I decided at the last minute to fly up to Islip for Thanksgiving (early on Thanksgiving Day). I will stay a week in hopes of finding some early owls either on Long Island or in and around New York City.
Thanks to Derek Courtney for the insightful comment that he left on yesterday’s blog post. The breadth of knowledge of the readership base of the BAA Blog never fails to amaze me. He wrote:
I think you’ve got it with Gadwall x Mallard, aka Brewer’s Duck. Hybrid ducks can be quite variable in trait expression. Some of these show a darker bill more reminiscent of Gadwall, while give more of the yellowish male Mallard type seen in yours. Other traits like your cheek color/pattern could just be ancestral phenotypes getting displayed. You can see lots of varying expressions of this combo here.
Brewer’s Duck! Who’d a thunk it?
Today is Wednesday 24 November 2021. I will spend all day 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 17 consecutive days with a new one.
Please remember that 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 save 3% 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. 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, and 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 wait lists 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 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.
This image was created on 25 April 2021 from Clemens Van der Werf’s flats boat on a lake near my home. I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and the beyond amazing Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:29am on mostly clear morning with a bit of moisture in the air.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection produced a sharp-on-the-eye image
Be sure to click on the image to view the beautiful hi-res version.
Image 1: Cattle Egret in flight with nesting material
Sweet Light Flight
I love the quality of the sweet early morning light in this image. And I love the evenly lit underwings with barely a shadow. I could easily have eliminated the out-of-focus vegetation along the bottom frame edge and the out-of-focus tree branches on the right frame edge. Would you have preferred this image with a perfect blue sky? Why or why not?
Flight Aperture Lesson
Notice that the bird is perfectly sharp from wingtip to wingtip even though it was created at f/4, the wide open aperture. Why? Because aperture (and this depth-of-field) is a function of distance to the subject. With most images of birds in flight that include the entire subject in the frame, the distance to the subject is great enough so that the depth-of-field will render the whole bird sharp. And with the a1, there are other advantages of shooting flight at the wide open aperture.
Note: This image was cropped a fair amount from below and from the left. The optimized version, Image #1, represents 59% of the original pixels.
Topaz Times Two
If the amazing noise reduction job done by Topaz DeNoise is not blatantly obvious when you are viewing the animated gif above, turn off the lights in the room; you will be floored.
When viewing the magnified image at 300%, it was obvious that the bird’s eye and face were not razor sharp, in part due to motion blur. So I selected the bird’s head and bill with the Quick Selection Tool, placed the selection on a layer, and ran Topaz AI Sharpen on that layer only. As expected, Sharpen AI on AUTO went with the Motion Blur setting. And as usual, the sharpening was overdone; I moved the Reduce Blur slider to the left from 17 to 11 and things looked much better. I applied a Contrast Mask to the same layer. That done, I did some Eye Doctor work on the pupil, and did some Clean-Up work on the lores and the neck.
Everything mentioned in the paragraph above, 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.
While I use Topaz DeNoise on virtually every image that I process, I rarely use Topaz Sharpen AI. But when you need to improve a motion-blurred image, the results with DeNoise are, as above, often spectacular.
Topaz News!
Topaz is running a huge Black Friday sale from now till 11/29. Click here to check it out, and be sure to use the ARTHUR15 code at checkout for an additional discount. Then, shoot me an e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. Please include a copy of your Topaz receipt that shows the discount. Aside from the basics, the guide explains how to install the plug-ins so that they appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu.
SONY Alpha 1 Bodies in Stock at Bedfords!
I learned yesterday that Bedfords still has a very few SONY Alpha 1 bodies in stock. Order yours, save 3% by using the BIRDS AS ART discount code at checkout, enjoy free second day air Fed-Ex, and earn free entry into the BIRDS AS ART Sony Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes Group. As part of the attraction, the first e-mail that you will receive includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than two hours to prepare.
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. With another photographer joining yesterday, we are now up to an astounding 94 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. More recently, we have been in contact with folks at SONY sharing our thoughts, experiences, and frustrations with the EVF blackout problem.
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 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
In all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Topaz is running a huge Black Friday sale from now till 11/29. Click here to check it out, and be sure to use the ARTHUR15 code at checkout for an additional discount. Then, shoot me an e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. Please include a copy of your Topaz receipt that shows the discount. Aside from the basics, the guide explains how to install the plug-ins so that they appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu.
What’s Up?
Today is Tuesday 23 November 2021. As predicted, it dawned crystal clear with a 15mph northwest wind. That is my recipe for staying in and getting some work done. The pool was down 4 degrees overnight. 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 16 consecutive days with a new one.
Please remember that 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 save 3% 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. 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, and 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 wait lists 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 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.
Group/shutter button AF. Click on the image to view a hi-res version.
Gadwall X Mallard hybrid (but ???)
San Diego and Ducks!
Aside from the killer-gorgeous Pacific-race Brown Pelicans, the beautiful gulls, and lots of shorebirds, SanDiego’s ducks are big attractions for visiting photographers. Try these on for size: Wood Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Cinnamon Teal, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, and Surf Scoter. Most dependable are the Wood Ducks and the ring-necked. Multiple IPT-veteran and good friend Bill Schneider is staying on after this year’s IPT to do some more duck photography!
What the Duck???
While looking for some new ducks images to advertise the San Diego Instructional Photo-tour, I came upon this strange duck from 2019. I did some research on Gadwall hybridization and came across this in the Birds of North America species account:
Thought to hybridize with Mallard, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and American Wigeon in the wild (Phillips, 1923).
At first glance, this bird looks good as a Gadwall X Mallard hybrid. The back end of the duck is an obvious drake Gadwall. The confusion starts, however, at the front end. The mostly green head, the hint of a whitish neck band below the green, and the reddish-brown breast all point toward Mallard. But the pattern of the bill (and possibly the shape f the bill, as well), are reminiscent of pintail. The large yellow stripe on the side of the bill and the large oval buffy-orange cheek patch seem to be inexplicable.
If you consider yourself an expert birder, I would love to hear your thoughts on this bird. Others are invited to peruse their favorite field guide and see if they can come up with something. All are invited to forward a link to this post to their hot-shot birding friends.
San Diego, California: A Bird Photographer’s Paradise!
I’ve been visiting San Diego, California for more than 50 years, and photographing there for almost four decades. It truly is one of my favorite bird photography locations on the planet. The Pacific race Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches, are indeed the stars of the show, but there are lots of other great birds there that are relatively easy to photograph. Check out this five minute video to see the potential.
Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking here.
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.
The 2022 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPT. Monday 17 January thru the morning session on Friday 21 January 2022. Four full and one-half day: $2999.00. Deposit: $899.00. Limit: 8 photographers/Openings: 6
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 with eggs and possibly chicks) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; 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 (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions. 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.
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 as long as 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.
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.
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 all 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.
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.
The San Diego Details
This IPT will include five three hour morning photo sessions, four one and one-half afternoon photo sessions, four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy day occasions, we may — at my 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.
An $899 deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. 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.
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.
Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
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.
Despite a slow start, my Sunday morning photo session turned out to be fantastic. Read the whole story below in the A Dreary But Amazingly Wonderful Sunday feature.
A front was supposed to go through last night, but that has been postponed one day. It is supposed to be 15 degrees colder on Tuesday morning than it was today …
IAC, today is Monday 22 November 2021. It rained torrentially for several hours last night. There is a small lake in the North Field that was dry as a bone yesterday. It looked as if the sun would come out early this morning so I headed down to the lake. Things were not looking good with a strong northwest wind. Then within minute, all of ILE and Lake Weohyakapka were enveloped in thick fog. So I headed home.
Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than ninety minutes to prepare. Don’t look now, but this blog post makes 15 consecutive days with a new blog post.
Please remember that 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 save 3% 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. 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, and 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 wait lists 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 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.
This image was created on 21 November 2021 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 1600. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 1:15pm.
Tracking: Upper Center Zone with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by tracking and nailing the bird’s left eye. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Crested Caracara with opossum foot
A Dreary But Amazingly Wonderful Sunday
As it was cloudy with a wind from the north, I set up the tripod low outside of my vehicle that was angled to the southwest so that I could see the vultures coming while working on yesterday’s blog post. I got one nice series of an incoming Turkey Vulture, but when I moved the bait, the four birds took off and did not return. There was no action at all for two and one half hours … I gave up at eleven, and headed home for brunch. I drove back down at noon and there was a pile of black Vultures on the bait. It was darker and drearier but I sat outside the car again and had a very few chances on incoming birds. After 45 minutes, I was about to give up again so I put the tripod in the back of the SUV and the lens on the front passenger seat. As I started the car, I saw that the local pair of caracaras had flown in to the rotting opossum.
I grabbed the BLUBB, put it on the driver’s side window frame, and went to work. It was almost comical to watch the far smaller caracaras bully the much larger vultures. At the least, they held there own. At times, they frightened the vultures with their shrill display call and threatened them with the aggressive head throw display. Then it began to rain hard but with the wind behind me, I was fine and dry. The high point of this wonderful morning occurred when the two smaller raptors played tug of war with the remaining opossum foot. Remember that the eagle grabbed the other foot (still attached to the leg) on Friday.
The Crested Caracara posed proudly with its prize for more than a minute before swallowing it whole. I was so excited that I did not get back home until a half hour after the early NFL games had begun.
Cops Came!
So what’s with the cops came!” reference?
When I was still at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (1969 or so …), my good friend Barry Cohen (the Brahma Bull from our beach football days), helped me get a job at the General Post Office in downtown Brooklyn. Most nights we would be “picked up” for one of the cushiest jobs ever — sweeping. We might have to work five minutes out of every hour going around to collect the sorted mail from a single box, say Indiana/Illinois. The rest of the time was spent playing gin rummy. If your opponent threw a card or you picked one that led to your completing the winning hand, the recipient would call out, Cops came!. There was extra emphasis if that card was the only possible winning card — perhaps filling an inside run or the last of its kind in the deck, say the case ace. I did an online search for the phrase, cops came, but could not find anything, even in the urban dictionary …
So when the caracaras showed up after five hours of nothingness, I thought, Cops came!.
This image was created on 21 November 2021 down by the lake near my hone at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 1600. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 1:15pm.
Tracking: Upper Center Zone with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by tracking and nailing the bird’s left eye. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1A: Crested Caracara with opossum foot with increased Vibrance
Vibrance Increased
When I compared the optimized image with the raw file, I thought that I might have might have dulled the color a bit too much. So I created a second version, Image #1A above, with the Vibrance increased to +50. Vibrance only increases the saturation of colors that are not fully saturated. This prevents over-saturating an image.
Your Fave?
Do you prefer the Kodachrome 64 version, Image #1, or the Fuji Velvia pushed on stop version, Image #1A?
Image #1C: Sony A1 Bird-Eye/Face Detection accuracy!
Sony A1 Bird-Eye/Face Detection Accuracy!
When I said “Tracking: Upper Center Zone with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by tracking and nailing the bird’s left eye,” I was not kidding. Can you camera do this?
SONY Alpha 1 Bodies in Stock at Bedfords!
While working on this blog post, I got a text from Steve Elkins letting me know that Bedfords has a good number of SONY Alpha 1 bodies in stock right now. Order yours, save 3% by using the BIRDS AS ART discount code at checkout, enjoy free second day air Fed-Ex, and earn free entry into the BIRDS AS ART Sony Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes Group. As part of the attraction, the first e-mail that you will receive includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than two hours to prepare.
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. With two folks joining yesterday, we are now up to an astounding 93 lucky and blessed photographers! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. More recently, we have been in contact with folks at SONY sharing our thoughts, experiences, and frustrations with the EVF blackout problem.
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 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
In all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
