March 18th, 2022 What’s Up?
Despite the cloudy forecast, Thursday morning dawned still and clear with a light mist in the air that cleared quickly. The crane in the North Marsh sat steadfastly on her nest with two eggs and the branched eaglet remained branched. The crane family on the South Peninsula was MIA. Despite the perfect conditions, I almost made it home without making a single image. Then I stopped to try for some Cattle Egrets in a low-growing, purple flower setting. When I checked on the eagle nest the young bird was jumping around from its perch to the nest and back again. I was thrilled to see it make a ten foot “flight” from the nest to its perch to the south. Then one of the adults flew in with a big silver fish and the eaglet returned to the nest for breakfast. And I returned home to prepare brunch. As I left, I saw that the crane family had crossed to the North Field (but ignored them to head home and get to work).
All day yesterday I thought that it was Friday … Anyhoo, I got a ton of work done on Thursday. I now have 368 images in the first of my two GNPA Keynote programs. About half the slides are arranged properly, the other half are not. And I need to get down to less than 350 photos. I worked on lots of images from my two Jacksonville visits last year in preparation for announcing two Jacksonville IPTs this summer. I sent 44 work-related e-mails — about par for the course, and I did a gear consult by phone. Lastly, I began work on today’s blog post.
Today is Friday 18 March 2022. The morning forecast is again calling for still and partly cloudy … Such forecasts at ILE often mean “still and sunny.” Time will tell. IAC, I will head down to the lake for a bit. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too had a great day. This blog post took a bit more than three hours to prepare and makes eight days in a row with a new one.
I will be heading to Gatorland on Saturday and Stick Marsh on Sunday to check things out. If you are on the list for Gatorland early entry for this Saturday and would like to learn to be a better photographer, please get in touch via e-mail ASAP.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on most blog pages and always in the right column and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Used Gear Kudos via e-Mail from Tom Muilhern
Good afternoon, Artie,
Just a fast word of thanks. I just completed second purchase of equipment using your site. I am retired on SS my fun budget — let’s just say it is tight, leading me to the used equipment market. FIRST TIME (March 2021). You went out of your way to find me what I was looking for (a Canon 100-400 II lens). The lens was not listed yet, but you found one for me. I got a great deal/price, in better condition than posted. SECOND TIME (March 2022). I grabbed the 7d MK II package that was listed on your Used Gear Page by Steve Zarate. Again, the process was easy, the price was great, the equipment in very good condition, and packed and delivered as stated.
Thanks again! I have recommended your site to others and will continue to do so.
Tom Muilhern
Clemens Van der Werf
Clemens is a longtime friend. After attending 13 IPTS in the early 2000-teens, he is surely my most accomplished student. Anita North is a very close second. I am often envious of Clemens’ (and of Anita’s) work. Clemens’s five images are indeed beyond spectacular. His photos have been featured here on the blog many times. If you would like to see some of those blog posts, type his name into the little white search box at the top right of each blog post and hit Return. That will quickly yield ten pages of links! And, you can see more of his work in his virtual print gallery at Shop.clemensvanderwerf.com. Be especially sure to check out his Bald Eagles Gallery. Equally spectacular are Ice, Penguins, and Yellowstone in Winter. Clemens apparently likes cold weather; he will surely need to add a Snowy Owl gallery ASAP!
Clemens Van der Werf and the Canon R3
After his first visit to Lake Blue Cypress Clemens called to tell me that the R3 was a lot better than the R5 for photographing birds in flight and in action. “Why?,” I asked. “The autofocus is a lot stickier” he replied. After the second Snowy Owl trip he expanded his thoughts by saying that R3 AF was much better than R5 AF as far as AF tracking accuracy was concerned, especially in low light situations. In addition, he said that the smaller R3 raw files were beautiful and that they stood up nicely to healthy crops. He will be using his R5 for landscapes and his R3 for all of his bird photography, especially when shooting flight and action.
Clemens and Greg and the Snowy Owl Trips
Clemens traveled twice to Michigan this winter to photograph the Snowy Owls. Our mutual friend, Greg Gulbransen, accompanied him on both trips. The first trip was OK at best, but they persisted and did a lot better on the second trip. And the second trip was a lot warmer. It only got down to -20° F. Greg was using the Nikon Z9 and he also produced many fine images with his hand held 400mm f/2.8 lens. I will be sharing some of those with you here soon. As the pious and corrupt Warden Samuel Norton in “The Shawshank Redemption” said often, “I see you two all the time, you’re thick as thieves, you are.”
Shawshank Redemption
Shawshank Redemption is my favorite movie of all time, by miles. I have seen it dozens of times and always enjoy it. If you don’t have the time to relive the movie right now, you can visit the list of great quotes here on the IMDB website for a quick Shawshank fix (along with a few tears).
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This image was created on 4 March 2022 by Clemens Van der Werf in Michigan. He used the hand held Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM lens with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R and the Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless camera body. The exposure was determined via histogram evaluation. ISO 1600. 1/2000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:02 on a then very cloudy afternoon.
Image courtesy of and Copyright 2022: Clemens Van der Werf
Image #4: Snowy Owl striking with talons extended
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Impressed By the R3?
I you shoot Canon and were impressed enough by what you saw and learned here today to want to buy one, please use the B&H link (Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless camera body) or purchase from Bedfords and receive 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second day FedEx shipping. Then send Clemens a thank you note for sharing his R3 images and comments.
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This image was created on 4 March 2022 by Clemens Van der Werf in Michigan. He used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens (at 300mm) and the Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless camera body. The exposure was determined via histogram evaluation. ISO 640. 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open for 300mm) in Manual mode. AWB at 4:40pm on a cloudy afternoon.
Image courtesy of and Copyright 2022: Clemens Van der Werf
Image #5: Snowy Owl midair squabble
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Your Assignments for Today
- 1- As you surely expected, all are invited to leave a comment stating their pick as today’s best image along with the reasons that they made their choice.
- 2- Advanced students can leave a comment detailing the one or two thing(s) that they liked best about each image. Undertaking this exercise will surely help you become a better photographer.
- 3- The most advanced folks can take a crack at this one: considering all five images, what one thing in a single image bugs me?
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
March 17th, 2022 Your Favorite
I am really curious as to which of today’s two featured images folks like best. All are invited to leave a comment as to which is their favorite and why they made their choice. I have a very clear favorite.
What’s Up?
When I peeked out the back door on Wednesday morning, it was cloudy-black. It brightened up a bit and I headed down to the lake at 8:30am for what surprisingly turned out to be a very good session with the crane colts and the branched eaglet. It was so good, that I almost burned the butternut squash that I had left in a not-too-hot oven for 1 1/2 hours.
I have been hard at work behind the scenes. I sold Bill Schneider’s Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens in like-new condition for $9498.00, and his like-new Sony 100-400 GM lens also in like-new condition for $1397.00, both before being listed on the Used Gear Page. And I sold Mansoor Assadi’s Sony 70-200 f/2.8 GM lens in excellent condition in the same manner for $1088.00 (was $1397.00).
Today is Thursday 17 March 2022. The forecast is for mostly cloudy; I just may stay in to get some work done. Or not. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too had a great day. This blog post took a bit more than an hour to prepare and makes seven days in a row with a new one.
If you are headed to Gatorland this Saturday and would like to learn to be a better photographer, please get in touch via e-mail ASAP.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
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.
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This image was created on 16 March 2022 down by the lake near my home. I used the no-longer-available Induro GIT 304L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 800. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/160 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:43:27am on a then cloudy morning.
Tracking: Spot S with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image #1: Bald Eagle — branched eaglet perched near its nest
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Definition of Branch
Ornithology (verb): to leave the nest and perch nearby in the nest tree.
The young eagle branched on Tuesday. The eaglet should be branching any day now.
Though a web search turned up a few similar usages, I was surprised that I could not find a formal definition for the ornithological use of branch in any of the premier online dictionaries. So I made up my own.
The Eaglet Branched
The young eagle in the nest at ILE branched on Tuesday 15 March 2022. It hatched somewhere around 7 January. It left the nest pretty much right on schedule at approximately 10 1/2 weeks. Yesterday, I saw the young eagle return to the nest briefly and flap its wings, only to leave the nest on the opposite side and find a new perch. I have not seen this young bird flap its wings while perched.
Image #1 was cropped from a horizontal original. Why didn’t I simply add the teleconverter and create a vertical original?
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This image was created on 16 March 2022 down by the lake near my home. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 72mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb wheel. ISO 400: 1/200 second at f/3.5 (stopped down 1/3-stop). AWB at 7:51:45am on then very cloudy morning.
Tracking: Spot S with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by grabbing the eye of the eaglet! Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Bald Eagle: eaglet in nest tree
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More Fun With the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens
In extreme low light situations, I find myself turning more and more to the bare (no teleconverter in place) Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens. For Image #2, I was just 2mm shy of the shortest available focal length. Folks might ask, “Why didn’t you move back and zoom out to 70mm and include more on the right?” I did not want the green of the pine tree just offstage right creeping into the frame as I thought that introducing green would detract from the somber mood of the image and draw the viewer’s eye from the nest and the young eagle.
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The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
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The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back-and-forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:
- Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
- Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
- The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
- Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
- Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
- Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
- West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
- Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.
Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.
You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
March 16th, 2022 Horizontal or Vertical?
Both of today’s featured images were created from the same Nancy Thornblad raw file. Which do you like best, the horizontal or the vertical? Why?
What’s Up?
Tuesday morning dawned sunny and still. I did a pre-dawn silhouette of the eagle nest and was surprised that I did not see the young bird in the nest. I learned later that it had already branched and had been perched about 10 feet above and to the north of the nest when I created the silhouette. Later in the morning, when it clouded over, I was able to make a few nice images of the eaglet. I checked on the two-egg crane nest in the North Marsh and was pleased to see the female sitting peacefully on her eggs. The two-colt crane family was in the marsh, so I passed on them and headed home early to get to work.
Today is Wednesday 16 March 2022. The forecast is calling for overnight thunderstorms, mostly cloudy early, and rain for the rest of the day. I will head down to the lake in a few minutes just because. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too had a great day. This blog post took a bit more than an hour to prepare and makes seven days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
SONY FE 4.5-5.6/70-300mm f2.8 G OSS Lens
Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master is offering a SONY FE 4.5-5.6/70-300mm f2.8 G OSS lens in like-new condition for $599.00. The lens was never used. The sale includes the original product box, the rear lens cap, the lens case, the front lens cover, the lens strap, 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 Larry via e-mail at lawrencemaster@gmail.com or by phone at 1-518-645-1545 EDT.
This very small, incredibly versatile, lightweight lens will fit all Sony e-Mount mirrorless camera bodies like the a7R III and IV, the a9 and the a9 II, and the Alpha 1. It is also compatible with APS-C sensor bodies like the Sony Alpha a6000 and the a6400. I would make an ideal travel lens as well as a great mid-range telephoto for nature photographers. For bird photographers, it would complement the 200-600 G lens almost perfectly. Best of all? It is priced to sell; a new one would cost you $1273.00. Grab Larry’s lens today and save a handsome $674.00! artie
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This image was created on 5 October 2021 on the Fall Fort DeSoto IPT by participant Nancy Thornblad. She used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens at 463mm and the very affordable Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless camera body. The exposure was determined via histogram review.ISO 2000: 1/4000 second at f8 (stopped down 1/3 stop). AWB at 8:18:42am on a partly cloudy morning.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Photo courtesy of and Copyright 2021: Nancy Thornblad.
Image #1: Marbled Godwit preening
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Pre-IPT Gear Help
Nancy called in mid-September to learn about the 2021 Fall Fort DeSoto IPT. In our follow-up e-mails, we reviewed her current gear. I suggested that she purchase the Canon RF 100–500 lens. She was thrilled that Steve Elkins of Bedfords was able to get one for her in short order. She also mentioned that she could not make any good photos with her Canon R6 and that she preferred her 1DX. We sent her the Canon EOS R5/R6 Camera User’s Guide and she was good to go.
I am always glad to help folks upgrade their gear to best suit their individual needs. And that is true for everyone, not just folks who are signing up for an IPT.
The IPT Experience
Via e-mail from Nancy Thornblad
Hello Artie,
I appreciate all the work you did on the IPT helping me with everything from choosing the right equipment, travel and lodging, getting the right exposure, improving my compositions, and simply creating getting better photographs. The IPT was a wonderful experience, and it was great to learn from such an experienced and knowledgeable photographer. With all the individual attention, I came away from the IPT a better photographer and will continue to use what I learned every time I go out to photograph. Thanks for the ten critiques. I am looking forward to the next time. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. Nancy
With fewer folks signing up for IPTs over the past few years (for reasons unbeknownst to me), everyone who attends an IPT will receive a ton of individual instruction both in the field and at the computer.
Today’s Featured Images
Thanks to Nancy for letting me share her preening Marbled Godwit image here today. Image #1 is a small crop from the horizontal original, and Image #2 is a vertical crop from that. The R6 image held up well to the cropping.
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This is the same image cropped to a vertical. As above, it was created on 5 October 2021 on the Fall Fort DeSoto IPT by participant Nancy Thornblad. She used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens at 463mm and the very affordable Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless camera body. The exposure was determined via histogram review. ISO 2000: 1/4000 second at f8 (stopped down 1/3 stop). AWB at 8:18:42am on a partly cloudy morning.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Photo courtesy of and Copyright 2021: Nancy Thornblad.
Image #2: Marbled Godwit preening
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Don’t Take This Lightly
Many photo tour leaders are more than glad to get rid of their group at lunch. Each promotion of a BAA IPT includes this:
There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day.
These sessions are hugely popular. On Day One I will usually pick my keepers from the morning session while explaining the fine differences that make one or two images the best from 5 to 30 frame bursts of the same subject/situation. That is almost always followed by an image optimization or two. Those are recorded and a link to the video is sent to the group.
On the following days, we will look at participants’ images. I will pick a strong one to optimize from the raw conversion to the JPEG creation. And again, the whole process is recorded and a link to the video sent to the group.
These sessions are amazingly valuable, not only for the group but for me as well. Why the latter? Many of my best Photoshop tricks and techniques are a result of someone saying, “Why are you doing it that way? There is a much easier way to do it.”
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Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in full breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull landing on head of Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull in flight, Reddish Egret sunrise silhouette, Great Blue Heron with needlefish, Yellow-crowned Night Heron with ghost crab, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling in breeding plumage, and white morph Reddish Egret in glorious breeding plumage.
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The 2022 DeSoto Spring IPT/April 26 through the morning session on April 29, 2020. 3 1/2 DAYS: $2099.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings 4
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for breeding terns and gulls and wading birds in spring. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography.
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Again, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull in flight, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandwich Terns copulating, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret with reflection, breeding plumage Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, white morph Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret in marsh.
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We will also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, most especially, Red Knot with many individuals in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures. With any luck, we might get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will almost surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
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Yes, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, Laughing Gull vertical front-end portrait, Laughing Gull with prey item, landing on head of Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Royal Tern displaying, Royal Terns — pre-copulatory stance, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a rare treat, a breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.
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On the IPT you will learn:
- 1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
- 2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
- 3- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
- 4- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
- 5- To age and identify many species of shorebirds including sandpipers, plovers, dowitchers, and possibly yellowlegs.
- 6- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
- 7- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
- 8- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
- 9- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
- 10- How and when to access the magical sandbar safely.
- 11- More than you could ever imagine.
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You got it by now! Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Roseate Spoonbill, immature Brown Pelican in flight, the heron/egret hybrid, American Oystercatcher feeding, immature Royal Tern on railing, Great Egret morning silhouette, Black Skimmer in surf, and underside head portrait of Great Blue Heron.
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Morning sessions will run at least three hours, afternoon sessions 2 1/2. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. On cloudy mornings when the photography is excellent, we may opt to extend the morning session and skip the afternoon, especially if the afternoon weather is not looking too good. There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area — Gulfport in this case, rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away.
Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors; this is pretty much a staple on almost all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours. Doing so will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest and those who need to get home for a proper dinner. I really love it when I am leaving the beach at 9:30am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We will be getting wet.
Credit cards are OK for your $500 deposit. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. After you leave the deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your check out to BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, and clothing and gear advice a month before the trip. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
Typos
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