December 3rd, 2022 Today’s NANPA Tidbit of the Day
NANPA Executive Director Susan Day wrote in a recent e-mail to me:
The other document (sic) that you requested (a copy of the agreement between NANPA and ASMP signed by both parties) is confidential, so I obviously cannot share them.
The message to NANPA Members here is very clear: Listen to information we presented at the Town Hall. Everything that we said is true. Oh, you want to see proof of that, the agreement in which we sold NANPA and its members down the river? Sorry, that is confidential. You’ll just have to believe us. We have nothing to hide. Nothing but the agreement.
Without access to the signed agreement between NANPA and ASMP, it is not possible for anyone to know the truth, to know what is really going on.
One wonders just what they are hiding.
What’s Up?
I made it down to the lake in the morning on both Thursday and Friday. Thursday was blustery with a strong north wind. Conditions on Friday were much better, but I did not come away with anything to brag about on either day. My Thursday sunset session was equally productive.
In the AM & PM. 1200 & 200-600. What Excites Me 🙂 blog post here, my favorite image by five miles was the dancing crane sunset silhouette. While I do like the Green Heron image, this one was a no-contest for me. Several folks disagreed.
Today is Saturday 3 December 2022. I will be heading down to the lake by 7:15am. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes two hundred fifty-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.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords 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
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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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Image #1: Wind blocker set-up
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Creating the Wind-shield Set-up
On a windy and drizzly morning, I had gotten out of my SUV to walk around the south end of the South Field hoping for some vulture or Osprey fly-bys. As I wandered, I noticed some small white blossoms in perfect condition. The flowers had a bit of a magenta tinge. I had the macro lens in the vehicle but wondered if I could deal with the wind and low light. First, I moved the car into position to block the north wind, but the flowers were still blowing around as the wind swirled under and around my X5. I looked in the trunk and in front of the rear row of seats for something to use a a wind blocker. The first thing that I found was an oddly-shaped piece of white plastic trash that I had picked up somewhere with the intention of throwing it out. I used the end of a lens bag to hold it in place, but still the tiny flowers shook. Next, I grabbed an extra tripod and two pillows and completed the wind-chill set-up. The most pristine flower was perfectly still. You can see that blossom just in front of the bottom of the plastic trash. The white pillows were a plus as they acted a bit like reflectors.
With all the FlexShooter heads, you can loosen the black lever and point the lens down by placing the stem of the black (outer) ball into the large cutout notch in the housing. It is best to do this with the silver knob and the tripod collar tightened. As there is very little play once the black lever is full tightened, it is fairly easy to get the lens on the flower. The you can loosen the silver know and/or the tripod collar to fine-tune your framing.
As I mention here often, much of nature photography involves problem solving in the field on an almost daily basis to deal with a great variety of always-changing conditions. Join me on an IPT to see exactly how that works.
Rice Button Aster?
After consulting my wildflower guides, the best I could come up with is Rice Button Aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum). Roger Hammer’s Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers states: The 1/2 to 3/4″ flower heads have white to lavender rays and yellow disks.
I do have a (pretty bad) cell phone image of the whole plant that shows the leaves; if you might be able to help with the ID, please get in touch via e-mail.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
December 2nd, 2022 What’s Up?
I received this e-mail from Pat Fishburne yesterday.
Dear Friends and Family:
Shortly after Hurricane Ian destroyed our home, Stokes fell and broke his hip. He had hip surgery, but at 86, his health declined rapidly thereafter. He entered Hospice Care on Nov 7th and died this morning. His passing was very peaceful, for which we are grateful.
Denise was with us for three weeks, leaving this past Sunday. Michelle arrived on Saturday and will be here until February. They have been a tremendous help and a comforting presence for both Stokes and me.
I hope you will join me in celebrating the life of this brilliant, kind man with whom I was fortunate enough to share my life with for almost 66 years. I am so very grateful, as are Michelle, Denise, Alex and Kristin.
Fondly,
Pat
Today is Friday 2 December. With Stokes’ passing, the world will not be quite as warm a place as it had been for the past eight decades. Condolences to Pat and the girls and to all who knew Stokes.
Circle — Harry Chapin
Click here to play the video.
Suggestion: read the words below while considering your life, those you’ve known, those you’ve loved, and those you’ve lost.
All my life’s a circle;
Sunrise and sundown;
Moon rolls thru the nighttime;
Till the daybreak comes around.
All my life’s a circle;
But I can’t tell you why;
Season’s spinning round again;
The years keep rollin’ by.
It seems like I’ve been here before;
I can’t remember when;
But I have this funny feeling;
That we’ll all be together again.
No straight lines make up my life;
And all my roads have bends;
There’s no clear-cut beginnings;
And so far no dead-ends.
I found you a thousand times;
I guess you done the same;
But then we lose each other;
It’s like a children’s game;
As I find you here again;
A thought runs through my mind;
Our love is like a circle;
Let’s go ’round one more time.
I found you a thousand times;
I guess you done the same;
But then we lose each other;
It’s like a children’s game
Harold Forster Chapin (December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter and philanthropist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. His band did Circle at every concert. The band donated a ridiculously large part of their earnings to various world hunger projects. The most ironic verse above is And so far no dead-ends. Why? Harry died in a car crash on the Long Island Expressway on the way to perform at a free benefit concert at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, in 1981.
Harry’s most popular song was Cat’s in the Cradle, but his lifelong fans are enamored by his various story songs, most of which received little air play. In the amazingly interesting Wikipedia article linked to above, I learned that Harry attended Brooklyn Technical High School (as I did), and that in 1968 (four years after I graduated Tech), he directed Legendary Champions, a boxing documentary that was nominated for an Academy Award.
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Pat and Stokes Fishburne two years ago celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary
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One of the many great things in my life …
One of my many blessings along the road have been meeting some really great folks who have become lifelong friends. Pat and Stokes are just two of many. We met of course, on an IPT, more than twenty years ago. They came on many more – ten in all, many twice. The first to Southwest Florida, was the year before they left on a seven year motorhome odyssey. Their favorite IPT by far was a Galapagos Photo-Cruise. Pat, who will be 84 in March, and Stokes, who would have been 86 in February, are two of the nicest, sweetest people you could ever hope to meet.
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Pat and Stokes (formal) wedding ceremony
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A Strikingly Beautiful Image From More Than 60 Years Ago
I think that even if you have never met Stokes and Pat, this image would touch you deeply. So much tradition. So much beauty. They eloped on Dec. 31, 1956, but when Stokes graduated in June 1957, they had a formal wedding at the Citadel Chapel. The Citadel — The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Amazingly, Pat’s warm smile has not changed one bit over the years.
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Pat and Stokes at Thanksgiving 2020
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Ordinary People; Extraordinary Lives
Stokes wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force, but when he attended ROTC camp the summer before his senior year, they did an in-depth medical exam and discovered that he was profoundly color blind and had severe hearing loss. As you might imagine, that was the end of his military career and his dreams of becoming a pilot. After reading the Wikipedia article on The Citadel (link above), I asked Pat — already knowing the answer — if Stokes had ever gotten any Demerits. She replied, Stokes was on the Regimental Command in his senior year — you don’t get that kind of job if you had any demerits.
After graduating from The Citadel, Stokes got a Ph.D. from Ohio State University where he was involved in running the Rocket Research Lab at Ohio State University. After Stokes got his Ph.D. at Ohio State, he became the Deputy Director of the Lab. Then, he went to work at Bethpage, Long Island with Grumman Aircraft, the manufacturer of the lunar excursion module. When Stokes went into work on the morning after the Apollo 13 problem occurred, NASA called to say they had three hours to help figure out how to bring the astronauts back to earth. Stokes and his partner, Dick Oman, used slide rulers (not computers!) to do the needed calculations.
I did an article for Bird Watcher’s Digest many years ago entitled Hummingbird Hosts about Wally and Marion Patton. The Pattons invited folks into their Patagonia, Arizona backyard to watch the hummers at their feeders. When I interviewed Wally I learned that he ran a lost wax foundry that made parts for gyroscopes used in the lunar excursion modules! Indeed, all our lives are circles.
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Michelle Fishburne: Who We Are Now
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The Fishburne Family
Pat earned a Ph.D. in sociology from NYU. She was a vice president at Response Analysis in Princeton, NJ for ten years, and planned to retire when she left. But many of her clients needed her, so she formed her own consulting firm — Patricia Fishburne Associates, and continued to do social research. For ten more years, she worked long hours, traveled constantly, and earned a lot of money.
In 1979, Stokes formed SciTec, a cutting-edge Princeton, NJ firm that focused on scientific and technological innovation. After ten years, he sold SciTec to TRW, a former American corporation involved in a variety of businesses including aerospace, automotive, and credit reporting. In 1995, Stokes retired, and the Fishburnes moved to Sanibel, FL. Stokes continued consulting for TRW. In 2002, Pat and Stokes sold their Sanibel home, bought a motorhome, and spent 7 wonderful years touring and photographing in the U.S.
Before I lost my beloved wife Elaine Belsky Morris to breast cancer in 1994, I thought that some folks might get through life without ever having to deal with any great change, without having to deal with any difficult and challenging situations, or without having to deal with any great losses. Obviously I was wrong. I do know that Patricia Fishburne has guided her family through some very tough times. Always with her chin up, and always with a smile.
Pat and Stokes have two daughters and two grandchildren. One of those, an inventor, did a Ted Talk at age 15! Their youngest daughter, Denise Fishburne, has worked at Cisco Systems for more than 24 years. Denise has been making yearly presentations at Cisco Live, both in the U.S. and in Europe. She was named to the Cisco Live Speaker Hall of Fame years ago. Last year she was elevated to “Elite,” a status achieved by only a few people worldwide.
Their oldest daughter, Michelle Fishburne, is a lawyer who has worked in public relations for the past decade. This excerpt is from Pat and Stokes 2020 Christmas letter. It tells you what Michelle has been doing recently.
Our oldest daughter, Michelle, has a much more interesting story, but I will let her tell it: “Sometimes life turns you upside down, dumps you on the floor, and asks ‘so what are you going to do about it?’ That’s what happened to me in 2020. I lost some of my hearing, I lost some of my balance, I lost my job, and I became a single empty nester without a house. That’s what I didn’t have. What I did have, including a positive attitude, has led to one of the happiest periods of my life, traveling throughout the U.S. in my RV and interviewing people about their 2020 experiences.”
The name of Michelle’s project is “Who We Are Now.” Beginning in September she traveled from North Carolina to Wyoming, interviewing a wide variety of people, from mayors and food bank operators to teachers and entertainers. After Christmas, she will take the southern route to California, interviewing people along the way. Click here to learn, in their own words, how people are dealing with their changed lives during COVID.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
December 1st, 2022
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Results of the NANPA Referendum calling for, in part, that the board put the question of joining with ASMP to a vote of the members
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NANPA Tidbit of the Day
Most– probably well more than two of the 2 1/2-hour NANPA (Members-only) — supposed Town Hall session were spent extolling the virtues of both NANPA’s and ASMP’s leaders and boards. Not a single NANPA member got to speak or ask a question. Attendees were repeatedly told how great things would be, of all the great benefits they would now enjoy, and how dedicated, hard-working, skilled, wonderful, honorable, well-intentioned, and virtuous were the folks who set this “agreement” up in secret behind their member’s backs.
Near the very end, after answering dozens of carefully selected, hand-picked softball questions while ignoring many dozens of pointed questions that had been posted by the opposition, NANPA President Beth Huning said, and I quote exactly:
Oh, I found it. I found it. And this is gonna be a kind of general answer, uh, because there are a lotta specifics and there’s not a lotta time to do into the details, but one of the questions had to do with the fact that we recognize that a Referendum has been proposed by a group of members. Um, and the question had to do with when the board um, will address it. Uh, and, I just wanted everybody to realize that before this Refer … Referendum was presented, the agreement with ASMP had already been signed. And so, this Referendum came in after the signing of the agreement. And so the board is wrestling now with how to address it. But we have 45 days to figure that out. And so we may not get you an answer right away, and we are in a transition with ASMP we recognize that those concerns are out there. There are — is a vocal group that doesn’t like this and were not gonna be able to please everybody. But at the same time we have a lotta members that have been clamoring for the kinds of benefits that we’ve been talking about here today.
This is what she was actually saying to the 95% of the NANPA membership: “We do not care what you say or think. We say that the deal is done, therefore, it is done; who are you to question that? We will continue to evade and stall just as we have been doing for months.”
What’s Up?
On Wednesday, I got down to the lake twice, once in the morning, and then again at sunset. I enjoyed two fairly productive sessions. I was glad to learn that multiple IPT-veteran Mike De Rosa was the first to sign up for the Spoonbill MINI IPT. See yesterday’s blog post for details.
Today is Thursday 1 December 2022. This blog post took about two hours to minutes to prepare and makes two hundred forty-eight 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 11 November 2022 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from my SUV, I used the BLUBB--supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be 1/3 stop too dark. AWB at 8:07:16am on a clear mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Green Heron–adult on The Perch with crest raised
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What Excites Me? (I)
Making a decent image of a new species on The Perch excites me. As Green Herons are generally quite skittish, I slapped the 2X TC onto the 600 f/4, put the rig on the BLUBB- after making sure that the Direct Manual Focus switch was set to OFF, and approached very cautiously while limiting my movement. I stopped more than 160 feet (48.89 meters) from the subject. Image #1 is a small proportionate crop from the top and bottom left.
Your Call
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best? Why?
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This image was created on 11 November 2022 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. While seated on the grass, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 426mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 5000. 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 5:46:57pm right at sunset on a mostly cloudy afternoon. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect with the center of the sun ball over-exposed just a bit.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection produced a sharp image. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Sandhill Crane at sunset dancing with dead grasses
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What Excites Me? (II & III)
Finding something good at the very end of a session excites me. As does having something photographically amazing unfold right in front of me. I headed down to the lake at 5:12pm in hopes of creating some sunset silhouettes. It was a stormy afternoon with large dark clouds covering most of the sky, but I hoped that I might get lucky as there was a bright orange bit of clear sky on the southwest horizon right where the sun would be going down. At this time of year, there are often big flocks of Icterids flying around late in the day and groups of wading birds flying into the nighttime roost in the reeds. But not last night.
I headed down to the vulture trees and almost stopped for a 70-200 sunset scenic with three cranes in the foreground with lots of trees in the background. As the sun had just come out from the lowest layer of clouds, the contrast would have been too great, so I made a U-turn and headed to the South Field. As the sun was getting ready to disappear at the end of the day, I came across two cranes. So, I grabbed the 200-600 and scrambled to get on the ground for some crane silhouettes. I made a very few images when the one of the cranes picked up some dried grasses and began dancing with the other bird. Several times I needed to get up and move left or right and get back down to place the action right in front of the color. I created more than 100 images in about two minutes. All but one of them sucked and were deleted instantly.
Serendipity counts for a lot in nature photography. But the fact is that I kept trying. And once the magic happened in front of me, I was able to adjust the camera settings and come up with a single sharp, nicely-framed image with a workable exposure. BTW, many good images were deleted because I was too greedy and did not zoom out enough to avoid clipping wings and feet.
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