Jim and I, very, very early. We left for Orlando Airport at 3:29am for my 7:15am flight to Seattle. I have a perfect just-under two-hour layover and am scheduled to arrive in Anchorage at 3:15pm local time. I will be staying the night and driving down to Homer on Wednesday.
Folks who own or who purchase the BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide are invited to shoot me an e-mail with proof of purchase to learn the exact location of the very photographable eagle nest featured in this and other recent blog posts.
Today is Tuesday 15 February 2022. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took less than an hour to prepare and makes 93 days in a row with a new one.
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.
Wanting a Nikon Z9?
If you are hot to get a Nikon Z9, your best bet is almost surely to go with Bedfords. Tip: joining Nikon Professional Services and getting your NPS number to Steve Elkins will get advance you to the top of the list!
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.
Packing Your Photo Gear for Air Travel
I finished packing my two checked bags, my Think Tank roller, and my Think Tank Urban disguise on Monday afternoon, way ahead of my usual schedule. I was thrilled to be able to get everything into the smaller of my two Think Tanks rollers, the Airport InternationalTM V2.0 rolling bag (AIRB).
I place the three lens hoods in one of my checked bags. The 600mm f/4 goes into the center of the AIRB without a cover. The 200-600 G lens and 70-200mm f/2.8 II go into hockey socks with the ends sewn shut, gifts from many years ago. I place one of the zooms on either side of the 600. Everything else goes into one or two Carhartt Men’s Knit Cuffed Beanies. One of my a1 bodies has the batter grip, the other does not. Each is placed in double beanies. I am traveling with three 1.4X TCs and two 2X TCs, each protected with a single beanie. Each of the four extra batteries is placed in a single hat. Remember that you cannot place lithium batteries in a checked bag. The last item that I slip in is the Delkin CF Memory Tote with my extra flash cards and a one of my three SanDisk 4TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD V2back up drives 🙂 One goes in my camera bag, one in my laptop bag, and one in a checked bag. Yes, Now I have locked the barn.
Amazingly, everything above fit comfortably in the bag that weighed in at only 35 1/2 pounds. The carry-on limit for US flights is 40 pounds. Do remember that I remove and discard all of the padded dividers. You can learn all about the Think Tank bags, receive a free gift when you purchase at least $50 of gear, and enjoy free ground shipping and the best customer service in the industry by clicking here.
Carhartt Men’s Knit Cuffed Beanie
Most folks know that I have been protecting my gear with Carhartt Watch Caps for decades. They are far less costly than the LensCoat stuff, offer far more protection in terms of absorbing shock during travel by air or by car, and better protection against moisture as well. I double the hats for my camera bodies. You can buy thinner, cheaper watch caps, but they simply do not do the job. Best of all, the beanies come in 17 colors; well-organized folks can color-code their gear by using one color for TCs, a different one for camera bodies, etc., etc., etc.
When rain threatens, I make sure to have an extra cap in my fanny pack. If it starts to drizzle or rain, I simply place the beanie over my camera body. They are thick and in addition, they repel the raindrops. I have never had a problem with a lens in the rain. Camera bodies, you ask? Well yes. But never when protected by a Carhartt beanie 🙂
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 11 February 2022 down by the lake at ILE> Standing on my tall step ladder, I used the no-longer-available Induro GIT 505X04L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 800. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:33:48am just as the sun peeked through on a mostly cloudy morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed very well. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Bald Eagle adult feeding large chick in the nest
What I’ll Miss Most While On the Road Again Part I
This bird was hatched on or about 7 February. Young eagles grow very quickly (see the blog post here) and leave the nest anywhere from eight to 14 weeks after hatching. Most can fly at 10 to 12 weeks. As I get back on 5 March, it is likely that this eaglet, assuming that it survives, will likely still be in the nest for at least a few days. I am hoping to get one decent image of the young bird exercising its wings by flapping vigorously on the edge of the nest.
Good luck, not-so-little guy; I will miss seeing you.
The FlexShooter Pro Video
Click on the Play Arrow above to view this 17 1/2 minute instructional video. Note: Most folks — including and especially me — prefer the levered clamp model to the original FlexShooter Pro (that sells for $100.00 less).
Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pros Heads Back in Stock
The world’s greatest tripod head, the Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, has been back in stock for several days. For good reason, they are selling like the proverbial hotcakes. Learn lots more about this amazing head in the blog post here.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
Shoot me an e-mail with proof of purchase to learn the exact location of the very photographable eagle nest featured in this and other recent blog posts.
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
How many spoonbills do you see in today’s featured image, Image #1A?
What’s Up?
I forgot to mention that like today’s featured image, both of the Royal Tern images featured in yesterday’s blog post were among the 135,000+ recovered images 🙂
It rained all morning on Sunday and I opted to stay in that afternoon. I got a ton of work done packing for Homer. Today is Monday 14 February. I woke early and watched the second half of the Super Bowl. As I was rooting for the Bengals, I wound up feeling that the commercials were better than the game. I was especially glad for two really classy Ram’s players: game MVP Cooper Kupp (“I do not feel deserving of this award”) and NFL Man of the Year Andrew Whitworth — 16 years to attain his first Super Bowl victory. The Bengals put up a good fight but in the end the Rams star players and their defensive line were too much to overcome. In short, the better team won the game.
The forecast for this morning is a clear and relatively cool 45° with a northwest breeze, a perfect morning to stay in and finished packing! 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 92 days in a row with a new one.
Sony Rewards
Via e-Mail from BAA-Friend Dane Johnson
On 30 January I ordered a backup Sony a1 camera body from Bedford’s. The camera purchase was charged to the Sony Visa card. The camera arrived a week ago. After a few days, I went to the Sony Rewards app (rewards.sony.com) and submitted a request (along with a copy of the invoice from Bedford’s) for the 5X bonus points. Today I received an email from Sony Rewards that the bonus points and purchase cred have been approved. For the Sony a1, that worked out to a $284.20 credit applied to my Sony Visa account!. That was a 4.37% discount. If this is combined with the 3% back to your credit card when using the BIRDSASART discount code at Bedfords checkout, the result is a combined savings of about $500 off the price of the a1!
You can sign up for a Sony Rewards credit card here.
Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS USM Lens & Canon 1.4x EF Extender II
Price Reduced $100 on 14 February 2022
BAA-friend Mark Berney is offering a Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens and a Canon 1.4x EF Extender II (both in excellent condition for) for a silly low $349.00 (was $449.00) via cashiers check only. The sale includes the original product boxes and everything that came in them along with insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your items will not ship until the check is good to go.
The versatile 70-200mm f/4 lenses have long been big favorites of many nature photographers. They are great for landscapes. I owned and used this lens when I shot Canon to create bird-scapes and pre-dawn blast-off blurs at Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico. They are relatively fast and sharp and have 1000 uses. The 70-200 f/2.8 lenses are a specialty lens for bird photographers. Like the bad little child, when they are good, they are really, really good! I’ve used mine mostly for flight photography at point blank range where their performance is unmatched, especially in low light. I’ve killed with these lenses on the gannet boat in the UK, in Homer for eagles, for pre-dawn and blizzard blast-offs at Bosque, and at Merritt Island on feeding sprees right next to the road. Lenses in this class are easily hand holdable by just about everyone and do well with the 1.4X TC. artie
ps: To see what the 70-200 zoom lenses can do, see the blog post here.
Via e-mail from Morris Herstein
I never thought that I could make in-flight photos of birds successfully. That goal was accomplished during the recent workshop at Stick Marsh only because I listened to your advice and instructions. For the first time I realized how important sun angle was, teachings that you had been communicated for a long time. The result of two days shooting produced the most satisfying images of Roseate Spoonbills I ever could have imagined.
Stay well and safe. Thank you. Morris
Via e-mail from Joe Usewicz
Wow. So many photos to go through. Stick Marsh was a great learning experience. Positioning. Wind impact. Landing zones. Working on backgrounds. I clipped too many incredible reflections. Great fun. Just amazing opportunities.
Warmest Regards, Joe
Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG.
Clockwise from upper left back around to the center: spoonbill with mangrove background; spoonbill head and shoulders portrait; spoonbill braking to land; spoonbill dramatic landing pose; adult Black-crowned Night-Heron; spoonbill with nesting material; Great Egret returning to nest; incoming spoonbill; and Limpkin landing.
Stick Marsh IPT: #1: WED 9 March thru the morning of SUN 13 March 2022: $2,299.00. (Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5)
Stick Marsh IPT #2: MON 14 March thru the morning of FRI 18 March 2022: $2299.00 (Limit 6 photographers)
Do both IPTs back to back and enjoy a $200 discount: protect your travel and time investments against bad weather by signing up for both IPTs for $4398.00.
Stick Marsh, where the living is easy. Photograph incoming Roseate Spoonbills in flight at point blank range with intermediate telephoto zoom lenses. This year I will be trying the new Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, often with the 1.4X TC. Longer lenses either on a tripod or hand held are best for the green background stuff. There will be endless flight photography opportunities with a variety of species; in addition to the spoonbills, we should have some excellent chances on Limpkin, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Double-created Cormorant, Anhinga, Black and Turkey Vultures, and more. Folks with 500 and 600mm f/4 lenses will have lots of opportunities to hone their skills whether they are working on a tripod or hand holding.
There will be five morning photo sessions averaging four hours. We start in the pre-dawn. The first four morning sessions will be followed by a working brunch. The cost of brunch is included. There will be two after-brunch photo sessions on sunny days (averaging about an hour) to try for bathing spoonbills, usually centered around 1:30pm. There will be one after-brunch photo critique session (probably on DAY 3). And there will be one Image Processing session after brunch.
We will be based in or near Vero Beach. There are AirBnB possibilities for folks who register early. 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 Stick Marsh IPT
1- 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..
2- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you are scared of it.
3- You will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
4- You will learn the pro secrets that will help you to become a better flight photographer.
5- You will learn to zoom out in advance (because the birds are so close!) 🙂
6- You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
7- You will learn to spot the good and the great situations.
8- You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior.
9- You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
10- You will learn to choose the best perspective.
11- You will learn to see and control your backgrounds.
12- You will learn to see and understand the light.
12- You will learn to see and create pleasing blurs in pre-dawn situations.
12- You will learn to be ready for the most likely event at all times.
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.
This image was created on 6 April 2021 at Stick Marsh. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens(at 362mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) ISO 2500. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:32am on a sunny morning.
Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: This JPEG represents the original Roseate Spoonbill breaking to land image
Scroll down to see the optimized version
The Good and the Bad
I had never given this image a second look until yesterday. I generally do not like images with the rock wall in the background. And the bird is much too large in the frame. But the out-of-focus background grew on me. I loved the early morning light. The image is super-sharp on the eye. And best of all, the underwings are perfectly lit with not a single shadow to be seen anywhere. Below, see Image #1A, the optimized version.
This image was created on 6 April 2021 at Stick Marsh. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens(at 362mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) ISO 2500. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:32am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird Face/Eye detection.
Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1A: Roseate Spoonbill breaking to land
The Optimized Version
I converted the image a bit cooler by reducing the color temperature. With the .TIF file open in Photoshop, I ran Topaz DeNoise as the first step. Then I leveled the image. The most important step was to add canvas on all four sides, especially left and below. I filled in the new canvas in that same step with Content-Aware Fill — make sure to have the boxes for Delete Cropped Pixels and Content-Aware checked before executing the crop. Next, I used the Patch Tool to eliminate a very few repeating patterns. I still was not thrilled with the color so I fiddled around with the YELLOWs a bit in Hue Saturation. Better, but still not what I was after. Then I remembered a neat trick from Digital Basics, the “Average Blur Color Balance Trick.” I remembered how to begin but could not remember all the steps so I opened the Digital Basics II PDF in Preview. It all came back to me and did the job beautifully.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The techniques mentioned above (including the Average Blur Color Balance trick) and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my MacBook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: all of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1B: Roseate Spoonbill breaking to land
Sony Alpha 1 AF
What can I say about a1 autofocus? With today’s featured image, it nailed accurate focus on the eye in a super-difficult situation — a too large in the frame bird flying right at you.
SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. The group is now up to an astounding 109 lucky and blessed folks. Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that all who wish, can request an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. I finally finished the consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE and distributed it yesterday. New a1 folks will now receive three e-mails instead of the previous 28! It is a lot easier on me and is an incredible resource for folks new to the a1.
All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info & Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
If you have a Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM with Extender 1.4x lens in excellent or better condition sitting on a shelf gathering dust and would like to unload it for a fair price, please contact me via e-mail. I have a reliable buyer.
Less Expensive MacBook Pro with M1 Max Chip Options
The new laptop is really humming. Set-up is almost complete. This is the first blog post that was created entirely on the week-old, totally souped up 16.2″ MacBook Pro with M1 Max Chip (Late 2021, Space Gray): Apple M1 Max 10-Core Chip (Processor), 64GB Unified RAM (Memory, 8TB SSD (Storage), and the 32-Core GPU (Graphics configuration). Really serious photo folks can save $1200 by dropping down to the totally souped up 4TB SSD model, this one: Apple 16.2″ MacBook Pro with M1 Max Chip (Late 2021, Space Gray) Those who do not keep their images on their laptops would save another $600.00 and do quite well with the totally souped up 2TB model, the Apple 16.2″ MacBook Pro with M1 Max Chip (Late 2021, Space Gray). All three of these amazingly fast machines feature the Apple M1 Max 10-Core Chip (Processor), 64GB of Unified RAM (Memory), and the 32-Core GPU (Graphics configuration).
What’s Up?
Saturday dawned totally foggy; visibility was barely half a block as I drove down to the lake. I kept two images of foggy Cattle Egrets on the pier railing and one of the eagle nest tree in the fog scenic. Sunset was a bust as well.
I was glad to learn that first-timer Peter Dominowski will be joining me on the first Stick Marsh IPT.
Yesterday, I began packing my cold weather gear checked bag; I am almost finished. It looks as if I might squeeze by with just two checked bags. I will begin packing the second one today. Speaking of today, it is Sunday 13 February 2022, Super Bowl Day. Like many, I think that the Rams have the stronger team but will be rooting for the cocky gunslinger, Joe Burrow and his underdog Cincinnati Bengals. 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 92 days in a row with a new one.
Do check your schedule and see if you can join me on the 2022 DeSoto Spring IPT.
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.
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 5
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This image was created on 12 April 2021. While seated on the damp sand, 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 2000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:45:05am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C performed very well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image #1: Royal Tern pair: pre-copulatory stand
The Situation
When you see a pair of Royal Terns standing alone on the beach and one bird is circling around the other, that is a sign that the hanky-panky is about to begin. As we headed out to the outer section of the sandbar, I alerted the group to what I thought might be a great situation. We all hustled and got into position. I opted to sit behind my lowered tripod. I blasted away and noticed that I was a bit too close as I was clipping wingtips in every other frame as the male flapped his wings. I took a gamble and decided to move back about 10 yards. On the way I decided to go with a lower perspective so I flattened the tripod. I put on my reading glasses and worked off the tilted rear monitor. In those situations, I need to trust the AF system 100% as I cannot see the tiny AF point moving around. Image #2, below, was created from the lower perspective.
This image was created on 12 April 2021. While seated on damp sand, 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 2000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:45:42am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C performed very well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image #2: Royal Tern pair: copulating
Which is the Better Perspective?
The last image made while I was seated was at 7:45:16am. The first image from the lower perspective was created at 7:45:41am. That means that I changed position and flattened the tripod in less than 25 seconds. In my haste, I had inadvertently hit the shutter speed dial, accidentally raising the shutter speed from 1/1000 second to 1/2000 second. I was so excited that I did not notice that in the field. All in all, the birds were engaged for almost two full minutes.
Was flattening the tripod a bad choice? In other words, do you like the higher perspective in Image #1 or the lower perspective in Image #2? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
