August 23rd, 2022 Which of Today’s Four Featured Images is the Strongest Overall?
Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice. My favorite will likely surprise most folks.
Wanted to Buy
On the off chance that someone has a Sony 200-600mm G lens sitting on a shelf that they would like to get rid of for a decent price, please contact me via e-mail; I have a serious prospective buyer.
What’s Up?
Thanks to the ridiculous weather forecast, I enjoyed a full day of rest and catching up (mostly catching up) without making a single image.It was my first day off since 2 August. The rain all day with thunderstorms forecast was a bit off. It did not rain a single drop after 5am. By midday it was mostly sunny and the sun remained out until it clouded over at 6pm. The revised midday forecast had called for cloudy skies with rain and thunderstorms.
Today is Tuesday 23 August. The forecast for the morning is for cloudy with a SW wind. I woke early but decided to stay in again. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two hours to prepare (including the time spent on the four new image optimizations) and makes one hundred fifty-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!
Time is Running Out
Many folks are scheduled to join me at either Nickerson or JBWR in the next two weeks for an In-the-Field session or two. The first window for doing shorebirds at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge has closed. The second window is from 24-26 August. I have a private client on the 26th. See the additional details below. Muhammad Arif enjoyed three In-the-Field sessions and made lots of great images with his R5. I hope to share some of them with you here soon. Carlotta Grenier came for her third session recently and Sanjeev Nagrath learned a ton during his three Nickerson Beach sessions. Sandy Brown will be flying in from Seattle for an afternoon at Nickerson and a morning at JBWR this coming week. I head south to catch the Auto train on 31 August.
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Clockwise from the upper left corner back around to the center: Wilson’s Phalarope, JBWR; just fledged Common Tern, Nickerson; Black Skimmer, adult skimming, Nickerson; Black Skimmer killing tiny skimmer chick, Nickerson; American Oystercatcher foraging at sunrise, Nickerson; Common Tern chick swallowing baby bluefish, Nickerson; Short-billed Dowitcher, juvenile, double overhead wing stretch, JBWR; Black Skimmers, predawn flock blur, Nickerson; Black Skimmer, 10-day old chick, Nickerson.
Click on the card to view a larger version.
Nickerson Beach/East Pond JBWR composite
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Nickerson Beach/East Pond at Jamaica Bay (JBWR) In-the Field Workshops
Both Nickerson Beach and the East Pond at JBWR offer some of the best midsummer bird photography on the planet. Hundreds of pairs or Black Skimmers and Common Terns along with dozens of pairs of American Oystercatchers breed at Nickerson each season so there are lots of chicks of all sizes and handsome fledged young birds to photograph. Provided that the water levels are low, hundreds of young shorebirds in their handsome fresh juvenile plumages stop by the pond each August on their way south.
Nickerson often reveals nature at it rawest, most basic level. Most days we get to photograph all sorts of dramatic behaviors ranging from skimmers and terns fishing and feeding (and tending) their young. There are often chances to shoot a variety of predatory encounters — gulls eating large skimmer chicks, skimmers attacking (and sometimes killing) skimmer babies, and Peregrine Falcons hunting. And rarely, if we are lucky, Peregrine Falcons catching! Consider joining me to learn a ton both about bird photography and the birds.
I head south on 31 August and should be back home on 1 September (barring anything unforeseen). I am offering In-the-Field sessions at both Nickerson Beach and the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. If you are interested, please get in touch via e-mail or text me at 863-221-2372.
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 🙂
If You Enjoy the Blog …
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
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This image was created on 21 August on an In-the-Field session at the north end of the East Pond at JBWR, Queens, NY. While seated on damp mud and working off the tilted rear monitor, I used the flattened, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 1000: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 4:12:52pm on a then partly sunny afternoon.
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: Greater Yellowlegs squabbling
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Getting Ready Quickly
When we first sat down on the mud, I chosen a shutter speed of 1/1000 and estimated the exposure by choosing ISO 800. I saw one lesser lying down in the water in a submissive posture. Almost immediately it was whacked by the juvenile on our left in the image. I fired off lots of frames and was lucky to get one nice juxtaposition where I could see the faces of both birds. There were two problems. At 1/1000 second, there was lots of motion blur. I applied Topaz Sharpen AI judiciously to the attacker’s head and bill, but the image quality does not pass muster when examined closely. In addition, I had misjudged the light by 1/3-stop; the image was over-exposed. As all the OvExp pixels were in the GREEN channel, saving the highlights during the raw conversion in Photoshop was easy.
Had action been expected, a shutter speed of either 1/2500 or 1/3200 second would have been called for and the image would have been a lot sharper.
The Question
Do you get a pass on unsharpness and poor image quality with images that portray spectacular action? When, and why or why not?
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This image was also created on 21 August on an In-the-Field session at the north end of the East Pond at JBWR, Queens, NY. While seated on damp mud and working off the tilted rear monitor, I used the flattened, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter (at 1200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). Shutter Priority at zero. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. AUTO ISO set ISO 1600. 1/1000 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop). When evaluated in RawDigger, it was determined that the raw file exposure was solid perfect. AWB at 4:43:37am on a then partly cloudy afternoon.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Fading, worn, molting adult White-rumped Sandpiper with tiny invertebrate prey item
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White-rumped Sandpiper
There were about fifty white-rumpeds at the north end of the pond alone. I did the shorebird count for Manomet at the pond for five years beginning in 1983 or so. I am not sure what the record-high count for this species was, but am pretty sure that it would have been broken on Sunday.
The first clue to identifying this species is that they are significantly larger than the almost always more numerous Semipalmated Sandpipers. Then note the long wings that extend well past the tail, the prominent eyeline, the bit of orange at the base of the lower mandible, the thin streaks on the side of the breast and the flanks, and the suffused grayish hood about the head and the upper breast.
Learn a ton more about shorebirds in my softcover book Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers.
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This image was also created on 21 August on an In-the-Field session at the north end of the East Pond at JBWR, Queens, NY. Again, while seated on damp mud and working off the titled rear monitor, I used the flattened, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter (at 1200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). Shutter Priority at zero. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. AUTO ISO set ISO 4000. 1/500 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, it was determined that the raw file exposure was shown to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 6:26:54am on a then very cloudy, dark afternoon.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Bright juvenile plumage Short-billed Dowitcher
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Amazing Technology
Creating super-sharp quality images at 1200mm using ISO 4000 is quite remarkable indeed. When I saw ISO 4000, I was wishing that I had had the 1.4X TC on instead of the 2X. The bird was so large in the frame that I had to add canvas top and right. That was done quickly and easily using Content-Aware Crop.
The Lesson
With the best modern mirrorless camera bodies, there is no reason at all to be scared of the high ISOs. Not to mention Topaz DeNoise AI. As Topaz is discontinuing its affiliate program, the Topaz Getting Started Guide will soon be available in BAA Online Store for $10.00.
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This image was created on 21 August on an In-the-Field session at the north end of the East Pond at JBWR, Queens, NY. While seated on damp mud and working off the tilted rear monitor, I used the flattened, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, While seated on damp sand I used the lowered, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 1000: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 4:12:52pm on a then partly sunny afternoon.
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: Juvenal plumage Short-billed Dowitcher preening
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The Perfect Preening Pose and Head Angle
Once I switched out the 2X for the 1.4X, I had a lot more room in the frame for the dowitchers. Short-bills are huge compared to Semipalmated Sandpipers and Plovers. And they kept getting closer and closer to me.
For years I have been preaching that the best preening images will offer a clear look at the bird’s face and eye while the head and bill are parallel to the sensor, i.e., to the back of the camera body. Image #4 fills that bill perfectly.
The High Key Look
I love the high key look of Images #3 and #4. The trick is to push the exposure far to the right with some over-exposure of the water. That to yield a correct exposure for the darker subject.
August 22nd, 2022 Photo Contest
All are invited to judge today’s six images as if they were entered in a photo contest. Pick your three favorites and let us know why you made your choices.
iPhone Favor
If you have an old iPhone — the older the better — that is sitting in a drawer, unused, please consider sending it as a gift to my 14-year old grandson, Idris Reimov. He is collecting them. Please shoot me an e-mail for the address. Many thanks, much love. artie
What’s Up?
The forecast for Sunday morning was for completely cloudy by 6:00am with a SE breeze. While they got the wind right, it was completely sunny until 3:00pm. A southeast wind in the morning at Nickerson make things tough for many reasons. I had some nice red light at sunrise but nearly all the birds were away, slightly to the east. I worked the beach down low at 1200mm, and then did some flight. It was, however, not the greatest morning ever.
The afternoon tide looked good for the north end of the East Pond. I met Muhammad Arif there at 3:30pm. The water level is the lowest I have seen in my lifetime. There were about 1500 shorebirds, mostly adult Semipalmated Sandpipers. There were many dozens of mostly adult Lesser Yellowlegs and many dozen fading adult White-rumped Sandpipers. I picked out one adult Western Sandpiper, saw the first juvenile Semipalmated Plover (along with a smattering of adults), saw the first Stilt Sandpiper, a juvenile, and had a total of three young Short-Billed Dowitchers. I was surprised by the still high numbers of adult birds and by the low percentage of juveniles.
Most of the time I was working at 1200mm on the flattened tripod. Once the clouds moved in, I was using ISOs as high as 4000. Again, the SE breeze was problematic as early all the birds were facing slight away from us. Anywho, despite the problematic SE wind, I would up with 185 keepers after the first round of editing. Those included a very few images that I love.
Today is Monday 22 August. The forecast for Lido Beach was for rain all day long, heavy at times, with lots of scattered thunderstorms. Needing some rest, I slept in. When I woke at 7:00, I was not shocked to see that it was not raining. I will likely take the whole day off to get some much-needed work done. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two 1/2 hours to prepare (including the time spent on the six new image optimizations) and makes one hundred fifty days in a row with a new one. (It seems that I have corrected the day, date, and streak issues in the last few blog posts. Let me know if I screwed up again. Thanks to all who pointed out the errors. While I appreciated thier comments, it would be great if they could include comments on the photo and image questions at hand as well.
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!
Time is Running Out
Many folks are scheduled to join me at either Nickerson or JBWR in the next two weeks for an In-the-Field session or two. The first window for doing shorebirds at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge has closed. The second window is from 24-26 August. I have a private client on the 26th. See the additional details below. Muhammad Arif enjoyed three In-the-Field sessions and made lots of great images with his R5. I hope to share some of them with you here soon. Carlotta Grenier came for her third session recently and Sanjeev Nagrath learned a ton during his three Nickerson Beach sessions. Sandy Brown will be flying in from Seattle for an afternoon at Nickerson and a morning at JBWR this coming week. I head south to catch the Auto train on 31 August.
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Clockwise from the upper left corner back around to the center: Wilson’s Phalarope, JBWR; just fledged Common Tern, Nickerson; Black Skimmer, adult skimming, Nickerson; Black Skimmer killing tiny skimmer chick, Nickerson; American Oystercatcher foraging at sunrise, Nickerson; Common Tern chick swallowing baby bluefish, Nickerson; Short-billed Dowitcher, juvenile, double overhead wing stretch, JBWR; Black Skimmers, predawn flock blur, Nickerson; Black Skimmer, 10-day old chick, Nickerson.
Click on the card to view a larger version.
Nickerson Beach/East Pond JBWR composite
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Nickerson Beach/East Pond at Jamaica Bay (JBWR) In-the Field Workshops
Both Nickerson Beach and the East Pond at JBWR offer some of the best midsummer bird photography on the planet. Hundreds of pairs or Black Skimmers and Common Terns along with dozens of pairs of American Oystercatchers breed at Nickerson each season so there are lots of chicks of all sizes and handsome fledged young birds to photograph. Provided that the water levels are low, hundreds of young shorebirds in their handsome fresh juvenile plumages stop by the pond each August on their way south.
Nickerson often reveals nature at it rawest, most basic level. Most days we get to photograph all sorts of dramatic behaviors ranging from skimmers and terns fishing and feeding (and tending) their young. There are often chances to shoot a variety of predatory encounters — gulls eating large skimmer chicks, skimmers attacking (and sometimes killing) skimmer babies, and Peregrine Falcons hunting. And rarely, if we are lucky, Peregrine Falcons catching! Consider joining me to learn a ton both about bird photography and the birds.
I head south on 31 August and should be back home on 1 September (barring anything unforeseen). I am offering In-the-Field sessions at both Nickerson Beach and the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. If you are interested, please get in touch via e-mail or text me at 863-221-2372.
Whether you are a local or would like to fly in for several days of instruction — a sort of private, or small group. — at worst, IPT, LMK via e-mail so that we can work on a schedule that could possibly include both Nickerson and Jamaica Bay.
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 🙂
If You Enjoy the Blog …
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
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This image was created on 20 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on damp sand I used the lowered, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 2000: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6. AWB at 7:33:21am on a cloudy morning.
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: High-stepping adult Semipalmated Plover
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Lucky Morning
On the cloudy Saturday morning past, I was glad to run into Muhammad Arif and his mom on the beach. He showed me a photo of an un-banded young Piping Plover — late and endangered. He said that he had seen the bird just west of the first jetty to the east. I made the walk, and when I arrived only one bird was feeding in the wash, the semi-plover above. So, I sat behind the lower tripod and went to work.
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This image was also created on 20 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on damp sand, I used the lowered, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 2000: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6. AWB at 7:30:06am on a cloudy morning.
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: Small in the big world juvenile Piping Plover
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Look Who Showed Back Up
I had not been sitting long when the moderately worn juvie Piping Plover flew in a bit farther to the west. I made the image above in keeping with the small-fragile-bird-in-the-big-world theme. I thought to myself, “It would be neat to get a few images of both birds in the same frame.”
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This image was also created on 20 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on damp sand I used the lowered, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 2000: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6. AWB at 7:30:35am on a cloudy morning.
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: Piping Plover/Semipalmated Plover standoff
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The Standoff
The next thing I know, the two birds were standing and facing each other. The piping’s erect calling posture and the semi-plovers fan-tailed calling posture were meant to threaten the other bird. The dispute was about feeding territory. They never engaged in a squabble and the boundary between their foraging areas was set. Since the plover was feeding more to the west, I scootched about thirty feet farther down the beach to be closer to the plover.
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This image was also created on 20 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While still seated on damp sand I used the lowered, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 2000: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6. AWB at 7:37:12am on a cloudy morning.
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: Semipalmated Plover facing vertical
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Cropped to a Vertical
When the Semipalmated Plover walked up to the edge of the (imaginary) boundary between their foraging territories, it was very close to me. Amazing, Tracking Zone nailed the bird’s right eye as the bird faced me. With the a1’s 51,000,000 pixels, the crop to a vertical was the obvious choice.
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This image was also created on 20 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While still seated on damp sand I used the lowered, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 2000: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6. AWB at 7:45:44am on a cloudy morning.
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: Piping Plover eating tiny worm
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Foot Trembling
The Piping Plover would stand in one spot on one leg with the other leg extended. It would rapidly tap the surface of the sand with toes of the extended foot. I made a great video of this behavior. I knew that it had something to do with improving the bird’s foraging success. I shared the video with Marc Wortsman when I ran into him at Bagel Chalet in Merrick on Saturday morning. He did some work online and sent me a link to a great paper on foot trembling in a related species, Ringed Plover. I read it (here) with great interest, and learned that there are actually two theories as to the purpose of the behavior. If I ever figure out how to process the a1 videos in i-Movie I will share it with you here.
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This image was also created on 20 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While still seated on damp sand I used the lowered, no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 1600: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6. AWB at 7:57:42am on a cloudy morning.
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 #6: Piping Plover stopped
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Zero Beach Clean-Up
Often, when I post images of birds standing on perfectly clean beaches that have been cleaned up a bit, folks will say, “That looks phony. No beach could be that perfect.” Well boys and girls, I did not clean up a single speck on the gorgeous beach in Image #6. I did some beach clean-up in the first five images. In retrospect, when viewing the enlarged image on the blog, I see that I missed one tiny round light speck. If it bugs you, leave a comment and LMK where it is. Its location is rather easy to describe.
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Image #6A: A7 INFO screen grab for the Piping Plover stopped image
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Sony a1 Tracking: Zone
Incredibly, with the last firmware update to v1.30, Bird Face/Eye detection was improved significantly. With Tracking: Zone, you can acquire focus within the zone brackets and the AF system will track the eye anywhere in the frame, even when you recompose with the bird’s eye well outside the brackets (as I did with Image #2). This gives you increased compositional freedom; you can put the bird anywhere in the frame even when using (Center) Tracking: Zone.
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Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action.
Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!
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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 127 lucky and blessed folks. (More than a few folks own two or more a1 bodies!) Some, like me, own three. 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 six 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.
August 21st, 2022 Your Favorite Image?
All are invited to leave a comment letting us know which of today’s seven featured images is their favorite. Please do not choose #2 as it is intended for comparative ID purpose only. And please let us know why you made your choice.
Canon 100-400mm EF f/4.5-5.6L IS II Zoom Lens
Multiple IPT veteran Geri Georg is offering a Canon 100-400mm EF f/4.5-5.6L IS II zoom lens in excellent-plus to near-mint condition for a very low $1399.00 The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps, the carrying case with strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-40 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Geri via e-mail or by phone at 1-970-219-4493 (Mountain time zone).
This incredibly versatile zoom lens — with its amazing .98 meter close focus — was my favorite Canon telephoto zoom lens ever. By far. It is easy to hand hold, great for tight portraits, for birds in flight, for quasi-macro stuff, and lots more. For flight, it is fabulous with an EOS R, R5, R6, or R7! This lens sells new for $2399.00 so you can save a handsome $1000.00 by grabbing Geri’s lens right now. artie
What’s Up?
Saturday began with quite a bit of cloud cover. There was some lovely color right on the horizon that resulted in some pink reflections on the wash* and the wet sand. I tried some blurs. Once it clouded over completely, I photographed some young Black-backed Gulls standing on the beach at the edge of the Atlantic. Then I ran into student/friend Muhammad Arif and his Mom on the beach. He told me that there was an un-banded juvenile Piping Plover foraging just inside the first jetty. It was a long walk, but I was well rewarded. Photos soon. On the long walk back to the car I tried to make some nice images of the adult Great Black-backed Gulls up on the berm but did not do too well. Nonetheless, it was a great morning, in part because it was so different from what you might expect at Nickerson Beach.
Wash, swash, or forewash, in geography: a turbulent layer of water that washes up on the beach after an incoming wave has broken.*
With a southeast wind and blue skies at Nickerson in the afternoon, I sat on the sand well back from the colony ropes and shot the midair skimmer fights. I have high hopes for a few that I saw while peeking at a few with Playback. I ran down to the western colony for what was a spectacular sunset but might have arrived just a bit too late.
Today is Sunday 21 August. The forecast for Lido Beach is for cloudy with a SE breeze. Not great, not terrible. I will be heading back to Nickerson to see what’s around and maybe find something different. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two hours to prepare (including the time spent on the seven new image optimizations) and makes one hundred fifty 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!
Time is Running Out
Many folks are scheduled to join me at either Nickerson or JBWR in the next two weeks for an In-the-Field session or two. The first window for doing shorebirds at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge has closed. The second window is from 24-26 August. I have a private client on the 26th. See the additional details below. Muhammad Arif enjoyed three In-the-Field sessions and made lots of great images with his R5. I hope to share some of them with you here soon. Carlotta Grenier came for her third session recently and Sanjeev Nagrath learned a ton during his three Nickerson Beach sessions. Sandy Brown will be flying in from Seattle for an afternoon at Nickerson and a morning at JBWR this coming week. I head south to catch the Auto train on 31 August.
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Clockwise from the upper left corner back around to the center: Wilson’s Phalarope, JBWR; just fledged Common Tern, Nickerson; Black Skimmer, adult skimming, Nickerson; Black Skimmer killing tiny skimmer chick, Nickerson; American Oystercatcher foraging at sunrise, Nickerson; Common Tern chick swallowing baby bluefish, Nickerson; Short-billed Dowitcher, juvenile, double overhead wing stretch, JBWR; Black Skimmers, predawn flock blur, Nickerson; Black Skimmer, 10-day old chick, Nickerson.
Click on the card to view a larger version.
Nickerson Beach/East Pond JBWR composite
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Nickerson Beach/East Pond at Jamaica Bay (JBWR) In-the Field Workshops
Both Nickerson Beach and the East Pond at JBWR offer some of the best midsummer bird photography on the planet. Hundreds of pairs or Black Skimmers and Common Terns along with dozens of pairs of American Oystercatchers breed at Nickerson each season so there are lots of chicks of all sizes and handsome fledged young birds to photograph. Provided that the water levels are low, hundreds of young shorebirds in their handsome fresh juvenile plumages stop by the pond each August on their way south.
Nickerson often reveals nature at it rawest, most basic level. Most days we get to photograph all sorts of dramatic behaviors ranging from skimmers and terns fishing and feeding (and tending) their young. There are often chances to shoot a variety of predatory encounters — gulls eating large skimmer chicks, skimmers attacking (and sometimes killing) skimmer babies, and Peregrine Falcons hunting. And rarely, if we are lucky, Peregrine Falcons catching! Consider joining me to learn a ton both about bird photography and the birds.
I head south on 31 August and should be back home on 1 September (barring anything unforeseen). I am offering In-the-Field sessions at both Nickerson Beach and the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. If you are interested, please get in touch via e-mail or text me at 863-221-2372.
Whether you are a local or would like to fly in for several days of instruction — a sort of private, or small group. — at worst, IPT, LMK via e-mail so that we can work on a schedule that could possibly include both Nickerson and Jamaica Bay.
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 🙂
If You Enjoy the Blog …
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
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This image was created on 18 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While standing, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 563mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:06:54am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Lesser Black-backed Gull in relatively cold light
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Wind-Against-Sun Birds on the Ground
With the sun a bit north of east and coming over your shoulder and the wind blowing in your face from the west/southwest, most birds will be facing away from you mosts of the time. Foraging birds may occasionally turn toward you so that they are square to the sensor. Then you just need to check that the head is not turned away from you. Note that the bird in image #1 is angled a bit away from me and the plane of the sensor. The trick then is to wait for the look-back head turn. When this bird obliged, I pressed the shutter button.
Note the quality of the light at nine in the morning and compare it with the quality of light in Images # 4, 5, and 6, those all made before seven am on a sunny morning. What differences are you seeing?
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull is slimmer and smaller than its larger and more robust cousin, Great Black-backed Gull. Adults like this bird have yellow legs. The long wings protruding well beyond the tail give it is slimmer, elongated look. Five decades ago, lesser was extremely rare anywhere in North America but it can now be found regularly in many locations in eastern North America. There are dozens to hundreds of Great Black-backed Gulls on the beach at Nickerson for most of the year. Lessers are uncommon but fairly regular. On rare occasion, I’ve seen multiple lessers on the beach at once.
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This image was created on 20 August 2022 at at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While standing, I used the no-longer available except from BIRDS AS ART, Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) with The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 640: 1/800 sec. at f/7.1. AWB at 8:28:55am on a partly sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S/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: Great Black-backed Gull worn adult
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Great Black-backed Gull
Image #2 is presented for comparative identification purposes. Note that great black-backeds are large, stocky gulls that dwarf their smaller cousins, the lesser black-backeds. In the northeastern US, they are the second most common large gull species aside from Herring Gull. Note the flesh-colored legs and that the wings protrude just a bit beyond the end of the tail.
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This image was created on 18 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While standing, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:08:47am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Lesser Black-backed Gull flying away in relatively cold light
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Wind-Against-Sun Flight
With the sun a bit north of east and the wind blowing in your face from the west/southwest, most birds will be flying away from you into the wind. Sometimes, it pays to push the shutter button. Or not? I like this one.
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This image was created on 19 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on damp sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm)) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial. Shutter Priority + 1.3-stops. Auto ISO set ISO 500. 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 6:24:23am just after sunrise. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect.
Tracking: 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 #4: Lesser Black-backed Gull backlit at sunrise
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Backlight at Sunrise
I have been working hard on the backlit at sunrise images at Nickerson. I stumbled upon a great one in 2014, but never followed up on the concept. This year, I have been hammering it on every clear or mostly sunny sunrise. My recent successes were published in the Sleep-deprived at Nickerson Beach for Good Reason blog post here. And another was featured yesterday’s miracle-card-came-back post.
The more I try for them, the more I learn. Want to learn what I know? Join me for an In-the-Field Session at Nickerson on a clear morning when I am not at JBWR.
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This image was created on 19 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While standing, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800 second. 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:36:58am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #5: Lesser Black-backed Gull drinking in surf
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Going for Behavior: Drinking
After I make the desired portrait image, I strive to create some decent images of various behaviors. Here, the bird has taken a sip of salt water. The salt is extruded through the nares, the nasal opening in the bill.
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This image was created on 19 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While standing, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800 second. 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:40:22am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be 1/3-stop under.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #6: Lesser Black-backed Gull hunting sand crabs
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Going for Behavior: Foraging
Here, the gull is hunting for the same sand crabs that the terns cherish. Whenever the bird caught a crab — they were usually successful when the rushed out to the base of a wave, they turned away from me into the wind. Bummer.
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This image was created on 19 August 2022 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. While standing, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800 second. 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:44:17am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be 1/3-stop under.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #7: Lesser Black-backed Gull posing
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The Sweetest Background and the Most Elegant Pose?
The square-to-the-sensor subject, the perfect head angle, the sweet light, the raised foot, the tiny bit of seaweed on one leg, and the still blue water combine to make this one special. Is it the best of the lot?
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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