November 8th, 2024 What’s Up?
Sebastian Inlet is on fire. On Wednesday morning, Bob Eastman and I enjoyed a huge feeding spree with the pelicans, terns, and Ospreys diving on bait for hours. On Thursday morning, the action shifted to the end of the (soon-to-be-closed-for-nine-months) North Jetty. The added bonus was a juvenile Sabine’s Gull, insanely rare for Florida. I had seen one before when I was living on Staten Island. I was birding the harbor at Great Kills Park the day after Thanksgiving, probably around 1980.
Today is Friday 8 November 2024. David Pugsley and wife Michelle arrived at the AiBnB and will be joining us for a morning session at Sebastian Inlet. We will be leaving at 5:30am. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, we hope that you too choose to have a wondrous day.
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The Osprey and the Thieving Brown Pelican/A Fabulous Story-telling Photo Sequence by My Friend, Bob Eastman
Kudos to friend Bob Eastman for being a great student, getting the shutter speed and the exposure right, and blasting away when he recognized a great situation. The 150+ frame sequence was created in 12 seconds. That meant that he was off the shutter button about half the time, taking care to assure accurate focus. Note that Images 5,6,7, and 8 were all created within a single second. And that Image 9, 10, and 11 were created in the next single second.
It just shows to go you what someone with “just” an a-1 and the Sony 200-600 can accomplish in short order with their camera set up properly and a bit of competent instruction. All raw conversions and image optimizations by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.
Bob is currently using my CAMST202.DAT setting on his a-1 with the firmware updated to 2.02. As I recommend, he has made a few changes to my settings to best reflect his personal shooting style.
It’s Safe to go in the Water Now
Sony a-1 Firmware Update Update
Last spring, Sony announced firmware update v2.00 for the a-1, its flagship camera body. In short order the firmware story became an embarrassing fiasco. Over time, the announced v2.01 that caused terrible problems with the camera was used with the hugely popular 200-600 G lens. After some time, they released v2.02. About six weeks ago, with some trepidation, I purchased a used a-1 and updated it to v.2.01, and then to 2.02. I am happy to report that it is now possible to go back into the water.
The last update, v2.02, offers some great stuff for bird photographers.
v.2.02 Benefits
Battery life with 2.02 is fine. There are no issues with the 200-600 G lens. Bird Face-Eye AF is significantly improved. Formatting a card takes about two seconds as compared to 10 seconds or more with previous firmware versions. But the very best news is a brand new feature called Focus Recall. Huge thanks to Arash Hazeghi for pointing it out to me as we worked on an update to the Sony a-1 (a9 iii) flight guide. I took what he taught me about programming Preset Focus/Zoom to a single button for flight photography and turned it into what will surely turn out to be a huge game-changer for general bird photography.
I call it “double button focus recall.” I programmed two easy-to-reach (previously unassigned) buttons to PRESET Focus Distance. I can then register a close focusing distance to one button and a far focusing distance to the other. A tap of either button instantly brings me to either as needed.
Here is a practical, real life example. I am walking out on the pier. There are some very tame Turkey Vultures and a Limpkin perched on the railing. As I slowly approach the birds, I focus on the nearest one and then press and hold the near-focus button. Th camera registers the focus distance my current close focus distance. I might or might not create a few images. Before continuing my approach, however, I take a moment to focus on the end of the pier and this time I press and hold the far focus button. That becomes my far focus distance. Then I tap the close focus button for the birds on the railings and go to work.
I glance up and see an Osprey carrying a large Crappie in its talons flying over the end of the pier. I tap the AEL button to get to my pre-registered far focusing distance. The AF system will have a relatively easy time of seeing the subject. And once the bird is framed, initial focusing acquisition will be virtually instantaneous. Had the AF system been left at the close focusing distance (while working the birds on the pier railing), there is a good chance that the system would have been temporarily blind when I attempted to acquire focus on the Osprey in flight.
Understand that neither the close nor the far focusing distances need to be anywhere near precise. As long as the AF system is in the general neighborhood (as far as focusing distance is concerned), it will not struggle to acquire focus. Once the Osprey flies by, Artie simply taps the AF-On button to instantly get back to the approximate focusing distance for the birds on the railing.
Yesterday I sent the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes e-Mail J (23 OCT 2024) Firmware Update Update item to the entire group; it began like this:
Dear a1 Gang,
I hope that all of you are well, having fun, and making some great images. Big time thanks and congrats to the twenty folks in the group who have gotten my v2.02 settings onto their a-1 bodies. Many of them helped by letting me know of typos and other errors in the two instructional e-mails. After ten full days or working every morning with my v2.02 Firmware a-1, the 600mm f/4, and the 300mm f/2.8 (each with either TC), I can wholeheartedly recommend that most everyone with an a-1 would be best to update to Firmware v2.02.
If you are a member of the a-1 group and have not received e-Mail J, please e-mail me with your current and correct e-mail address 🙂
a-1 Group members can receive the two e-mails by sending a PayPal for $50.00 (with the words a-1 v2.021/v2.02 Firmware updates in the Subject line) to birdsasart@verizon.net or by calling the office at 863-692-0906 with a credit card to pay the $50.00.
If you are not a member of my a-1 group and would like to update your camera body and get all of my current setting on it, you will need to either send a PayPal for $125.00 (with the words a-1 v2.021/v2.02 Firmware updates in the Subject line) to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 with a credit card to pay the $125.00.
All of the images in today’s blog post were created with my v2.02 CAMST202.DAT settings on Bob’s a-i mirrorless camera body.
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:37am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Osprey mantling prey, in this case, a menhaden
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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Dive and Capture
When an Osprey dives and secures a fish in its talons, it will often mantle its prey, protecting its catch from other Ospreys, gulls, and pelicans. In addition, I believe that they are taking a brief rest before attempting to lift the fish out of the water
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:40am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Osprey lifting fish out of the water
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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Liftoff
Note that the bird has turned to face into the east wind; that to provide additional lift so to successfully get out of the water with the fish.
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:40am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Osprey struggling to lift fish out of water
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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The Fish is Winning
As the Osprey had trouble getting airborne despite the frantic flapping of its wings, it settled on the water again, in part to rest. The fish is struggling to escape and is pulling the Osprey down.
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:44am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Osprey taking a break
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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Rest Period
Nearly exhausted, the Osprey is taking a break to rest its weary wing muscles. Note that the Osprey’s tail is spread to increase its buoyancy. That too is getting very tired.
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:47am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #5: Osprey taking flight with menhaden in its talons
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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Back in the Air
After its rest, the Osprey again was able to take flight with its catch, a Yellow-tailed Menhaden. Bob thought that the bird was in the clear.
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:47am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #6: Brown Pelican joins the fray
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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Trouble in Paradise
Suddenly, an adult Brown Pelican swooped in from the north with its eyes on the prize, the Osprey’s catch. Kudos to Bob for keeping the shutter button down. “When unexpected action happens, press the shutter button and keep it pressed until the action is over.
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:47am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #7: The moment of truth!
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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The Moment of Truth
I opted to optimize all of Bob’s fabulous images from this series as a partial thanks for flopping the door on my clothes dryer and for doing 100% of the driving. After processing the other ten photos here on Tuesday, I decided to add this one on Thursday. The problem was that the right side of the Osprey’s face was shaded by its right wing and what we can see of the pelican’s bill and bill pouch were totally in the dark, being shaded by the Osprey. It is possible that I might be considered for a Nobel Prize for Image Processing for this one. The optimized image is, of course, another huge a-1 crop. Kudos to Bob and to Sony. And me 🙂
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:47am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #8: Brown Pelican first grabs the fish
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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The Bunker in the Pelican’s Bill
Mossbunker, or bunker, is a term for all species of Menhaden. In Image #7, the attacking pelican is just getting its bill onto the fish.
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:48am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #9: Brown Pelican has the fish!
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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The Pelican is Winning
At this point, the pelican has the fish firmly in its bill. And it looks as if the Osprey has released its grip on the fish by relaxing its talons.
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#9A: Tight Crop of Brown Pelican Brown Pelican has the fish! image.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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Sony a-1 Crop-ability!
As you have been seeing here for several years, with 51 million pixels, sharp, properly exposed-to-the-right Sony a-1 raw files can stand up well to huge crops. What amazes me here is the width of the tip of the pelicans bill when the pouch is expanded. It looks as wide as the prow of a battleship!
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:48am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #10: The Osprey leaving the scene
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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Over and Done
The pelican has the fish cross-wise firmly in its bill. And Osprey has given up.
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This image was created on 3 November by Bob Eastman on the very extended Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More IPT. He used the hand held 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 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:48:48am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Set (S) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #11: The Brown Pelican eating the fish
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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Time to Go Fishing. Again
The Osprey is off to look for another bunker while the pelican is busy swallowing its meal.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
November 6th, 2024 What’s Up?
On Tuesday, Bob Eastman and I had another great morning at Sebastian. It was a dreary high ISO session, with a perfect wind from the southeast and as many as 50 Ospreys patrolling the inlet. They were doing lots of diving but not a lot of catching. As we headed home, I told Bob that I was sure that I had at least two really good Osprey images. I was right.
Today is Wednesday 6 November 2024. You guessed it; we will be heading back to the state park in the dark. Whatever you choose to do, we hope that you opt to have a great day too.
Bob Eastman is living proof of what is possible for someone with a Sony 200-600 and an a-1 body, their camera set up properly, and a bit of quality photographic instruction.
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Tight Crop of Brown Pelican grabbing menhaden from Osprey
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman
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I Got Three Eggs Over Easy
In the last blog post I wrote,
Sunday morning belonged to Bob Eastman. We were ready to give up and head back to our AirBnB for some eggs. Just as Bob started the car, we noticed five Ospreys in the air right in front of us. We hesitated. Two of the birds dove and each emerged with a fish. Bob was first to the rocks. As one of my a-1 bodies had gotten wet, I went to the trunk to grab my second a-1 body. When I could not find it, I grabbed an a9 iii and headed toward the action.
Bob said excitedly, I just got one emerging with a fish!” “Great!” I said, “There is no card in this camera.” I headed back to my SUV and grabbed the card out of my wet a-1.” When I got back to Bob, he was so excited that he could barely speak. An Osprey dove in front of him, just left of sun angle. The bird had caught a large bunker and was struggling to lift it out of the water. Bob fired away. Then an adult Brown Pelican dove on the Osprey and grabbed the fish. Bob kept firing. The two birds battled for the fish. The Osprey flew off fish-less. We reviewed the images. Bob had gotten several great ones. I got three eggs over easy.
The image above is a tight crop of one of Bob’s ten images that will appear in the next blog post, one that tells the whole story. Keep reading to learn about the life of a very special friend.
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Bob Eastman in State Park Greeter mode
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Bob Eastman and BIRDS AS ART
Bob Eastman began hanging around the blog in 2022. It was obvious to me that he was eager to learn photography. We e-mailed a lot and spoke a few times. Bob’s message was always the same: “I really want to learn from you. I am dreaming of getting to Alaska. I want to attend an IPT. But I do not fly. I am deathly scared of getting on an airplane.”
Skip ahead to February 18, 2023. Carolyn Johnson and I have just gotten off our flight from Seattle to Anchorage. A strange looking guy meets us at the top of the stairs that lead down to bag claim. He has a big smile on his face as he greets us, but his teeth are brown and yellow rotten and misshapen. “Howdy, artie!” he says, his voice very loud and 100% hillbilly, “I’m Bob Eastman.” Carolyn and I were taken aback. We each thought, “What have we gotten ourselves into?” Fortunately, Bob had had us fooled. He removed his fake rubber teeth and gave us each a big hug as we all laughed giddily.
“Bob,” I asked, what are you doing here? I thought that your plane was gonna crash.” “It almost did,” he said. “We were 30 minutes out of Seattle when the plane dropped 700 feet in seconds. Everyone not seated with their seatbelts fastened went flying. So did trays and drinks and everything else that was not tied down. I was sure that I was going to die. Once we resumed stable flight the pilot came on and explained that we had hit a pocket of dead air.”
The next day Bob drove every inch of the way from Anchorage to Homer. He turned out to be a super-nice guy. He was a great roommate. He can be zany. He is funny and laughs easily. He is enthusiastic about everything he does. He was very eager to learn. He did the first and the last Homer IPTs. He asked a thousand questions. I loaned him the SUV during the 2nd IPT, and he was off in search of owls and Moose and anything else he could find to photograph after dropping the group at the dock. And he was always there for us with a warm vehicle as we got off the boat. He drove every inch of the way back to Anchorage even though Monte Brown offered to drive several times. Neither of his return flights crashed. When he got back to Minneapolis, he faced a snowstorm and a six hour drive back to his home in Wisconsin. That wound up taking eight hours. At night. In the dark. Somewhat miraculously, he made it home safely.
A few months ago, I made him an offer he could not refuse. He committed to driving from Wisconsin to Indian Lake Estates, spending a few days at my home, and sharing a large AirBnb in Sebastian for 26 days of Osprey photography. We are a week in to the Sebastian Inlet gig, have been having a great time, and been making some great images. Bob does most of his bird photography with “just” an a-1 and the Sony 200-600. He has developed into an excellent photographer.
As I was giving him a tour of my home just after he arrived, I was complaining that the door of the dryer opened the “wrong” way, toward the wall in the laundry room. When I woke from my nap that day, Bob said, “I tried to do some laundry but had some problems with the dryer.” Bob, always the trickster, had flipped to door of the dryer so that it opened the “right” way. I was amazed and thrilled.
After you read Bob’s biography below, you may be surprised to learn that he is completely devoid of any bitterness despite the bad luck he has had for the past five or so decades. He is a skilled and knowledgeable outdoorsman. He loves life, loves photography, speaks of the time he spends outdoors with reverence, and cherishes every minute of every day. And best of all, he is my friend.
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Bob Eastman in Zany Mode disguising himself as a Moose
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The Happy Life of Hapless Bob Eastman
As told to Arthur Morris
Robert Allen Eastman was born on February 25, 1957, in Milwaukee, WI. At age five, he was on his bike chasing the ice cream wagon. After purchasing four fudgsicles, he was worried about them melting. He kept checking them out until he drove his bike right at the rear fin of a 1957 Cadillac. He split his head open ,and he arrived home bleeding profusely. He woke up two months later after being placed in a medically induced coma to reduce the swelling in his brain. Reading was a challenge , and he was unable to concentrate long on anything.
His family summered at a cottage on the Wisconsin River. His neighbor was washing out a portable cement mixer. Bob was seven. The neighbor was in his house when Bob spotted a shiny rock that he wanted. He stuck his hand in to grab it but fins inside the machine grabbed his coat and lifted him up and down as it spun. He screamed and the neighbor came out and pulled the plug. His right elbow was wrecked, his arm broken in several places. At the hospital, they put his arm in a cast and sent him home.
His parents threw him out at age 15. He got a job working in a pallet factory but was fired due to his age. By 16, he began using drugs including marijuana, cocaine, and acid. He had stolen a bicycle for transportation. When the cops came asking about the bike, Bob – realizing that his life was on a very bad path, told them that he had stolen the bike, told them about his stash, and told them that he needed help. They arrested him . He was placed in Lincoln Hills Juvenile Detention Center until he was 18.
He credits his stay at the center with turning his life around.
While he was there, a team of state doctors re-broke his cement-mixer damaged right arm and set it properly. The improvement was huge.
When he was released, he rented a cabin and got a job driving a forklift, loading trucks and trains on the docks. While trying to help a driver with his load, the forklift wound up on top of Bob. Six fellow workers lifted the 6,000-pound machine off him. He had fractured his right femur. When he could walk on the leg, he went to work in the shipping office.
Thursday night was taco night at Skyline Ski Resort. He ran into a rival from high school named Jerry. Both of them were drunk. Bob grabbed a girl’s car keys and went for a joyride with Jerry. Long story short, Bob wound up marrying Susan three months later.
They had three sons. Walking home through a park after having a drink with an old friend and turning down a ride, he was mugged and severely beaten by to men to the tune of three broken ribs and a bloodied face and head after he refused to give them his wallet with seven dollars in it. Bob got to his feet, broke the arm of one of his attackers, and spent several days in the hospital.
While camping with his wife in Tomahawk, WI, Bob began running a high fever and became delusional. They borrowed a car, got lost, and knocked on a farmer’s door. He came out with a pistol followed by his wife with a shotgun. They met the ambulance on the road. The EMTs put Bob on a gurney but neglected to strap him down. The lady EMT slipped and dropped the gurney. Bob fell off the gurney 75 feet down a steep slope into a cattail marsh. Bob was waist deep in mud and muck.
By the time the male EMT fished Bob out, he was incoherent and covered with mud and slime. His temperature was 105° F. His appendix –previously misdiagnosed by a family doctor, had ruptured. He underwent emergency surgery the next morning. Bob spent another two weeks in the hospital.
In the winter of 2005 Bob went ice-fishing. Alone. The temperature was 20° F. He broke through the ice and miraculously clawed his way out of the frigid water and tried to make his way back to his car, about 1-½ miles away. He almost made it, but collapsed 100 yards short to die. A passerby had seen Bob from the main road but kept on going. After ten miles, he made a U-turn as he felt that something just did not seem right. He saw that Bob, now covered in ice from head to toe and near death, was in dire need of help. He dragged Bob up to his car, pushed and pulled him into the back seat, and drove him 15 miles to the nearest emergency room at Hartford Memorial Hospital.
Bob was in the hospital for a week. Despite advanced hypothermia, he escaped relatively unscathed. Bob never saw the man again. “An angel,” he says.
When Bob was about 50, he was working at a tool and die machine shop in Flint, MI. On his way back to his apartment in Detroit, he got lost and wound up on the Windsor Bridge into Canada. He followed a small white van with a red cross on it into Canada. The van was pulled over by Canadian customs and so was Bob, It turned out that the guys in the van were carrying two million US dollars’ worth of cocaine. The agents incorrectly assumed that Bob was part of the drug convoy.
He was locked in a room for ten hours without access to a bathroom. He was questioned relentlessly. Bob kept protesting his innocence. He was finally released – without apology, the next day after the Mounties contacted his boss.
He lost that job in 2007 during the recession. Next , he was employed by Benz Metal Industries. He was running a water jet machine that can be used to cut anything. He was loading 55 pound bag of garnet valued at $11.00. When it slipped out of his hand, he grabbed at it. He fell face first onto a pallet of garnet bags. He dislocated his left shoulder and ruptured four spinal vertebrae in his neck. He told the boss who sent him to the doc. They did an MRI of his lower back and incredibly, missed his neck injuries. The MRI showed degenerative discs and a herniated disc in the lumbar region at L4. The doctor suggested physical therapy.
That caused excruciating pain in his neck. The therapist diagnosed a neck injury. Bob went back to see an orthopedic surgeon who recommended an MRI of the head and neck. That done, Bob was told not to move anything and to re-visit the surgeon. They tried cortisone injections and physical therapy. At that point, a Workers’ Compensation nurse become involved in the case. Things got worse and worse. Pain medication was prescribed: Vicodin, Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone, all nasty stuff.
After six months of increasing medication, the pain became worse. His right side began to go numb. He had no feeling in his right hand and could not button a shirt. They put Bob on a Fentanyl patch, 100 mcg every two days. Nothing helped. So, it was back to the surgeon. Bob agreed to anterior cervical neck fusion. Workmen’s Comp cut him off completely stating that his problem was from a pre-existing condition. They would not agree to pay for the surgery.
Bob continued to get worse and worse. His weight had dropped from 185 to 130 pounds. He went to an attorney who arranged Badger Care insurance through the state of Wisconsin. One and one-half years after his accident, the surgery was performed at The Orthopedic Medical Hospital at Milwaukee, WI.
After a tough recovery, Bob was back in physical therapy. Progress was very slow. Seven months after the surgery, he went back to light duty and computer work. No lifting.
Fasten your seatbelt.
Standing next to his boss in the shop, next to the water jet machine, a ten thousand pound steel plate, 5 X 20 feet long was hanging vertically, held by a grab claw and hoist. It was swinging inexorably toward Bob. His boss noticed it and shoved Bob out of the path of the plate. Bob fell backwards onto a pallet of steel plates . He landed on his butt.
He was taken by ambulance to the hospital where injuries to his lower back were diagnosed. After a year of failed physical therapy, three rods were surgically placed in his right hip at the SI joint, an “SI Fusion.” He walked out of the hospital that same day and felt great within a week. “That was my best surgery ever,” he told me recently at the Anchorage Airport after the Homer IPTs.
Another year of physical therapy followed so that Bob could adjust to everyday life while dealing with his neck and SI fusions. He has been out of work ever since his boss had tried to save him.
Bob had been an outdoor person since childhood and loves walking in nature. In 2011, right after the second injury, Bob purchased a Canon Elan 5 and a 70-300mm zoom lens and began carrying it on his walks. Another nature photographer was born.
In 2021, at age 64, while scouting for a good cliffside location from which to photograph the coming Fourth of July fireworks in Wisconsin Dells, Bob slipped and fell 30 feet down the 100-foot cliff until he got wedged between some rocks. Fishermen on the river called rescue, but they did not show up for an hour. Once they located Bob, they rappelled down the cliff, got Bob into a rescue basket, and lowered him down to the river where he was taken by boat to the Wisconsin Dells Dam and then by ambulance to Mauston Hospital. Just bruises and some pain, but no broken bones or serious injuries.
Bob returned a week later to photograph the fireworks display from a safe spot on a folding chair down by the river.
On February 14, 2022, Bob had his left shoulder replaced. It had been injured more than 14 years before when he dropped the $11.00 bag of garnet. The surgery was quite successful; and Bob gets around just fine now without any pain meds.
Bob says, “My life has been a journey, and it’s not over yet. I’m looking forward to the rest of it.”
Postscript: While Bob was in Homer, he often went out on his own looking for owls. He fell on the ice and re-injured his right arm. When he returned home, he had the arm x-rayed: he has an elongated stress fracture of his ulna. When the doctor examined the x-rays of his right arm he was floored; “What the hell happened to your elbow?”
The next blog post will feature ten of Bob’s Osprey/pelican interaction.
November 4th, 2024 Your Call
Which are the two strongest of today’s nine featured images? Why?
What’s Up
Sunday morning belonged to Bob Eastman. We were ready to give up and head back to our AirBnB for some eggs. Just as Bob started the car, we noticed five Ospreys in the air right in front of us. We hesitated. Two of the birds dove and each emerged with a fish. Bob was first to the rocks. As one of my a-1 bodies had gotten wet, I went to the trunk to grab my second a-1 body. When I could not find it, I grabbed an a9 iii and headed toward the action.
Bob said excitedly, I just got one emerging with a fish!” “Great!” I said, “There is no card in this camera.” I headed back to my SUV and grabbed the card out of my wet a-1.” When I got back to Bob, he was so excited that he could barely speak. An Osprey dove in front of him, just left of sun angle. The bird had caught a large bunker and was struggling to lift it out of the water. Bob fired away. Then an adult Brown Pelican dove on the Osprey and grabbed the fish. Bob kept firing. The two birds battled for the fish. The Osprey flew off fish-less. We reviewed the images. Bob had gotten several great ones. I got three eggs over easy.
I will of course be sharing some of Bob’s pelican thievery images with you here on the blog fairly soon.
Every morning has been great, and we’ve done well in the afternoons too. The fish are migrating and the Ospreys are diving. If you would like to join Bob and me, scroll down for details and then get in touch via e-mail or cell phone: 863-221-2372 ASAP, and get yourself a plane ticket. There is lots of room for you at the nicest AirBnB I’ve ever been in.
Today is Monday 4 November. Yes, we will be up early and heading for Sebastian. Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you too choose to have a great day.
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This image was created on 2 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL. Standing at full height, 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 800. 1/80 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 7:26:25am with lots of clouds in the eastern sky.
Tracking: (upper center) Zone 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: Wood Stork with Mullet
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Face Replacement
I was trying to create some pleasing blurs when a Wood Stork grabbed a Mullet. I raised the shutter speed and the ISO a few clicks each hoping to possibly make a sharp image. I kept four of about 15. The first image had the face sharp and the last image was the best pose. After creating a Quick Mask of the sharp face and eye dropping it in place was child’s play.
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This image was also created on 2 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL. Again, standing at full height, 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 250. 1/50 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 7:32:26am with lots of clouds in the eastern sky.
Zone 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: Great Egret landing
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Insane Sharpness at 1/50 Second
A mixed species group of birds had cornered a school of baitfish against the shoreline in a small lagoon. When this Great Egret flew in to join the feeding spree, I saw the opportunity to create a nice pleasingly blurred image. While reviewing my 1000 or so images from our Saturday session, Image #2 looked fairly sharp. When I enlarged it in Photo Mechanic, I was stunned to see that the bird’s eye was razor sharp. Yes, matching the speed of a bird in flight with your panning speed helps, but attaining such sharpness at 1/50 sec. is still mind boggling.
Note the sweetness of the background at f/2.8. Can you say bokeh?
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This image was also created on 2 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL. Again, standing at full height, 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 1250. 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect (ho hum). AWB at 8:03:20am on a still cloudy morning.
Zone 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 #3: Sanderling flock on beach
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I’ve been spending some quality time with the Sanderling flock on most cloudy mornings. On Friday past, they put on a wondrous show, blasting off every few minutes and swirling and turning our over the breaking waves. On Saturday? No so much. But I did like this pano crop for the mood.
Ospreys Diving on Saturday Morning
Early on Saturday morning, there were more than 30 Ospreys patrolling the inlet. With the east wind, sun angle is a challenge. The solution is to get as far out on the jetty as possible. Without endangering yourself or your gear. I pushed the envelope (as usual) and nearly got knocked off my feet when a large wave hit me from behind at knee level.
The bummer was that a had about a dozen birds hit the water right down sun angle from me; each came up without a fish 🙁
Peregrine!
I spotted the Peregrine just as someone well to my left screamed it out. I quickly adjusted the exposure for the darker-than-an-Osprey subject and found the bird in the frame as it first flew toward me and then turned left and streaked east down the center of the inlet. Whenever I have an exciting subject in the frame, a spurt of adrenaline increases my heart rate. Oftentimes, I get so excited that I screw up by misframing every image. On Saturday morning, I nailed them all.
Why 840mm?
Most everyone at Sebastian is hand holding. That includes everyone using 600mm f/4 lenses. Except me. And nobody using a 600mm f/4 lens has mounted a 1.4X teleconverter. Again, except me. It is much easier to keep a bird in the frame at 600mm than it is when working at 840mm. In addition, it is much easier to avoid clipping wingtips when using a shorter focal length.
So why do I add the 1.4X TC? I want raw files with more pixels on the subject than the rest of the boys and girls. Not to mention that a lot of the action takes place in the middle of a very wide inlet.
Enlarge the image and check out the fine feather detail on the falcon’s underwing.
Why a Tripod?
Easy question. I almost always use a tripod with my 600mm f/4 lens because I cannot comfortably hand hold it for more than a few moments. And contrary to popular opinion, with the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro it is relatively easy to get on flight and action.
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This image was also created on 2 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL. Standing at full height, I used the handheld 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 1250. 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect (ho hum). AWB at 4:21:46pm on a cloudy afternoon.
Zone 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 #8: Brown Pelican juvenile taking flight with bill open
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East Wind Afternoons
The winds have blown from the east since we arrived. Sunny afternoons are quite difficult as you have wind against sun conditions. On Saturday past, it was cloudy so we worked the inlet. There were lots of Ospreys patrolling but they were not diving. I concentrated on the young pelicans fishing. Just after this young bird had scooped up some small batfish with his bill pouch, it took flight.
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This image was also created on 2 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL. Standing at full height, I used the handheld 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 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect (ho hum). AWB at 4:46:55pm on a cloudy afternoon.
Zone 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 #9: Osprey overhead
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White Sky Exposures
In a recent e-mail, Alan Murphy, wrote: I remember shooting with you in Florida one gray sky day and I was inspired by how quickly you nailed in-camera composition and exposure. The best in the field.
With the white skies and the Ospreys not diving, I went for the overhead “T” shot. That after adding 2 1/2 stops of light to the gray sky exposure. You need to have a ton of blinkies on those gray or white skies in order to come up with a good exposure for the birds above you.
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Do not click on the composite image; simply scroll down for the best viewing.
While Sebastian Inlet is justifiably famous around the world for the Ospreys diving for migrating saltwater fish each fall, there are a variety of desirable avian subjects there as well in October and November. Keep reading if you would like to join me on what will surely be a memorable photographic and learning experience.
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Pick Your Own Dates Short-notice Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More BAA Personalized Instructional Workshops
Ridiculously Inexpensive!
Dates: October 29 (arrive on the afternoon of Monday the 28th) thru the morning session on Saturday 22 November
Right now, I have four folks for the last week, 17-22 NOV. So any few days (or a week!) after 28 OCT and before mid-NOV would be fabulous.
As BIRDS AS ART lost more than $100,000 in tax year 2023, I am moving forward looking more at sharing expenses than at making money. Simply put, for more reasons than I will list here, sharing an AirBnB or VRBO place maximizes learning while reducing your overall travel costs.
Consider joining me at Sebastian Inlet this fall for some great bird photography and a ton of learning. Life is short; what are you waiting for? While a 600mm f/4 lens is ideal, you could do the whole trip with a variety of other lenses including a 500mm f/4, a 400mm f/2.8, a 400mm DO, a 200-600, a 100-500, a 300mm f/2.8 with TCs, or one of the great new Nikon Z telephoto or telephoto zoom lenses.
Bob Eastman is driving from Wisconsin and doing all 26 days, from 28 OCT thru the morning session on 22 NOV, prime time for Ospreys diving and catching a variety of saltwater fish. There are four bedrooms in this great AirBnB property that is just 22 minutes from the south jetty at the State Park, 24 minutes from the northwest pool where the Ospreys spent a lot of time last year. Please note that NOV 21-22 are sold out.
Hopefully, those who come would stay for a week or ten days (or all 26 days!) to maximize the opportunities. As above, fewer days would work also. Fly to Melbourne (MEL) or Orlando (MCO) and rent a car. Local folks who would like to arrange a morning or two of In-the-Field Instruction during October should get in touch via e-mail.
Here, if you stay in the AirBnB with me, are the ridiculous low rates for the in-the-field sessions (that include the daily Image Review and Photoshop sessions).
$250 for a morning session
$150 for an afternoon session.
Brunch and dinners at the AirBnB will cost you $20/day.
If you are interested, let me know your preferred dates via e-mail and I will get back to you with the per/night price for the lodging.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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