Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

I got down to the lake early, worked the Green Herons near the pier in pre-dawn light, and liked the results. I am, however, looking forward to doing even better. The weather was gorgeous: sunny and dead calm. I did some Limpkins, some cranes, a Tricolored Heron in a marsh setting, some dragonflies, and a single very young Killdeer — seventeen days old to be exact. I only saw one large chick; the other may have perished.

Today is Saturday 18 June 2022. The forecast for ILE for this morning is calling clear skies with a very gentle breeze from the Southwest. I will be heading down to the lake very early again. 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 and makes ninety-five 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!

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.

Another 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.

And 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 immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

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.

Photo Mechanic screen capture for the Dorsal view of juvenile Osprey in flight image

Photoshop Hanky-Panky #1

In yesterday’s Handheld Flight at 800mm with Fat Boy blog post here,, I wrote: If you see any evidence of major changes made to this image in Photoshop, please leave a comment and state your case.

Blog regular Adam a (kindly) left this comment:

The more I stare at this image, the more I convince myself that you created the left wing back to wrist. There’s something funky where the alula and the coverts intersect.

As you can see by viewing the Photo Mechanic screen capture, the optimized image was — but for the crop, exactly as it came out of the camera. There was nothing funky at all. Sometimes you can talk yourself into seeing things that are not there …

Note that the second and third primary feathers on the near wing are either imperfect or misplaced. Even after close examination of the image file, I have no idea what the thin, curved white line on the inner primaries of the far wing is. In this case, I did not mess with any of these as I wanted to avoid the image looking too perfect.

This image was created on 16 June 2022 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 320. 1/1000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be less than one-half stop too dark. AWB at 8:40:35am on sunny morning. Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed just fine. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Great Egret — juvenile stretching on The Perch

Lots of Focal Lengths

When I am photographing from my vehicle, I usually have the 400 f/2.8 with a 1.4x TC and an a1 on a pillow on the passenger seat. The 600mm f/4 with either the 1.4X or the 2X TC and my second a1 attached, is placed on that same seat with the lens hood resting on a pillow in front of seat. Extra TCs are placed in woolen watch caps on the seat for easy access when needed. The 70-200 II and the 200-600 G lens are in the rear compartment where I can grab them as needed. With my fascination for and my desire to learn about using the 400mm f/2.8, I have not used the 2-6 in more than a month. Strange as it seems, there is lots of overlap between the 400 f/2.8 and the 200-600 f/6.3 …

Please remember that lenses are simply tools and that in many cases, a single lens and a single focal length is best for a given job.

Working the handsome young Great Egret on The Perch, a variety of images were created using these focal lengths: 400mm, 560mm, 600mm, 840mm, and 1200mm.

Photoshop Hanky Panky?

If you see any evidence of major changes made to this image in Photoshop, please leave a comment and state your case.

Flight Photography at Jacksonville Till You Can’t Lift Your Lens! with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Join me on the beach at Huguenot Memorial Park to learn about photographing terns in flight. 8,000 pairs of Royal Terns nest there and there are birds in the air all the time, often carrying all kinds of fish and crabs for their young. Learn about how the relationship between the wind and the sun impacts flight photography and about the best gear for shooting birds in flight. Join me on a workshop at Jacksonville this summer.

Cute & Beautiful: Photographing Chicks in Jacksonville, FL with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

There is an amazing beach near Jacksonville, FL where 8,000 pairs of Royal Terns and 12,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls (along with a few other species) breed each summer. As this video shows, photographing the chicks is easy in the summer. And there is tons of great flight photography as well. If you want to improve your bird photography skills, consider joining me on an Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT).

Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG. Clockwise from upper left clockwise and back around to the center: Royal Tern in flight with squid for chick; Royal Tern chick on beach; Royal Tern in flight with shrimp for young; Royal Tern chick — double overhead wing stretch; Royal Tern landing with greenback for chick; Royal Tern in flight with juvenile mahi mahi for chick; Brown Pelican — large chick preening; Laughing Gull in fresh juvenal plumage; Royal Tern chick begging; Many Royal Terns with many chicks on face of dune.

Jacksonville IPT #1: 4 FULL DAYS — the afternoon of FRI 1 JULY thru the morning of TUES 5 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5)

Jacksonville IPT #2: 4 FULL DAYS — the afternoon of FRI 15 JULY thru the morning of TUES 19 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5)

The first three folks to register on each trip can ride to and on and from the beach with me for no charge.

I first visited the breeding bird colony at Jacksonville in late June 2021. I was astounded. There were many thousands of pairs of Royal Terns nesting along with about 10,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls. In addition to the royals, there were some Sandwich Terns nesting. And there are several dozen pairs of Brown Pelicans nesting on the ground. Flight photography was non-stop astounding. And photographing the tern chicks was relatively easy. Folks could do the whole trip with the Sony 200-600, the Canon 100-500 RF, or the Nikon 500 PF or 200-500 VR. With a TC in your pocket for use on sunny days. Most of the action is within 100 yards of where we park (on the beach). As with all bird photography, there are times when a super-telephoto lens with either TC is the best tool for the job.

Morning sessions will average about three 1/2 hours, afternoon sessions about 1 1/2 hours. On cloudy mornings with favorable winds, we may opt to stay out for one long session and skip the afternoon, especially when the afternoon forecast is poor. Lunch is included on the first three days of the IPT and will be served at my AirBnB. We will do image review and Photoshop after lunch.

We will be based somewhere west and a bit north of Jacksonville where there are many AirBnB possibilities. The deposit is $599.00. Call Jim at the office any weekday at 863-692-0906 to pay by credit card. Balances must be paid by check.

Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG. Clockwise from upper left clockwise and back around to the center: Royal Tern feeding chick; Royal Tern/4-week-old chick; ink-stained Royal Tern in flight with squid for chick; Royal Tern/3-week-old chick begging; Brown Pelican in flight on white sky day; fresh juvenile Laughing Gull on clean beach; Laughing Gulls stealing fish from Royal Tern; tight shot of Royal Tern in flight with fish for young.

What You Will Learn on a Jacksonville IPT

• 1- First and foremast you will learn to become a better flight photographer. Much better.
• 2-You 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.
• 3- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you fear it.
• 4- You will learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography, especially the photography of birds in flight.
• 5- You will learn several pro secrets (for each system) that will help you to become a better flight photographer.
• 6- You will learn to zoom out in advance (because the birds are so close!) 🙂
• 7- You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 8- You will learn to spot the good and the great situations.
• 9- You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior.
• 10- You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 11- You will learn to choose the best perspective.
• 12- You will learn to see and control your backgrounds.
• 13- You will learn to see and understand the light.
• 14- You will learn to see and create pleasing blurs in pre-dawn situations.
• 15- You will learn to be ready for the most likely event.

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 you are and whenever you photograph.

Typos

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

Which of Today’s Featured Dan Cadieux Images is Your Favorite?

Why?

What’s Up?

I walked the pier for a brief photo session before heading into town. And created 796 images. There was a young spoonbill in the marsh but … Then I had two good chances on fly-by juvie Ospreys. That was followed by a nice session with a fishing Green Heron on the short pilings next to the pier. Finally, I worked some ducks and made a few amazing frames of a drake Mottled Duck just after it blasted off.

Today is Thursday 16 June 2022. The forecast for ILE is for partly cloudy early with a gentle southeast breeze. Yup, I will be down by the pier. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about several hours to prepare and makes 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!

This image was created by BPN Avian Forum Super Moderator Dan Cadieux. He used the handheld Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter), and the economical Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless camera body. ISO 400. 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Great Blue Heron attempting to swallow Northern Pike Courtesy of and copyright 2022: Daniel Cadieux

On Never Owning the Very Best Gear

Dan’s first Canon outfit was the EOS 7D and the original and much-maligned 100-400. He made many great images. Over time, he upgraded to the EOS 7D Mark II and the 100-400 II. He made many great images. Several years ago he added the 500mm f/4L IS II lens. Using that with the 7D II and often with a 1.4X III TC, he made many great images. All those years, he stuck with his less expensive, often maligned crop factor camera bodies rather than switching to one of the Canon Pro bodies in the EOS 1D series.

In November 2021, Dan went mirrorless with the (full-frame) Canon EOS R6 (rather than with the R5 that cost $1800 more Canadian dollars.) And guess what? Dan continues to create sharp, technically perfect, artistically pleasing images. His great strengths are his superbly artistic eye and his work ethic; when it comes to making great images, he is relentless.

This Image on BPN

You can see what others had to say about Dan’s Great Blue Heron attempting to swallow Northern Pike image here in BPN’s Avian gallery.

Dan on Dan

Having been born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, I was fortunate to have spent my lifetime (to date) in a big city encompassed by many natural areas within it and many more at very close proximity. Taught early on by my father to respect and appreciate nature I quickly grew a deep fondness to the avian world. Countless walks through neighborhood trails, snaking through forests and following the shores of the Ottawa River permitted me to observe many birds and animals and their behaviors, many of which I now wish were recorded on film. Photography was also always a part big part of our family, with a camera always following us on our endeavors. One day during my early teens I borrowed my father’s camera to try to photograph those birds I’d been watching. It was something I would periodically do during the late 80’s and early 90’s. The photography bug grew steadily bigger, but remained mostly in the back of my mind.

Fast forward to 2004. I impulsively purchased a used Minolta X-700 SLR camera (the same model that dad had) along with a modest 70-300 third party telephoto lens and started shooting slides. That was it … I was hooked on bird photography! In 2005 I upgraded to the Canon EOS dSLR system. – proud father of two boys and two girls. I started with the Rebel XT, and then moved up to the Canon 40D. In November 2021, I purchased myfirst Canon mirrorless body, the EOS R6.

Marrying photography and birding together has been the ideal way of bringing my hobby into my home…and also to you via this website, dancadphotography.com. Although primarily a bird photographer, I have also taken a keen interest in photographing other aspects of nature from mammal to amphibians and reptiles to flora and the occasional landscape.

artie on Dan

Dan Cadieux, a Canadian federal government employee, lives with his wife Chantal in Ottawa Canada. He is the proud father of two boys and two girls and is an avid bird/nature photographer in his free time. He is a skilled, hard-working Super-Moderator in the Avian Forum at Bird Photographers.Net.

As of 5:27am on 16 June 2022, Dan has started threads and posted comments totaling 25,768. Most of the started threads include one of his great images posted for critiquing. In most of the comments, he is critiquing the work of others telling them what he likes, what he does not like, and offering suggestions for improvement. He is an invaluable member of the BPN staff.

The first post I did on Dan and his affordable camera gear was published in 2012. It is entitled How Dan Cadieux Masters Canon EOS 7D Image Files. With more than 60 comments, it remains one of the most popular blog posts ever. You can see read it here. The next was Dan Cadieux’s ISO 800 and Higher Canon EOS 7D Mark II Gallery–Part I. I’ve done several additional blog posts featuring Dan’s work. You can find more of those by typing “Dan Cadieux” into the little white box near the top right of each blog post page.

Canon R6 + 500mm f/4 II + 1.4TC III, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/2000s., f/5.6, ISO 400, n This image was created by BPN Avian Forum Super Moderator Dan Cadieux. He used the handheld Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter), and the economical Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless camera body. ISO 400. 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Breeding plumage Sabine’s Gull Courtesy of and copyright 2022: Daniel Cadieux

Can Images of Static Birds Take Your Breath Away?

Some folks dismiss all images that do not depict birds doing something interesting. They consider only photos that show interesting bird behavior or birds in flight or in action to be worth their while. I am the polar opposite of that. When I saw this image here on BPN, my jaw dropped. Here is what I wrote there:

Hey Daniel, I am envious as heck. This bird has eluded me for 46 years. The image is beyond stunning — the soft light, the complete reflection, the super-low perspective, the two-toned black hood, and the drop dead gorgeous bird leave me with my jaw hanging down. It is likely that most folks here (aside from Dorian), do not realize how rare this bird is. The head angle, the processing, and the placement of the bird are all perfect for me. I would not change a single pixel.

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ps: I keep scrolling up to see it again and again.

Thanks, Dan!

Huge thanks to Dan for once again allowing me to share the artistic fruits of his labor with you in this blog post. I urge you to check out more of Dan’s images by following the links below. Remember that one way to improve you own nature photography is to look at as many great images as you can. The BPN motto is Honest critiques done gently; it ain’t just birds! And like me, it is not just birds with Daniel Cadieux. His small mammal image will either put a smile on your face or leave you in awe. He creates beautiful landscapes (often with a long lens), and he is a superb flower photographer.

You can see more of Dan’s great work on his website here, on his blog here, at his Instagram page here, and in his galleries here. And while doing the research for this article I learned that Dan is prolific on Facebook. He already has posted a zillion R6 images on his FB page here.

Dan on the R5/R6 Guide

Thanks for sending the R5/R6 guide. Mirrorless is a whole new beast and I found the guide very helpful. Your method of changing switching AF methods is along worth the price of the guide. It is so much faster, easier, and more efficient than having to use the awkward M-Fn button that it is not even funny! So, thanks again.

Cover Image courtesy of and Copyright 2021 Brian Sump (Sump scores!) The BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide

The BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5/R6 Camera User’s e-Guide: $75.00

Purchase your RF body and or lenses using either my B&H links or from Bedfords, using the BIRDSASART code at checkout, and enjoy a discount on this great guide. You’ll earn a $1 discount for very $10 you spend.

The guide is 82 pages long: 21,458 words. There are more than 50 DPP 4 Autofocus-depicting screen captures. And a 31 minute 44 second educational video. This guide took three and a half months of hard work and a ton of help from at least seventeen very helpful and generous folks.

The guide covers — in great detail — all Menu Items that are relevant to bird, nature, and wildlife photography. It does not cover video. The section on AF methods and the AF Gallery has been expanded from the R5/R6 AF e-guide. It remains the one of the great strengths of this guide. I share my thoughts on what I am sure is the single best AF Method for photographing birds in flight. As most of you know, the guide includes a simple and easy way to change AF Methods that was introduced to me by Geoff Newhouse. In the AF Gallery you will see exactly how Face Detection plus Tracking AF works. In the Educational R5 Gallery video, I share my favorite R5 images along with dozens of bird photography tips and techniques.

In addition, I teach you how to get the best exposures with your R5. Detailed instructions on using the great In-camera HDR and Multiple Exposure features will be appreciated by creative folks who like to have fun. The three shutter modes are explained in detail as well. Bruce Dudek solved the can’t-get-to-Auto ISO problem that had stumped everyone at Canon. This information is of course shared in the guide. You will learn how to set up your EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) and Screen toggle options. Not to mention that the mysterious performance of the Q Button is revealed and simplified. Brian Sump’s images reveal how well you can do when using the R5 with EF lenses using one of the three Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapters (as Donna did with Image #1 below). You will learn how I use Customize Dials to put either ISO or EC on the Thumb Dial and how to set up and save Custom Shooting Modes (C1-C3) that can remember both your Customize Dial and Customize Button settings! That is something that none of the SONY bodies do. 🙁 Near the end of the guide I share my all-important MY MENU items with you.

Like all BAA educational materials, the R5 guide is written in my informal, easy-to-follow style. I am quite proud of this guide and look forward to hearing your thoughts on our hard work.

You can purchase your copy of the BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide for $75.00 here in the BAA Online Store or by calling Jim in the office weekday afternoons at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

Typos

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