December 24th, 2022 Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera Body
BAA Record-low Price!
Chip Schilling is offering a Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera Body in like-new condition with the latest firmware update for a BAA record-low $1699.00. The sale includes the original box, the front cap, one battery and the charger, the strap, the manual, and insured ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Chip via e-mail or by phone (or text him) at 315-481-0916.
The R6 is virtually identical to the R5 but for the 20 MP raw files and the smaller price tag. The Menu is easy to navigate. The Face Detection plus Tracking technology (though not perfect) is superb. The Custom shooting modes (C1-C3) allow the user to save many items including and especially Customize Buttons, Customize Dials, and Shutter Mode settings. That makes the Custom shooting modes a huge plus for users who do not need to waste time fiddling around with various settings. One of three different Mount Adapters EF-EOS R enable folks to use their Canon EF lenses seamlessly with all of the great R6 features maintained. AF performance with the adapters and EF lenses is superb. With an R6, a Standard Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, and the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, you will have a great rig for bird and nature photography.
Purchase Chip’s body and enjoy a $25.00 discount on the R5/R6 Camera User’s Guide. artie
What’s Up?
In the pre-dawn, we had our best morning of pelican blur photography. “Bad” weather often makes for great photography; we dealt successfully with a big fog bank on Friday morning. I was hoping for some fire in the mist when the sun crept over the hill, but the fog behind us dissipated almost instantly and the sun broke through only a few minutes later. While the sun shone for an hour, we enjoyed some great flight photography and then worked the perched pelicans at close range. And then the fog rolled back in so we walked down the hill and had some more good flight photography. On the way, I had grabbed the 70-200 II and created some neat images of the pelican-covered cliffs.
We returned to the cliffs at about 3:00pm and found that the fog had returned. Dozens of pelicans were in the air at any given moment. Then I found the male Anna’s Hummingbird. After that, we worked some of the pretty pelicans perched just down from the sidewalk. I took Anar and her husband to the Shiku Sushi Bar for a thank you dinner.
Each of the three pelican mornings has been among the best I have enjoyed in three decades of photographing in San Diego. Remembering that you only live once, you just might want to call Jim at the office at 863-692-0906, leave a deposit for the second or third San Diego, or e-mail me and ask about doing a few In-the-Field Days in January, and then get yourself a flight to San Diego.
Today is Saturday 24 December 2022. We will be headed early to Santee Lakes to see how the ducks are doing. This blog post took an hour to prepare and makes two hundred seventy-one 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.
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.
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The offshore pre-dawn fog bank and pelicans on the bottom left shelf.
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Changeable Weather
Many folks will opt to stay home when the forecast calls for clouds, fog, drizzle, high winds, or even rain. At photography locations like San Diego (and Bosque Del Apache NWR in NM when it use to be good), the weather is typically clear and sunny. I get excited when changeable weather is coming as it will almost always present a variety of different and often excellent photography conditions. Such was the case in San Diego yesterday day.
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This image was created on 23 December on the third morning of the first San Diego IPT. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 371mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000. 1/1000 second at f/8 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:11:25am on a then-sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Expand Flexible Spot AF-C with Bird Face-eye Detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Brown Pelican sub-adult preening
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Orange Marmalade Pelican Bill Pouch Pano
It was clear in the pre-dawn with a distant fog bank offshore. And then the fog rolled in. And then the sun broke through. We were sitting on the lower shelf when a gorgeous young pelican landed on a pedestal rock about thirty feet from us and began preening. The bill was orange marmalade color at the base, while the distal 1/2 was strangely yellow rather than dark olive colored.
I created 813 images of this unique bird. After the first edit of the morning session folder, 67 of the 196 keepers were of this handsome pelican. I just love the variety of plumages of the various ages of Pacific-race Brown Pelicans.
You Call?
Is today’s featured image more doofy or more beautiful?
From the Urban Dictionary
goofy — adjective: descriptive of or pertaining to acts or behaviours that come across in a somewhat off-kilter or awkward.
San Diego IPT #1 & #2 Late Registration Discount Info and In-the-Field Instructional Photo Sessions
Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to receive the San Diego IPT #1 & #2 Late Registration Discount info. Note that due to one cancellation and one switch, there are now two opening on San Diego #2. As I will be in San Diego for five weeks, I have lots of free days for In-the-Field Instructional Sessions, again, e-mail for rates and details.
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This all-new card includes images created on my JAN 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs
San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 21 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 24 DEC 2022. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.
San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 2.
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: 5.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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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.
December 23rd, 2022 What’s Up?
Thursday morning was fabulous for pelicans again. And lots more. I filled a 160GB Delkin card for one of the very few times ever. But today’s blog post is about our first afternoon.
There were more than 600 pelicans on the various cliffs on Thursday morning. We experimented with 1/13 second cormorant pan blurs in the pre-dawn light, and then had our best morning of pelican flight once the sun came up. We ended our times on the cliffs with a gorgeous white-necked (pre-breeding plumage) bird up top, the first pelican that we had on the upper cliffs. It was silly tame and the Pacific blue background was to die for. Then we headed south along the coast and had a ton of fun and many great opportunities on several species of shorebirds, a tame Black Phoebe, a coastal raven, and some gulls in flight. We spent the afternoon at Coronado and needed a stronger wind for the gulls in flight. We enjoyed some nice sunrise color along with the gulls and shorebirds. I have been reminded daily of what I love San Diego so much for bird photography.
Remembering that you only live once, you just might want to call Jim at the office at 863-692-0906, leave a deposit for the second or third San Diego, or e-mail me and ask about doing a few In-the-Field Days in January, and then get yourself a flight to San Diego.
Today is Friday 23 December 2022. We will be headed to the pelican cliffs early for the third morning of the first San Diego IPT. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare including the time spent on the two image optimizations and makes two hundred seventy 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.
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.
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This image was created on 22 December 2022 at La Jolla Shores Beach, CA on the first afternoon of the first San Diego IPT. While standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with 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 250. 1/8000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead solid perfect plus a bit, just as I wanted it. AWB at 4:21:26pm on a sunny afternoon.
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: Western Gull with backlit wave
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Remember, It’s Nature Photography: There are No Guarantees
We headed to La Jolla Shores Beach with high expectations. It was low tide and sunny and the wind from the west. Perfect conditions. There were 378 tourists and college students on the beach, 37 unleashed dogs, and 1 dog on a leash. (Unleashed dogs are of course forbidden). There were no Marbled Godwits, no Whimbrels, no Sanderlings, no Spotted Sandpipers, no Royal Terns, six Western Gulls, two Ring-billed Gulls, and most amazingly, zero Heermann’s Gulls!
We walked more than a mile up the beach without much to show for our efforts. Twenty minutes before sunset, I noticed a Western Gull perched on some offshore rocks. Every time a big wave broke, the gull jumped up and then flew back to its perch. Walking about 75 yards south put the sun behind the rock. When the gull jumped up, the breaking wave was beautifully backlit. I called Anar over and explained what we were after.
I told her to set a fast shutter speed with the wide open aperture, raise the ISO until she had faint Zebras on the sky, and then dial the ISO back 1/3-stop so that there were no Zebras on the sky. She asked, “Why no Zebras?” I explained that when the wave broke the backlit highlights would be very bright. As you can see by our results, that exposure strategy worked perfectly.
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This image was created by Anar Daswani on 22 December 2022 at La Jolla Shores Beach, CA on the first afternoon of the first San Diego IPT. She 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 ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 400. 1/2500 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 4:34:05pm on a typically sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be fractionally short of perfect.
Expand Flexible Spot S AF-C with performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Western Gull with backlit wave
Image courtesy of and copyright 2022 Anar Daswani
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Way to Go Anar!
From the first day that I met Anar at Stick Marsh last spring she has been serious about improving her bird photography. She asks lots of good questions and pays attention all the time. On Wednesday afternoon, that paid off big time.
The Best Part of being on an IPT
When Anar saw how I had processed Image #1, she said, “I want some of that!” So at lunch on Tuesday, I created a Camtasia screen capture video of the complete optimization of her image. I will send it to her soon. We do that often on most IPTs and the videos are shared with the participants.
San Diego IPT #1 & #2 Late Registration Discount Info and In-the-Field Instructional Photo Sessions
Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to receive the San Diego IPT #1 & #2 Late Registration Discount info. Note that due to one cancellation and one switch, there are now two opening on San Diego #2. As I will be in San Diego for five weeks, I have lots of free days for In-the-Field Instructional Sessions, again, e-mail for rates and details.
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This all-new card includes images created on my JAN 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs
San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 21 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 24 DEC 2022. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.
San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 2.
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: 5.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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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.
December 22nd, 2022 What’s Up?
Conditions on Wednesday morning were similar to those on Tuesday: a gentle surf and bit more of a breeze from the northeast later in the morning. The pelican photography was excellent again and we had more flight chances. I was joined by Anar Daswani of San Jose, CA. Anar joined me for two In-the-Field sessions at Stick Marsh last April. She showed up with an a1 and a 200-600 and simply put, had no clue. At lunch, she shared some really great images that she had made in the interim. I am very proud of her progress and she went from a beginning nature photographer to a skilled nature photographer as a result of the two mornings we spent together.
Remembering that you only live once, you just might want to call Jim at the office at 863-692-0906, leave a deposit for the second or third San Diego, or e-mail me and ask about doing a few In-the-Field Days in January, and then get yourself a flight to San Diego. There were more than 400 pelicans on the various cliffs this morning. We made lots of excellent images before the sun came over the hill at about 7:40. Then we relocated on the lower shelf and worked the sweet light with the sun behind us. Today is Thursday 22 December 2022. We will be headed to the pelican cliffs early for the second morning of the first San Diego IPT. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare including the time spent on the image optimizations and makes two hundred sixty-nine 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.
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.
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.
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This image was created on 21 December 2022 at La Jolla, CA. While seated on the lower cliff I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 400. 1/4000 sec. at f/3.2 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 9:14:23am on a faintly cloudy morning.
Tracking: Flexible Spot S 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: Brown Pelican Pacific-race preening — over the shoulder view
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The Beauty of Whitewash Poop Streaks
The sandstone rocks in La Jolla are often beautifully streaked with pelican poop. Over the years, I have made many images of birds with the beautiful poop patterns in the frame and I have made photos of the white on sandstone alone. I had eyed this particular rock wall on Tuesday morning, but came away empty handed. When I saw the orange variant bill pouch bird preening, I went wide so as to include lots of whitewash strikes and a nice expanse of the Pacific.
Note the subject placement, the perfect preening head angle, and the nicely spread tail. This bird had a chunk of feathers missing from its hind-neck that was repaired with the Patch Tool.
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This image was also created on 21 December 2022 at La Jolla, CA. While seated on the lower cliff I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 400. 1/5000 sec. at f/3.5 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 9:06:50am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Flexible Spot S 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: Brown Pelican Pacific-race juvenile resting
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Same Wall, Brighter Light, Young Pelican
The young pelican in Image #2 was resting on a flat portion of cliff a few yards to the left of the wall seen in Image #1. I did lots of cliff clean-up work on this image with the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, and Content Aware Fill.
Depth of Field Question
Why are the whitewash streaks sharp in Image #1 but completely blurred in Image #2?
San Diego IPT #1 & #2 Late Registration Discount Info and In-the-Field Instructional Photo Sessions
Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to receive the San Diego IPT #1 & #2 Late Registration Discount info. Note that due to one cancellation and one switch, there are now two opening on San Diego #2. As I will be in San Diego for five weeks, I have lots of free days for In-the-Field Instructional Sessions, again, e-mail for rates and details.
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This all-new card includes images created on my JAN 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs
San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 21 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 24 DEC 2022. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.
San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 2.
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: 5.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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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.
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