Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
June 6th, 2024

Hard to Believe. A New Record: 86 Years Young!

Important Notice

After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.

Supporting My Efforts Here

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.

What’s Up?

Yesterday I ordered a second Sony a9 iii from Steve Elkins at Bedfords. While I still use my remaining a1 to photograph static avian subjects, the Bird-eye autofocus with the a9 iii is so much faster and far more reliable than the a1 that I wanted a second a9 iii for those times when I am working two different lenses and the possibility of flight or action exists.

After months with zero interest, three folks inquired about the Jacksonville IPT yesterday. Two have already signed up, IPT vet Joe Barranco for the 3 1/2 day IPT, and IPT vet Steve Shore, another recent convert to Sony, will be sharing my AirBnB and photographing with me for six full days. Hooray.

It has been an expensive week here in hot, sunny, central Florida. Several panels of screen fell off the pool cage last week. As my beloved lap pool is 13 years old, I decided to have all the screening replaced to the tune of $6,266.00!

Today is Thursday 6 June 2024. This blog post took five hours to prepare. I went down to the lake early on this sunny, smokey morning — there was a big wildfire near ILE yesterday afternoon. Many folks say that a south wind is great for bird photography. But in summer, with the sun rising well to the northeast, a south wind finds the birds flying, facing, and landing away from the light. So, I turned around and was home by 7:15am. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful day.

If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.

Please remember to use the B&H 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!

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.

Pat and Stokes Fishburne’s (formal) wedding ceremony

A Strikingly Beautiful Image From 67 Years Ago

I think that even if you have never met Stokes and Pat, this image would touch you deeply. So much tradition. So much beauty. They eloped on Dec. 31, 1956, but when Stokes graduated in June 1957, they had a formal wedding at the Citadel Chapel. The Citadel — The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a military college in Charleston, South Carolina.

Learn lots more about Pat and Stokes and their family in the Ordinary People; Extraordinary Lives blog post here.

Pat and Stokes enjoyed a wonderful marriage for 66 years, from 1956 until Stoke’s peaceful, somewhat merciful death in 2022. In the In Memoriam: Stokes Fishburne, a kind and gentle man blog post here, I wrote,

  • When Stokes went into work on the morning after the Apollo 13 problem occurred, NASA called to say they had three hours to help figure out how to bring the astronauts back to earth. Stokes and his partner, Dick Oman, used slide rulers (not computers!) to do the needed calculations.
  • Extraordinary indeed.

    With the handheld Sony 300mm f/2.8 and the a9 iii with Human Face-Eye enabled at f/8.

    Pat at 86, always smiling still

    Pat at 86

    Pat did not photograph for some time after Stoke’s death. A few months ago, she e-mailed telling me that she was beginning to do some bird photography again. I had previously suggested that she consider either a Canon mirrorless body or better yet, switching to Sony. I told her that a Sony a1 and a 200-600 would change her life and that I could teach her to use the Sony gear in five minutes. Pat was concerned about the large a1 file sizes. And about learning to use a new system.

    Anyhoo, Pat came by on Tuesday past for an afternoon of Sony instruction, a pool deck dinner, a bit of photography, and a morning of photo instruction.
    After familiarizing her with getting the right exposure with Sony Zebras, the AF system, and camera controls and handing, we headed down to the lake. It was then that I learned that despite having been on more than 10 IPTs she was still using Aperture Priority mode :-(. Stokes has listened to me all those years ago and switched to Manual mode. But Pat was stubborn. That made my job much harder There were zero cranes around and sunset was a washout when a big cloud spoiled our potential fun. Pat asked if she could take my a1 and my 70-200 to her hotel in Lake Wales and practice with the camera buttons and dials. I answered in the affirmative.

    She got back to ILE at 6:45am as planned on Wednesday, now completely familiar with the button and dials. After hearing that the a9 iii files were half the size of a1 raw files and that the AF was much better, Pat wanted to try my a9 iii. I had already mentioned the 300mm f/2.8 to Pat so I let her use that with a 2X TC. That gave her a hand-holdable 600mm f/5.6 lens. Did I mention that Pat, after decades of water aerobics, is strong and fit. We got in position on our milk crates. I talked her through getting the right exposure for subjects of different tonalities. It was not a great morning as far as action but we did have a few good chances. And Pat cashed in on those very nicely.

    I would be remiss not to mention that more than a few tears were shed by both us during our sessions as we discussed beloved lost spouses. The tears were both sad and happy at the same time.

    When Pat got home, she placed this order with Bedfords using the BIRDSASART discount code:

    Sony a9 III
    Sony 70-200mm f.2.8 II lens
    Sony 300mm f/2.8
    Two Sony batteries
    One Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter
    One Sony FE 2X Teleconverter

    From BIRDS AS ART she ordered three Delkin Devices 160GB BLACK CFexpress Type A Memory Cards and a Delkin Devices CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Memory Card Reader.

    She went home with my rarely used Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS lens that she purchased for half the price of a new one.

    She is looking forward to practicing with her new Sony gear for her trip to Iceland this June.

    This image was created by Pat Fishburne on 5 June 2024 down by the lake near my home in Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on a pillow on a milk crate, Pat used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000: 1/4000 sec. at f/7.1 (stopped down 2/3 stop in error) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:59:59am on a clear sunny morning.

    Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.

    Image #1: Juvenile Osprey calling in purposeful flight
    Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Patricia Fishburne

    Learning Sony

    The word on the street is that Sony Alpha is a difficult system to learn because the Menus are so complex. For folks who have my settings on their Sony cameras and a bit of instruction, nothing could be further from the truth. By Wednesday morning, Pat was good to go. Hand-holding the 300 f/2.8 lens as a 600mm f/5.6 rig she created two images that I would be very proud of. Kudos to Pat for trusting me and for being such a good student. I was photographing birds for more than 35 years before I made a flight image as good as either of these. Yes, the gear is better but without having your camera set up correctly and a bit of instruction, you will be dead in the water.

    While I had taught at least two folks over 80 years old to use a Sony a-1in “five minutes,” Pat shattered that record by eight years by learning to use her a9 iii in a short afternoon. Thanks, Pat!

    This image was also created by Pat Fishburne on 5 June 2024 down by the lake near my home in Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on a pillow atop a milk crate, Pat again used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1250: 1/4000 sec. at f/7.1 (stopped down 2/3 stop in error) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:04:47am on a clear sunny morning.

    Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.

    Image #2: Black-bellied Whistling Duck braking to land pano
    Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Patricia Fishburne

    Flight Photography at Any Age

    Flight photography at any age is a challenging endeavor. At 86, using a relatively heavy rig, a new exposure mode (Manual), and a completely new system, Pat’s two images presented in this blog post represent some sort of miracle.

    Your Call?

    Which of Pat’s two featured images is your favorite? Why?

    a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide

    a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide

    For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I sold the second of my three a1 bodies last week. And on June 5th, I purchased a second a9 iii body! Lots more on the switch coming soon.

    If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide (and an INFO Sheet — white paper — is going soon.

    For those who did not use my link to purchase their Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens, you can order your a copy here for $209.93.

    Click on the image to enlarge and to be able to read the fine print.

    The BAA Sony 300mm f/2.8 Lens Guide

    Impressed by my (or Pat’s) Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images? Use either my Bedfords or B&H affiliate link to purchase your Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and shoot me your receipt via e-mail and request a copy of the first-ever BAA Lens Guide. I thought that it would take only minutes to create this guide, but I was dead wrong. In the process of creating it, I learned a ton about the lens. And even better, I discovered a simple yet potentially fatal flaw that was resulting in sporadically unsharp flight images. The set-up fix is simple. Just be sure to use one of my affiliate links and get the guide for free.

    If not, you can purchase a copy here for $209.93. Yes, it never hurts to use my links and it never costs you one penny more. And if you contact me via e-mail before you make a major purchase, I can often save you some money.

    Typos

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

    June 4th, 2024

    Audubon-like Miracle with Sony camera and lens at 1200mm. Shooting into Blasting, Super-Bright Reflections. Just how much can you learn from a single image?

    A Practically Free IPT

    If you would like to learn about joining me east of Jacksonville, FL for a week of great photography and instruction this July — for next to nothing, please shoot me an e-mail. Share and AirBnB and ride to, on, and from the beach with me. Airport pickup possible.

    Your Call?

    Which image do you like best? Why?

    Important Notice

    After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.

    Supporting My Efforts Here

    If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

    In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.

    What’s Up?

    Photography down by the lake in the morning and just before sunset down by the lake continues to be excellent as does the weather: clear in the mornings with breezes from the northeast; hazy or foggy with light clouds in the west in the afternoon with the northeast wind continuing.

    Today is Tuesday 4 June 2024. I’ll be heading down to the lake soon. I hope that you too have a great day. Old friend, multiple IPT veteran Pat Fishburne is driving up from Fort Myers this afternoon for a pool deck dinner and to try out some Sony gear. We will do two sessions, one this afternoon and another tomorrow morning.

    If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.

    Please remember to use the B&H 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!

    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.

    ddc 728w

    Save 15%!

    If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.

    I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.

    Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.

    Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com



    B&H

    To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.

    Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.

    Bedfords Simplified

    Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.

    Bedfords Amazing 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, prior purchases.

    Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

    Gear Questions and Advice

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

    This image was created on 2 June 2024 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 Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial and AUTO ISO. Multi-metering -0.3 stops set ISO 500. 1/4000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined barely over-exposed on the specular highlight, just where it should be. AWB at 7:58:24pm on variably sunny afternoon.

    Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.

    Strongly backlit Sandhill Crane displaying

    Audubon-like Miracle at 1200mm

    When John James Audubon painted large, tall birds for his elephant folio, he painted them life-size. In order to fit the largest of them on a page, he had to draw them in contorted poses. As the pair of cranes walked into the lake on Sunday night, I thought, I’ve got way too much lens. Out of habit, I pointed the lens at the birds cutting off the head and the feet of whichever bird I was on. But I kept paying attention. After all, you never know what might happen.

    I’ve been meaning to mention that when I am using my SUV as a blind, I am very, very often moving the vehicle forward or backward to get into perfect position. This is especially true when doing sunset silhouettes because the backgrounds vary tremendously. I may have to move my X5 from one end of the small beach to the other, perhaps 50 yards or so, or sometimes by as little as an inch or two. Not to mention having to work around the grasses that clutter the backgrounds.

    Anyhoo, I moved my vehicle back a few yards to line the birds walking away from me up with the brightest reflections. Then, several miracles occurred:

    1- The two cranes stopped walking, faced each other, and began to dance.
    2- The crane on my right crouched down as its mate jumped into the air.
    3- As luck would have it, I had the lens pointed at the crouching bird which then miraculously fit perfectly into the frame.

    Then I pushed the button. In most of the frames the main subject was clipped.

    Why Shutter Priority Mode & AUTO ISO for Silhouettes

    With the sun muted and all sorts of reds, pinks, yellows, oranges, and purples either creating a dramatically colorful the sky or reflecting off the surface of smooth water, you usually need to add 2 or 2 1/3 stops or more of light. That is not a typo. When the sun or its very bright reflection is in the frame or close to the edge of the frame you need to go the other way by subtracting light to limit the brightness of the specular highlights. At times, you might need to go as dark as -2 stops while at the same time lowering the ISO and increasing the shutter speed, both dramatically.

    Having to do all of those things ASAP would often require dozens and dozens of clicks. With Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial I am never more than 12 or 13 clicks from a perfect exposure, i.e., from +2.3 to – 2.0. And as those are pretty much the extremes, several fewer clicks will have you covered. Sony Zebras of course make the photographer’s life a lot easier. With todays’ featured image I reduced the underexposure 1/3 stop so that I was seeing only a few Zebras on the brightest areas of water.

    Sony a9 iii AF Kills Blasting Highlights Situations

    You face many challenges when shooting into blasting, super-bright reflections. Not the least o those is achieving accurate focus. I have been saying for years that most camera systems fail miserably in those super high contrasts situations — the AF systems are blinded. I have previously discussed focusing manually in such situation; that is easily done when you are working on a tripod but for many reasons is pretty much impossible when using a big lens on a BLUBB-

    Frustrated with a1 AF that night, I switched to the a9 iii and was not surprised that it failed far less frequently. Having sold two of my three a1 bodies in the last month, I am thisclose to buying a second a9 111.

    a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide

    a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide

    For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I sold the second of my three a1 bodies last week. Lots more on the switch coming soon.

    If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.

    Flight Photography at Jacksonville Till You Can’t Lift Your Lens!

    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 and other invertebrates 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. 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. See the details below.

    Clockwise from upper left corner around to center: ink-stained Royal Tern with squid for chicks; fluffy white Royal Tern Chick about two weeks old; Royal Tern with shrimp for chicks; 3-4 week old Royal Tern chick; incoming adult Royal Tern with greenback; Royal Tern in flight with juvenile mahi-mahi; large Brown Pelican chick preening; field guide portrait of fresh juvenile Laughing Gull; Royal Tern chick begging for fish from incoming adult.

    Join me at Huguenot Memorial Park this July

    Join Me

    I have an AirBnB checking in on the late afternoon of Saturday 13 July and checking out on Thursday 19 July 2024. If you are looking to improve your bird photography by leaps and bounds while sharing the place with me, please shoot me an e-mail. ASAP.

    Clockwise from upper left corner around to center: Royal Tern chick feeding frenzy; Royal Tern nearly fledged chick; ink-stained Royal Tern with squid for chicks; Royal Tern chick begging; Brown Pelican immature tight flight; Royal Tern adult screaming — tight flight; Laughing Gulls mobbing Royal Tern to steal fish; Royal Tern with fish for chicks.

    Join me at Huguenot Memorial Park this July

    Huguenot Memorial Park in Early Summer

    Driving on the beach at Huguenot Memorial Park in early summer is a bird photographer’s delight. You park this side of the last rope on the beach and you are within 100 yards of the Royal Tern colony atop the dunes. There are also many thousand Laughing Gulls and a few Sandwich Terns breeding as well. In some years, there are some Brown Pelican nests on the ground! .

    In early July, the tern chicks begin to make their way down to the flats to bathe and drink and get fed by the parents. On the way, they spend a lot of time on the face of the dune where they are easy to photograph at eye level. They may also gather in fairly large groups at the base of the dunes.

    Flight photography both in the mornings and the afternoons can be quite excellent as the terns are carrying all manner of marine life to sustain the rapidly growing chicks: the adults are often seen flying around in search of their chicks with all sorts of small baitfish as well as immature fish, large shrimps, baby crabs, and even squid in their bills. The squid will squirt ink on the terns in protest. So if you see an adult Royal Tern flying around with a black necklace you can understand why.

    2024 Jacksonville IPT: 4 1/2 DAY option Monday 15 July 2024 through the morning session on FRI 19 JULY — $2299.00 (Limit 4 photographers)

    2024 Jacksonville IPT 3 1/2 DAY option: Monday 15 July 2024 through the morning session on THUR 18 July: $1799.00. (Limit 4 photographers)

    I do not like to disappoint: each trip will run with only a single participant. If necessary.

    I first visited the beach nesting 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 one of the many nw Z lenses. 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 at least 1 1/2. On cloudy mornings with favorable winds, we may opt to stay out for one long session and skip the afternoon, especially when the afternoon weather forecast is poor. Lunch is included on all but the last day of each IPT and will be served at my AirBnB. After lunch, we will do image review and Photoshop sessions. My AirBnB is the closest lodging to the park.

    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.

    Flight Photography at Jax

    There is a ton of great flight photography at Huguenot. You can use a handheld intermediate telephoto lens or a faster, longer fixed focal length lens mounted on a tripod with a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro. We will get to photograph the Royal and Sandwich Terns, Laughing and other gulls, and Brown Pelicans, all in flight on most days.

    Lenses for Flight Photography at Jax

    While a handheld or tripod mounted 500 or 600mm f/4 lens can be quite useful for flight photography on the beach, handhold-able intermediate and zoom telephoto lenses like the Sony 200-600mm G lens, the Canon RF 100-500, and any one of the Nikon intermediate telephotos are often the ticket to success when flight shooting. I did quite well on my last visit handholding the Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM lens usually with the 1.4X teleconverter. This year I will be shooting often with my new Sony 300mm f/2.8 lens with either the 1.4X or 2x TC. And my a9 iii will be there as well.

    Typos

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

    June 2nd, 2024

    Killdeer Young -- How Old Are You Now?

    A Practically Free IPT

    If you would like to learn about joining me east of Jacksonville, FL for a week of great photography and instruction this July — for next to nothing, please shoot me an e-mail. Share and AirBnB and ride to, on, and from the beach with me. Airport pickup possible.

    Your Call?

    Which image do you like best? Why?

    Important Notice

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    What’s Up?

    Today is Sunday 2 June 2024. This blog post took about more than five hours to prepare — a labor of love. Have a great day.

    This image was created by a visiting Clemens Van der Werf on the morning of 1 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at ILE. He used my Robus RC-5558 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM lens with Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R and his Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1000: 1/50 second at f/8 (stopped down 2 1/3 stops) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:28:00pm in the shade of my body on a mostly clear afternoon.

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

    Image #1: 1-day old at most Killdeer chicks in scrape nest
    Image courtesy of and copyright 2024 Clemens Van der Werf

    So Much For Being Mister Nice Guy

    I had suspected for several weeks that there was a killdeer nest on the ornamental rock garden by the bathroom down by the pier at ILE. But I did not find it until the afternoon of 30 April of this year. After staring at the same spot for several minutes, I finally was able to make out one tiny, perfectly camouflaged chick and two eggs in a small scrape nest. The nest morning I photographed three chicks in the nest with my 600mm lens. You are not seeing it here for a reason; it is not very good.

    Clemens, visiting his adopted state from The Netherlands, came by for dinner on May 1st asa we had made a reservation to photograph on a pontoon boat at Lek Blue Cypress the next morning. After we ate, we headed down to the lake to check things out. There were two tiny chicks in the nest and no eggs or eggshells. The first hatched chick must have gone for a walkabout. Shorebird chicks are precocial. Pretty darn soon, sometimes within hours of hatching, they fluff out their feathers and wander away from the nest, picking at bits of food as they go.

    Anyhoo, I crabbed my Canon 180 Macro lens, the Metabones adapter, and an a-1 and went to work. Clemens kindly shaded the nest from the late after sun with his body. The two chicks laid there with their eyes close. Clemens mounted his Canon R3 to my favorite macro lens via the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R. As luck would have it both chicks opened their eyes as one of them raised its head. Bingo for Clemens, bummer for me 🙂

    Note that the chick on our right has the egg tooth on the tip of its bill. That helps them chip away at the eggshell so that it can escape and hatch. It has disappeared from the bill of the chick on our left so that one is likely older by a day (or two at most).

    This image was created on 6 May 2024 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 1600. 1/320 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:39:41am on variably cloudy morning.

    Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.

    Image #2: Killdeer — 7-day old chick
    Image copyright 2024: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

    Seven Days Old

    This chick is almost surely seven days old, eight at the very most. On the morning of 6 May, I was thrilled to find all three chicks in the far southwest corner of the ILE “beach.” I posted a shot of one of the three chicks from that morning: Image #2 in the blog post here.

    I love the two tone background and the chicks cyan colored ankles. Yes, what you think are a bird’s knees actually correspond to a human’s ankles.

    This image was created on 7 May 2024 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 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1600. 1/320 sec. at f/.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:14:14am on variably cloudy morning.

    Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.

    Image #3: Killdeer — adult calling chicks on 7 May
    Image copyright 2024: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

    Good Parent

    At the exact same spot the next morning, one of the adults was calling the chicks. All three responded and disappeared under momma or poppa in a few moments. Though in prefect position, I never got to press the shutter button.

    This image was created on 25 May 2024 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 3200. 1/400 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:00:18am on variably cloudy morning.

    Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.

    Image #4: Killdeer — juvenal plumage, 26-days old
    Image copyright 2024: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

    Success!

    Two weeks later, in the same spot, I was thrilled to see all three of the young Killdeer along the shore of the lake adjacent to the beach. They were fledged and almost fully grown, except for their long scraggly tails. Note the handsome feather edgings that distinguish the juvies from the adults.

    This image was created on 30 May 2024 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 2500. 1/400 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:00:18am on variably cloudy morning.

    Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.

    Image #5: Killdeer — juvenal plumage, 32-days old, stretching far wing
    Image copyright 2024: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

    The Far Wingstretch

    If a shorebird is stretching a wing and the head angle is decent, I will almost always hold the shutter button down. Picking this one as best from a long series was easy as it offered the best look at the far foot.

    ps: The next day I saw one of the young take flight.

    Typos

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