Both of today’s featured images were created from the same Nancy Thornblad raw file. Which do you like best, the horizontal or the vertical? Why?
What’s Up?
Tuesday morning dawned sunny and still. I did a pre-dawn silhouette of the eagle nest and was surprised that I did not see the young bird in the nest. I learned later that it had already branched and had been perched about 10 feet above and to the north of the nest when I created the silhouette. Later in the morning, when it clouded over, I was able to make a few nice images of the eaglet. I checked on the two-egg crane nest in the North Marsh and was pleased to see the female sitting peacefully on her eggs. The two-colt crane family was in the marsh, so I passed on them and headed home early to get to work.
Today is Wednesday 16 March 2022. The forecast is calling for overnight thunderstorms, mostly cloudy early, and rain for the rest of the day. I will head down to the lake in a few minutes just because. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too had a great day. This blog post took a bit more than an hour to prepare and makes seven days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
SONY FE 4.5-5.6/70-300mm f2.8 G OSS Lens
Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master is offering a SONY FE 4.5-5.6/70-300mm f2.8 G OSS lens in like-new condition for $599.00. The lens was never used. The sale includes the original product box, the rear lens cap, the lens case, the front lens cover, the lens strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only.
Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Larry via e-mail at lawrencemaster@gmail.com or by phone at 1-518-645-1545 EDT.
This very small, incredibly versatile, lightweight lens will fit all Sony e-Mount mirrorless camera bodies like the a7R III and IV, the a9 and the a9 II, and the Alpha 1. It is also compatible with APS-C sensor bodies like the Sony Alpha a6000 and the a6400. I would make an ideal travel lens as well as a great mid-range telephoto for nature photographers. For bird photographers, it would complement the 200-600 G lens almost perfectly. Best of all? It is priced to sell; a new one would cost you $1273.00. Grab Larry’s lens today and save a handsome $674.00! artie
This image was created on 5 October 2021 on the Fall Fort DeSoto IPT by participant Nancy Thornblad. She used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens at 463mm and the very affordable Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless camera body. The exposure was determined via histogram review.ISO 2000: 1/4000 second at f8 (stopped down 1/3 stop). AWB at 8:18:42am on a partly cloudy morning.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Photo courtesy of and Copyright 2021: Nancy Thornblad.
Image #1: Marbled Godwit preening
Pre-IPT Gear Help
Nancy called in mid-September to learn about the 2021 Fall Fort DeSoto IPT. In our follow-up e-mails, we reviewed her current gear. I suggested that she purchase the Canon RF 100–500 lens. She was thrilled that Steve Elkins of Bedfords was able to get one for her in short order. She also mentioned that she could not make any good photos with her Canon R6 and that she preferred her 1DX. We sent her the Canon EOS R5/R6 Camera User’s Guide and she was good to go.
I am always glad to help folks upgrade their gear to best suit their individual needs. And that is true for everyone, not just folks who are signing up for an IPT.
The IPT Experience
Via e-mail from Nancy Thornblad
Hello Artie,
I appreciate all the work you did on the IPT helping me with everything from choosing the right equipment, travel and lodging, getting the right exposure, improving my compositions, and simply creating getting better photographs. The IPT was a wonderful experience, and it was great to learn from such an experienced and knowledgeable photographer. With all the individual attention, I came away from the IPT a better photographer and will continue to use what I learned every time I go out to photograph. Thanks for the ten critiques. I am looking forward to the next time. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. Nancy
With fewer folks signing up for IPTs over the past few years (for reasons unbeknownst to me), everyone who attends an IPT will receive a ton of individual instruction both in the field and at the computer.
Today’s Featured Images
Thanks to Nancy for letting me share her preening Marbled Godwit image here today. Image #1 is a small crop from the horizontal original, and Image #2 is a vertical crop from that. The R6 image held up well to the cropping.
This is the same image cropped to a vertical. As above, it was created on 5 October 2021 on the Fall Fort DeSoto IPT by participant Nancy Thornblad. She used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens at 463mm and the very affordable Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless camera body. The exposure was determined via histogram review. ISO 2000: 1/4000 second at f8 (stopped down 1/3 stop). AWB at 8:18:42am on a partly cloudy morning.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Photo courtesy of and Copyright 2021: Nancy Thornblad.
Image #2: Marbled Godwit preening
Don’t Take This Lightly
Many photo tour leaders are more than glad to get rid of their group at lunch. Each promotion of a BAA IPT includes this:
There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day.
These sessions are hugely popular. On Day One I will usually pick my keepers from the morning session while explaining the fine differences that make one or two images the best from 5 to 30 frame bursts of the same subject/situation. That is almost always followed by an image optimization or two. Those are recorded and a link to the video is sent to the group.
On the following days, we will look at participants’ images. I will pick a strong one to optimize from the raw conversion to the JPEG creation. And again, the whole process is recorded and a link to the video sent to the group.
These sessions are amazingly valuable, not only for the group but for me as well. Why the latter? Many of my best Photoshop tricks and techniques are a result of someone saying, “Why are you doing it that way? There is a much easier way to do it.”
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 4
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for breeding terns and gulls and wading birds in spring. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography.
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 any luck, we might get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will almost surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
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.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which is the stronger of today’s two featured images? All are invited to leave a comment and explain why they made their choice. I have a very clear favorite.
What’s Up?
On Monday morning, I checked on the two-egg crane nest in the North Marsh and was pleased to see the female sitting peacefully on her eggs. Next, I spent five good minutes in the sun with the crane family. When they headed back into the marsh, I headed home. Most of the day was spent working on my programs for the 2022 GNPA EXPO. I did my bursts, did my swim, and ate two healthy meals, the latter a far cry from the past weekend … It feels good to be back on the wagon. Monday evening was yet another busted sunset.
Today is Tuesday 15 March 2022. The forecast is calling for cloudy skies and an east/northeast breeze. I will head down to the lake early for a look-see. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too had a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes six days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
March 2022 Indian Lake Estates In-the-Field Sessions
Two hours of intensive instruction: $200.00 (Add $100.00 if we are blessed with very small chicks). Add a working brunch with image review: $100.00. Sunny mornings with east winds are best. Likely subjects include ridiculously tame Sandhill Cranes and colts, a young Bald Eagle in the nest, Black and Turkey Vultures, Crested Caracara, Limpkin, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, and more. Small crane chicks will hopefully be coming soon.
If you’d like to join me, please get in touch via e-mail or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
Nikon Pacemaker Warning
Nikon has warned that people with pacemakers should avoid using the new autofocus system in their latest mirrorless lenses. You can read the whole story here.
From BPN-friend Kevin Hice via unsolicited e-mail
Again artie, that was a great trip. I was more than pleased. For me, I could see right away that you knew how to get us and the boat in great position for the best eagle photography. You took into consideration all the factors including the sky conditions, and wind and sun angles. It was a real pleasure to meet the captain. His knowledge of the wind and the currents helped to put us in great position all the time and he did his very best to help on all fronts.
One of the most important factors for me is timeliness. We never had to wait on the captain or on you, artie, and that made the trip a huge success. We got after it every day and had countless great photography opportunities. The other eagle photography tours never got out as early as we did, nor did they pursue the birds as relentlessly as we did.
One can never say that Arthur Morris doesn’t have the passion to get after the Bald Eagles. I have never shot as many photos as I did on this trip even with my poor hand eye coordination. I got plenty of keepers and enjoyed meeting the others in the group and learned a few things from them as well.
Thanks again, Kevin
Homer 2022 Bald Eagle Highlights and Handholding Compositional Tips by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Enjoy and be inspired by just a few Homer Bald Eagle highlight images. Hand holding intermediate telephoto lens will always yield slightly different compositions. Learn more about that topic in this short (3:14) video.
All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK
2023 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs
IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers
IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers
IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
Save $1,000.00 by doing back-to-back trips. Save $1500.00 by doing all three.
This trip features non-stop flight photography as well as many opportunities to create both environmental and point-blank portraits of one of North America’s most sought-after avian subjects: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Other reliable subjects will include Sea Otter, Glaucous-winged and Short-billed (formerly Mew) Gulls.
In addition, we should see Common Murre, Black Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, two or three species of loons, and a smattering of ducks including two species of merganser, all three scoters, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Harlequin, and Long-tailed Ducks. Close-range photographic chances for these species will require a ton of good luck. Some of these species, especially when in flocks, can, however, often be used effectively when pleasing creating bird-scapes.
If we need to be out early, we will be the first boat out. If conditions are great, we will stay out. And when there is a chance for sunset silhouettes, we will be in the right spot.
We will be traveling through gorgeous wilderness country; landscape and scenic opportunities abound.
Also featured is a professional leader, often referred to as the world’s most knowledgeable bird photography trip leader, who is conversant in Canon, Nikon, and Sony. You will learn practical and creative solutions to everyday photographic problems. You will learn to see the shot, to create dynamic images by fine-tuning your compositions, to best utilize your camera’s AF system, and how to analyze the wind, the sky conditions, and the direction and quality of the light. This is one of the very few Homer trips available where you will not be simply put on the birds and told to have fun. You will learn to be a better photographer. But only if that is what you want.
You will learn to get the right exposure when it is sunny, when it cloudy-bright, when it is cloudy, when it is cloudy-dark, or when it is foggy. Not to mention getting the right exposure when creating silhouettes.
You will learn to make pleasing blurs working in manual mode and to create silhouettes working in Shutter Priority mode.
Most importantly you will learn to pick your best flight images from tens of thousands of images.
You will enjoy working with the two best and most creative boat captains on their sturdy, photography-spacious, seaworthy, open-deck crafts.
The second and third IPTs are the only Bald Eagle workshops that feature an incredibly helpful first mate.
Only five photographers (not the usual six), plus the leader.
Small group Photoshop, Image Review, and Image Critiquing sessions.
All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK
What’s Included
One four hour or two two-hour boat trips every day (weather permitting), all boat fees and boat-related expenses (excluding tips), ground transportation to and from the dock and back to the hotel each day, in-the-field instruction and guidance, pre-trip gear advice, small group post-processing and image review sessions, and a thank you dinner for all well-behaved participants.
What’s Not Included
Your airfare to and from Homer, AK (via Anchorage), the cost of your room at Land’s End Resort, all personal items, all meals and beverages, and tips for the boat captain and/or the first mate.
Please Note
On great days, the group may wish to photograph for more than four hours. If the total time on the boat exceeds 20 hours for the five-day trips, or 24 hours for the second trip, the group will share the additional expense at a rate of $225/hour.
Some folks may wish to rent their own vehicle to take advantage of local photographic opportunities around Homer.
Deposit Information
A $3000 non-refundable deposit/trip is required. You may pay your deposit with credit card or by personal check (made out to BIRDS AS ART) and sent via US mail only to Arthur Morris. PO Box 7245. Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Your balance, due 90 days before the date of departure, is payable only by check as above.
In Closing
I have been going to Homer off and on for close to two decades. Every trip has been nothing short of fantastic. Many folks go in mid-March. The earlier you go, the better the chances for snow. The only way to assure that you are on the best of the three trips is to sign up for all of them. Can you keep up with me? If you have any questions, or are good to go for one, two, or all three trips, please let me know via e-mail or give me a call on my cell phone at 863-221-2372.
This image was created on 19 February 2022, the scouting day for the 2022 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 200mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the thumb wheel. ISO 1000: 1/2000 second at f/8 (stopped down two stops) AWB at 10:04.12am on a sunny day.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Five Bald Eagles on gravel bar
Nine Out of Ten Ain’t Bad
With regards to today’s two featured images, what does nine out of ten ain’t bad refer to?
High Level Image Design/Field-craft Question
One Tough Question
I really wanted to take one step more up the slope, but refrained from doing so in fear of scaring off one or more to the carefully arranged adult eagles. Why did I want to take one more step up the slope?
This image was created on 20 February 2022, day one of the first 2022 Homer/Kachemak Bay IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 312mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 11:51:21am in the shade on a cloudy-bright day.
Tracking: Spot S with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Five Bald Eagles on radiolarian chert
Eagle-Scapes
There are lots and lots of eagles in Kachemak Bay in winter. Many of the small bays hold 60 to 100 eagles. Creating attractive bird-scapes is, however, a big challenge. Over the next few weeks, I will sharing lots more wide images featuring eagles in the landscape. Whenever you are striving to create effective bird-scapes, be on the lookout for one or more of these:
1- Great habitat as your background.
2- A pleasing arrangement of subjects.
3- Situations that are evenly lit, that is, with everything lit by the sun (Image #1), or with everything totally shaded (Image #2).
4- Good head angles for all the subjects (in small to medium-sized groups).
5- When working with relatively small groups of birds, do your best to avoid merges (with one bird overlapping another).
I Hated Those Sticks!
I hated those sticks from the moment that I saw the image in my mind, well before I raised my lens. And BTW, you can rarely create a successful image without first visualizing the shot. Removing them in post was easy. I used my usual cadre of clean-up tools and techniques including the Patch Tool, the Clone Stamp Tool, Content-Aware Fill, and Divide and Conquer.
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 and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with all of my personalized time-saving 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: most of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all 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.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which is the stronger of today’s two featured images? All are invited to leave a comment and explain why they made their choice.
What’s Up?
Peter Dominowski and I greatly enjoyed our time together this weekend. And we both ate too much, especially me. Tomorrow I will get back on the wagon.
Today is Monday 14 March 2022. The forecast for this morning is for mostly sunny with a gentle northeast breeze. You know where I will be. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too had a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes five days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
March Indian Lake Estates In-the-Field Sessions
Two hours of intensive instruction: $200.00 (Add $100.00 if we are blessed with very small chicks). Add a working brunch with image review: $100.00. Sunny mornings with east winds are best. Likely subjects include ridiculously tame Sandhill Cranes and colts, a young Bald Eagle in the nest, Black and Turkey Vultures, Crested Caracara, Limpkin, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, and more. Small crane chicks will hopefully be coming soon.
If you’d like to join me, please get in touch via e-mail or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
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.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by nailing and tracking the eye of the colt in the front. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Sandhill Crane with two small colts
In Memoriam: Not!
On Saturday morning past, I spent a quality hour with the two-small-colt crane family. I worked from the edge of a canal. As seen in Image #1, That put me at eye level with the family as they foraged. I headed back down to the lake at about 11am to create some crane-in-the-rain images. I was not surprised when I did not see the family. When Peter Dominowski arrived, we headed down to the lake. I was thrilled to see the two adults on the peninsula to the east, ready to swim across with the small colts. I was aghast when I noted that the small colts were not present. The two adults flew across the canal and foraged their way into the marsh. We watched them from my SUV hoping that the two young ones would appear. They did not.
I was sure that the two colts had perished. It brought to mind an event from last year when two colts of similar size perished overnight. A Bobcat had been seen in the area … I decided not to share the story of the disappearance of the two colts in yesterday’s blog post in hopes that Peter and I would find them on Sunday morning.
With a strong wind from the north we got down to the lake early in hopes of creating some pleasing blurs of the wading birds leaving their roost. But as is usual on cold mornings (I wore my lined jeans and wished that I had brought my heated gloves along), the birds did not take flight until well after the sun was up. We checked out the young eagle. It was huddled against the nest tree in an effort to stay out of the wind. I set up the step ladder for Peter who made some images of the adult and the eaglet.
With some trepidation, we drove to the marsh at the end of the South Peninsula. I spotted the adults. And then I spotted a single colt with each adult. I was thrilled. The parents must have bedded them down in the marsh on Saturday because of the high winds and the rain. Though the family stayed in the marsh and photographic conditions were close to impossible with the wind-against-sun conditions, it was turned out to be a great morning. And Peter was thrilled to see and photograph the colts in the marsh grasses.
This image was also created on Saturday 12 March 2022, the morning of the day that the colts had vanished. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 400mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000: 1/250 second at f/8 (stopped down one stop). AWB at 8:04:45am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Sandhill Crane colt: folded wing detail
Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens
The hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II was my most valuable lens with the eagles in Homer, most often with the 1.4X TC in place. With the 2X TC in place it has proven to be very valuable here at ILE as well. As I explained in detail in the New Kid on the Block: Versatile, & Deadlier Than Ever blog post here, the new version of the 70-200 GM has obsoleted the Sony 100-400 GM lens.
Aside from lightning fast and accurate AF, its incredibly light weight, the amazingly smooth and fast zoom mechanism, the lens, with the 2X TC at 400mm, focuses to less than 34 inches — substantially closer than the closest-focusing of the 100-400 lenses. That makes it ideal for all manner of medium-sized and large flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, and just about all subjects about 2 inches or larger. And for really tight work with tame subjects. As in Image #2.
When to Stop Down
As stated here often, the only time that I even think of stopping down is when working close to a lens’s minimum focusing distance. At a given aperture, the closer you are to the subject, the shallower the depth of field. As the young crane fed on the slope right in front of me, I decided to try for the folded-wing-shot, so I stopped down one full stop. I was worried that working at f/8 would bring up unwanted background detail, but I was so close to the bird that the grasses on the slope were rendered pleasingly out of focus. That as discussed in detail in the hugely educational My Thoughts on Background Softness (Bokeh?) Simplified blog post here.
I had tried to make this image many times over the years; this was my most successful attempt.
70-200 Versatility
In today’s blog post we again see the incredible versatility of the 70-200 lenses, more specifically today, the brand-new Sony 70-200 f/2.8 GM II, a huge improvement in virtually all areas from the previous version. Both of today’s totally different featured images were created in a 15-minute period. If you are inspired by what you read above, please purchase your copy using either my B&H affiliate link or from Bedfords, using the BIRDS AS ART code at checkout. Doing so will not cost you a penny more and helps me to keep all the great educational stuff coming. And please consider selling your Sony 100-400 and/or your version one Sony 70-200 via the Used Gear Page. Click here to learn how to do that.
Typos
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