77mm warming polarizer set to dark at Bosque to get to a slower shutter speed in too-bright conditions. Toward that end, BIRDS AS ART is working with Singh-Ray to produce a 5-stop Neutral Density filter to fit the filter drawers of Canon Super-telephoto lenses. Stayed tuned for info on that.

No other filter manufacturer comes close to matching the quality of Singh-Ray’s optical glass that is comparable to that used by NASA. And they continue to pioneer the most innovative products on the market like their ColorCombo polarizer, Vari-ND variable and Mor-Slo 15-stop neutral density filters. When you use their filters, you’ll create better, more dramatic images and, unlike other filters, with absolutely no sacrifice in image quality. All Singh-Ray filters are handcrafted in the USA.

Best News: 10% Discount/Code at checkout: artie10

To shop for a Singh-Ray 5-Stop Mor-Slo Fliter (for example), click on the logo link above, click on “Neutral and color
Solid Neutral Density Filters (glass), then click on “Mor-Slo™ 5, 10, 15 and 20-Stop Solid Neutral Density Filters (glass),” choose the size and model, add to cart, and then checkout. At checkout, type artie10 into the “Have a coupon? Click here to enter your code” box, and a healthy 10% discount will be applied to your total. In addition to enjoying the world’s best filter at 10% off you will be supporting my efforts here on the blog. I use the George Lepp models in 77mm and 95mm for my 3-stop NDs.

This image was created on 6 January 2023. I used the no-longer available (except from BIRDS AS ART) Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with a twist with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 50. 1/2 second at f/14 (stopped down 4 2/3 stops) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:57:56am on a mostly sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect. Manual focus with focus peaking performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Children’s Pool breakwater on huge surf day/50% juiced up version

Breaking Wave Blur Shutter Times

While photographing the huge surf just four days ago, I did lots of experimenting with shutter speeds ranging from 1/8 second to 15 seconds. Shutter speeds in excess of 2 seconds produced creamy milky water that showed little shape or form. Those in the range of 1/2 to 2 seconds showed the most pleasing bridal veil effects where the water ran down in streaks. My very favorite for those was right at about 1 second.

Your Call?

After clicking on each image to enlarge it, all are invited to leave a comment letting us know which version they liked best, the juiced up version (Image #1), the conservatively processed version (Image #2), or the middle-of-the-road version, Image #3. Please let us know why you made your choice. I have a very clear choice.

With All Due Respect

With all due respect for all the faithful bird photographers using the latest Canon mirrorless bodies, those using the vaunted (and large and very heavy) Nikon Z9, and anyone using a dSLR, the Sony a1 is the cream of the crop by far. It is the easiest to learn to use efficiently and the easiest to use efficiently. And as far as getting the right exposure, Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb wheel leaves all the others in the proverbial dust. If you would like to receive an e-mail explaining in greater detail why the Sony A1 is best y far, 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.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

On a fair weather weekend day in winter, you can expect a good number of photographers on the cliffs at La Jolla. in contrast to the big crowd on the January 2nd federal holiday, everyone was respectful of the birds and the other photographers. A bit of haze to the east came and went providing lovely soft light. The biggest complaint from the group was that there were so many pelicans that it was difficult to isolate a subject. As the morning progressed, many photographers wandered off as predicted. By moving slowly and getting low, the group was able to get ridiculously close to the birds. Bryan Love was shooting pelicans with his Sony 24-70mm II lens!

Bryan, and Steve Murdock (who had attended a Bosque IPT 17 years ago), both needed help setting up their a1 bodies. Multiple IPT veteran John Dupps gave his Nikon 500mm PF and his new Z9 a good workout. And Sanjeev Nagrath used his Canon mirrorless R5b bodies with both his Canon RF 600mm and the RF 100-500. The tame birds and the soft light made for an ideal teaching laboratory so we photographed until after 11:00am, enjoyed a long working brunch, and took the rest of the day off.

Today is Sunday 8 January 2023. We will be headed early to Santee Lakes. This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes two hundred eighty-six days in a row with a new, educational post just for you. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

It is looking as if Homer will be sold out fairly soon. Please do not forget to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for your new gear purchases.

My 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.

Induro GIT 304L Tripod

Out of production for more than two years, BAA just sold its last one. The good news? We have located two more new-in-the-box tripods. They will be available for shipping at the end of January. Best to order yours now to be sure that you get one. We will not run your card until your item ships. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now to avoid being disappointed.

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, or to any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

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 save 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.

This image was created on 7 January 2023 on Day 1 of the second San Diego IPT. While seated on damp sand behind my lowered tripod I used the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens the Sony FE 1.4x 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. 1/2000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be just short of perfect. AWB at 8:46:09am on a then-cloudy morning. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: The Photo Mechanic screen capture for today’s featured image

Wish That I Had Pointed the Lens Down a Bit More

When I saw the original while reviewing images during brunch with the group on Saturday morning I really like the whitewashed patterns and colors on the sandstone rock. They looked a bit like some prehistoric cave art. I wished that I had pointed the lens down a bit more to include more of the rock and less of the sky.

Can you envision a crop that would put more emphasis on the rock?

This image was created on 7 January 2023 on Day 1 of the second San Diego IPT. While seated on damp sand behind my lowered tripod I used the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens the Sony FE 1.4x 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. 1/2000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be just short of perfect. AWB at 8:46:09am on a then-cloudy morning. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: The Optimized version of Brown Pelican scratching

Saved by the Crop

working with Original Ratio, I began by pulling the Crop Tool in a bit from the top left to eliminate the bird on the left frame-edge. To put more emphasis on the handsome rock, I cropped from above and from the right. Bingo!

I did a bit of whitewash clean-up on the top of the rock just to our right of the bird’s bill. As you can see by viewing the high rest version, sharp a1 images can stand up to healthy crops.

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 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs

San Diego IPT #3: 4 1/2 DAYS: THURS 19 JAN thru the morning session on MON 23 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 4.

Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT and In-the-Field 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.

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 as well, often 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.

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. 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 2022/23 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.