Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

The first day of the first Homer/Kachemak Bay IPT exceeded everyone’s expectations. By far. We enjoyed non-stop flight action for the whole day. It has been insanely warm with temps in the high thirties reaching into the low forties and that pattern is supposed to continue for the remainder of my visit. On Sunday, there was a slight breeze from the northeast and I knew exactly were to be. We had gorgeous eagles landing on a gorgeous lichen-covered perch with their underwings lit by light reflected off the snow. As there is some rain in the forecast, we maximized our time in the field yesterday by making two boat trips that totaled more than seven hours. We will be headed out early again today.

Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare, and makes 99 days in a row with a new one.

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Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on this page and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT.

This image was created on 19 February 2022, the scouting day for the Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras. Multi Metering +1.3 stops in Shutter Priority. AUTO ISO set ISO 320. !/3200 second at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 4:07:13 on a somewhat foggy afternoon. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: This JPEG represents the raw file for the “golden” eagle image

Shutter Priority

In some situations, I use and recommend going to Shutter Priority with AUTO ISO and exposure compensation. The main requirement is a background of relatively consistent tonality. With a sort of foggy sky with the halo of the sun peeking through, my plan was to make images of the eagles that flew through the bright circular portion of the sky that surrounded the sun. I use this same technique for sunsets at ILE. In both cases, images made with the sun in the frame will feature an over-exposed sun, and images made well away from the sun will be a bit under-exposed.

RawDigger showed that today’s image was about 2/3 stop under-exposed. I knew that I should have been at +2 stops (or more) …

With the image exposed well to the right — see the Photo Mechanic histogram above, the image looks totally washed out. As it should. You can see that the sky does have some yellow/gold in it. All that is required to create something striking is a decent knowledge of Photoshop. You can learn everything that you need to know about optimizing avian photographers in Digital Basics II.

This image was created on 19 February 2022, the scouting day for the Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras. Multi Metering +1.3 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 320. !/3200 second at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 4:07:13 on a somewhat foggy afternoon. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1A: “golden” eagle

A “golden eagle” in Homer

The golden eagle in today’s featured image is — of course, a Bald Eagle (in silhouette) against a foggy golden sky.

The Most Valuable Lens

In two full day’s on the eagle boat, I have used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for about 90% of my photography. When I am trying to create sharp images in very low light situations, I go with the lens alone. In brighter conditions, or when creating pleasing blurs in low light, I add the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter.

The 70-200 f/2.8 II/1.4X TC/a1 rig is insanely light, the zoom is amazingly fast and smooth, and the images are super-sharp. AF never fails when you are using the prime lens alone, but with the TC added, both Anita North and I have had this rig miss totally on rare occasion: the the camera fails to acquire focus at all. 99% of the time (even with the TC in place), initial focusing acquisition is close to instantaneous (and always accurate). This rig is so light that when I go with the 200-600 G lens, it feels very heavy (by comparison).

Typos

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

What’s Up?

Friday, our second day of doing the songbird setup, was rain-free but colder with a brisk southwest wind. Can you say wind chill factor? The action was a bit slower than it was on Thursday, and it was difficult working with the constantly changing light with some perches in the sun and some in the shade. To make my life easier, I went to Shutter Priority mode with Auto ISO and Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial. I was in a narrow range as everything fell within the -1/3 to +1/3 stop range. We did enjoy 30 really good minutes from about 10:30 to 11:00am when we had about two dozen chickadees and redpolls coming in constantly.

Be sure to scroll down to the last image to see how Anita stole the day!

Today is Saturday 19 February. Anita and I are gonna do an extra day of eagles. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two hours to prepare (including the time spent on the four image optimizations), and makes 97 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.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission on items priced at $1,000 or more. With items less than $1000, there is a $50 flat-fee. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. If you are interested, please click here, read everything carefully, and do what it says. To avoid any misunderstandings, please read the whole thing very carefully. If you agree to the terms, please state so clearly via e-mail and include the template or templates, one for each item you wish to sell. Then we can work together to get your stuff priced and listed.

Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice only to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past years, we have sold many hundreds of items. Do know that prices for used gear only go in one direction. Down. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS Lens

BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price

Jim Cash is offering a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS lens for a BAA record-low $599.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it along with insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Photos are available upon request. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Jim e-mail or by phone (or text) at 1-423-902-7427 (Eastern Standard Time).

When I shot Canon, I loved my 300 f/4L IS lens. With its 4.92′ (1.5 meter) minimum focusing distance and impressive 0.24X magnification, it was great for large flowers, dragonflies, butterflies, and frogs. With or without the 1.4X TC it makes a great auxiliary/flight, or starter lens for any bird photographer. It does very well on birds in flight and in action. I preferred it to my old toy lens, the 400mm f/5.6L lens as it offered Image Stabilization and greater reach at f/5.6 with the 1.4X TC. This great lens is no longer in production. artie

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.

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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 17 February 2022 at a frontyard feeder setup in Anchor Point, AK. While standing at full height behind 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 1600. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/400 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 12:47:55pm on a mostly dreary, drizzly day. 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: Boreal Chickadee

The Strategy

With small songbirds in low light on a dreary day, I opted not to add the 1.4X teleconverter and opted instead to work relatively small-in-the-frame and then crop. That saved me one full stop of ISO. And with the amazing image quality of a sharp 51MP a1file, each image handled the relatively large crop superbly. Images #1-3 represent about 33% of the original pixels, Image #4 & 5, about 66%.

This image was created on 17 February 2022 at a frontyard feeder setup in Anchor Point, AK. While standing at full height behind 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 1600. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/400 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 12:47:03pm on a dreary, drizzly day. Tracking: Spot S with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version. Image #2: Common Redpoll

AF Strategy

For all the horizontal images, I went with Tracking: Spot S. I begin with the AF point in the center, acquire the bird’s eye, and then recompose as needed as the system sticks to the bird’s eye like glue. With the vertical images (like #4), I used Tracking: Zone with the Zone brackets in the upper center. That also performed beautifully by acquiring and tracking the bird’s eye thus allowing me to move the bird left or right in the frame with ease.

This image was created on 17 February 2022 at a frontyard feeder setup in Anchor Point, AK. While standing at full height behind 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 1600. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/640 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 12:10:21pm on a dreary, drizzly day. Tracking: Spot S with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version. Image #3: Pine Grosbeak male on snow

Super-High Key Images

Both Anita and I really enjoyed having some good chances to create super-high key images with snow backgrounds. The trick is to totally over-expose the snow so that you come up with a perfect exposure for the darker-than-snow subjects. Such images look a lot like studio portraits shot in soft light with white paper backgrounds.

This image was created on 17 February 2022 at a frontyard feeder setup in Anchor Point, AK. While standing at full height behind 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: 1/400 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 10:15:53am on a dreary, drizzly day. Tracking: Spot S with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version. Image #4: Pine Grosbeak female eating berry

Mountain Ash Berries

Our host collected the Mountain Ash berries and saved them for visiting photographers. The grosbeaks visited them often.

This image was created by Anita North on 17 February 2022 at a frontyard feeder setup in Anchor Point, AK. While standing at full height behind her tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 6400. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 10:152:56am on a dreary, drizzly day. Image Optimization by BIRDS AS ART. Photo courtesy of and copyright Anita North Image #4: Pine Grosbeak male jumping off perch

As Often Happens

As often happens, Anita’s aggressive shooting style and her quest for action shots paid off with the best image of the day. Notice also that she opted for a much higher shutter speed that required a much higher ISO.

Typos

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