Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
October 4th, 2022

Three Ways to Dramatically Improve Your Bird Photography

DeSoto #2 IPT Late Registration Discount Info

To learn about DeSoto #2 IPT late registration discount or pro-rated days on this or any other IPT, please get in touch via e-mail.


desoto-fall-card-b

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All the images on this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

The Fall 2022 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours

Fall 2022 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2

3 1/2 Days: 7 October through the morning session on Monday 10 October 2022. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings three.

Fall 2022 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3

3 1/2 Days: Monday 31 October through the morning session on Thursday 3 November 2022. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings: 5.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls 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 we will get to do some 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.

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 likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB 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. 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 two months 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 or Jennifer 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.


desoto-fall-card-a-layers

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.

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. The length of cloudy morning sessions will often be extended. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Spoonbills at DeSoto

Over the past years, Roseate Spoonbills have become regular visitors to Fort DeSoto Park. I know when and where to find them and can teach you to approach them successfully. Do consider joining me on one of the DeSoto IPTs.

What’s Up?

I skipped both my walk and the Vulture Trees on a clear sunny morning with a nice breeze from the north. I worked the base of the pier with the 600/2X rig on the tripod and did not fare very well. With a huge overnight mayfly hatch, there were hundreds of birds feeding in the pools on the edges of the flooded lake. Most were Cattle Egrets and White Ibises but, there were enough juvenile Little Blues Herons to pique my interest. So, I grabbed the 400 f/2.8 with the 1.4X TC and an a1 and handheld the rig for a walk down and back the South Peninsula. I kept a few.

Today is Tuesday 4 October 2022. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare makes one hundred ninety-three days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

This image was created on 20 September 2021 on a Fall Fort DeSoto IPT. The park is in Tierra Verde, FL, just south of St. Petersburg. Seated on damp sand, I used the lowered, no-longer available (except from BAA) Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted
Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 800. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/3200 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:51:29am on hazy, sunny morning.

Tracking: Upper Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.

Image #1: Roseate Spoonbill, one year old sky pointing

Three Ways to Dramatically Improve Your Bird Photography

#1 — On sunny days, point your shadow as closely as possible at the subject. In today’s featured image, note that shadow of the leg on the ground is directly behind that leg. It is rare to be perfectly on sun angle, but with Image #1, that was the case. Working subjects that are far off sun angle ruins countless images before the shutter button is pressed.

#2 — As your choice of perspective determines the background, choose it carefully. Be sure to note how each change of position affects the background. And be sure to check the edges of the frame for distractions.

#3 — Getting low will improve at least four out of five images of birds on the ground. Don’t be lazy: get your butt on the ground (if physically possible). Yes, I know that it gets harder and harder to get up, but the results make it well worthwhile. Learn to use the knee-pod, ankle-pod, toe-pod, and foot pod techniques without having to lie belly down in the muck.

Image Questions

Would you have chosen a different perspective? Why?

If you like this image, what do you like best about it?

Typos

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

October 3rd, 2022

Look What I Found on the Railing of the ILE Pier!

On Improving Your Bird Photography

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

What’s Up?

I walked early on Sunday morning and found the cooperative snake that is today’s featured subject. The water level in the lake is so high that many overflow ponds have been created in the North Field. At one of those yesterday I counted 10 Greater Yellowlegs (unusual for ILE), sixty Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (including one juvenile), and an assortment of herons and egrets. Then I headed home for a day of TIVO-ed NFL games.

As many folks who shoot Sony are still using some of the older camera bodies like the a7R III, the a7R IV, the a9, and the a9 II, I resurrected the info on The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos) for those folks who for whatever reason are not using an a1. If you own one of the aforementioned bodies and do not have the guide, it would behoove you to scroll down, check it out, and get a copy.

Note: Everyone who is in the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group can receive a free copy of the The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide by request.

Today is Monday 3 October 2022. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more almost three hours to prepare makes one hundred ninety-two days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

Image #1: iPhone image of small snake

The Discovery

While finishing my morning walk on Sunday, I noticed a small snake coiled on the railing of the pier right next to a light pole. I grabbed my iPhone, turned off a Billy Joel album, and made several images. By working at 2X and holding the phone out over the lake and shooting back, I was able to eliminate the light pole. As I start my walk in the dark, this image was created well before sunrise.

The Plan

My plan was to walk back to my vehicle that had been parked near the boat ramp, photograph the remnants of a natural Osprey nest that had been blown down by Hurricane Ian with the handheld Sony 24-105, and then drive back to the pier, grab my macro set-up and a tripod, and photograph the snake on the railing. That, of course, assuming that it was still there. It was, and as I had learned earlier, it was exceedingly tame and cooperative.

Image #2: iPhone image of the macro lens set-up

The Set-Up

I needed to get as far left as possible so that I could shade the subject with my torso and, at the same time, minimize the impact of the fleck of shed skin on the left side of the snake’s face below its left eye (as seen in Image #1). To do that, I splayed the legs of the tripod and rested it somewhat precariously on the pier railing. That done, I’d set the exposure, steady the rig, and focus manually. Considering the slow shutter speeds and the less-then-rock solid support system, I was surprised every image made on the tripod was razor sharp

The Canon 180mm Macro Lens with Sony

I absolutely love the 180mm focal length for macro, in part, because I have a “telephoto eye.” I see the world in small rectangles and love the backgrounds provided by lenses with narrow angles of view. As compared to the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens, a 180mm focal length will render the subject four times larger when photographed from the same distance. Why? The size of the subject in the frame is a function of the square of the focal length.

I sold my Canon 180 when I switched to Nikon about five years ago, and then purchased a used one from old friends Alan and Sarah Levine. Since that was the slowest and worst focusing lens ever made by Canon, I knew that all would be well using manual focus and focus peaking. That as described in detail in the Sony Camera (a7R III, a7R IV, a9, & a9 II) User’s e-Guide with One Camera Set-up Video and in the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group e-mails as well.

This rig has served me well for flowers, buds, bugs, and yes, the occasional snake. See the Green Lynx Spider image made with this lens and the Sony a7R IV in the blog post here.

This image was created on the morning of 2 October 2022 down by the lake near my home at ILE. I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM lens with the Metabones Canon EF/EF-S Lens to Sony E Mount T Smart Adapter (Fifth Generation) and The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera body. ISO 1600: 1/40 second at f/10 in Manual Mode. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial and was determined by RawDigger to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 7:42:30am in the shade of my body on a clear morning just after sunrise.

Manual focus with (red) focus peaking. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Image #3: Eastern (Red) Ratsnake

Getting the Color Right was a Bear

It was a bear idiom: Something that is difficult to do or deal with, a task or burden

With the subject shaded by my torso, the raw file had a large BLUE color cast. Even after I dealt with that, the image still needed to be warmed up. Working on the converted TIF file and working on a new layer, I went Filter > Camera Raw Filter, hit “I” for the Eyedropper Tool, and clicked on the grayest thing I could find, the shaded section of snake skin just below the upper left corner. Voila! I had the color I was looking for.

102 sold to rave reviews.

The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris

The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)

Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.

Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.

It is hard to believe that we sent out an early draft of the guide for review in early December 2019 after we had been working on it for several months. We thought that it was pretty good at that point but Ellen Anon and her son Josh both commented to this effect: not so fast!. Both took us to task by asking lots of good questions and making dozens of excellent suggestions. They did that for several versions of the guide and for that we are very thankful.

At one point Josh wrote, Remember there are free resources competing with your guide; you need to ensure your paid guide is above and beyond these and worth the money!

Here are the links that he provided:

Sony Alpha Focus Masterclass by Mark Galer, (Sony Ambassador) here.

Sony a7R IV Tips & Tutorial by Tony Northrup here.

Sony a9 Bird In Flight/Wildlife Photography Setup and Usage Guide by Mark Smith here

Now, ask yourself why I would be sharing these free resources with you? Some of the advice is halfway decent, some of it is confusing, some of it just plain wrong, and some of it is beyond insane. Good luck trying to figure out which is which … Highlights (lowlights?) include using back-button focus (and release!) and suggested Zebra values that ensure that you will never get anything close to a good exposure. Regular readers here already know that there is never any need to use back-button focus with SONY. If you missed that, the guide clearly explains why.

Later on in the process, Josh sent me another link (one that I can no longer find). IAC, I followed it and found that the creator took you through and explained all the SONY menu items exactly as detailed in the Help Guide, but never once told you what settings he used and why he used them.

In our new guide, we explain virtually every SONY menu item in detail that might be useful in bird, nature, or wildlife photography. And then we explain your options and state clearly which setting we use in different situations and why we go that route. This invaluable advice is based on many hundreds of hours in the field photographing birds and other natural history subjects.

In short, the SONY e-Guide is incredible. While I am proud of all the previously published Camera User’s Guides, my feelings about the SONY guide go far beyond that. The stuff on using Zebras with ISO on the Rear Wheel to get the right exposure every time is all Patrick Sparkman. Without his technical brilliance, this guide would not be nearly as valuable as it is. And like my good friend Dr. Cliff Oliver, Patrick is a superb researcher — if he does not know something, he will find it online very quickly, check it out, and draw his own conclusions. Not only are the SONY menus complex, but they offer a zillion options, many of which are hidden in sub-menus and Custom Settings. Patrick figured many of those out, I discovered a few, and blog regular Craig Elson came up with some incredibly helpful little menu tricks, tricks that solved some thorny problems. Thanks also to the eagle-eyed Dane Johnson who spotted a zillion typos and type-setting errors.

The longer and harder we worked on the guide, the more I wanted to price it at $200.00. But I did not want anyone to faint. The cost of the SONY Guide is $100.00. Your purchase includes the e-Guide itself and one of the four camera-specific videos. Extra camera videos cost $25.00 each. In each video, Patrick and I take you through all the relevant menu items. We urge you to follow along with your camera in hand. Here is short and timely excerpt from the guide:

Before You Begin

With the a7r iv, the a9, and the a9 ii, the last page of My Menu allows you to turn Display From My Menu on and off as needed. It is best to keep this On so that whenever you hit the Menu button on the camera, the last-viewed My Menu page will display. When you are setting up a new camera or working on your settings while following along with this guide, you should turn Display From My Menu to Off so that you do not have to scroll through endless menu items to find what you are looking for. With My Menu Off, hitting the Menu button will return you to the last viewed Menu screen.

Once you have read this far, we urge that you watch the video for your SONY body with the camera in hand while following all the instructions before consulting the remainder of this guide.

SONY Image Galleries with Educational Captions: page 48

The e-Guide is 103 pages. The guide contains 13 sections; among those are these:

The Introduction — This section contains a bit of the back-story on how the guide came to be.

Important Stuff — This section contains some important stuff 🙂

SONY Help Guides — Here you will find active links to the Help Guides for each camera body. Note: the Camera Manuals are pretty much useless.

Points of Emphasis In this section, we reinforce and expand upon many of the important concepts that are covered in the video.

Additional Info– Here we cover tons of new stuff that we discovered in the 3 1/2 months after we created the four videos.

Clarifications — In this section we detail nineteen fine points and sticky situations.

SONY Workflow — In this very short section we outline our SONY workflow. No great shock there!

SONY Image Gallery with Educational Captions (77 images.) This collection of stunning images is meant to inspire, educate, and show folks what is possible with SONY gear. There is tons of AF info in the captions. And lots more.

SONY Zebras Coaching Gallery (14 images.) Here we explain exactly what we did with the Zebras to come up with a perfect exposure.

Tracking Flexible Spot Gallery 8 images.) The images here demonstrate the use of SONY’s most valuable AF Area Mode.

Thanks! Here we thank the many folks who helped us to improve the guide.

About the Authors — Learn a bit about artie and Patrick.

SONY Zebras Coaching Gallery: page 89

So What Does the SONY Guide Cover?

Under Points of Emphasis

Note: items without comment are self-explanatory.

Using Zebras to Get the Right Exposure in Manual Mode — Patrick’s technique allows you to make perfect or near-perfect exposures quickly and consistently.
Using Zebras to Get the Right Exposure in Manual Mode Illustrated — Thanks to an amazingly cooperative crane, this item shows how Zebras are set in an actual shooting situation.
A Final Word on Zebras –We explain the fine points of using Zebras in bright sun versus using Zebras in the shade.
Using Zebras to Get the Right Exposure in Shutter (or Aperture) Priority This technique is used by artie at times when creating pleasing blurs.
Mechanical vs Electronic Shutter It is important to know which to use with each camera …
Silent Shooting — Silent Shooting is closely linked to Mechanical vs Electronic Shutter.
Card Slots 1 & 2
Auto Review — Really valuable info here.
Focus Areas and Focus Area Limit — Along with Zebras, the info here is the meat of the guide.
a7r iv vs. a9 ii — Comparing these two great bodies.
My Menu — Learning how and what to place on your My Menus helps folks operate their SONY bodies more efficiently.

SONY Image Galleries with Educational Captions: page 66

Additional Info

Enlarge Initial Position — Explains how to see the area of sharpest focus in an image; it only works before the images are downloaded.
Telephoto Lens Focus Range Limiter Switch — Explains how and why to set this important switch.
Initial Focus Acquisition Problems With Telephoto Lenses — The tips here and in DMF below might be worth the price of the entire guide.
Direct Manual Focus (DMF)
Camera Direct Manual Focus (DMF)
An Important AF Note for a9 ii Users — Learn about a problematic dial on the a9 ii.
Optical Steady Shot (OSS)
Optical Steady Shot (OSS) on Telephoto Lenses
Diopter-adjustment Dial
Firmware Updates
Touch Operation
Naming Your Camera Bodies — This can save you lots of hassles.
Saving/Loading Settings
Sensor Cleaning
Anti-dust Function — New to the a9 ii only.
Reg. Custom Shoot Set
Function Menu Set & the Fn Button — Learn to customize the screen that comes up after pushing the Fn button.
More on Face/Eye Priority in AF — Super-important if you want to use the fabulous Tracking Flexible Spot (M).
The SONY Histogram Our comments here will likely surprise you.
Display Quality/a7 Series Bodies
Saving Settings to the Mode Dial
Compressed vs. Uncompressed Raw
Image Review with the Control Wheel — This was a “duh” moment for artie.
When to Turn Off Zebras — Super-important.
SONY US Repair Advice — Also super-important.
Vertical Grip — yeah or nay?

Tracking Flexible Spot Gallery: page 96

Under Clarifications

Power Save Start Time
AEL Button
Using SONY with an Adapter
The Eye Sensor (Tiny Window Above the Viewfinder) — Valuable stuff here …
The Mysterious Viewfinder Blackout Problem — Dealing with SONY’s most annoying problem.
Assigning Finder/Monitor to a Custom Button
Another Possible Finder/Monitor Solution
Return to Center
Bright Monitoring — A must for astrophotography.
e-Front Curtain Shutter
Manual Focus Toggle — A fabulous tip for macro photographers (often combined with Focus Magnifier below).
The Top Wheels
If You Use Rear Button Focus
Focus Magnifier — Fabulous tips for macro photographers (combined with Manual Focus Toggle above).
The Viewfinder Level
Changing the Focus and Drive Modes
AF Illuminator
AF Sensitivity
Focus Peaking
Shutter Priority for Video

SONY Image Galleries with Educational Captions: page 73

What They’ve Been Saying

From Fred Innamorato via e-mail

Hi Artie, I want to thank you for making the Sony e-Guide and videos available and for the work you put into the blog as well as for your books that teach us how to photograph birds and also for your camera User’s Guides. There is just no possible way I would have been able to get my Sony a9 ii camera settings so technically correct for doing birds in flight on my own without this guide. in my opinion, Sony should pay you for taking on the task of educating their customers. Sony has created an amazing camera but they fail to explain to their customers how to take full advantage of it. I appreciate that you know and have access to some very competent people with the technical backgrounds to assist you in your field experimentation to come up with the best and most practical and useful Menu Settings for bird photography. We all will benefit from your unique ability to pull this together. I am especially happy with your instructions on how to use the Zebra Settings for getting proper exposures. I really can’t thank you enough Artie for making my bird photography hobby so much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. My photography brings me great satisfaction. Sharing quality photographs with my family and friends has generated lots of interest in my hobby and why I do it. Life is good!

I highly recommend the purchase of your Sony e-Guide and Video(s). This information is just not available anywhere else. Even from Sony …

Fred Innamorato

Via e-Mail from Jerry Barrack

Hi Art,

I want to thank you again for your help with selling all of my Canon gear. Your advice on pricing was right-on as most items sold very quickly. As much as I loved my Canon equipment, the advances made by Sony with regard to autofocus made it a no-brainer for me to switch.

And thanks also for the SONY e-Guide, the Sony a9 video, and your Capture One Simplified video. After resisting using manual exposure for many, many years, I switched over to Patrick’s and your Zebras system with ISO on the rear wheel. I cannot believe how easy it is. It just shows that you can teach an old dog new tricks! My only complaint is that it now takes a lot longer to edit because nearly all of the images are properly exposed and in focus. The SONY focusing system along with the stuff I learned in the guide continues to amaze me. I just finished shooting Purple Martins and the percentage of sharp ones is unbelievable.

Thanks again for all your help. Stay safe and well.

Jerry

Blog comment by IPT veteran Barry Barfield

I have been actively using the set up from artie’s Sony e-Guide now for about four weeks. With my a9 ii and the 200-600 rig is easy to get the right exposure 99% of the time. I could never have figured out the settings suggested on my own, so thank you artie and Patrick. If you have Sony A9, A9ii, or one of the A7r bodies covered – you should get this guide today. Barry, Australia

From Peter Noyes via e-mail

Artie, In March, I purchased your e-Guide and Camera Set Up Video for the SONY a-7r iv mirrorless camera body. Both were great saving me a lot of time allowing me to spend more time outside enjoying my camera. The guide is surely worth a lot more than the purchase price to me.

Peter

From Thomas Bourne via e-mail

Artie, You and Patrick have done an outstanding job. Even though I own the a7 ii with its limits, I can see how you think and work. The guide was quite helpful to me. At 79 – and in great health, I may have enough time left to get another camera. Stay healthy!

Tom

Typos

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

October 2nd, 2022

Destructive Renovation Courtesy of Hurricane Ian

On Improving Your Bird Photography

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

What’s Up?

I walked early on Saturday morning. Most of the world was covered by thick clouds, but the eastern horizon was dead clear. I headed to the Vulture Trees knowing that I would get to photograph the birds against dark lead-blue skies. I did just that, and came away with 30 nice keepers of perched birds and two very nice flight sequences, one of a Turkey Vulture and one of a Black Vulture. All in all it was a great morning for photography. And yes, the breeze was from the northeast.

Astoundingly, the tree pictured in Image #1 is the very same tree that is picture in Image #2!

Today is Sunday 2 October 2022. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than 90 minutes to prepare makes one hundred ninety-one days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

Please Remember

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂



Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV 24-600mm Digital Camera (with extras)

Multiple IPT veteran Bill Schneider is offering a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV Digital Camera with extras for a very low $1049.00. The sale includes the original box, the front lens cover, two extra batteries — (a $54 value each), three in all, a dual battery charger (a $25 value), a Sony 64GB card, 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.

Please contact Bill via e-mail.

I began bird photography with this great premium super-zoom bridge-camera. It was a great bang for my buck. I was able to get on those small, far away birds, and at the same time, it was a great macro lens. Not to mention everything in between! Anke Frohlich

This super-zoom bridge camera sells new for $1698.00. You can save a handsome $650.00 by grabbing Bill’s DSC-RX10 IV now. artie

Providing speed, reach, and versatile recording features, the Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV from Sony is a compact solution for the multimedia image-makers. Featuring an updated 20.1MP 1″ Exmor RS BSI CMOS sensor and BIONZ X image processor, the RX10 IV is capable of up to 24 fps shooting at ISO 12800, as well as recording UHD 4K/30p or Full HD 1080/120p video. The sensor’s back-illuminated and stacked technologies afford a high degree of image quality with notable clarity and reduced noise to suit working in challenging lighting conditions. Complementing the shooting speed of the sensor and processor combination, this camera also offers a quickened 315-point focal plane phase-detection autofocus system for focus speeds as fast as 0.03 seconds.

Balancing the imaging capabilities, the RX10 IV is also characterized by its 25x ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens, which spans an impressive 24-600mm equivalent focal length range and uses Optical SteadyShot image stabilization to minimize the effects of camera shake by up to 4.5 stops. Its optical design incorporates eight extra-low dispersion elements and six aspherical elements to control a variety of aberrations throughout the zoom range, and its f/2.4-4 maximum aperture range benefits working in low-light conditions.

Rounding out the RX10 IV is its characteristic robust form factor, which includes both a 2.36m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder along with a tilting 3.0″ 1.44m-dot touchscreen LCD. The intuitive design also features three dedicated control rings on the lens-a zoom ring, a manual focus ring, and an aperture ring-and the aperture ring can be de-clicked for smooth, silent aperture adjustments. The magnesium-alloy body is also weather-sealed to permit working in trying environments. Additionally, for sharing and control flexibility, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are also available for wireless image sharing and remote camera control from a linked smartphone or tablet. Sony & B&H

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L USM Lens

John Nelson is offering a Canon 85mm f/1.2 L USM EF-Mount lens in Excellent condition for a very love $699.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, and the lens pouch, 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.

Please contact John via e-mail.

With a large maximum aperture of f/1.2, this professional lens is one of the fastest telephoto lenses in any class. One aspherical lens element and two high-refraction elements give sharp images with little flare even at maximum aperture. The floating system corrects coma for high image quality. The EF 85mm f/1.2L USM is superlative for portrait and low light shooting; It’s a highly acclaimed lens designed to separate creative pros from the crowd. Keh and Canon

This image was created on 6 February 2021 down by the lake near my home. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 151mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1250. Exposure determined via the in-viewfinder histogram and highlight alert evaluation. 1/500 sec. at f/5 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:59.32am on a foggy morning.

AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed fine as you would expect.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

Image #1: The eagle nest tree on a foggy morning t

The Winter 2021/2022 Breeding Timetable

After hanging around the nest tree for two years, the ILE eagles began sitting — probably on one egg, in early December 2021. Thirty-five days later, some time in very early January 2022, a tiny white baby Bald Eagle made its way out of the egg. The young bird grew quickly and began exercising its wings in the nest at the end of February. It branched in early March, and made its first flight to a nearby tree during the third week of that month. It hung around the nest for an additional month. I saw it often flying around the South Peninsula and roosting in a pine there as well. I never saw the young bird after mid-April 2022. Since then, the adult eagles have remained in the vicinity of the nest tree. In late September, I saw one of the pair rip a branch off a pine tree and return to the nest with it. And then came Ian.

This image was also created on 1 October 2022 down by the lake near my home. I used the Robus RC-5558 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 500. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1250 sec. at f/8 (stopped down two stops) AWB at 8:44:26am on a sunny morning.

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: Bald Eagle jumping off the new best perch

Destructive Renovation Courtesy of Hurricane Ian

Walking down Banyan on Thursday morning past, I was startled when the eagle nest tree came into view: the main trunk of the big pine tree had been severed just above the nest. If the eagles opt to nest this winter, photography should be spectacular. With most of the canopy gone, the nest is now wide open. I was glad to see both adult eagles at the renovated nest tree on Saturday morning

Mornings with winds with an easterly component, particularly winds from the east or the northeast, should offer fabulous incoming flight photography. I am hoping to create an image of an adult eagle flying in with a Marsh Rabbit in its talons, and one of a young eagle exercising its wings on the perch that the adult eagle in Image #2 was leaving. One can dream.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide

You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide

126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.

Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back and forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:

  • Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
  • Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
  • The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
  • Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
  • Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
  • Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
  • West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
  • Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.

Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.

You can purchase a copy 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.