Been thinking of an IPT? Sign up for any Instructional Photo Tour while I am in the Galapagos and enjoy a $200 discount on your balance. See the IPT schedule here and then call Jim at 863-692-0906 to leave your deposit. Hard to choose between DeSoto in the fall, San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans, or Homer, AK for Bald Eagles and more.
What’s Up?
As I am in the Galapagos leading the 2023 Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime, this is being posted automatically in abstentia. If you are interested in joining me in the Galapagos in August 2024, please get in touch via e-mail. Remember that you only live once.
I will be back in my office for a full day of work on September 14, 2023. See you then!
Today is Sunday 3 September 2023. 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.
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.
Are You a One Percenter?
I received the pass-along e-mail below from my good friend, multiple IPT veteran John Dupps. It will be good to work with him again on the November DeSoto IPT.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE ONE PERCENTERS
99% of people born between 1930 and 1946 (GLOBALLY) are now dead.
If you were born in this time span, your ages range between 77 and 93 years old (a 16-year age span) and you are one of the rare surviving one-percenters.
You are the last generation, climbing out of the depression, who can remember the winds of war and the impact of a world at war that rattled the structure of our daily lives for years.
You are the last to remember ration books for everything from tea to sugar to shoes. You saved tin foil and poured fried meat fat into cans. You can remember milk being delivered to your house early in the morning and placed in the “milk box” at the front door. Discipline was enforced by parents and teachers. You are the last generation who spent childhood without television and instead, you “imagined” what you heard on the radio.
With no TV, you spent your childhood “playing outside”. There was no city playground for kids. The lack of television in your early years meant that you had little real understanding of what the world was like. We got “black-and-white” TV in the late 50s that had 3 stations and no remote. Telephones (if you had one) were one to a house and hung on the wall in the kitchen (who cares about privacy). Computers were called calculators; they were hand-cranked. Typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon. INTERNET and GOOGLE were words that did not exist. Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and your dad would give you the comic pages after he read the news. The news was broadcast on your radio in the evening. The radio network gradually expanded from 3 stations to thousands.
New highways would bring jobs and mobility. Most highways were 2 lanes and there were no Motorways. You went downtown to shop. You walked to school.
Your parents were suddenly free from the confines of the depression and the war, and they threw themselves into working hard to make a living for their families.
You weren’t neglected, but you weren’t today’s all-consuming family focus. They were glad you played by yourselves. They were busy discovering the postwar world. You entered a world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where you were welcomed, enjoyed yourselves. You felt secure in your future, although the depression and poverty were deeply remembered.
Polio was still a crippler. Everyone knew someone who had it.
You are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no threats to our country. World WarII was over and the cold war, terrorism, global warming, and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt life. Only your generation can remember a time after WW2 when our world was secure and full of bright promise and plenty. You grew up at the best possible time, a time when the world was getting better.
More than 99% of you are retired now, and you should feel privileged to have “lived in the best of times!” If you have already reached the age of 77 years old, you have outlived 99% of all the other people on this planet. You are a one percenter.
These were delivered in small wooden pallet crates
My Thoughts
Though I technically fit into this group, I do not remember anything about the Depression. And World War II was never in my mind as a child. Heck, I was about eleven years old when I finally noticed that my Dad had only one arm.
I do, however, remember the milkman. And the seltzer man who delivered Fox’s U-bet chocolate syrup (in jars) and a variety of flavored syrups along with the seltzer in the bottles, like the one above, now only $149.00. My favorite was the lemon and lime syrup. Fox’s U-bet chocolate syrup was a core ingredient of most chocolate egg creams. Somewhat surprisingly, I was not a big fan, but I did drink one on occasion. Most of the time when I went into Jack’s Candy Store on East 36th street and Avenue S, I’d go for a pretzel bagel (5 cents) and a cherry coke (6 cents) from the fountain in a what would now be considered a “classic” Coke glass. Candy stores were sort of glorified new stands. The was another one catty corner to Jack’s and a third, 2 blocks down near the Marine Park Jewish Center the I was bar mitzvahed in June of 1960. I remember that right before I was called up to sing my haftara there was an ice-cream truck outside playing Lavender Blue (Dilly, Dilly) by Sammy Turner, 1959. It is one of my clearest memories and sounds as if it was only yesterday.
As for playing outside, there was 3 X 12 foot stripe of rock garden in front of my parents’ home. My Dad would often bring me toy soldiers made of lead and painted brown. I played with them alone in the rock garden setting all sorts of battles. By the time I was thirteen, I was into sports. We invented a game of street slap ball that we called honey bases. First base was manhole cover near the middle of the street. If you ran up on the bounce pitch, you could slice the ball right over the edge of the manhole cover and it would go down the block for a home run. “Third “base was on the opposite curb from home plate as the three bases formed a right triangle.
Your Thoughts?
All are invited to recall some of their favorite thoughts and memories from childhood by leaving a comment. You do not have to be a one percenter to participate, but if you are, you can mention the year of your birth.
All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 17 October through the morning session on Friday 20 October 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 30 October through the morning session on Friday 3 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #4
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 14 November through the morning session on Friday 17 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings: three.
Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.
A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.
Up Early, Stay Out Late!
Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will sometimes be on your own as well.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Been thinking of an IPT? Sign up for any Instructional Photo Tour while I am in the Galapagos and enjoy a $200 discount on your balance. See the IPT schedule here and then call Jim at 863-692-0906 to leave your deposit. Hard to choose between DeSoto in the fall, San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans, or Homer, AK for Bald Eagles and more.
What’s Up?
As I am in the Galapagos leading the 2023 Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime, this is being posted automatically in abstentia. If you are interested in joining me in the Galapagos in August 2024, please get in touch via e-mail. Remember that you only live once.
I will be back in my office for a full day of work on September 14, 2023. See you then!
Today is Friday 1 September 2023. 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.
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.
In New York City at The Javits Center
Easily Accessible to anyone in The Tri-State Area
A Celebration of 50 Years of Creativity Through Photo, Video and Audio
More than 100 World Class Speakers
Portfolio Reviews
Photo Walks
Photo & Video Experiences
Tri-State Accessibility
Audio Experience
Contests and Prizes
Learn New Skills
Show Specials on Gear
Network with the Premier Photographers, and Videographers
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #1: Black Skimmer taking flight
When Unexpected Action Occurs …
You’ve read it here dozens of times — When unexpected action occurs, press the shutter button. If you try to change a setting, you will wind up with nothing.
On rare occasion you might be presented with a great bird in flight opportunity while you are working in Manual mode and caught with your pants down – too slow a shutter speed. As you do not have time to raise both the shutter speed and the ISO, the best course of action is to fire away at shutter speeds in the 1/500 – 1/1250 second range.
I followed my own advice and wound up getting lucky and smelling like a rose. You cannot win the lottery without buying a ticket. With photography, the tickets are free; all that you have to do is train yourself and your brain to press the shutter button whenever anything moves unexpectedly.
Image #1A: Unsharpened 100% crop of the Black Skimmer taking flight image
1/500 Second!
Make flight shot this sharp at a shutter speed of only 1/500 second, and you can count your lucky stars. I did.
Click on the composite to view a larger version and be even more impressed.
First of all, if you use Nikon or Canon (or Olympus or Fuji) gear, do not be put off by the title. While a portion of the guide deals with the Sony α-1, there is a ton of priceless information, tips, and techniques that can help you become a better flight photographer. No matter what system you are using. If you don not use an α-1, be sure to read down to the bottom to save a few bucks.
Arash Hazeghi and Arthur Morris have created the definitive and most comprehensive ever treatise on photographing birds in flight. With more than sixty years of experience photographing birds, they know what you need to know but have not figured out yet! You will be astounded by the depth of their knowledge and the tips they have to offer. More than six months in the making, the guide contains 229 pages, 24,321 words,97 exceptional and inspirational flight images — each with a legendary, enlightening BIRDS AS ART caption, and 22 screen captures. The guide contains a wealth of useful, practical, and for the most part — never-before-available information.
We will teach you the basic concepts that you need to master to become a great flight photographer along with the techniques used by the world’s best flight photographers.
You will learn that most any telephoto lens can be perfect for flight photography in a given situation; focal lengths for the images in the book range from 200mm to 1200mm and everywhere in between.
We discuss the merits of various lenses in depth, including and especially comparing the 400mm f/2.8 lenses with the 600mm f/4s.
We guide you in getting your hands on the flight photography lens that will best meet your needs. We offer a variety of handholding and rest position tips and include tips on working with a big lens on a tripod when working with a flight lens that is otherwise too heavy for you.
Both authors offer their thoughts on getting the right exposure when photographing birds in flight. You will learn to get the right exposure on foggy days and even when photographing black birds in white sky conditions.
You will learn the tremendous importance of pre-focusing, of finding the bird in the viewfinder quickly, acquiring focus almost instantly (with tips on doing all three).
You will learn the role of image stabilization in flight photography and the best settings.
Both authors share their thoughts on using the focus range limiter switch. In the same vein, you will learn to use Direct Manual Focus to make your flight photography life easier.
All will learn about the best wing positions and the importance of the background with images of birds in flight. With lots of examples.
You will learn about the best shutter speeds (and the best aperture) to use when photographing flying birds.
You will learn to photograph flight while seated and the many advantages of doing so.
You will learn the best methods of controlling high ISO noise.
All will learn to properly and safely format their flash cards.
You will learn what to do when your AF system is temporarily blinded.
All will learn the huge effect that wind strength and direction has on flight photography and to evaluate the quality and direction of the light on both sunny and cloudy days.
You will learn why it is vitally important to shoot aggressively when photographing birds in flight.
You will learn to carefully observe and evaluate a variety of bird behaviors that may shine light on some excellent opportunities for photographing birds in flight. And about getting into the best position from which to photograph.
You will learn to be a much better flight photographer.
What Sony Folks Will Learn
Exactly how Artie uses Zebras to come up with perfect exposure after perfect exposure.
The fine points and recommended settings for Optical Steady Shot (OSS).
The concept of Auto-Focus (AF) tracking in the α-1.
Everything there is to know about the complex Sony autofocus system.
About all the AF patterns, how to quickly switch them, and about those favored by each author. And why.
The Tracking and Non-tracking AF patterns. When and why Arash uses Non-Tracking Zone. And why Artie uses only two AF patterns.
How to set and use Bird Face-Eye detection for flight photography.
How and why to assign various custom functions to the various programmable buttons on the α-1 body.
The perfect settings for the many, many Menu items that are vitally related to flight photography.
How and why the Sony α-1 uses both contrast and phase detection AF to determine focus (and the benefits thereof).
Which are the best memory cards for the Sony α-1.
To quickly access frequently used menu items.
Non-Sony α-1 Discount
Using the honor system, folks who do not use a Sony α-1 body are invited to click here to save $25.00 on the purchase price of the guide.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Been thinking of an IPT? Sign up for any Instructional Photo Tour while I am in the Galapagos and enjoy a $200 discount on your balance. See the IPT schedule here and then call Jim at 863-692-0906 to leave your deposit. Hard to choose between DeSoto in the fall, San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans, or Homer, AK for Bald Eagles and more.
What’s Up?
As I am in the Galapagos leading the 2023 Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime, this is being posted automatically in abstentia. If you are interested in joining me in the Galapagos in August 2024, please get in touch via e-mail. Remember that you only live once.
I will be back in my office for a full day of work on September 14, 2023. See you then!
Today is Wednesday 30 August 2023. 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.
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.
In New York City at The Javits Center
Easily Accessible to anyone in The Tri-State Area
A Celebration of 50 Years of Creativity Through Photo, Video and Audio
More than 100 World Class Speakers
Portfolio Reviews
Photo Walks
Photo & Video Experiences
Tri-State Accessibility
Audio Experience
Contests and Prizes
Learn New Skills
Show Specials on Gear
Network with the Premier Photographers, and Videographers
This image was created on 8 October 2022 on an Instructional Photo-Tour at Fort DeSoto Park, south of St. Petersburg, FL. Seated on damp sand 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 Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial set a +2.3 stop. AUTO ISO: 10,000: 1/500 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Shutter Priority (S) mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:22:32am on a clear morning with some low clouds on the eastern horizon.
Tracking: 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: Greater Yellowlegs striding in pre-dawn light
Shutter Priority Mode
In low light conditions at the beach, I will often work in Shutter Priority (S) mode with AUTO ISO and lots of plus compensation. Why the plus? Almost everything is a very light tone: sky, water, and sand. To expose to the right you need to add two stops or more of light. I can be doing slow shutter speed blurs of individual birds or flocks in flight, and if I need to make sharp images of birds on the ground or in the water, I can simply raise the shutter speed quickly while maintaining the proper exposure. If you are working in Manual mode as we usually do once the sun is up, you would need to change two parameters (shutter speed and ISO) rather than just one in an Automatic exposure mode like S.
Questionable Shutter Speed and Sharpness
Handholding 560mm at 1/500 sec. was pushing it a bit. There was quite a bit of motion blur on the head. Working on a new layer, I painted a mask of the head in Topaz Sharpen AI, chose Motion Blur, and went with the recommended settings. After it rendered, I enlarged the image in Photoshop and noted that the sharpening was overdone. I reduced the opacity of the layer to 75% and was happy with the improvement.
A better plan might have been to remove the TC and and shoot at 1/1000 sec. at the same (very high) ISO.
Remember!
It is important to remember that image stabilization (Optical Stabilization System — OSS — in Sony) can correct for lens shake, but it cannot correct for subject movement.
This image was created on 31 October 2022 on an Instructional Photo-Tour at Fort DeSoto Park, south of St. Petersburg, 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 5000. 1/1600 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 7:40:19am on clear but hazy morning with some low clouds on the eastern horizon.
Tracking: 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 in flight in soft, early morning light
With larger, slower flying subjects you can often get away with shutter speeds ranging from 1/1600 to 1/2500 second.
As Great Egrets qualify as larger, slower flying subjects, I followed our advice for Image #2 and was able to produce a razor-sharp-on-the-eye image.
High ISOs with the Sony α-1
To my eye, today’s two featured images look pretty good at ISO 10000 and ISO 5000 respectively. WDYT?
The Sony 400mm f/2.8
After four decades of recommending against lenses in this class, I tried one while photographing Bald Eagles in Homer two years ago and immediately fell in love with it. The super-wide f/2.8 aperture is a huge advantage when photographing in pink light. At Fort DeSoto, I often opt to head out into the field with this lens, no tripod, and both TCs in my fanny pack. In San Diego, it is perfect when working the pelicans on the main cliffs. Now that I own one, I always bring it to Homer. For the Galapagos trip, I left the 600mm f/4 at home and took the 400mm f/2.8 as my workhorse telephoto lens. It is easy to handhold. I love using the foot pod technique with it to get low. And the f/2.8 aperture is quite useful in the often cloudy or overcast conditions that we pray for.
First of all, if you use Nikon or Canon (or Olympus or Fuji) gear, do not be put off by the title. While a portion of the guide deals with the Sony α-1, there is a ton of priceless information, tips, and techniques that can help you become a better flight photographer. No matter what system you are using. If you don not use an α-1, be sure to read down to the bottom to save a few bucks.
Arash Hazeghi and Arthur Morris have created the definitive and most comprehensive ever treatise on photographing birds in flight. With more than sixty years of experience photographing birds, they know what you need to know but have not figured out yet! You will be astounded by the depth of their knowledge and the tips they have to offer. More than six months in the making, the guide contains 229 pages, 24,321 words,97 exceptional and inspirational flight images — each with a legendary, enlightening BIRDS AS ART caption, and 22 screen captures. The guide contains a wealth of useful, practical, and for the most part — never-before-available information.
We will teach you the basic concepts that you need to master to become a great flight photographer along with the techniques used by the world’s best flight photographers.
You will learn that most any telephoto lens can be perfect for flight photography in a given situation; focal lengths for the images in the book range from 200mm to 1200mm and everywhere in between.
We discuss the merits of various lenses in depth, including and especially comparing the 400mm f/2.8 lenses with the 600mm f/4s.
We guide you in getting your hands on the flight photography lens that will best meet your needs. We offer a variety of handholding and rest position tips and include tips on working with a big lens on a tripod when working with a flight lens that is otherwise too heavy for you.
Both authors offer their thoughts on getting the right exposure when photographing birds in flight. You will learn to get the right exposure on foggy days and even when photographing black birds in white sky conditions.
You will learn the tremendous importance of pre-focusing, of finding the bird in the viewfinder quickly, acquiring focus almost instantly (with tips on doing all three).
You will learn the role of image stabilization in flight photography and the best settings.
Both authors share their thoughts on using the focus range limiter switch. In the same vein, you will learn to use Direct Manual Focus to make your flight photography life easier.
All will learn about the best wing positions and the importance of the background with images of birds in flight. With lots of examples.
You will learn about the best shutter speeds (and the best aperture) to use when photographing flying birds.
You will learn to photograph flight while seated and the many advantages of doing so.
You will learn the best methods of controlling high ISO noise.
All will learn to properly and safely format their flash cards.
You will learn what to do when your AF system is temporarily blinded.
All will learn the huge effect that wind strength and direction has on flight photography and to evaluate the quality and direction of the light on both sunny and cloudy days.
You will learn why it is vitally important to shoot aggressively when photographing birds in flight.
You will learn to carefully observe and evaluate a variety of bird behaviors that may shine light on some excellent opportunities for photographing birds in flight. And about getting into the best position from which to photograph.
You will learn to be a much better flight photographer.
What Sony Folks Will Learn
Exactly how Artie uses Zebras to come up with perfect exposure after perfect exposure.
The fine points and recommended settings for Optical Steady Shot (OSS).
The concept of Auto-Focus (AF) tracking in the α-1.
Everything there is to know about the complex Sony autofocus system.
About all the AF patterns, how to quickly switch them, and about those favored by each author. And why.
The Tracking and Non-tracking AF patterns. When and why Arash uses Non-Tracking Zone. And why Artie uses only two AF patterns.
How to set and use Bird Face-Eye detection for flight photography.
How and why to assign various custom functions to the various programmable buttons on the α-1 body.
The perfect settings for the many, many Menu items that are vitally related to flight photography.
How and why the Sony α-1 uses both contrast and phase detection AF to determine focus (and the benefits thereof).
Which are the best memory cards for the Sony α-1.
To quickly access frequently used menu items.
Non-Sony α-1 Discount
Using the honor system, folks who do not use a Sony α-1 body are invited to click here to save $25.00 on the purchase price of the guide.
Via Text from Andrew Schonbek
Thanks for the great DeSoto IPT, Artie. It was an eye-opening experience in many ways. I have lots to work on and practice in the aftermath. Looking forward to learning more in the future. Andrew
Via Text from Stu Goz
Much love and respect to you. On the 3rd DeSoto IPT you shared a million dollars’ worth of insight for pennies.
Via e-mail from Stu Goz
Here’s cliche number one: I don’t write reviews.
Cliche number two: I’m making an exception in this one case.
I am writing this a week after my first IPT because I needed to let it all sink in properly – I needed to decompress. I’m probably not fully there yet, even now, but it’s time.
My biggest take-away is that Artie’s masterpieces are well-earned. There was never a time when I’ve seen someone work harder than he did. It was inspirational, humbling, and fascinating to watch him. Once he was in his element, the magic started immediately, and his passion was apparent for the duration of each session. My next takeaway is how unbelievably gracious, honest, and generous he is. Anyone who follows his blog already knows this (and if you don’t, you should), but Artie is an educator to the core. He is quick to explain his thought processes at any time, and leads by example.
After each session, we had a nice meal and discussed what made good photos good and bad photos bad. Enlightening. And sometimes sad. But so much better for it all. These days, more than any other time, it is the extra effort that separates the pros from the amateurs – getting low in the muck, as needed – knowing when to move, and when to stay, and doing it unwaveringly. I created so many images that I’m proud of. Artie has a great way of teaching without belittling, which keeps your mind open to his many lessons.
Artie, you are a national treasure, a never-ending source of inspiration, and a perfect mentor. I wish I could shoot right next to you every weekend.
I hope to see you again soon; your friend.
Stu Goz
All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 26 September through the morning session on Friday 29 September 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 17 October through the morning session on Friday 20 October 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 30 October through the morning session on Friday 3 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #4
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 14 November through the morning session on Friday 17 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings: five.
Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.
A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.
Up Early, Stay Out Late!
Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will sometimes be on your own as well.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Been thinking of an IPT? Sign up for any Instructional Photo Tour while I am in the Galapagos and enjoy a $200 discount on your balance. See the IPT schedule here and then call Jim at 863-692-0906 to leave your deposit. Hard to choose between DeSoto in the fall, San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans, or Homer, AK for Bald Eagles and more.
What’s Up?
As I am in the Galapagos leading the 2023 Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime, this is being posted automatically in abstentia. If you are interested in joining me in the Galapagos in August 2024, please get in touch via e-mail. Remember that you only live once.
I will be back in my office for a full day of work on September 14, 2023. See you then!
Today is Monday 28 August 2023. 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.
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.
Conflict Photographer James Natchwey Has My Respect
I do not usually watch 60 MINUTES. But I set TIVO to record well beyond the end of each weekend’s golf tournament. At some point, there was a 60 MINUTES teaser that mentioned “perhaps the greatest war photographer ever”. So after old-timer Lucas Grover who won his second tournament in a row, The FedEx St. Jude Championship, his third in two months after a ten-year drought, I watched two interesting features on 60 Minutes. The piece on the iconic James Natchwey, however, had just begun when the tape ran out. So I did a Google search and found the feature here on the CBS News website. You will have to sit through a single long commercial near the beginning, but I was very glad that I found the whole interview. It was moving, dramatic, fascinating, beautiful, horribly revealing, and inspirational in many ways. If you are human, you owe it to yourself to view the video and see what we have been doing to each other for the past four decades.
My favorite parts were when Natchwey, now 75, talked about how he got started, his comments on his 9-11 images, and the short video that shows a bullet parting his hair! He was right there when Ken Oosterbroek was shot and killed by members of South Africa’s National Peacekeeping Force (NPKF) in Thokoza Township, about 25 km east of Johannesburg, on 18 April, nine days before the 27 April 1994 elections in South Africa, the country’s first all-race elections. In 2003, Nachtwey was injured in a grenade attack on his convoy while working in Baghdad; he made a full recovery.
You can enjoy a sampling of his work on his Instagram page here. What a shame that IG censored (“covered”) several images because they may contain violent or graphic content. Also, check out his Witness galleries by clicking here.
In short, James Natchwey is a great man by any standards. I would love to have included one or two of his powerful images here but could not find a way of getting in touch.
From the Website
James Nachtwey grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from Dartmouth College, where he studied Art History and Political Science (1966-70). Images from the Vietnam War and the American Civil Rights movement had a powerful effect on him and were instrumental in his decision to become a photographer. He has worked aboard ships in the Merchant Marine, and while teaching himself photography, he was an apprentice news film editor and a truck driver.
In 1976 he started work as a newspaper photographer in New Mexico, and in 1980, he moved to New York to begin a career as a freelance magazine photographer. His first foreign assignment was to cover civil strife in Northern Ireland in 1981 during the IRA hunger strike. Since then, Nachtwey has devoted himself to documenting wars, conflicts and critical social issues. He has worked on extensive photographic essays in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, South Africa, Russia, Bosnia, Chechnya, Kosovo, Romania, Brazil and the United States.
Nachtwey has been a contract photographer with Time Magazine since 1984. He was associated with Black Star from 1980 – 1985 and was a member of Magnum from 1986 until 2001. In 2001, he became one of the founding members of the photo agency, VII. He has had solo exhibitions at the International Center of Photography in New York, the Bibliotheque nationale de France in Paris, the Palazzo Esposizione in Rome, the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego, Culturgest in Lisbon, El Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles, the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, the Canon Gallery and the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, the Carolinum in Prague,and the Hasselblad Center in Sweden, among others.
He has received numerous honours such as the Common Wealth Award, Martin Luther King Award, Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award, Henry Luce Award, Robert Capa Gold Medal (five times), the World Press Photo Award (twice), Magazine Photographer of the Year (seven times), the International Center of Photography Infinity Award (three times), the Leica Award (twice), the Bayeaux Award for War Correspondents (twice), the Alfred Eisenstaedt Award, the Canon Photo essayist Award and the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Grant in Humanistic Photography. He is a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and has an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Arts.
Your Thoughts?
While I had heard of James Natchwey before, I did not realize the extent of his greatness. How about you?
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Tomorrow, Sunday, Jim will be dropping me off in Miami at about 2:00pm for my 7:00pm flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador. After doing some introductory programs in the airport hotel on Monday, I will fly with the group to Baltra in the Galapagos. Even though this will be my tenth trip, I am super-excited. It will be a great group as 10 of the 11 folks who are coming are good friends and IPT veterans. If you are interested in joining me in the Galapagos in August 2024, please get in touch via e-mail. Remember that you only live once.
Today is Saturday 26 August. I will be finalizing my packing and preparing some blog posts to be published every three days or so while I am gone. 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.
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.
Canon 500mm f/4L IS USM Super-telephoto Lens (the “Old Five”)
Roy Holden is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM super-telephoto lens (the “old five”) in excellent plus condition for a BAA record low $1999.00. The sale includes the front leather lens cover, the lens trunk, the rear lens cap, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
The 500mm f/4 lenses have been the world’s most popular telephoto lenses for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. I owned and used and loved my “old five” for many years. If you use Canon and don’t have the cash for a 500 II, and can handle the additional 1 1/2 pounds, then this is your best super-telephoto lens option. Most everyone can produce sharp images with this lens and a 1.4X TC. Folks with good to excellent sharpness techniques can do the same with a 2X TC. Used 500mm II lenses are selling for as much as $7,018.95. I was surprised to learn that they are no longer in production as it was one of my favorite Canon super telephoto lenses. Used copies are selling for from $2,899.95 to to $3,349.95 right now on B&H. This lens will work perfectly on your dSLR bodies and/or with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R on all Canon mirrorless bodies. artie
This image was created on 20 February 2023 on a Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle Instructional Photo-Tour. Crouching a bit, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000. 1/2500 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 10:20:37am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Bald Eagle — adult head portrait with snow background
When the Sony 200-600?
When I went to Iceland I took the 600mm f/4 GM and the 70-200 f/2.8 GM II lenses. With a pocketful of teleconverters. I left the 200-600 on a shelf in my garage. Why?. Because I was expecting lots of foggy, overcast, and cloudy weather. And that is exactly what we got. When I head to Homer, I always bring the 200-600 because I know that we will have more than a few sunny sessions. With its f/6.3 maximum aperture, the 2-6 is most valuable in sunny conditions. Imagine making a head portrait of a free and wild Bald Eagle with a handheld telephoto zoom lens! Join me in Homer next year and have your dreams come true. Scroll down for details.
The Image Optimization and Clean-up
This raw file for this image was converted in Adobe Camera Raw. I ran Photoshop AI DeNoise (under the Detail tab) during the process and followed that up with a layer of Topaz DeNoise AI once the TIF was opened in Photoshop. As you can see in the Animated GIF above, I spent a good deal of time cleaning the bits gravel off the tip of the bill and the distal end of the lower mandible and flecks of blood near the base of the bill. I worked large and used the usual cadre of clean-up tools and techniques. Those included the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, the Clone Stamp Tool, and Divide and Conquer.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Please note: the Divide and Conquer technique was inadvertently omitted from DB II. It is detailed in a free excerpt in the blog post here.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: most of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK
2024 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs
IPT #1: WED 21 FEB 2024 through the full day on SUN 25 FEB 2024. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings 3.
IPT #2: MON 26 FEB 2024 through the full day on FRI 1 MAR 2024. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings 3.
Register for both trips to maximize your travel dollars and enjoy a $1000 discount while you are at it.
This trip features 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 some good luck. Some of these species, especially when in flocks, can, however, often be used effectively when pleasing creating bird-scapes.
If we need to be out early, we will be the first boat out. If the conditions are great, we will stay out. And when there is a chance for sunset silhouettes, we will 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 and instructor. He is conversant in Canon, Nikon, and Sony. 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 photographs from tens of thousands of images.
You will enjoy working with the best and most creative boat captain on his sturdy, photography-spacious, seaworthy, open-deck watercraft.
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 the group will share the additional expense at a rate of $225/hour. The leader will pay for the bait.
Some folks may wish to rent their own vehicle to take advantage of local photographic opportunities around Homer. In 2023 those included Moose, Great Grey, and Short-eared Owls.
Deposit Information
A $3000 non-refundable deposit/trip is required. You may pay your deposit with credit card or by personal check (the latter 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 these two trips is to sign up for all of them. Can you keep up with me? If you have any questions, or are good to go for one, or two of these great trips, please let me know via e-mail or give me a call on my cell phone at 863-221-2372.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
First of all, if you use Nikon or Canon (or Olympus or Fuji) gear, do not be put off by the title. While a portion of the guide deals with the Sony α-1, there is a ton of priceless information, tips, and techniques that can help you become a better flight photographer. No matter what system you are using. If you don not use an α-1, be sure to read down to the bottom to save a few bucks.
Arash Hazeghi and Arthur Morris have created the definitive and most comprehensive ever treatise on photographing birds in flight. With more than sixty years of experience photographing birds, they know what you need to know but have not figured out yet! You will be astounded by the depth of their knowledge and the tips they have to offer. More than six months in the making, the guide contains 229 pages, 24,321 words,97 exceptional and inspirational flight images — each with a legendary, enlightening BIRDS AS ART caption, and 22 screen captures. The guide contains a wealth of useful, practical, and for the most part — never-before-available information.
We will teach you the basic concepts that you need to master to become a great flight photographer along with the techniques used by the world’s best flight photographers.
You will learn that most any telephoto lens can be perfect for flight photography in a given situation; focal lengths for the images in the book range from 200mm to 1200mm and everywhere in between.
We discuss the merits of various lenses in depth, including and especially comparing the 400mm f/2.8 lenses with the 600mm f/4s.
We guide you in getting your hands on the flight photography lens that will best meet your needs. We offer a variety of handholding and rest position tips and include tips on working with a big lens on a tripod when working with a flight lens that is otherwise too heavy for you.
Both authors offer their thoughts on getting the right exposure when photographing birds in flight. You will learn to get the right exposure on foggy days and even when photographing black birds in white sky conditions.
You will learn the tremendous importance of pre-focusing, of finding the bird in the viewfinder quickly, acquiring focus almost instantly (with tips on doing all three).
You will learn the role of image stabilization in flight photography and the best settings.
Both authors share their thoughts on using the focus range limiter switch. In the same vein, you will learn to use Direct Manual Focus to make your flight photography life easier.
All will learn about the best wing positions and the importance of the background with images of birds in flight. With lots of examples.
You will learn about the best shutter speeds (and the best aperture) to use when photographing flying birds.
You will learn to photograph flight while seated and the many advantages of doing so.
You will learn the best methods of controlling high ISO noise.
All will learn to properly and safely format their flash cards.
You will learn what to do when your AF system is temporarily blinded.
All will learn the huge effect that wind strength and direction has on flight photography and to evaluate the quality and direction of the light on both sunny and cloudy days.
You will learn why it is vitally important to shoot aggressively when photographing birds in flight.
You will learn to carefully observe and evaluate a variety of bird behaviors that may shine light on some excellent opportunities for photographing birds in flight. And about getting into the best position from which to photograph.
You will learn to be a much better flight photographer.
What Sony Folks Will Learn
Exactly how Artie uses Zebras to come up with perfect exposure after perfect exposure.
The fine points and recommended settings for Optical Steady Shot (OSS).
The concept of Auto-Focus (AF) tracking in the α-1.
Everything there is to know about the complex Sony autofocus system.
About all the AF patterns, how to quickly switch them, and about those favored by each author. And why.
The Tracking and Non-tracking AF patterns. When and why Arash uses Non-Tracking Zone. And why Artie uses only two AF patterns.
How to set and use Bird Face-Eye detection for flight photography.
How and why to assign various custom functions to the various programmable buttons on the α-1 body.
The perfect settings for the many, many Menu items that are vitally related to flight photography.
How and why the Sony α-1 uses both contrast and phase detection AF to determine focus (and the benefits thereof).
Which are the best memory cards for the Sony α-1.
To quickly access frequently used menu items.
Non-Sony α-1 Discount
Using the honor system, folks who do not use a Sony α-1 body are invited to click here to save $25.00 on the purchase price of the guide.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I just got home from Long Island and am getting ready for the 2023 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. The good news is that the required clothing for the latter is pretty much identical to that of the former. And the gear is quite similar too; I will be trading out the 600mm f/4 that was vital at Nickerson Beach for the faster, lighter, easier to handhold 400mm f/2.8. If you are interested in joining me in the Galapagos in August 2024, please get in touch via e-mail. Remember that you only live once.
Arash Hazeghi sent me the final PDF for the new flight guide. Its publication will be announced here in the next blog post.
Today is Monday 21 August 2023. 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.
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.
In New York City at The Javits Center
Easily Accessible to anyone in The Tri-State Area
A Celebration of 50 Years of Creativity Through Photo, Video and Audio
More than 100 World Class Speakers
Portfolio Reviews
Photo Walks
Photo & Video Experiences
Tri-State Accessibility
Audio Experience
Contests and Prizes
Learn New Skills
Show Specials on Gear
Network with the Premier Photographers, and Videographers
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4072! Yes, 4072 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
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.
Tracking: Spot S AF/C performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Bird photographers on the pelican point
t year
This Could Be You!
Join me on a 2024 San Diego Instructional Photo Tour (IPT) to learn where to be when in La Jolla on various tide, wind, and weather conditions.
Distant Blue Pacific Backgrounds
It is easy to see that when photographing birds sitting on the edge of the cliff on a sunny morning, the backgrounds will be beautiful out-of-focus blue ocean. Though the pelicans are usually ridiculously tame, it pays to stay back and use a longer focal length rather than to get very close and use a shorter focal length. Why? Shorter focal lengths bring up unwanted background detail. Image #3 illustrates this principle nicely. Last year I spent five weeks on the cliffs at La Jolla and loved every minute of my visit.
This image was created on 9 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA on a San Diego IPT. I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with 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 1600: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be about perfect. AWB at 9:20:15am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even with the 2X TC in place. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Brown Pelican in flight with green wave background
Always Looking for New and Different
While there are some good opportunities to photograph the pelicans in flight on the main cliff, I have, over the past two years, discovered several nearby locations that consistently offer superb flight photography. All, of course, depends on the sky conditions and the wind direction. Join me in San Diego next January to learn a ton about flight photography.
Sony 400mm f/2.8 + 2X + a1
I have been less than thrilled with the sharpness of images created at 800mm with the 400 f/2.8 and the 2X. Especially as compared to images created at 1200mm with the Sony 600mm f/4 and the 2X TC. Photos made with the latter rig are stunningly sharp while those made with the 400mm f/2.8/2X TC always require a bit of selective sharpening of the face using Topaz Sharpen AI. Internet chatter theorizes that the Sony FE 2X teleconverter was designed to mesh perfectly with the 600mm f/4. And that is true of images of stationary birds and images of birds in flight or in action. There have been rumors of new and improved Sony TCs for more than a year. I hope that those come to fruition; I will be the first on line to get mine.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #3: Brown Pelican scratching
Photographing Pelican Behavior
The Pacific-race Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches are quite beautiful in their own right. The great variety of adult plumages make things incredibly interesting. But, best of all, the pelicans at La Jolla are always doing something interesting. The behaviors that you will get to photograph on an IPT include but are not limited to: scratching, head throwing, bathing, preening, ruffling, resting, sleeping, squabbling, flying, landing, bill pouch cleaning, communicating and greeting, neck stretching, wing stretching, distending their bill pouches, head shaking, and more. And they love to sit still and pose.
Manual Focus using Focus Peaking performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #4: Brown Pelican resting on a rainy morning
Manual Focus for Resting Pelicans
There is a spot, not far from the main cliffs, where the pelicans gather on certain winds, usually on the rare rainy day. By moving slowly to avoid scaring the birds off the cliff, it is easy to get within ten to fifteen feet of them. When creating super-tight portraits of the resting or sleeping birds, I find it best to stop down a bit and focus manually using Focus Peaking. I select Yellow as my focus peaking color. Using this technique allows you to see what exactly is in sharp focus.
If you join me on a San Diego IPT you will be amazed to learn how much there is to learn! Details below.
Renewed Interest in the Sony A-1
After months with barely a new sign-up for my Sony a-1 group, more than a few folks over the past two weeks have been realizing that the Sony a-1 is indeed the best bird photography camera body on the market today. The latest subscriber is PhotoBirder Scott Whittle.
Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action.
Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. By June 1, 2022, the group was up to an astounding 14y lucky and blessed folks. (More than a few folks own two or more a1 bodies! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that everyone in the group receives an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. Your entry into the group includes a consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE. New a1 folks will now receive nine e-mails instead of the previous 28! In addition, you will receive new e-mails as they are published. Simply put, this e-mail guide is an incredible resource for anyone with an a1.
All who purchased their Alpha 1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link — B&H or Bedfords — will receive a free Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up Guide and free entry into the Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.). Others can purchase their guide here in the BAA Online Store.
The 2023/2024 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPT
San Diego IPT: 4 1/2 DAYS: TUES 23 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 27 JAN 2024: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.
Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT morning sessions.
Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.
I discovered some really neat new spots on my 2022/23 visit. As a result, the first and second IPTs may include an afternoon or two of landscape photography.
Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not
Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on exposure along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode so that you can get the right exposure every time (as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant). Or two seconds with SONY zebras … And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.
Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
It Ain’t Just Pelicans
With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning, there is usually some excellent flight photography, at times with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego. Each IPT will include one or two duck sessions.
Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
The San Diego Details
These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon shoot. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Deposit Info
A $699 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2024 San Diego IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due three months before the trip.
Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late
On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
My flight from Islip to Orlando was blessedly uneventful. The luggage was off the plane amazingly quickly and right hand man Jim Litzenberg picked me up a minute after I had grabbed my single checked bag off the carousel. As mentioned previously, the East Pond at JBWR was flooded and un-photographable. Nickerson, on the other hand, was mega-productive with large numbers of young Common Terns and Black Skimmers. There were lots of chicks and lots of attacks and predation. That despite pretty poor weather conditions for the past few days.
What Don’t You Know About Bird Photography?
Whoever you are (including me), the answer is a lot. If you enjoy photographing birds along the coast or at the beach, you can learn a ton from me about bird photography in those two very popular settings. Today’s blog post deals with the fine points of getting low. There is a lot to learn and a lot to study. And there are lots of questions to challenge you. That said, the stuff below is only a fraction of what you don’t know. Join me at DeSoto or in San Diego to add to your list and become a much better photographer. Writing and refining the text for this post took about three hours with much of the work done on the plane.
Today is Saturday 19 August 2023. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. I have lots to do before I head to Ecuador for the 2023 Galapagos Phot-Cruise of a Lifetime. If you are interested in joining me in the Galapagos in August 2024, please get in touch via e-mail. Remember that you only live once.
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.
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
In New York City at The Javits Center
Easily Accessible to anyone in The Tri-State Area
A Celebration of 50 Years of Creativity Through Photo, Video and Audio
More than 100 World Class Speakers
Portfolio Reviews
Photo Walks
Photo & Video Experiences
Tri-State Accessibility
Audio Experience
Contests and Prizes
Learn New Skills
Show Specials on Gear
Network with the Premier Photographers, and Videographers
This image was created on 1 November 2022 on a Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand and working off the rear monitor with the lens hood on the ground, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 560mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 400. 1/6400 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:19:05am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: 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: Snowy Egret with tiny Fiddler Crab
How Low Can You Go?
By placing the lens hood of your telephoto lens on the ground, you cannot get any lower without digging a hole. Working off the rear monitor, place your left hand under the the camera body and then try to find and frame the subject (while keeping the camera square to the world). Toward that end, it is a good idea to activate the in-camera level. To some degree, you will need to trust some sort full-screen AF pattern — Sony’s Tracking Zone usually works like magic. Having your reading glasses on (if you need them), may enable you to see the AF point as it acquires and tracks the subject.
High Level Perspective Question I
Would having gotten one or two inches higher or lower have improved this image? Why or why not (for each)?
Tracking: Zone AF/C Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #2: Piping Plover worn juvenile foraging
High Level Perspective Question II
Would having gotten one or two inches higher or lower have improved this image? Why (or why not for each)?
The Various Shades of Low
It has never been easier to make small adjustments when working low. Here, in order from the lowest to the highest, are the available options:
1- Lens Hood on the Ground: You can only get lower by digging a hole or my removing the lens hood and placing the front of the lens on the ground. The latter technique will only gain you a fraction of an inch and is not recommended. You can lie flat and put your eye to the viewfinder or sit and work off the rear monitor.
2A- Lens Foot on the Ground: You rotate the lens foot to the bottom of the lens and place the foot on the ground. Be sure to rotate the lens to the click-stop and tighten the lens collar. Again, you can lie flat and put your eye to the viewfinder or s1t and work off the rear monitor.
2B: Panning Ground Pod: Using a Panning Ground Pod gets you as low as the two previous techniques. It is, however, as you might expect, easier to pan and follow a moving subject like a foraging shorebird. Again, you can lie flat and put your eye to the viewfinder or s1t and work off the rear monitor. Getting on your belly and working with your eye to the viewfinder makes it easier frame and follow the subject while getting dirty and placing lots of strain on your neck and lower back along with wear and tear on your elbows and more. I got down and dirty a lot when I was younger but have a problem remembering the last time I did.
2C: The Heel-pod Technique: Using this technique will get you approximately as the three previous techniques or perhaps an inch or so higher. While seated with your legs in front of you and flat on the ground, place the lens hood between your heels and then then try to find and frame the subject (again while keeping the camera square to the world). By adjusting the position of your feet you can make fine adjustments to the height of your lens.
3: The Toe-pod Technique. Resting the lens hood atop your big toes toes will get you several inches higher than the previously mentioned techniques. You need to be quite flexible to use the toe-pod technique. For most folks it is a bit less stable than any of the previous techniques.
4- The Ankle-pod Technique: Here, while seated, you bend your left knee so that it rests on the ground and place the lens barrel on your ankle. This get you 3-4 inches off the ground but is far less stable than the previous techniques. If you need an additional inch or two, this technique may be perfect in a given situation.
5- The Flattened Tripod Technique: Assuming that you have a decent tripod, you can splay the legs out completely to flatten the tripod. On average, this will place the center of the lens about 10-12 inches above the ground depending on the specific tripod and the specific head you are using. Here, the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro is a huge advantage. When you will be sitting in the same spot for an extended period of time, you can take a moment to level the head and be sure to the world no matter where you point your lens. This method is used most often when working off the tilted rear screen. Really flexible folks with no back or next problems may shoot while lying flat.
6-The Lowered Tripod Technique: Shorten the tripod completely but leave the bottom legs out about three inches, then spread the legs to the stops and sit behind the tripod. Your rig will be 18-22 inches off the ground and you will be working with your eye to the viewfinder. The big advantage to doing that is that it is much, much easier to frame the shot, to watch the AF tracking, and to follow the action by panning when needed.
It is possible to to get a bit lower by adjusting the angle of the legs (by splaying them out a bit) after you have pulled the leg locks away from the stops; the trick is to shove the legs into the sand or the dirt while keeping the tripod platform relatively parallel to the ground. This is best learned on an IPT. The longer the focal length, the lower your angle of declination will be. Again, the the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro is a huge advantage. once you get good at lowering the tripod as detailed above it is possible to get to the exact height that you need for a given shot.
7- The Knee-pod Technique: Sit on the ground with your left knee bent. Position the bottom of our left forearm atop the platform created by the top of your knee and the upper surface of your lower left thigh. Work through the viewfinder. This will put you anywhere from about 20 to 28 inches above the ground depending on your height and your posture.
8: Handholding while Seated: Sit erect on the ground and raise the camera to your eye. This will put you at about 24 to 32 inches above the ground, again depending on your height and your posture.
Remember that getting low to some degree will usually yield intimate images, but that lower is not always better. Quasi-horizon lines often cause compositional problems by intersecting with the subject.
Tracking: Zone AF/C Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #3: Black Skimmer brooding chick
The Quasi-Horizon Line
Does the quasi-horizon line (where the beach meets the base of the bush bother you? Why or why not? How could I have avoided the merge of that line with the adult’s head?
Your Call?
Which of today’s three featured images is your favorite? Why did you make your choice.
All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.
The Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 26 September through the morning session on Friday 29 September 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 17 October through the morning session on Friday 20 October 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 14 November through the morning session on Friday 17 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings five.
Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.
A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.
Up Early, Stay Out Late!
Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will sometimes be on your own as well.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which of today four featured images, all created in a single afternoon at Nickerson Beach with the incredibly lightweight and versatile Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens is the strongest, and which is the worst of the lot. Please be so kind as to let us know why you made your choices. For me the answers seem obvious.
What’s Up
Despite the relatively poor conditions and the typically inaccurate weather forecasts, I have had lots of great chances at Nickerson every morning and afternoon session. On Wednesday after for example, with an east wind blowing hard against the sun, I knew that the best chances would be with skimmers engaged in midair battles. And I would of course, keep my eyes open for any cool backlit situations. When I spotted some Great Black-backed Gulls in the process of killing yet another skimmer chick, I ran for the first time in a decade or two. I missed the killing, but got some great stuff on the eating.The flying backlit sand was very cool.
Today is Thursday 17 August 2023. I am heading to the beach for one last session. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. I fly back to Florida tomorrow.
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.
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.
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4070! Yes, 4070 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 12 August 2023 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 400mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 800: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:24:16pm on a variably cloudy afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Sanderling flock backlit is flight
Wind Against Sun Possibility
As noted above and in many previous blog posts, whenever you are faced with wind-against-sun conditions, you should be on the lookout for backlit situations. There have been some big flocks of Sanderling gathering on the beaches. As many as a thousand or more on occasion. Most of the time, they have not blasted off when or as needed.
This image was also created on 12 August 2023 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on dry sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 400mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 2000: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:43:53pm on sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Black Skimmer adult attacking chick from another nest that wandered into its territory
Attempted Murder on the Beach
Both adult terns and skimmers are quick to attack chicks from other nests that wander into their territories, often looking to get fed. Sometimes they carry the chicks far from their own nests and drop them. Whether they are dropped on the beach or into the ocean, the result is a death sentence. On rare occasion, a wayward chick is killed outright as was one small skimmer chick on Wednesday morning. I am writing an article on the new Bird Watcher’s Digest on the subject. Check out friend Julie Zickefoose’s blog post on the resurrection of the magazine that put me on the map in the 1990s to the tune of 25 published articles here.
And oh, by the way, the chick in Image #2 survived the attack.
This image was also created on 12 August 2023 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on dry sand, I used the footpad technique with the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 400mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 2000: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:01:50pm on sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Black Skimmer adult yapping
Surprisingly
Very surprisingly, adult Black Skimmers are constantly yapping when they are on the ground. Or when sitting on eggs or young. One of my very recent strategies has been to find the cleanest sand in town and then sit down and wait for a bird to land in front of me. That approach has been paying big dividends for the past week.
This image was created on 12 August 2023 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While standing and pointing the lens straight down, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 2500: 1/250 sec. at f/4 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:54:29pm after the sun disappeared behind a big dark cloud.
Tracking: Expand Spot AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Great Black-backed Gull — deceased
Even the Mighty Perish
Great Black-backed Gull is a large, fierce predator. For the past week, I have seen them take one or more Black Skimmers chick every day. For the first time in many years of visiting Nickerson Beach, I have seen them kill a half-grown chick and then fly away for no reason without devouring their prey.
70-200 GM II Close Focus!
With a Minimum Focusing distance of only 17 inches at 200mm, this small telephoto zoom lens can serve well as a quasi-macro lens.
Taking it Easy
When I am feeling a bit tired or a lot lazy, I will often grab either the 70-200 or the 200-600, take a walk on the beach, and see what I can do.
All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.
The Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 26 September through the morning session on Friday 29 September 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 17 October through the morning session on Friday 20 October 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 14 November through the morning session on Friday 17 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings five.
Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.
A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.
Up Early, Stay Out Late!
Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will sometimes be on your own as well.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Nickerson will is rife with Black Skimmer chicks and fledglings and lots action and flight photography. If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me for an inexpensive In-the-Field Session or two at either or both locations, please get in touch ASAP via e-mail or call or text me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Monday morning at Nickerson is sold out.
What’s Up?
Many BAA In-the-Field Instructional Workshop veterans Dianne Heggie and Brenda Gates joined me for a morning session at Nickerson Beach on Monday. Though conditions were tough with variably sunny skies and a southwest wind, both ladies learned a ton. Retired sociologists, they met at a local camera club meeting years ago and have been fast friends ever since. Both shoot with the Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 lens and a Nikon D850. We worked on exposure, getting low, getting close to the birds while kneeling or while seated, choosing a workable shutter speed for various situations, flight photography, subject-to-film plane orientation, and handholding. Image review and brunch at the Laurel Diner in Long Beach was enjoyed by all.
The Great-black-backed Gulls have been chowing down on small and large Black Skimmer chicks for the past few days. And the adult skimmers have been attacking wayward chicks that wander into their territories almost constantly. Despite the predation, it was a fantastic breeding season for both the Common Terns and the skimmers. In addition, there are flocks of hundreds of American Oystercatchers gathering on the beach. They also enjoyed good breeding success as there are dozens of juvenile birds with their fringed feathers and dark-tipped orange bills.
Thanks to old Long Island friend Jimmy “G” (James Galleto) I got on some tiny skimmer chicks and lots of relatively new nests with eggs. It is likely that few of those will survive as it is relatively late in the season.
Today is Tuesday 15 August 2023. I will be heading to Nickerson once again tomorrow morning. 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.
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.
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4063! Yes, 4063 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 14 August 2023 on a BAA Nickerson Beach In-the-Field Instructional Workshop. Seated on damp sand I used the knee-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:47:27am on a then mostly cloudy morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Human Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Brenda taking a break
On Respecting Photography
Normally, I do not photograph a lot of people. As you know, I love to photograph birds, the occasional flower, nice patterns, rarely a spider, a bug, or a Butterly, and once in a while, a landscape (without a bird in it). And anything else that interest me. I’ve been to Africa about six times and made many trips to Katmai to photograph Coastal Brown Bears (and on occasion, a few birds).
When I do photograph people, they are usually holding a lens. In yesterday morning’s white sky conditions, Brenda taking a break on her field chair. caught my attention. I moved down toward the ocean to get lower, zoomed all the way out, set the exposure, and made a few images. When I pointed the lens at her, she flashed a big smile. I climbed back up the berm and showed the best one to the ladies. They loved it. But I was not happy as the distant horizon line was distracting. So, I went back to my original spot, but this time I sat down on the wet sand so as to include just a strip of sand and set Brenda totally against the sky. Bingo!
I see many folks just pointing and shooting at various subjects, including people (and birds!) They are obviously sloppy and careless. To me, that is disrespecting photography. My point is that whenever you press the shutter button you might consider taking as much care as you do when photographing your primary subjects, those that turn you on. And the same is true when using your cell phone.
What do you like to photograph besides birds?
All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.
The Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 26 September through the morning session on Friday 29 September 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 17 October through the morning session on Friday 20 October 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 14 November through the morning session on Friday 17 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings five.
Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.
A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.
Up Early, Stay Out Late!
Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will sometimes be on your own as well.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which two of today’s five featured 2023 Nickerson Beach images are the strongest? Which is the weakest? Please let us know why you made your choices.
Which two images required the use of Topaz Sharpen AI to reduce motion blur on the face?
My Call
In the last blog post, the worst image for me, by far, was #2, the bathing Lesser Yellowlegs. For some reason, if I cannot see a shorebird’s white belly, it turns me off. And in general, I do not like overall dark images. My very favorite photo was #3, the beautifully designed skimmer family image. I was quite surprised that several folks chose that one as the worst.
What’s Up?
Shame on the folks who run Gateway National Park. For about the 8th time in the last ten years, the East Pond at Jamaica Bay WR is too flooded for either birding or bird photography. It was also strange to me that nobody mentioned the fact hat it looked pretty good for ISO 4000!
Nickerson Beach, on the other hand, has been fantastic. On Saturday evening, I went light with just the 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II lens and both TCS and came up with some neat images.
Today is Sunday 13 August 2023. I headed to the beach early after a vicious overnight thunder and lightning storm with lots of wind and rain. Today is a great day to consider joining me on Long Island. I will be here through Thursday morning and fly home this coming Friday.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
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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.
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4063! Yes, 4063 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
B&H Simplified
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Money Saving Reminder
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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.
JBWR/Nickerson Beach Sessions
Nickerson will is rife with Black Skimmer chicks and fledglings and lots offeegins and flight photography. If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me for an inexpensive In-the-Field Session or two at either or both locations, please get in touch ASAP via e-mail or call or text me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Monday morning at Nickerson is sold out.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #1: Black Skimmer at dawn in the Red Light District
More Red Light District Images
On clear mornings with winds from the west, conditions are poor for traditional (front lit) bird photography and especially for flight photography. Why? Because all the birds will be flying, landing, and taking off away from you when the sun is at your back. Such conditions, however, are perfect for creating Red Light District-type images of backlit birds on the beach, bathed in red, orange, or yellow light. I make sure to be at the beach a full thirty minutes before sunrise. Join me soon at Nickerson to learn how to create dramatic images like this one.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #2: Black Skimmer fledgling begging
Bird Face-Eye Detection AF-C at 1200mm
The performance of Bird Face-Eye Detection AF-C at 1200mm is stunning. It will find and track the eye almost instantly. If you are using Tracking: Zone with the brackets in the center, the system will see the eye if it is outside the brackets! And as we have seen before many times, a1 images made at 1200mm are mind-bogglingly sharp as long as you have enough shutter. Check out the shutter speed used to create Image #1.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #3: Juvenile Skimmer after getting smashed by a big wave
Oblivious to Humans and Waves!
This little guy was bravely walking along the edge of the surf, stopping every so often for a sip or water. I was with my friend Roger — he comes in the afternoons and always has his little white dog peeking out of his backpack. Anyhoo, we’d get on sun angle and the bird would walk right at us. We’d get up and move well to the west and let the bird come to us. And come he would. At one point the juvie skimmer got within two feet of the end of Roger’s Nikkor 500mm PF lens. At one point, as I was moving back, the bird got slammed by a big wave and dragged out to sea. I created image #3 as he made his way back to shore and to safety.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #4: Common Tern with Atlantic Silversides for chick
Think Fast!
I was working at 1200mm off the flatten tripod. That puts the lens about ten inches off the ground. This bird, holding a big Spearing in its bill landed at pint blank range right in front of me and right down sun angle. We used speaking as bait to catch snappers — baby Bluefish about six to eight inches long. My Dad’s mom, Grandma Selma, would cut off the heads, pull out the guts, bread them, and fry them up for me. Anyhoo, I wanted to go vertical but the a1 screen only tilts horizontally, so I did my best to fit the bird into the frame. When it turned to the side, I took more time with the framing and deliberately included only the front 3/4 of the bird, and made a series of about six images before it took flight. One was pretty close to perfect.
I knew that because the bird was so close to me that it would only stay on the ground for a few seconds. If you even think of removing the teleconverter in such instances, you will almost always wind up with nothing.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #5: Black Skimmer chick about 2-weeks old
Skimmer Chicks of Varying Sizes
One of the best things about Nickerson in August is that there are about half fledged and flying young. A bit less than half are large, handsome unfledged chicks and there are a smattering of small chicks like the bird in Image #5. This season has been a banner one for skimmer productivity as there are many hundreds of young birds. Yesterday I saw the first large skimmer chick predation by Great Black-backed Gull.
Despite deplorable conditions — wind against a bright sun — at Nickerson Beach Park this morning, Friday 11 AU 2023, I did quite well. There are a zillion black Skimmer chicks and about half a zillion Common Tern chicks. Nearly all of the other photographers there had zero clue as to handle the tough situation.
What is the World Coming To?
For as long as I can remember, I have always had Sports Center or Jeopardy or Chopped running on TIVO as background when I am working on the laptop, that usually in excess of many hours every day for one reason of another. More and more recently, I have found myself turning off the TV and listening to a John Prine mix on you tube. On Saturday, “I Remember Everything” popped up first. I happened to glance at the video. For the next 3:09 I watched and listened, captivated by the words, the sounds, the old photographs, and the old letters and postcards. Can you say heartwarming and poignant? I choked up and cried a bit at times — How I miss you in the morning light, like roses miss the dew. Then I watched it again.
This is the official lyric video for the last recorded song by John Prine before his death on April 7, 2020. The song was written by Prine and his longtime collaborator Pat McLaughlin. And to think that I had never heard of Prine until two years ago. Use the little white search box on the upper right of each blog post and type in John Prine for links to more of his great music.
Your Call?
Please leave a comment letting us know which you feel is the weakest of today’s three featured images. Be sure to let us know why you made your choice. I have a clear favorite as to which one is the worst of the three. I will share that with you here on Sunday.
My Call
In the last blog post, the Lesser Yellowlegs striding and the adult oystercatcher in sweet afternoon light were my two favorites. Why? The background in each image was sublime. And the skimmer chick being brooded did not exactly suck either (though one reader disagreed with me).
What’s Up?
Jim and I became ensnared in an horrific traffic jam on I-4 on the way to the airport on Thursday mornings. Had Maps not suggested an alternative route, I would have miss my flight to Islip for sure.
After a blessedly uneventful flight (my favorite kind), I arrived on time at ISP, picked up a rental car, paid a brief visit to younger daughter Alissa, headed to the Fish Store in Babylon, and then drove to my VRRBO lodgings in Valley Stream.
Today is Friday 11 August 2023. I will likely be at Nickerson early this morning and probably the East Pond this afternoon. If you love shorebirds, terns, and gulls, late summer through fall is a great time to get out into the field and do lots of bird photography. In particular, the southbound plovers, oystercatchers, and sandpipers are usually quite cooperative; the Common Tern chicks on Long Island are fledged and flying, and the skimmer chicks there are getting larger; some are flying. Today is a great day to consider joining me on Long Island — three folks already have, or on a DeSoto IPT. Many IPT veteran John Dupps is joining me for the November IPT; we will probably be sharing an AirBnB in Gulfport!
JBWR/Nickerson Beach Sessions
Nickerson will be rife with Black Skimmer chicks and fledglings and lots of flight photography. Juvenile shorebird photography opportunities at my soul place, the East Pond, JBWR, will peak this coming week (for about three mornings). If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me for an inexpensive In-the-Field Session or two at either or both locations, please get in touch ASAP via e-mail or call or text me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Monday morning at JBW is sold out.
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Tracking: Expand Spot AF-C with Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #1: Juvenile Kildeer
Killdeer at JBWR
Adult Killdeer at the East Pond are notoriously shy. Even the juveniles of this species are usually skittish. When working last August with Muhammand Arif, we were blessed to find this relatively tame bird in fresh juvenal plumage. In more than 30 years of photography at the East Pond, I have never gotten close enough to a killdeer photograph one. Note that each feather of the upperparts sports a narrow reddish-brown fringe that gives the bird its warm and evenly patterned look. Most juvenile shorebirds have a similar look.
Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers
Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers was written — by me 🙂 — for naturalists and birders, the text tells you everything you’ve always wanted to know about North America’s sandpipers, godwits, yellowlegs, phalaropes, plovers, avocets, stilts, and oystercatchers. Topics covered include identification and aging, shorebird behavior including their incredible migrations, feeding and diet, mating and breeding strategies, eggs, nests, and young, conservation efforts, and shorebirding tips. Also included are approximately 50 species accounts covering all of the regularly occurring North American shorebird species. With 70 of my images and 26 more by some of the world’s best nature photographers, the book contains the one of the finest collections of shorebird photographs ever published in a single volume.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #2: Lesser Yellowlegs — juvenile bathing
Bath Time
As do the shallow pools at Fort DeSoto, the shallow waters along the edges of the East Pond attract many species of terns, gulls, and shorebirds anxious to have a nice bath. Once you see a bird dipping its breast into the water and splashing around, there is a 95% that it will flap after its bath. And 95% of the time, the bird will face into the breeze or the wind. Knowing these simple bird photography basics can enable you to come up with some great images that others might be missed. An additional fine point is that the birds will most often choose to bathe in a specific depth. When one bird finishes bathing and flies off, another will often opt to bathe in the exact same spot. Your patience will often be rewarded. Join my on an IPT or an In-the-Field session to learn dozens of professional tips that will help you elevate your came and the quality of your images.
Frame-rate Tip
I have long recommended that no matter what camera body you use for bird photography, that you set your camera to achieve the maximum frame-rate. With the Sony A1, that is an impressive 30-frames per second. I have run across more than a few folks who set their cameras to one of the slower frame-rates so that they can “save card space and reduce their length of their editing (picking their keepers) sessions”. IMHO, this is a very poor strategy, especially when photographing birds in flight and in action. And when bathing. The fastest frame-rate will always give you more photos to choose from than a slower one. And in most cases, a single frame will stand out as clearly best. You never want to increase your chances of missing the shot by using less than the maximum frame-rate.
By using Photo Mechanic to choose your keepers, you can learn to edit a 2,000-image folder in less than 15 minutes. Use this link to purchase your Photo Mechanic license and forward your receipt to me e-mail and request my set-up information and a video tutorial.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #3: Black Skimmer feeding chick
Afternoon Delight
Sunny August afternoons with a breeze from the south or the west are great for photographing the Black Skimmer families. On really hot and really windy afternoons, the adult skimmers spend a lot of time in the air squabbling. Super-telephoto zoom lenses like the Sony 200-600mm G lens are ideal for photographing the midair fights. I will likely visit Nickerson on Friday morning. As I was there for 5 weeks in early summer, I am anxious to see how the nests close to the colony ropes fared. Stay tuned for details, and hopefully, for images.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
In the Lunatic Action (Part I) blog post here, my two favorite images were #1 and #4. I went with Image #1 because of its sharpness and simplicity, and I did like the o-o-f loon in the background. And I went with #4 because I had never before created even a lousy image of this species in flight.
Most folks liked #3 best:
Chris Davidson/August 5, 2023 at 10:11am
Wow! Wonderful set of RT Loon images, Art! I love all of them, but #3 is a step or two above the others IMO. The completely outstretched legs, the splash of water, and the wing position all seem to complement the sleek body in the wonderful take off capture. After that both #2 and #4 look to be close seconds. #4 is so beautiful and I love the loon’s lowered head as it comes in for the landing.
What’s Up?
I have been packing like a fiend getting ready of my spur-of-the-moment Long Island trip and got a ton of stuff done on Tuesday. After many many months of hard work over hundreds of hours, I sent the final version of the new flight guide to Arash Hazeghi. Huge thanks to David Pugsley for his three careful edits of late drafts of the e-Guide and to my right-hand man, Jim Litzenberg, for taking a last minute look at the manuscript. He found about a dozen errors that had previously avoided detection.
I fly to Islip on Thursday morning. For me, today, Wednesday 9 August 2023, will be more of the same — finish packing and tend to e-mails. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that hope that you too choose to have a great day.
If you love shorebirds, terns, and gulls, late summer through fall is a great time to get out into the field and do lots of bird photography. In particular, the southbound plovers, oystercatchers, and sandpipers are usually quite cooperative; the Common Tern chicks on Long Island are fledged and flying, and the skimmer chicks there are getting larger; some are flying. Today is a great day to consider joining me on Long Island — three folks already have, or on a DeSoto IPT. Many IPT veteran John Dupps is joining me for the November IPT; we will probably be sharing an AirBnB in Gulfport!
JBWR/Nickerson Beach Sessions
As I am not flying to Ecuador for 2023 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime until 27 August, I made arrangements yesterday to visit Long Island leaving tomorrow — Thursday 10 AUG, and returning home the following Friday — 18 AUG. Nickerson will be rife with Black Skimmer chicks and fledglings and lots of flight photography. Juvenile shorebird photography opportunities at my soul place, the East Pond, JBWR, will peak next week (for about three mornings). If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me for an inexpensive In-the-Field Session or two at either or both locations, please get in touch ASAP via e-mail or call or text me on my cell at 863-221-2372.
Tracking: Expand Spot AF-C Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #1: Black Skimmer brooding large chick
On Getting Low
When photographing shorebirds or beach-nesting birds at any time of the year, getting lower will make more than 95% of your images stronger. Join me at Nickerson or DeSoto to learn about working behind your lowered or flattened tripod, about using the toe-pod or foot pod techniques, and about putting your lens hood on the sand or mud.
At times you might need to work a bit higher to eliminate distracting background elements, but for the most part, getting lower is better as the images are very intimate and the backgrounds softer.
Black Skimmer Chicks
The entire month of August is the bomb for photographing skimmer chicks. In mid-month, the chicks begin to explore the beach outside of the colony ropes. Cloudy mornings give you the opportunity to work the chicks that are still inside the ropes. Both fledged and unfledged chicks make great snacks for the gulls, particularly the Great Black-backed Gulls. Needless to say, there is lots of action. I still need one great image of a fledged, flying young Black Skimmer.
Tracking: Zone AF/C Bird Face-Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #2: Lesser Yellowlegs juvenile striding
Juvenile Shorebirds in New York City
The mudflats and the shallow brackish water at the edge of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, New York (yes, JBWR is in NYC!), have made the pond the best location that I know of to photograph southbound shorebirds in fresh juvenal plumage for many decades. Though there is no tide in the pond, the very best days are tidal-related. Join me there next week to learn the ropes at the East Pond and to learn about the creation of this wonderful pond in the mid-1950s. And about shorebird aging and identification. And best of all, I will bring you to the spots where you can get the sweetest green backgrounds. With this image, the greens are almost surreal.
Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers
Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers was written — by me 🙂 — for naturalists and birders, the text tells you everything you’ve always wanted to know about North America’s sandpipers, godwits, yellowlegs, phalaropes, plovers, avocets, stilts, and oystercatchers. Topics covered include identification and aging, shorebird behavior including their incredible migrations, feeding and diet, mating and breeding strategies, eggs, nests, and young, conservation efforts, and shorebirding tips. Also included are approximately 50 species accounts covering all of the regularly occurring North American shorebird species. With 70 of my images and 26 more by some of the world’s best nature photographers, the book contains the one of the finest collections of shorebird photographs ever published in a single volume.
This image was created on 7 October 2022 on a Fort DeSoto Fall IPT. I used the toe-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens
the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 560mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500. 1/3200 sec. at f/5 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 6:09:42pm on a sunny afternoon.
Tracking: 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: American Oystercatcher in sweet light
Sweet Afternoon Light
Friend David Pugsley says that Fort DeSoto should patent the distinctive and luscious backgrounds that are available to photographers who get their lenses as low as possible. Heck, it was David who taught me the toe-pod technique at Jacksonville a few years ago. Throw in the very sweet light on a sunny afternoon and you have a winning combination.
This bird was photographed on the same afternoon and in the same spot as the Bar-tailed Godwit, a mega-rarity, that visited North Beach for several weeks in 2022.
Via Text from Andrew Schonbek
Thanks for the great DeSoto IPT, Artie. It was an eye-opening experience in many ways. I have lots to work on and practice in the aftermath. Looking forward to learning more in the future. Andrew
Via Text from Stu Goz
Much love and respect to you. On the 3rd DeSoto IPT you shared a million dollars’ worth of insight for pennies.
Via e-mail from Stu Goz
Here’s cliche number one: I don’t write reviews.
Cliche number two: I’m making an exception in this one case.
I am writing this a week after my first IPT because I needed to let it all sink in properly – I needed to decompress. I’m probably not fully there yet, even now, but it’s time.
My biggest take-away is that Artie’s masterpieces are well-earned. There was never a time when I’ve seen someone work harder than he did. It was inspirational, humbling, and fascinating to watch him. Once he was in his element, the magic started immediately, and his passion was apparent for the duration of each session. My next takeaway is how unbelievably gracious, honest, and generous he is. Anyone who follows his blog already knows this (and if you don’t, you should), but Artie is an educator to the core. He is quick to explain his thought processes at any time, and leads by example.
After each session, we had a nice meal and discussed what made good photos good and bad photos bad. Enlightening. And sometimes sad. But so much better for it all. These days, more than any other time, it is the extra effort that separates the pros from the amateurs – getting low in the muck, as needed – knowing when to move, and when to stay, and doing it unwaveringly. I created so many images that I’m proud of. Artie has a great way of teaching without belittling, which keeps your mind open to his many lessons.
Artie, you are a national treasure, a never-ending source of inspiration, and a perfect mentor. I wish I could shoot right next to you every weekend.
I hope to see you again soon; your friend.
Stu Goz
All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.
The Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 26 September through the morning session on Friday 29 September 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 17 October through the morning session on Friday 20 October 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 14 November through the morning session on Friday 17 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers; openings: five.
Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.
A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.
Up Early, Stay Out Late!
Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will sometimes be on your own as well.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
In mid-August 1977 I ventured out onto the mudflats at the South end of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York. Using possibly the world’s worst binoculars, I spotted a large, tall, cinnamon-colored shorebird with a long, slightly upturned bill. The bird’s beak was alabaster-pink with a dusky tip. I was mesmerized. At that time, I had no idea that seeing that single bird would change the remainder of my adult life. I was 31-years old then, and that is exactly what happened. All for the best.
On August 7, 1983, after consulting several friends including and especially Peter Post, I purchased my first telephoto lens, the Canon FD 400mm f/4.5 telephoto lens. I had already owned the Canon AE-1 dSLR body. The next day, with the lens mounted on a cheap Slik tripod with a pan-tilt head, I made my way to the East Pond to create my first bird photographs. (On print film!) I had zero clue as to what I was doing. I remember being stunned that the birds I photographed that day were mere specks in the picture.
Anyhoo, today is August 7, 2023, exactly forty years since the day that I began photographing free and wild birds. The rest as they say, is history. To fill in some of the blanks, read (or re-read) the introduction to The Art of Bird Photography where I wrote, in part, “I shoot simply to make art, to make photographs that please me and inspire others with their beauty.” Not a lot has changed there. It struck me this morning to note that no fewer than seven of the folks that I mentioned in the acknowledgments, have died. Another one of my many blessings has been a long and relatively healthy life, due in great measure to my long-term friendship with Dr. Cliff Oliver of San Diego, CA. Not to mention that since 1994 I have been privileged to earn a living doing the thing that I love to do most: photograph birds and teach others to do that same thing.
The Art of Bird Photography
To celebrate my 40 years of bird photography, the classic The Art of Bird Photography will be on sale for only $20.00 for one week. Yes, the book is dated and, in part, obsolete as it includes chapters on Choosing the Right Equipment and Film Choice. The majority of the book that put me on the map in 1998, is, however, still very relevant for those who would like to improve their bird and nature photography. The info in the Making Good Exposures chapter covers exposure theory that to this day has not been mastered by at least nine out of ten nature shooters. The same could be said about the priceless information in the On Matters of Light chapter. The rest of the basics are also covered: Producing Sharp Images; Designing the Image; Getting Close; and Capturing Action and Behavior. he next week only, you can get a half-price copy of the bird photography bible by clicking here.
Puzzled
In the mid-1990s, I would run three Bosque del Apache Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs) late each fall. Each would fill with sixteen photographers. My Southwest Florida IPTs would consistently sell out with 12 photographers. Lots as changed since then. Both Bosque and Ding Darling are but shadows of their former selves; in no way, shape, or form, might they still be considered “Crown Jewels of the NWR system. The number of bird photographers has grown exponentially since 1995. The number of folks leading nature photography tours has seemingly grown at an even faster pace. Without going into any detail, it is safe to say that the quality of instruction on most of those trips has declined precipitously. In short, you get what you pay for.
So, what confuses me is the fact that for the past four years the number of folks signing up for and participating in BAA Instructional Photo-Tours has dropped by approximately 90%. The few folks who have attended have been beyond thrilled with the experience, all stating that they never dreamed that there was so much that they did not know and that they were stunned at how much their images improved in just a few days.
I’d love to hear from each and every one of you by e-mail to learn why you have not attended an IPT in recent years. Please click here to send me a short note. Perhaps I might be able to help.
JBWR/Nickerson Beach Sessions
As I am not flying to Ecuador for 2023 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime until 27 August, I made arrangements yesterday to visit Long Island leaving this Thursday (10 AUG) and returning the following Friday (18 AUG). Nickerson should be rife with Black Skimmer chicks and fledglings and lots of flight photography. Juvenile shorebird photography opportunities at my soul place, the East Pond, JBWR, will peak next week (for about three mornings). If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me for an inexpensive In-the-Field Session or two at either or both locations, please get in touch ASAP via e-mail or call or text me on my cell at 863-221-2372.
Via Text from Andrew Schonbek
Thanks for the great DeSoto IPT, Artie. It was an eye-opening experience in many ways. I have lots to work on and practice in the aftermath. Looking forward to learning more in the future. Andrew
Via Text from Stu Goz
Much love and respect to you. On the 3rd DeSoto IPT you shared a million dollars’ worth of insight for pennies.
Via e-mail from Stu Goz
Here’s cliche number one: I don’t write reviews.
Cliche number two: I’m making an exception in this one case.
I am writing this a week after my first IPT because I needed to let it all sink in properly – I needed to decompress. I’m probably not fully there yet, even now, but it’s time.
My biggest take-away is that Artie’s masterpieces are well-earned. There was never a time when I’ve seen someone work harder than he did. It was inspirational, humbling, and fascinating to watch him. Once he was in his element, the magic started immediately, and his passion was apparent for the duration of each session. My next takeaway is how unbelievably gracious, honest, and generous he is. Anyone who follows his blog already knows this (and if you don’t, you should), but Artie is an educator to the core. He is quick to explain his thought processes at any time, and leads by example.
After each session, we had a nice meal and discussed what made good photos good and bad photos bad. Enlightening. And sometimes sad. But so much better for it all. These days, more than any other time, it is the extra effort that separates the pros from the amateurs – getting low in the muck, as needed – knowing when to move, and when to stay, and doing it unwaveringly. I created so many images that I’m proud of. Artie has a great way of teaching without belittling, which keeps your mind open to his many lessons.
Artie, you are a national treasure, a never-ending source of inspiration, and a perfect mentor. I wish I could shoot right next to you every weekend.
I hope to see you again soon; your friend.
Stu Goz
All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.
The Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 26 September through the morning session on Friday 29 September 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 17 October through the morning session on Friday 20 October 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 14 November through the morning session on Friday 17 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.
A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.
Up Early, Stay Out Late!
Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will sometimes be on your own as well.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which of today’s five featured images do you feel is the strongest? If you are not too busy to leave a much-appreciated comment, please let us know why you made your choice. By a narrow margin, I have a favorite that I will share with you on Monday.
My Call
In the last blog post (that gathered virtually zero interest), my favorite photo was Image #2: Marbled Godwit with lugworm and kleptoparasitic shorebirds. Why? I liked the sharply rendered action and the pink pre-dawn color of the water.
What’s Up?
Though I have been spending lots of time watching YouTube, the jetlag has not been bad. The Iceland trek was the best flight photography trip ever. By far. On Thursday, I added about 15 images to the flight guide, including 11 or so of mine from Grimsey. I made so many excellent puffin flight images that many hundreds, even thousands, of perfect flight photos, not only puffins but Razorbills and Black Guillemots, and of course, the Red-Throated Loons near Reykjavik, have been deleted. In the course of creating those images, three different lenses were used: the 600mm f/4, the 400mm f/2.8, and the 70-200mm f/2.8 II, all Sony of course. For flight I used the 1.4X TC with the 600 and the short zoom. And I learned a ton more above flight photography that I added to the new flight guide en route. I finished my work on the guide that day and sent the final final final draft to David Pugsley for his third and last review. When I get it back from Pugs, I will shoot it off to Arash Hazeghi for a last look. Lot more on this amazing guide is coming soon.
If you would like info on Greg Downing’s 2024 and/or the 2025 Grimsey Island puffin trips please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here. I enjoyed the trip so much that I just might return in 2024.
Today is Saturday 5 August 2023. I’ve been swimming two or three times a day. 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.
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.
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4063! Yes, 4063 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
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.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #1: Red-throated Loon — landing or beginning a rush?
The Last Loon Outing
Anita North kindly rented a vehicle for the group. We headed back to the Red-throated Loon spot. Greg kindly drove. Things began very slowly with just two loons in the lake so I laid down for a short nap in the soft marsh grass. At 7:15, things began to heat up. After that, we enjoyed virtually non-stop flight, courtship, and territorial disputes action for close to two hours. We had fifteen birds in the air at one time circling, and 20 loons in the pond at one time. Whenever a bird flew over calling, the loons on the pond would go nuts, rushing about, chasing each other, and performing a variety of courtship and agnostic behaviors. We had as many as 22 loons on the pond at one time and as many as 15 in the air circling. We did of course, have many, many, many excellent chances at takeoffs and landings.
Though I am not sure, I believe that the bird in Image #1 was beginning a rush.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #2: Red-throated Loon taking flight
Skidding to a Stop
When the loons landed, they would skid across the water and throw up a nice wake. The wind was from our right and slightly in our face, but at times, not very strong. Thus, this and many other birds landed the wrong way, i.e., with the wind behind it.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #3: Red-throated Loon taking flight
Takeoffs
As loons are heavy birds with relatively short wings, they need long runways to take off. They can only do so from the water. Most need at least 90-100 feet up to a quarter-mile (depending on the wind) for flapping their wings and running across the top of the water in order to gain enough speed for lift-off. As they gain speed by running, they leave a series of splashes behind them as they accelerate. As the sun was coming over our right shoulders we needed the birds to be well to the left of us as they took off into the wind. With the wind slightly in our faces, many of the birds were angled slightly away as they left the pond.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #4: Red-throated Loon in flight headed to the pond
On Final Approach
This is one of a 52-frame sequence of images created in less than three seconds. Using Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird Face-Eye detection enabled, every image was sharp on the eye. When photographing with friends, one of the best things is that you have more eyes on the sky. Someone always is first to spot an incoming bird. Shouts of high left at 10 o’clock or incoming low right at 2 o’clock filled the air along with sounds of screaming loons.
As it is impossible for me to handhold the 600 for extended shooing sessions, I began by placing the big lens on the tripod. I preferred to leave the lens on the tripod when working swimming birds that were already on the pond. One of the many advantages of the Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro is that it takes less than two seconds to remove your big lens from the clamp. When I or someone else called out an incoming red-throated, I would release the clamp and handhold for several seconds. That is how I kept all 52-images of this loon in the center of the frame without clipping a wing. As is usual, I picked up the bird with a sky only background and tracked it right until touchdown (below).
Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #5: Red-throated Loon touching down on landing
Touchdown
The bird first touched one toe down in frame 41. This is the 43rd image in the series, the first that showed the toes of both feet touching the water. The last eight frames in the series showed the developing wake as the bird skidded to a stop.
Sony AF
I was repeatedly astounded whenever I checked an image for sharpness on that great afternoon. In fear of missing something great, I try not to spend too much time looking at images on the back of the camera. I created more than 2600 images during that afternoon session and kept 198 after the first edit. As conditions were quite difficult that afternoon, it was amazing that the very great percentage of them were razor sharp on the bird’s eye. Whenever as soft image created by the a-1 is encountered, I am quick to look in the mirror and point out operator error as the problem.
The Exposure Challenge
Aside from the speed and direction of the wind, the color of the loon’s bellies was a big challenge. When the birds were swimming, you saw very little of white underparts. When they flapped or displayed or landed or took off, you saw a lot more of the usually white bellies. Note, however, that many of the bird’s bellies were stained orange-red, probably from iron oxide in the water. Because the birds with bright white breasts and bellies needed less light than the birds with stained underparts, you often needed to compromise your settings to avoid over-exposure as you never knew in advance which tone of a belly might pop up.
Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action.
Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. By June 1, 2022, the group was up to an astounding 146 lucky and blessed folks. (More than a few folks own two or more a1 bodies! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that everyone in the group receives an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. Your entry into the group includes a consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE. New a1 folks will now receive eight e-mails instead of the previous 28! You will receive new e-mails as they are published. Simply put, this e-mail guide is an incredible resource for anyone with an a1.
All who purchased their Alpha 1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link — B&H or Bedfords — will receive a free Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up Guide and free entry into the Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.). Others can purchase their guide here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which of today’s four featured shorebird images do you like best? Why?
My Call
In the last blog post, my clear favorite was image #3: Atlantic Puffin in flight in high wind with sandeels for chicks– TIGHT! Most folks agreed 🙂
Elinor Osborn/August 1, 2023 at 7:35am
#3 with the unique, creative crop is my pick. Another learning experience for me. I don’t think of trying crops often enough.
elle/August 1, 2023 at 10:02am
Though all images are great (of course!), number three is my favorite. It is intimate, with great detail. I like the gesture of the sandeel that is curving over the beak. The negative space is just right.
David Pugsley/August 1, 2023 at 10:15am
Harsh conditions, but a dream situation none the less! The OOTB crop takes it for me. If I were to pick something more traditional I’d lean towards #4.
David Policansky/August 1, 2023 at 5:23pm
Image #3 for sure, only in part because of the fish! It’s wonderful.
Ted Willcox/August 1, 2023 at 12:59pm
Image #3 for me. It is so out of the ordinary, and so sharp, and so interesting. What more can I say!
Anthony Ardito/August 1, 2023 at 9:52pm
#3 — TIGHT is RIGHT!
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. Do consider joining an IPT. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4063! Yes, 4063 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.
What’s Up?
On Monday, after taking the ferry back to the mainland, we overnighted at a very nice hotel in Akureyri and enjoyed a late but great farewell dinner. We left at 8am the next day for the leisurely drive back to Reykjavik and arrived at 3:00pm. Anita North kindly rented a car for the four of us, Anita, Greg, Bruce, and I. We headed back to the Red-throated Loon spot. Greg kindly drove. Things began very slowly with just two loons in the lake so I laid down for a short nap in the soft marsh grass. At 7:15, things heated up. We enjoyed virtually non-stop flight, courtship, and territorial disputes action for close to two hours. Photos and additional details soon. I can tell you that my left shoulder and left elbow are hurting from handholding the 600mm f/4 GM lens with the 1.4X TC attached. I did not get to bed until nearly midnight, woke at 5:45am, 15 minutes before the alarm went off, and transferred to Keflavik Airport for my 10:00am flight to Boston. I did get a nice nap on the plane. I finished this blog post at Logan Airport. After a 4-hour layover, I will board my flight to Orlando where Jim will pick me up at about 7:30 or so. I should be home at about 9:30pm.
Door to door travel: 18 1/2 hours. It was a great trip and well worth the effort.
If you would like info on Greg Downing’s 2024 and/or the 2025 Grimsey Island puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.
Today is Thursday 3 August. I am looking forward to getting back in the pool. I am not looking forward to the jet lag.
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.
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.
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4063! Yes, 4063 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 19 September on a Fall Fort DeSoto IPT. Kneeling — rare for me, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). ISO 2500. 1/800 second at f/7.1 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:26:33am on a hazy, cloudy morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect.
Tracking: Expand Spot 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: Red Knot
Juvenile Red Knot
This young (bird-of-the-year) Red Knot is in fairly fresh juvenal plumage. Click on the image to see the whitish fringe and the black sub-terminal band on each coverts feather. The bird is almost surely less than six weeks old. Red Knots breed only above the Arctic Circle. Those that nest in North America fly south in late summer and early fall. Some winter along southern US coasts while others go as far south as the southern tip of South America. The latter birds migrate about 9,000 miles. Twice every year!
Shorebirds; Beautiful Beachcombers was written for naturalists, birders, and bird photographers; the text tells you everything you’ve always wanted to know about North America’s sandpipers, godwits, yellowlegs, phalaropes, plovers, avocets, stilts, and oystercatchers. Topics covered include identification and aging, shorebird behavior, their incredible migrations, feeding and diet, mating and breeding strategies, eggs, nests, and young, conservation efforts, and shorebirding tips. Also included are approximately 50 species accounts covering all of the regularly occurring North American shorebird species. With 70 of Arthur’s images and 26 more by some of the world’s best nature photographers, this book contains one of the finest collections of shorebird photographs ever published in a single volume.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird/Face-Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Marbled Godwit with lugworm and kleptoparasitic shorebirds
Lugworm City!
With their long, slightly up-curved bills, Marbled Godwits are adept at capturing lugworms from sandy or muddy substrates. Lugworms (called sandworms in the UK) and in Europe), belong in the phylum Annelida. Its coiled castings are a familiar sight on sandy beaches at low tide. Both Willets and Black-bellied Plovers are quick to attempt to steal lugworms from the larger godwits. Each fall at DeSoto we get to witness and photograph dozens of lugworm thefts in the small pools where shorebirds gather.
Getting Lucky
I got away with using a fairly slow shutter speed in the pre-dawn light. If there had been any real action, I would have been dead in the water and every image would have suffered badly from motion blur.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Short-billed Dowitcher flapping after bath
Bath Time
With lots of shorebirds and lots of shallow tidal pools, DeSoto is a great place to photograph many different species bathing. Aside from the shorebirds, both gulls and terns also enjoy bathing in the shallows. Join me there on an IPT and hone the understanding and skills that you need to constantly make great images of bathing birds.
This image was created on 31 October 2022 on a Fall Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated in damp sand I used the toe-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens
the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 560mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500. 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:19:33am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: 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 #4: Willet subduing fiddler crab
Fiddler Crabs
Fiddler crabs live and breed on mudflats or in soft sand adjacent to salt marshes. The male fiddlers have one large claw and one small one; females have two small claws. They are a favorite food for many species of shorebirds and wading birds. Most of those like Long-billed Curlew, Whimbrel, and most species of ibises, have bills that are adapted to fit into the curved fiddler crab burrows. With their straight, medium length bill, Willets do quite well when hunting these small crabs. As does Yellow-crowned Night-Heron with its stout, saber-shaped bill. It is fun to watch a yellow-crowned hunting fiddler crabs; they approach the burrow with great stealth, barely moving at all. Then they stand stock still until fiddler crab pokes its way out of its burrow. And then, wham!
All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.
The Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 26 September through the morning session on Friday 29 September 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 17 October through the morning session on Friday 20 October 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 14 November through the morning session on Friday 17 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings: five.
Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.
A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.
Up Early, Stay Out Late!
Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will sometimes be on your own as well.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Price Reduced: $500.00 on 18 May 2023! Price Reduced: $500.00 on 11 June 2023! Price Reduced: $600.00 on 1 August 2023! BAA Record-low Price!
Tom Torget is offering a Canon EOS-1DX Mark III body in near-mint condition for $3149.00 (was $4,749.00). The sale includes three Canon batteries, the battery charger, the strap, the front lens cover, the manual, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 addresses only.
Please contact Tom via email at e-mail or by phone at 1-830-377-5483 (Central time).
The 1DX III is Canon’s top-of-the-line professional digital camera body. It feature’s Canon’s best-ever dSLR AF system. It is fast and rugged. BAA friend and many multiple IPT veteran Clemens Van der Werf absolutely loves his and killed with it in Homer even during blizzards! The camera sells new right now at B&H for $5,999.00; grab Tom’s camera today and save a very handsome $2250.00 on his as-good-as-new body! artie
What’s Up?
After photographing birds in Iceland for 19 of the last twenty days — we had one full day of travel, I opted to take the last morning off to get rested up and to pack for the long trip home. We took the ferry to Akureyri on Monday afternoon and overnighted there after a late, great dinner.
Today is Tuesday 1 August. We are leaving the hotel at 8am and driving to Reykjavik. Once we check into our hotel there, we will be heading for the loons for one last shot at fame. On Wednesday morning I get picked up at 7:00am for my airport transfer. I fly to Boston at 10:00am Iceland time, enjoy a 6+ hour layover there, and fly to Orlando arriving at 7:23pm if all goes as expected. Jim will be picking me up there so I should be home at about 9:30 Florida time. It will be a very long travel day, about 18 1/2 hours from door to door.
On Sunday afternoon it was incredibly windy. We were not doing very well so I took a long walk down an ATV track and discovered a new spot with a bonanza of flying puffins. After a very good morning that included almost 2000 Black Guillemot images, mostly flight shots, I wound up creating almost 8,000 images for the day. Today’s post details the afternoon flying puffin circus.
If you would like info on Greg Downing’s 2024 and/or the 2025 Grimsey Island puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.
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.
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.
Puffin in Flight on a Windy Afternoon
In a fierce wind, I walked down a long track with the wind behind me to see what I could find. After a few hundred yards, I made my way carefully to the edge of the cliff. There were hundreds of puffins on the rock ledges below and many hundreds of them in flight. Keep reading to learn more about the amazing spectacle.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird/Face-Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Atlantic Puffin in flight in high wind
Bad Wind Direction?
When I got to the cliff edge, a strong wind was quartering into my face from the right. The birds were attempting to fly into the wind away from the cliff, but the wind was so strong that they were simply flying but not going anywhere. Some were backing into the cliff to land. I started working with the tripod-mounted 600mm f/4 lens. The trick to making a successful image was to wait until the birds looked to their right.
This image was also created on 30 July 2023 at Grimsey Island, Iceland. Seated on the grass at the edge of a tall cliff, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/2500 sec. at f2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 6:58:40pm on a windy, cloudy afternoon.
Tracking: 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: Atlantic puffin in flight turning right in the high wind
Switching to the 400mm f/2.8 Lens
Tracking the birds in the high wind with my longest lens was very difficult so after 45 minutes I switched out the 600m f/4 for the 400mm f/2.8. With the wind from my right, it was very important to remove the lens hood to prevent the wind from buffeting the lens and making things even more difficult. I had done that with the 600 and then again with the 400.
This image was also created on 30 July 2023 at Grimsey Island, Iceland. Again, seated on the grass at the edge of a tall cliff, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500. 1/2500 sec. at f2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 7:07:14pm on a windy, cloudy afternoon.
Tracking: 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: Atlantic Puffin in flight in high wind with sandeels for chicks– TIGHT!
Out of the Box Crop
The bird in this image was so close that I could not fit it into the frame at 400mm.But it was so sharp that I did not want to delete it. With a healthy crop from below and the right and a tiny crop from below and left, I came up with an out-of-the-box image design for Image #3.
This image was also created on 30 July 2023 at Grimsey Island, Iceland. Again, seated on the grass at the edge of a tall cliff, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/2500 sec. at f2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect (ho hum). AWB at 7:11:19pm on a windy, cloudy afternoon.
Tracking: 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 #4: Atlantic Puffin in flight in high wind
Similar But Different
Images #2 and #4 are quite similar. In #2, the puffin was holding it position in the wind without much effort at all, sort of standing still while flying. In #4, the bird was actually backing toward the cliff. The key to the success in all of today’s featured images was to press the shutter button when the bird was looking back toward the cliff.
This image was also created on 30 July 2023 at Grimsey Island, Iceland. Seated on the grass at the edge of a tall cliff, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (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 2000: 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:34:04pm on a dark, dingy morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #5: Atlantic Puffin top shot
Switching to the 70-200 f/2.8
After another 45 minutes with the 400mm f/2.8, I was placed on the physically unable to continue list. I could no longer lift the lens and my framing was getting worse and worse, so I switched to the 70-200mm f/2.8 II lens; it is so small and so light that it seems that I could photograph flight forever with it. And some of the puffins seemed so close that you felt as if you could reach out and grab one. Image #5 was my favorite still with that lens. The sea appears much darker as I was shooting almost straight down.
The Tally
On Sunday afternoon, I created 2970 images in the high winds. After a second edit of the flight photographs, I wound up keeping only 34. Though my keeper rate was a lowest-ever 1.14%, I was quite happy with the results. Though the conditions were beyond difficult, the good images depicting unusual flight poses made me very happy.
Your Call?
Which of today’s featured images do you like best? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice. I have a very clear favorite that I will share with you here on Thursday.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Photography at Grimsey Island, Iceland continues to be fantastic. On Friday the highlight was a long flight session with fulmars and kittiwakes On a very windy Saturday afternoon, we had dozens of puffins lying straight at us. On Sunday morning, we worked the Black Guillemots perched with Butterfish and in flight; I created 1957 images of that species. Then it was more fulmars and kittiwakes in flight, perched puffin head portraits, flying puffins, and a young Snow Bunting getting fed. All in all, I created 4698 images during today’s morning session.
If you would like info on Greg Downing’s 2024 and/or the 2025 Grimsey Island puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.
Speaking of today, it is Sunday 30 July 2023. Right now, it is 1:11pm in Iceland, 9:11am on the east coast. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. I need a long nap; it will begin one minute after I hit Publish.
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.
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.
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4060! Yes, 4060 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
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.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Atlantic Puffin with fish for chick/warmer version with slightly looser crop
The Sony 1200mm Advantage
While I made lots of good images at 1200mm with Canon, the Nikon dsLR TC-20E 2X teleconverter was something of a dog. It was even difficult to make sharp images with the 1.7X TC and the Nikkor 600mm VR lens. Reviews are mixed on the Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-2x. With Sony, the sharpness of a1 images made with the 600mm f/4 GM, the a-1, and the FE 2X TC is astounding. Even at silly low shutter speeds like 1/125 second.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Atlantic Puffin with fish for chick/cooler version with slightly tighter crop
Your Call
Do you like the warmer colors in Image #1 or the color colors in Image #2?
Do you like the slightly looser crop in Image #1 or the slightly tighter crop in Image #2?
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: 100% Crop of the Atlantic Puffin with fish for chick image
Insane Detail
I believe that anyone who knows bird photography would be stunned by the sharpness of the 100% crop of today’s featured image. The yes of the fishes are phenomenally sharp. My favorite one is the one that is visible through the translucent body of another fish. Being able to create sharp images of static subjects at 1200mm with relatively low ISOs is a great advantage for all nature photographers. That said, many folks shy away from using the 2X TC with any super-telephoto lens. Try it. You just might love it. Especially if you use Sony gear.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Thanks to the very many folks who commented on the two images in the last blog post. Most everyone chose the dramatic Black-legged Kittiwake image over the splendid, symmetrical puffin with the green background. If I could only have one of those two, I would opt for the kittiwake image but only by a very slim margin.
Your Call?
Which of today’s three spoonbill images do you like best? Why did you make your choice
What’s Up?
My Grimsey Island, Iceland trip continues to be a dream come true. In addition to puffins, puffins, and more puffins, the food at the Krian Restaurant, is superb. Yesterday, the owner/chef Svafar, took me cod fishing. I caught more than ten including some 8 pounders, in less than 30 minutes! Then he took us on scenic photo tour of the cliffs. He cleaned the fish and I had them for dinner. We saved a bucket of fish guts and had lots of high key fun with the Arctic Terns, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and fulmars in the harbor.
If you would like info on Greg Downing’s 2024 and/or the 2025 Grimsey Island puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.
Today is Friday 28 July 2023. 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.
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.
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4060! Yes, 4060 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
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.
Tracking: Spot M/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Roseate Spoonbill preening alula
Roseate Spoonbill in Fall at DeSoto
This highly sought-after species is more likely to be encountered in fall at Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas County Florida than at any other season. They may be found anywhere at North Beach but are most frequently seen at Hidden Lagoon. With a careful approach, they are often quite acclimated to humans. Most bird photographers love pink!
This image, of the same individual as in Image #1, was also created on 22 September 2020 on a Fall Fort DeSoto IPT, 44 seconds after the first image was created. Again, While seated behind my lowered tripod, I used the no-longer available Induro GIT 304L tripod (now replaced by the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod)/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the Sony a7R IV (Now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000. 1/1600 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:27:51am on a mostly sunny day.
Tracking: Spot M/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Roseate Spoonbill scratching
Working a Subject
Many folks are happy to get a single good image of a given species and then move on quickly. When I find a good subject in a good situation, my great preference it to stay with it for an extended period of time, to try different perspectives, to work with a variety of focal lengths, and to strive to capture a variety of behaviors.
Would You?
Would you have replaced the bird’s eye in this image? Why or why not?
Tracking: Spot M/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Roseate Spoonbill posing against green background
The Sony 1200mm Advantage
While I made lots of good images at 1200mm with Canon, the Nikon dsLR TC-20E 2X teleconverter was something of a dog. It was even difficult to make sharp images with the 1.7X TC and the 600mm VR lens. Reviews are mixed on the Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-2x. With Sony, the sharpness of a1 images made with the 600mm f/4 GM, the a-1, and the FE 2X TC is astounding. Stay tuned for some 1200mm puffin head portraits.
All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.
The Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 26 September through the morning session on Friday 29 September 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 17 October through the morning session on Friday 20 October 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall 2023 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 14 November through the morning session on Friday 17 November 2023. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.
Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.
A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.
Up Early, Stay Out Late!
Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will sometimes be on your own as well.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Don’t be lazy. Take a moment to leave a comment and let use know which of today’s two spectacular featured images you wish was yours? And do let us know why you made your choice.
What’s Up?
Wednesday morning was Northern Fulmar chicks in the nest. The afternoon was flying and perched puffins. Thursday morning was mostly kittiwakes flying in a fierce wind, with more flying and perched puffins that afternoon. On Wednesday morning, fulmars in flight were superb.
If you would like info on Greg Downing’s 2024 and/or the 2025 Grimsey Island puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.
Today is Wednesday 26 July 2023. 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.
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.
The Fact$ of Life
The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.
In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4052! Yes, 4052 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 25 July 2023 on my Grimsey Island, Iceland visit. Standing at full height at the edge of a cliff on a very windy morning, I used the handheldSony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras. ISO 1000: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 10:20:01am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Black-legged Kittiwake returning to nest
The Goal is Always the Same: One Great Image per Session
Every time I grab a lens and head into the field, the goal is always the same: I try to create one Family Jewel-type image each session. I’d guess that I succeed about half the time. On Tuesday, I was two for two. I created the kittiwake flight shot in the morning, and the puffin with the cliff background that afternoon.
The kittiwake was quite upset. It flew in and out of its cliff nest repeatedly. It would land and offer to regurgitate partially digested fish to its chick by leaning in close while opening its bill to reveal the red throat that replaces the pecking spot of the larger gulls. The problem was that its chick was dead. Very dead. But the bird, becoming increasingly agitated, refused to give up. Several times it flew screaming back to the nest. By being in the right spot, I had some very good chances.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #2: Atlantic Puffin flying to the nesting cliff with sandeels for chick in burrow
Pre-focusing
The key to photographing fast-flying, erratic subjects like Atlantic Puffins is to pre-focus at the approximate distance you expect the bird to be. With dSLR bodies I always recommended that folks pre-focus to a distance well greater than the spot you expected the bird in flight to appear. But with mirrorless bodies, you want to be focused to a distance that approximates the spot where the bird will appear. By doing that, you can pick up the bird in flight and track it right in until it fills half the frame and then begin firing. As the action was fast and furious and I needed the reach of the 600, I turned to the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro. I was quite pleased with ow well I was able to keep the speeding puffins close to the center of the frame.
Typos
As with all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
