Jim and I made it early to the Circle Bar B Reserve in Lakeland. He carried the 600 f/4, and I carried the 70-200 II and a tripod. I had three TCs along for the ride. We walked three miles. For the first mile plus, we saw no birds. Then on the western shore of Lake Hancock, we came upon a big feeding spree of herons and egrets. Lots of wood Storks flew by. I tried a few silhouettes at 840mm, but the birds were very skittish … We walked out on the gazebo pier to get the sun behind us; I had a few decent chances. The best of those led to the creation of the two versions of today’s featured image below. At about 8:15am, we headed back to the car via the circular path. For that last mile plus, we saw no birds.
In the afternoon, I did some housework in preparation of giving away a ton of old cloths and enjoyed my 1/2-mile slow swim. After dinner it was 20 minutes of rope flow practice. The ILE forecast for this morning is for partly cloudy with a gentle breeze from the south. That usually means clear and sunny. I will be heading down to the lake early hoping to work again with the new Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM lens. 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 seventy-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. 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.
This image was also created on 26 May 2022 at Circle Bar B Reserve in Lakeland, FL. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-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 1000. 1/640 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 7:10:44am on sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Black-crowned Night-Heron adult (3X2)
What the 400mm f/2.8 Lenses Cannot Do …
This is a small crop from the original — see 1B below for the full frame image. The 600mm f/4 lenses with a 2X TC get you to 1200mm. Note: with Sony, creating sharp images at 1200mm is as close to child’s play as you can come. The 400mm f/2.8 lenses with a 2X TC get you to 800mm. So, we are comparing 1200mm to 800mm. It would seem that the subject would be “only” 50% larger in the frame. But the relationship between the focal length and the size of the bird in the frame is not a linear one. It is a function of the square of the focal length:
Eight squared is 64. Twelve squared is 144. 144/64 = 2.25. Therefore, the size of the bird in the frame at 1200mm is 2 1/4 times larger than the size of the bird in the frame at 800mm. Note that if you remove the TCs from the equation, the math remains the same.
For the past three decades, I have been saying this: a longer, slower lens is a better choice for bird photography than a faster, shorter lens. You must also remember that lenses are tools. I am blessed to be able to own and use two of the best tools ever created for bird photography. Until I buy the farm, I can guarantee that I will continue making great images with both the 600mm f/4 and the 400mm f/2.8. But when you need the most reach, the 600s are the ticket.
This, the same image, was created on 26 May 2022 at Circle Bar B Reserve in Lakeland, FL. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-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 1000. 1/640 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 7:10:44am on sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best, Image #1, the 3X2 version, or Image #2, the square version with part of the vertical branch on the left removed? If you leave a comment, please let us know why you made your choice.
Image #3: A7INFO screen capture for the Black-crowned Night-Heron adult image
AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection Enabled at 1200mm
When working at 1200mm (as I do often), the performance of continuous autofocus (AF-C) with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled is often astounding. At times it will acquire and track the bird’s eye as seen in the screen capture above, and at times it will detect and track the bird’s face. Though that is less impressive, the images in either case are razor-sharp.
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.
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.
It was gorgeous again on Wednesday morning at ILE. And as has been the pattern recently, things began slowly, and I was ready to head home early. Then I saw another black Volkswagen in the North Field. Again, it turned out to be a displaying Wild Turkey tom (and two hens with about twenty poults). What began as a slow morning turned into a 1949-image photo session.
Steve Elkins asked me to let everyone know that Bedfords has the Canon MC20 Maintenance Cartridge in stock for $14.99 each. This hard-to-get part is vital for operating the popular Prograf 1000 printer. Limit four per customer.
Today is Thursday 26 May 2022. The Lakeland forecast is for cloudy. Jim and I will be headed early to Circle Bar B to see what’s about. (The 400 f/2.8 will not be making the trip …) I had planned to continue on to Lakeland to pay off the lease on my SUV. The guy at the car dealership had told me on Monday that I could come by “any time” to make the payment and asked that I let him know in advance. I texted him early yesterday asking if he would be in between 10 and 11am today and letting him know that “the money was in the bank.” He wrote back, “I will be in.” Then, late in the day, he texted me and said that several folks who need to administer the payment were on vacation. So much for “come in anytime.”
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 seventy-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. 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.
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.
This image was created on 24 May 2022 down by the lake at ILE. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 400. 1/5000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:55:09am on sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Sandhill Crane calling
The First Session
On a whim, I unboxed the 400mm f/2.8 GM lens on Tuesday morning and threw it in the back of my SUV on some pillows. I figured that I would only use it when I was out of my vehicle. That changed soon when I found a way to place both the 600 f/4 GM and the 400 f/2.8 GM on the front passenger seat. The cranes at ILE are so tame that when they are standing in one place preening you can slowly drive right up to them.
Please remember that as I own the 600 f/4 that the 400 f/2.8 was an extravagant purchase. I did not think that I would find a lot of opportunities to use it at ILE, but it is likely that I was wrong. That said, traveling by air with both big lenses will be close to impossible.
I love the silky-smooth backgrounds and the razor-thin depth of field. Though the 400 is only a few ounces lighter than the 600, it is much easier to handhold because it is shorter with the weight concentrated at the rear of the lens. And I underestimated the value of the super-fast f/2.8 aperture … There are dozens more things that I love about the 400/2.8 that I will be writing extensively about the 400 f/2.8 in future blog posts.
Thinking of a nickname for the 400 2.8, I may go with “Fat Boy”, a blend of the nicknames for the two different types of atomic bombs produced by the Manhattan Project near the end of WW II. They were code-named Fat Man and Little Boy. Fat Man, which was dropped on Nagasaki, was the more complex of the two was a bulbous 10-foot-long bomb. (Learn more in the interesting article here.)
This image was also created on 24 May 2022 down by the lake at ILE. Standing on a slope near a canal, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 400. 1/2000 sec. at f/3.2. (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:04:59am on mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Limpkin fledgling with adult
Lots of Limpkin Families
There are several Limpkin families in the marsh this year. I photographed some large fledged chicks by the pier about a week ago. The chick in this image was the smallest of four accompanied by two adults. I got down by the canal and positioned myself so that they would be coming toward me at eye level. I clipped the feet of the larger chicks as they ran by me to catch up with the adults; I was fortunate to get this one completely in the frame. As autofocus needs light to see, the wider the maximum aperture, the faster the speed of initial focusing acquisition. Needless to say, AF with the 400 f/2.8 is lightning fast and very accurate.
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 16 June thru the morning of MON 20 June 2022: $2,099.00. (Limit 6 photographers)
Jacksonville IPT #2: 4 FULL DAYS — the afternoon of FRI 1 JULY thru the morning of TUES 5 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers)
Jacksonville IPT #3: 4 FULL DAYS — the afternoon of FRI 15 JULY thru the morning of TUES 19 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5)
Ride with me: add $200.00. I do not like to disappoint: each trip will run with one participant. If necessary.
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 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. After the first lunch there will be an introductory program. On days two and three 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.
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.
And 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.
Tuesday morning was another in a string of gorgeous mornings at Indian Lake Estates with a nice breeze from the east. I played around with the 400 f/2.8 for the first time and was very pleased with the ease of handling, the razor thin d-o-f at f/2.8, the AF performance, and the images. More soon …
Today is Wednesday 25 May 2022. The forecast for this morning is for partly cloudy early with a freshening breeze from the ESE. I will be headed down to the lake early to play with my new toy. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes seventy-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. 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.
Flight Photography at Jacksonville Till You Can’t Lift Your Lens!
If you missed yesterday’s video, be sure to click on the words “Watch on YouTube (in white letters) in the lower left corner of the screen to view the video larger. As a late-registration enticement for the three Jacksonville IPTs, I will include the ride with me for free for the first two folks to sign up for each workshop. Please get in touch via e-mail with any questions.
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 how the relationship between the wind and the sun directions impact flight photography and about the best gear for shooting birds in flight. Note that all the images in the video were created with the Sony a1 (and a variety of lenses). Join me on a workshop at Jacksonville this summer. Scroll down here for details.
Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens with extras!
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Douglas Smith is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent condition (with a few tiny dings) for a very low $5,248.00. The sale includes the lens trunk with keys, the strap, the rear lens cap, the front lens cover, a Wimberley P-50 plate, a well-used LensCoat, 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 Doug via e-mail or via phone at 360-606-7835 (Pacific time zone).
The 500 f/4 super-telephoto lenses have long been the world’s most popular for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. Canon’s Series II version is light, fast, super-sharp, and produces amazing images with both the 1.4X and 2X III TCs. The 500 II is relatively small, easily hand-holdable for some folks, and is much easier to travel with, focuses closer than, and costs a lot less than the 600 II or the 600 III! Lastly, and you might find this amazing, the magnification for the 500 II is the same as it is for the 600 II: .15X. How is that possible? Magnification is calculated at the minimum focusing distance of the lens — 12.14 feet (3.7 meters) for the 500 II and 14.77 feet (4.5 meters) for the 600 II. Simply put, the 500 II focuses more than two feet closer than the 600 II. Please do not tarry if you are seriously interested in Doug’s lens as it should sell quickly. Or not. 🙂 As the 500 II goes for $8999.00 new, you will be getting a great lens while saving a very handsome $,3,751.00! I loved my 500 II!
With the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, the 500 II will perform superbly with a Canon Mirrorless body like the R5 or the R3. And AF performance with the 1.4X III TC or the 2X III TC will be beyond superb as well. artie
This image was created on 22 May 2022 down by the lake at ILE. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-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 1250. 1/1600 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:04:51am on sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Great Blue Heron with Marsh Rat
Keep Your Eyes Moving
Folks on IPTs, and others simply out photographing with me, are often amazed when I spot something great. The trick is to keep your eyes moving (even when you have a very good subject right in front of you). Look to the right, look to the left, and look behind you. You should be scanning almost constantly. Only ingrained habit made me look under the pier and spot a Great Blue Heron holding a prey item. This is an important practice that can be developed over time with practice. Work on it. It can pay huge dividends. And you will be able to impress your photo friends by spotting some exciting situations that they missed.
This image was also created on 22 May 2022 down by the lake at ILE. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-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 1250. 1/1600 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:05:00am on sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Great Blue Heron picking up Marsh Rat after dropping it
Why Am I Always in a Hurry When Photographing Birds?
I am always in a hurry when I am photographing birds because I am scared that I might miss something. Once I saw the GBH on the north side of the pier with prey, I knew that it would swallow it in a few minutes at most. I rushed to my SUV, put the tripod in the back, and drove around the base of the pier as fast as I could. I needed to get out of my vehicle and on the tripod to clear the marsh grasses. I set up quickly, went with a high shutter speed — 1/1600 sec., raised the ISO until I had a few Zebras on the heron’s white cheek, acquired focus, and began making images. From the first keeper to the last was only 48 seconds. Had I tarried, I may very well have wound up with nothing … By hustling, I was able to create a neat sequence.
I know that on occasion sitting in one spot and waiting for something to come to you can yield some great opportunities and some great images, but not when you spot something exciting in a different location!
Note: once a fish or a rodent is subdued, i.e., dead, herons will often drop them in the water and then grab them again. I am not sure why.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #2A: Unsharpened tight crop of the Great Blue Heron picking up Marsh Rat after dropping it image
Incredible Sharpness at 1200mm
It is an absolute luxury to be able to work at 1200mm with absolute confidence with The Sony 600mm f/4GM/1.4X TC/Alpha 1 combo. Birds holding prey items are usually quick to leave the scene if disturbed by an approaching photographer … While getting closer physically is often a great plan, you may wind up scaring away the very bird you want to photograph.
Exposing to the Right
Exposing to the right to the max in this situation ensured that there would be lots of detail in the dark tones of the rodent’s fur. Thanks to the incredible sharpness and fine detail it is easy to surmise that this particular Marsh Rat was not having a good day …
This image was also created on 22 May 2022 down by the lake at ILE. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-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 1250. 1/1600 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:05:25am on sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Great Blue Heron about to swallow Marsh Rat
Use a Sturdy Tripod When Working at 1200mm!
Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod
I learned recently that the MAC Group quit making the great Induro tripods because of increasingly high trade tariffs imposed on goods made in China (where the tripods were being made). I have been using the 304L as my workhorse tripod for more than a decade. The 304 L is perfect for folks under 6′ 1″ tall using big glass. I used mine in and around saltwater with impunity. Though it is sturdy and rigid and can support any large super-telephoto rig, it weighs only 4 pounds 10.7 ounces with the hanging-hook removed. It costs many hundreds of dollars less than the overpriced, overdone, clunky, Really Wrong Stuff tripod. The 304L meshes perfectly with the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro that I love and use every day. And please do not insult this great head by mentioning the worthless and now obsolete RWS BH-55 bullheads in the same sentence …
Amazingly, we have two (and only two) brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $799.00 each plus the shipping. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906.
This image was also created on 22 May 2022 down by the lake at ILE. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-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 1250. 1/1600 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:05:39am on sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Great Blue Heron drinking after swallowing prey
You Can Bet On It
Whenever you see a large heron or egret swallow a large prey item, they will always bend down and take a drink of water. If they are on land when they swallow their meal, they will walk to the nearest water and take a sip. The only exceptions are birds swallowing prey in situations where there is no water in sight. Knowing and understanding bird behavior will enable to you create stronger images and tell better photo stories.
Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action.
Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. By early April, the group was up to an astounding 115 lucky and blessed folks. 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 four e-mails instead of the previous 28! You will see 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.
