Homer IPT Multiple Trip Discounts Increased

Save $1,500.00 by doing back-to-back trips. Save $2500 by doing all three trips. If you sign up with a friend or a spouse, please e-mail for couples’ discount info.

Fall 2022 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3 Late Registration Discount Info

If you are interested in learning about the late registration discount offer for the third Fort DeSoto IPT, please get in touch via e-mail

On Getting Better

Consider joining me on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). The San Diego, Homer, and the yet-to-be announced July 2023 Jacksonville IPT and the July 2024 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime all offer the opportunity for you to dramatically improve your skills both in the field and at the computer and to make some astounding images as well. Click here and see which IPT might be best for you.

All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK

2023 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs

IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.

IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.

IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers. Openings: 2.

Save $1,500.00 by doing back-to-back trips. Save $2500 by doing all three trips.

These trips feature non-stop flight photography as well as many opportunities to create both environmental and point-blank portraits of one of North America’s most sought-after avian subjects: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Other reliable subjects will include Sea Otter, Glaucous-winged and Short-billed (formerly Mew) Gulls.

In addition, we should see Common Murre, Black Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, two or three species of loons, and a smattering of ducks including two species of merganser, all three scoters, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Harlequin, and Long-tailed Ducks. Close-range photographic chances for these species will require a ton of good luck. Some of these species, especially when in flocks, can, however, often be used effectively when creating bird-scapes.

If we need to be out early, we will be the first boat out. If conditions are great, we will stay out. And when there is a chance for sunset silhouettes, we will stay out and be in the right spot.

We will be traveling through gorgeous wilderness country; landscape and scenic opportunities abound.

Also featured is a professional leader, often referred to as the world’s most knowledgeable bird photography trip leader, who is conversant in Canon, Nikon, and Sony.

All images from Kachemak Bay in 2022!

What You Will Learn

You will learn practical and creative solutions to everyday photographic problems. You will learn to see the shot, to create dynamic images by fine-tuning your compositions, to best utilize your camera’s AF system, and how to analyze the wind, the sky conditions, and the direction and quality of the light. This is one of the very few trips Homer trips available where you will not be simply put on the birds and told to have fun. You will learn to be a better photographer. But only if that is what you want.

You will learn to get the right exposure when it is sunny, when it cloudy-bright, when it is cloudy, when it is cloudy-dark, or when it is foggy. Not to mention getting the right exposure when creating silhouettes.

You will learn to make pleasing blurs working in manual mode and to create silhouettes working in Shutter Priority mode.

Most importantly you will learn to pick your best flight images from tens of thousands of images.

You will enjoy working with the two best and most creative boat captains on their sturdy, photography-spacious, seaworthy, open-deck crafts.

The second and third IPTs are the only Bald Eagle workshops that feature an incredibly helpful first mate.

Only five photographers (not the usual six), plus the leader.

Small group Photoshop, Image Review, and Image Critiquing sessions.

All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK

What’s Included

One four hour or two two-hour boat trips every day (weather permitting), all boat fees and boat-related expenses (excluding tips), ground transportation to and from the dock and back to the hotel each day, in-the-field instruction and guidance, pre-trip gear advice, small group post-processing and image review sessions, and a thank you dinner for all well-behaved participants.

What’s Not Included

Your airfare to and from Homer, AK (via Anchorage), the cost of your room at Land’s End Resort, all personal items, all meals and beverages, and tips for the boat captain and/or the first mate.

Please Note

On great days, the group may wish to photograph for more than four hours. If the total time on the boat exceeds 20 hours for the five-day trips, or 24 hours for the second trip, the group will share the additional expense at a rate of $225/hour.

Some folks may wish to rent their own vehicle to take advantage of local photographic opportunities around Homer.

Deposit Information

A $3000 non-refundable deposit/trip is required. You may pay your deposit with credit card or by personal check (made out to BIRDS AS ART) and sent via US mail only to Arthur Morris. PO Box 7245. Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Your balance, due 90 days before the date of departure, is payable only by check as above.

In Closing

I have been going to Homer off and on for close to two decades. Every trip has been nothing short of fantastic. Many folks go in mid-March. The earlier you go, the better the chances for snow. The only way to assure that you are on the best of the three trips is to sign up for all three. Can you keep up with me? If you have any questions, or are good to go for one, two, or all three trips, please let me know via e-mail or give me a call on my cell phone at 863-221-2372.

What’s Up?

After the three-hour drive from Lawton, OK, to Love Field at Dallas, TX, my two-hour flight to Orlando was blessedly uneventful with an on-time arrival. I had a nice dinner at Bonefish Grill near the airport and was home just before 9:00pm.

Of yesterday’s featured images, my favorite by far was the rock wall pano for the lovely colors and patterns and for its uniqueness. I was alone on that choice.

Today is Thursday 27 October 2022. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare including the time spent on the image optimization and makes two hundred-fifteen days in a row with a new one.

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

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.

Can You Believe That I Zoomed Out for This One?

This image was created on 24 February 2020 on a Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 478mm) and the Sony a7R IV (now replaced for me by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500. 1/2500 second at f/7.1 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual Mode. AWB at 2:58:04pm on a sunny afternoon. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect. Tracking: Expand Spot (S) performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Bald Eagle — adult head portrait

Lenses for Homer

You do not need a long, fast, super-telephoto lens to photograph the Bald Eagles in Kachemak Bay near Homer AK. My most valuable lens every year has been one of the 70-200mm f/2.8s. Telephoto zoom lenses like the Sony 200-600mm, the Canon 100-400 II, or the RF 100-500mm, or the Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR, AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR, AF-S 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR, or the Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S.

Sexing Bald Eagles

The plumages of male and female Bald Eagles of all ages are basically the same. Bald eagle females average about 25 percent larger than males. The females of a given population are always larger than the males. But, remembering Bergmann’s rule (animals of the same species will tend to be larger at higher latitudes than they are at lower latitudes, that to better conserve body heat), males from the northern populations may be larger than females from southern populations.

The lady eagles have distinctly larger feet and average 30% heavier than males. The lower leg bones of the females are 20% longer than those of the males, and they have longer wings and deeper bills than their mates. When standing together, males and females of a mated pair are nearly always easy to distinguish.

I could find no reference to differences in head shape in eagles being used to determine the sex of a given bird as is true with many gull species. My gut feeling is that the bird in today’s featured image is a female.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

On Monday, I left Boise City, OK and drove to the top of Capulin Volcano National Monument in northeastern New Mexico. I took 412 to the southeast and then 87 north and west to the entrance road. The views along the way were less than thrilling. Part of the 8,000 square mile Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field, Capulin Volcano showcases the volcanic geology of the surrounding area. The views are spectacular day or night, with views of 4 different states from the volcanic rim and one of the darkest night skies in the country. It was snowing lightly when I arrived, and visibility was near zero.

I pulled over by a really cool pine tree skeleton, but could not figure out how to make a decent photo. After taking a peek into the crater, I drove down the switchbacks and turned right to head north to Folsom, NM. From there, I headed north and then east on 456 to Kenton, OK. The scenic views on 456 were spectacular, especially along the 17 miles of unpaved road.

On the final stretch of 325 as I headed back to my hotel in Boise City, I had a zillion meadowlarks, several Red-tailed Hawks, a Ferruginous Hawk, and another Golden Eagle. I managed to get a few of the raptors in the frame with the 200-600 as they jumped off their telephone pole perches, but I deleted every one.

Today is Tuesday 25 October 2022. I left Boise City at 430am and headed for Wichita National Wildlife Refuge to see what I could see. I head to Dallas on Wednesday afternoon for my afternoon non-stop flight to Orlando. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes two hundred-thirteen days in a row with a new one.

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.

Mind Boggling 70-200mm f/2.8 Versatility. And Drive-by Handheld Roadside Shooting

This image was created on 24 October 2022n in northeastern New Mexico. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 99mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 800: 1/800 sec. at f/8 (stopped down three stops) in Manual mode. AWB at11:39:08am on a solidly cloudy morning. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: abandoned farm buildings

I Thought that the Cows were Metal Cutouts

When I first spotted this tranquil scene, I thought that the cows were metal cutouts, similar to those I had seen in the Palouse year ago. When they began mooing and moving, I realized that I was wrong. As the 200-600 was much too long even at the short end, I grabbed the 70-200 and went to work. You can see part of the cinder cone of Capulin Volcano in the upper right background.

Drive-by Handheld Roadside Shooting

When driving though scenic country, it often pays to pull over (if you can do so safely) or find a parking area when you spot something neat to photograph. Proper technique for each of today’s images would call for setting up a sturdy tripod and taking your time. But when I am doing drive-by shooting, my choice is to go handheld all the way. The faster I work, the more beautiful things I can find.

This image was also created on 24 October 2022n in northeastern New Mexico. Again, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (this time at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 1600: 1/250 sec. at f/8 (stopped down three stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 2:50:02pm in light snow. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: feather detail: road-killed Turkey Vulture

Found on Road Dead

It was snowing as I drove by the road-killed Turkey Vulture, so I pulled over and again grabbed the 70-200 lens. The short minimum focusing distance of this lens makes it perfect for quasi-macro applications such as large flowers, butterflies, large bugs, and feather detail. As I saw very few vehicles from dawn to dusk, it was easy to simply pull slightly off the road and park when I spotted something interesting to photograph.

This image was also created on 24 October 2022n in northeastern New Mexico. Again, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (this time at 84mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 1000: 1/250 sec. at f/8 (stopped down three stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 4:39:38pm under cloudy skies. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: fall color along creek-bed

Cottonwoods?

I came across many small stands of trees with bright yellow leaves. If this image are not cottonwoods, please let me know. It was the dead portion of the tree near the center of the frame that caught my eye. Had Monday been clear and sunny, I would have had far fewer photographic opportunities.

This image was also created on 24 October 2022 in northeastern New Mexico. Again, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (this time at 122mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 640: 1/320 sec. at f/8 (stopped down three stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 5:47:24pm under cloudy-bright skies. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: rock formation

Are You a Geologist?

I saw dozens of interesting rock formations along 456 and stopped to photograph many of them. The one in Image #4 was reminiscent of a Mount Rushmore with almost a dozen famous folks. If you know the name for formations like the one in Image #4, please leave a comment and let us know what it is.

Rank These Images Please

All are invited to leave a comment ranking today’s four featured images with A being the strongest image and D the weakest. I will share my rankings with you in Thursday’s blog post.

Typos

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