April 7th, 2022 What’s Up?
Eric Bowles and I headed to Jekyll Point in the dark with high hopes. The forecast was for cloudy, but the sky was filled with stars. But not for long. Clouds and offshore fog closed in from the north and by the time the sun rose, it was barely visible. And then it disappeared for an hour. With the wind from the southwest, it was a tough morning for bird photography even when the sun went behind a big cloud.
As it was cloudy on Wednesday afternoon and I have a long day tomorrow, I stayed in.
Today is Thursday 7 April 2022. We will be up early and headed for an Okefenokee Swamp boat ride. Though I have never been, I am the leader on one boat. My first program, Streamlining Your Wildlife Photography Workflow, run from 1-4pm. At 4:40pm I lead a photo walk to Jekyll Point. Yikes! I sure hope that I have time for a nap after the boat ride! 🙂
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 45 minutes to prepare and makes twenty-eight 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 …
Wanted to Buy
I have a serious buyer looking for a Sony a9 II and a Sony 200-600 G lens. Please contact me via e-mail if you have one or both of those items sitting on a shelf unused.
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 4 April at Jekyll Point, Jekyll Island, GA. 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 80. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 8 seconds at f/16 (stopped down three stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:48:24am on what would become a clear sunny morning.
Manual focus with focus peaking. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Tidal Pool in the pre-dawn
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The Experience
Eric Bowles knows his way around Jekyll Point. Early on Monday morning, he took me in the dark to the best spot for pre-dawn photography. Most folks do now realize that on dead-clear days the vivid glow on the eastern horizon occurs at least 30 minutes before the sun peaks over the horizon. I made lots of 30 second exposures when the orange was brightest. I had the a1 set to mechanical shutter because you can only get down to 1/2 second in electronic shutter. I never check sharpness in the field. Then I remembered an old trick that I learned shooting long exposures with big lenses …
Any Birds?
There are five or six small shorebirds in today’s featured image. Can you see them? Remember, the exposure time was 8 full seconds.
An Important Old Tip Re-learned the Hard Way …
I was shooting the New York Skyline with a long lens and was mystified as to why my 15 second exposures were all badly blurred. There was no wind. If I am remembering correctly, it was old photographer friend Scott Vincent of New Jersey who shed light on the situation. When using super-telephoto lenses and working with very slow exposures, let’s say one second or longer, you must remember to turn off image stabilization (OSS for Sony, IS for Canon, VR for Nikon). If not, the systems will detect motion when there is none and shift the elements to reduce the (perceived) vibrations. I remembered that one Monday just as the color began to fade. II did a quick test on the sand patterns. With IS on, the image was hopelessly blurred. With IS off, it was sharp. Just in the nick of time, I created a few tidal pool images with OSS off. As you might imagine, the raw files — being properly exposed to the right, were dull and almost colorless. But I knew that the color was there. Thirty seconds of moving the sliders during the raw conversion with Adobe Camera Raw in Photoshop brought the image to life.
I experimented with the 70-200 at 70mm on the tripod with 30-second exposures on Wednesday morning. It did not matter whether the image stabilization was on or off.
Via e-mail from multiple IPT participant David Hollander
Primarily, what distinguished the San Diego IPT other photographic classes that I have attended was the “granularity” and specificity of the information you shared. By that I mean the level of specific, technical information that was covered. This was helped by the fact that you often gave an explanation as to why you made your choices. For example, when we first arrived at the location, you told people to shoot at 1600, F 5.6, and various shutter speeds. As the light got better, you progressively moved to lower ISOs, and gave us rules of thumb on what ISO to use in different lighting conditions.
You further explained in one of the review sessions that with modern cameras and good software, the noise isn’t really a problem and that you could get rid of the noise from a 1600 ISO a lot easier than fixing a blurred image. Similarly, you gave precise instruction on what aperture to use in various circumstances. In general, before your class, my “default” mode was to shoot in aperture priority, usually at about F 9 or 8.1. The reason wasn’t that I was trying to capture background detail, but instead was trying to increase my chances of getting the bird’s head in focus if I got the focus point in the wrong place. I will revisit that approach now. During one session, you showed a picture that had the bird’s eye in focus, but the tip of the beak was slightly off. When I asked you whether you would have used a higher f-stop in that case, you went to a website showing the impact on the depth of field at the given distance of moving up a stop, which was a fraction of an inch. That demonstrated why increasing the f-stop would not have worked in that case. From a teaching perspective, hearing the same information in multiple channels makes it more likely for people to absorb and remember it, so the technical explanations help the main message sink in. The instruction on use of the back button focus was also very helpful. I had read about that on your blog before, but I had not taken the time to try it, and now I have a new tool in my kit. Overall, I found the advice and instruction to be “actionable”. It was all there for those who were listening.
The comparison of slightly different images of the same bird was also very helpful. It showed what you were looking for head angles and placements. However, I should note that differences in many of the pictures that were acute to you were subtle to me, and all the pictures were ones that most photographers would have been proud to have taken, even the ones that you were rejecting.
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This all-new card is comprised of images created on my JAB 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs
San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 21 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 24 DEC 2022. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.
San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.
San Diego IPT #3. 3 1/2 DAYS: FRI 20 JAN thru the morning session on JAN 23 DEC 2023: $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.
Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT sessions.
Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.
Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.
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San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not
Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time if a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant. (Or two seconds with SONY Zebras…) And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure is one of the great takeaways on every IPT.
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Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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It Ain’t Just Pelicans
With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well, often with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.
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Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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The San Diego Details
These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.
A $599 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2022/23 San Diego IPTs. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due right after you sign up.
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San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
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Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late
On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
April 6th, 2022 What’s Up?
Eric Bowles and I explored Harris Neck NWR on Tuesday morning. It turned out to be one of those making-soup-from-a-stone days, a little of this and a little of that. We found a nice sunrise spot out of the park proper and had a sweet sunrise without many birds. 🙁 We visited several ponds on the refuge. The best by far was Woody Pond, in part because it actually had water in it. I got to see the famed Wood Stork rookery from a distance; the only photographs to be made of the breeding storks were scenic images of the nesting islands. We had several gators, a Tricolored Heron, and a very cooperative Great Blue Heron; we worked that bird hard and did well thanks to the clouds. It had gotten very windy on the way home. I had noticed roadsides full of Indian Blanket Flower in bloom on the way into Jekyll, so I suggested that we stop to do some blurs, and we did just that.
After lunch and a nap, it got really stormy, so we headed back to the causeway to do some more blurs. I again went with the 200-600 with a 5-stop ND filter screwed onto the front with the lens on a tripod so that I could try some circle blurs. I had put chicken and butternut squash in the oven at 360° so we headed back to Villas By the Sea after an hour of shooting while dodging a few raindrops. Dinner was done perfectly and was delicious.
Today is Wednesday 6 April. The forecast for the morning is for mostly cloudy with a SW wind. That is pretty bad for bird photography unless you have lots of cloud cover… We have just today shooting on our own till the boys and girls arrive. Starting very early on Thursday, GNPA will keep me very busy until midday on Sunday. That will be followed with a 2 1/2-day IPT. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 45 minutes to prepare and makes twenty-seven 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 …
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 4 April 2022 on the Jekyll Island Causeway. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 496mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 50. 1/8 second at f/16 (wide open). AWB at 11:39:13am on a cloudy very bright morning.
Spot S! AF-C did just what I wanted it to. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Roadside wildflower wind blur
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Gorgeous or Garbage?
Your honest thoughts would be appreciated.
More On 200-600 Versatility
The Sony 2-6 continues to amaze me with its versatility. I used it on Tuesday with high ISOs to create sunrise scenics, sharp images of the perched and fishing Great Blue Heron, bird-scapes of the Wood Stork Rookery, and all sorts of gator shots. Lastly, it was great on the causeway for shooting the flower blurs both handheld and on a tripod. One negative? Turning the lens in the tripod collar was a bit sticky. It does not rotate smoothly as the 600 f/4 does.
A Guide to Pleasing Blurs
Learn everything there is to know about creating pleasingly blurred images in A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. This 20,585-word, 271-page PDF is illustrated with 144 different, exciting, and artistic images. The guide covers the basics of creating pleasingly blurred images, the factors that influence the degree of blurring, the use of filters in creating pleasing blurs, and a great variety of both in-the-field and Photoshop techniques that can be used to create pleasingly blurred images.
Artie and Denise teach you many different ways to move your lens during the exposure to create a variety of pleasingly blurred images of flowers and trees and water and landscapes. They will teach you to recognize situations where subject movement can be used to your advantage to create pan blurs, wind blurs, and moving water blurs. They will teach you to create zoom-blurs both in the field and during post-processing. Artie shares the techniques that he has used and developed for making blurred images of flocks of geese in flight at his (formerly) beloved Bosque del Apache and Denise shares her flower blur magic as well as a variety of creative Photoshop techniques that she has developed.
With the advent of digital capture creating blurred images has become a great and inexpensive way to go out with your camera and have fun, especially when there is not much light. And while many folks think that making successful blurred images is the result of being a sloppy photographer, nothing could be further from the truth. In “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs” Artie and Denise will help you to unleash your creative self.
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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 3
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 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 morning 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
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
April 5th, 2022 Which One Do You Like Best?
Why?
BAA Online Store
Our phone and DSL lines are out since the huge rainstorm on Sunday. Please accept our apologies if your order is delayed. Frontier is supposed to be coming to the house on Wednesday … I an extreme emergency, please text me complete details to 863-221-2372 and I will do my best.
What’s Up?
Despite the cloudy-with-thunderstorms forecast, Monday morning at Jekyll Point was still and fabulous. And clear and sunny. We arrived in the dark to shoot the pre-down orange glow. I re-learned an lesson that I had learned many years ago — and had forgotten … Image and lesson here soon. With breeze against sun at sunrise, we killed on incoming backlit gulls and tern landing right at us. As the wind shifted lightly to the south we had a gorgeous Snowy Egret and some Willets in a tidal creek. After our morning session, Eric and I headed to Brunswick to do some grocery shopping. With wind against sun on a beautiful afternoon, we opted not to make the walk out to Jekyll Point and instead, visited several other spots on the island with the expected results. As Meatloaf says, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.
Today is Tuesday 5 April 2022. Eric and I will likely be headed to Harris Neck NWR in Richmond County, GA. The forecast for the morning is for partly cloudy with a gentle SE breeze followed by severe thunderstorms for the entire afternoon. 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 twenty-six 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 …
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This image was created on 3 April 2022 at Jekyll Point, Jekyll Island, GA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/1600 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 6:34:39pm on a sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Dunlin in surf
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Back of the Left Hand on the Beach!
To work at ground level, behind by sitting down.On clear days you need to try to get on sun angle. Then place the back of your left hand on the beach with your palm facing the sky and supporting the lens. You will work the tilted rear screen. Reading glasses are a must for me. It is a good idea to keep the monitor level activated so that you at least have a clue as to what level is. Handling the lens and framing the subject is awkward, and zooming in or out is difficult at best. I clipped lots of tails, and missed on tons of action and take-off chances. But getting a few good ones right at water level makes the risk worthwhile for me. As with many images made using this technique, this one needed to be leveled.
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This image was also created on 3 April 2022 at Jekyll Point, Jekyll Island, GA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/640 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 7:01:21pm on a sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Laughing Gull in surf calling
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Trusting AF
When working at ground level, it is necessary to trust your camera’s AF system implicitly. Having the level activated clutters the viewfinder and makes it difficult to see how well the autofocus system is performing. That’s where the trust comes in. And as always, you can get to Carnegie Hall by practicing, practicing, and practicing some more.
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This image was created on 3 April 2022 at Jekyll Point, Jekyll Island, GA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 524mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/1600 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 7:26:55pm on a sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Laughing Gull screaming at fly-by
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Sony 200-600 Lethality
It has become obvious to me that the Sony 200-600/Alpha 1 combo is the best-ever by far walk around super-telephoto rig for bird photography, zoom or otherwise. To be able to take a walk on the beach without a huge heavy lens and a tripod and make images like those featured here today is a blessing. In addition you have a deadly flight photography lens and a rig that does very well with the 1.4X TC on sunny days getting you out to 840mm. If you can hand hold this less-than six pound combo, you need to seriously think about switching to Sony …
If you cannot afford the a1, the 200-600 with an a9 II is a close second, and still better than anything else out there.
High Level Questions
1- Which of today’s three images was the most difficult to create? Why?
2- Which of today’s three image succeeded in part because of sheer luck?
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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.
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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: the afternoon of FRI 1 JULY thru the morning of TUES 5 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers)
Jacksonville IPT #3: the afternoon of FRI 15 JULY thru the morning of TUES 19 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers)
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.
Click here and scroll down for complete details.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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