Fall 2022 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3 Late Registration Discount Info

If you are interested in learning about the late registration discount offer for the third Fort DeSoto IPT, please get in touch via e-mail

On Getting Better

Consider joining me on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). The DeSoto, San Diego, Homer, and the yet-to-be announced July 2023 Jacksonville and July 2024 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime all offer the opportunity for you to dramatically improve your skills both in the field and at the computer and to make some astounding images as well. Click here and see which IPT might be best for you.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All the images on this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

Fall 2022 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3

3 1/2 Days: Monday 31 October through the morning session on Thursday 3 November 2022. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings: 5.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. 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. And we will get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and 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.

On this IPT, all 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. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). 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 and whenever you photograph.

There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full 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 Gulfport AirBnB information.

A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check two months before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the 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, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Up Early, Stay Out Late!

Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. The length of cloudy morning sessions will often be extended. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Spoonbills at DeSoto

Over the past years, Roseate Spoonbills have become regular visitors to Fort DeSoto Park. I know when and where to find them and can teach you to approach them successfully. Do consider joining me on the last Fall DeSoto IPT.

What’s Up?

I woke early on Sunday and arrived at Sebastian Inlet in the dark. After a blah sunrise, there were few birds for several hours. At 10:30am, things pick up for an hour with lots of fishing terns and gulls. Many Ospreys patrolled the inlet, but very few dove.

Once home, I marveled with glee as the Giants beat the Ravens and the Jets beat the Packers on TIVO.

Yesterday’s Comments

Kathy Graf: My favorite is the first image, the one farthest from the bird. I love the bird’s intense stare and the soft blue horizon line with wisps of tan from the grasses. It’s really an interesting image for me. And that blue horizon line makes it special.

Chris Davidson: Hey Artie, Kathy beat me to it, image one for me as well. The out of focus elements in the background really make it special IMO. All three are superb, but number 1 is special.

Virginia Hayes: I find the first image unique and beautiful. The bird is large enough for us to see good detail and appreciate seeing his quizzical expression. To see the bird in the lovely habitat makes it extra special.

Elinor Osborn: Totally agree with Kathy in all she mentioned. And that bedraggled look of the bird makes it comical.

As above, I felt that the small-in-the-frame Bald Eagle image, #1, was by far the strongest of the three featured in yesterday’s blog post. Thanks to those who left thoughtful comments and let us know why they liked that image best.

Today is Monday 17 October 2022. 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 and makes two hundred-five days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Iceland

My decades-long dream of spending time with the puffins on Grimsey Island, Iceland — 13 days in this case!, will be realized this coming July. If anyone else would like information on the world’s greatest Iceland/Atlantic Puffin trip this coming July, please contact me via e-mail.

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

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 on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

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. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. 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.

The Mega-rare Shorebird on the Second Fort DeSoto IPT

This image was created on 6 October 2022 by Anke Frohlich on the second Fort DeSoto IPT. She used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500. 1/2500 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 4:18pm on a sunny afternoon. Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: (European) Bar-tailed Godwit taking flight Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Anke Frohlich

The Discovery

On the first afternoon of the second DeSoto IPT, Anke Frohlich, who had gone off on her own to photograph some Sanderlings and small plovers that were feeding in a small pool, shared an image on the back of her camera with me. Looking only at the up-curved pink bill with the dusky distal half, I said, “Marbled Godwit.” Sure that she was seeing something different, Anke enlarged the image to show me an orange blotch on the sides of the bird’s breast. Then she zoomed out again. I quickly realized that the bird was more brown than cinnamon-colored above and said, “Oh my God! It’s a Bar-tailed Godwit.”

This image was also created on 6 October 2022 by Anke Frohlich on the second Fort DeSoto IPT. She used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500. 1/2500 second at f/7.1 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual Mode. AWB at 4:18pm on a mostly sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: (European) Bar-tailed Godwit in flight Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Anke Frohlich

(European) Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit breeds in northwestern Alaska, Siberia, and northern Europe. The birds from Alaska routinely migrate more than 7,000 miles (nonstop!) to their primary wintering grounds in New Zealand. Learn more in the NPR article here. The European race (Limosa lapponica japonica) winters in Africa and the Middle East, mostly on coastal shorelines.

Richard Crossley identified this bird as being of the European race based on the light tones of the underwings. Other races are more darkly marked below. In the Sibley Guide to Birds, the author notes the following with regards to European Bar-tailed Godwit: a rare visitor to the Atlantic Coast; similar to Siberian but with clean white upper rump and underwing.

Anke’s two fine images immediately above clearly show these features along with the barred tail that gives the bird its name.

Anke’s Style

Anke loves handholding the Sony 600mm f/4 GM or the 200-600 G, disdaining the use of even the 1.4X TC, and creating super-sharp images that stand up well to being cropped. And she is never scared to use the high ISOs that needed to get the shutter speeds she wants.

You can see more of her work here on Instagram (anke.frohlich.photography).

This image was created on 7 October 2022 by yours truly, Arthur Morris on the second Fort DeSoto IPT. I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000. 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 6:46:40pm on a partly sunny afternoon. Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: (European) Bar-tailed Godwit foraging Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Toe-Pod Technique

The bird returned every afternoon to the same pool. On bar-tailed day two, I sat is six inches of water and used the toe-pod technique to get as low as possible. Ripples of water lapped against the bottom of the lens hood.

This image was created on 9 October 2022 by Anke Frohlich on the second Fort DeSoto IPT. She used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2500. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1250 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 7:34am on a cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #4: (European) Bar-tailed Godwit foraging Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Anke Frohlich

Hello and Goodbye

Anke made this parting image of the godwit on the last morning of the IPT. All four participants and the leader had many good opportunities to photograph this very-rare-in-Florida species. As we thought that we had discovered it, we learned with a bit of dismay that the bird had first been spotted on October 2nd and had been seen regularly since then.

Hurricane Ian made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida on 28 September. Fort DeSoto was closed for nearly a week. It seems likely that the appearance of the bar-tailed was storm related.

The bird is relatively innocuous. Heck, it fooled me at first. I chuckled at the many birders and photographers who went off in search of the rare bird and walked right by it as it foraged in front of us. The bird continues to be seen and it is likely that it will still be around for the third DeSoto IPT. And there is a good chance that it will — like many snowbirds, spend its winter in Florida.

Feel free to leave any comments on our special find.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

Not much. It has been all work, no play for me since I got home from the second DeSoto IPT as I get ready for my trip to OKC next Thursday.

Today is Saturday 15 October 2022. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took less about five hours hours to prepare and makes two hundred-three days a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Iceland

My decades-long dream of spending time with the puffins on Grimsey Island, Iceland — 13 days in this case!, will be realized this coming July. If anyone else would like information on the world’s greatest Iceland/Atlantic Puffin trip this coming July, please contact me via e-mail.

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

OKC Photocon 2022

OKC Photon 2022 INFO

I will be doing a Master Class entitled “A Bird Photographer’s Story” at OKC PhotoCon 2022 in Oklahoma City, OK on Saturday 22 October 2022. Check out the great line-up of speakers and programs here (and be sure to scroll down all the way). Check out the schedule here. I am really looking forward to seeing Joe McNally’s program, The Camera is a Visa – Around the Globe, on Friday (4:30 to 6:30pm). You can see some of his amazing, incredibly eclectic work here.

This big photographic event is sponsored by Bedfords. Click here to register ($119.99). Save $20.00 when registering by using the BAACLASS code at checkout.

OKC Photon 2022 Free Critique Offer

Folks who use the BAACLASS code at checkout are invited to set up a ten minute/ten-image critique with me on Friday or Saturday afternoon by contacting me in advance via e-mail. Whatever your favorite subject or genre, I’d love to see your best work. Many photographers do not realize that the principles that guide us are the same whether we like to shoot birds, wildlife, nature, food, people and portraiture, weddings, wars, sports, architecture, old buildings, old cars, or our grandchildren. A great photo is a great photo. Understand that I will evaluate each image as if it were my won. Once you have purchased your ticket, send it to me by e-mail and I will shoot you the additional details via return e-mail. I hope to meet you and see your best work in OKC.

New Listings

Canon EOS R5 with extra

Many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a Canon EOS R5 in excellent plus condition for a very low $2849.00. There is one small scratch on the body forward of the top LCD panel. Otherwise, the body and the rear monitor are near-mint with no scratches or imperfections. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it, one extra battery, the charger, a Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R (a $199.00 value, in excellent plus condition, and includes the caps and the pouch), 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 Monte via e-mail.

I used an R5 for several months while writing the R5/R6 Camera User’s Guide. Here’s what I liked: The R5’s superb 45MP CR3 files handles large crops easily. The Menu is easy to navigate.The Face Detection plus Tracking technology (though not perfect) is superb. The Custom shooting modes (C1-C3) allow the user to save many items including and especially Customize Buttons, Customize Dials, and Shutter Mode settings. That makes the Custom shooting modes a huge plus for users who do not need to waste time fiddling around with various settings. With the R5, users can create in-camera High Dynamic Range (HDR) images with a slew of options. I love creating funky in-camera HDR images of birds in flight in cloudy-dark conditions. With the R5, users can create two different kinds of Multiple Exposures with zillions of options. One of three different Mount Adapters EF-EOS R enable folks to use their Canon EF lenses seamlessly with all of the great R5 features maintained. AF performance with the adapters and EF lenses is superb. artie

Canon EOS R6 with extra

Many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a Canon EOS R6 mirrorless camera body in near-mint condition for a very low 1949.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it, two batteries, the charger, a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R (a $99.00 value — in excellent plus condition, and includes the caps and the pouch), 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 Monte via e-mail.

The R6 is virtually identical to the R5 but for the 20 MP raw files and the smaller price tag. The Menu is easy to navigate.The Face Detection plus Tracking technology (though not perfect) is superb. The Custom shooting modes (C1-C3) allow the user to save many items including and especially Customize Buttons, Customize Dials, and Shutter Mode settings. That makes the Custom shooting modes a huge plus for users who do not need to waste time fiddling around with various settings. One of three different Canon Mount Adapters EF-EOS R enable folks to use their Canon EF lenses seamlessly with all of the great R6 features maintained. AF performance with the adapters and EF lenses is superb. artie

Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM Lens with extra

Sale Pending within hours of listing

Many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens in mint condition for a very low $2175.00. The sale includes the LensCoat that has protect the lens since day one, the original box and everything that came in it, the front and rear lens caps, the lens pouch, 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 Monte via e-mail.

This versatile telephoto zoom lens pairs beautifully with either an R5 or an R6 four folks who will never own a $12K super telephoto lens. With its incredible minimum focusing distance it is great for flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, and the like. And it is a great lens for birds and birds in flight. artie

Canon Extender RF 1.4X (Teleconverter)

Sale Pending within hours of listing

Many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a Canon Extender RF 1.4x in excellent plus condition for a very low $375.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens pouch, 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 Monte via e-mail.

As regular readers know, TCs are so important to what I do that I always travel with three 1.4X teleconverters and two 2X teleconverters. (Note: they do fail on occasion.) artie

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens with extra

BAA Record-low Price!
Sale Pending within hours of listing

Many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a BIRDS AS ART Record-Low $648.00. The sale includes the LensCoat that has protect the lens since day one, the original box and everything that came in it, the front and rear lens caps, the tripod ring, the lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only.

Please contact Monte via e-mail

If you are shooting Canon Mirrorless and are considering the RF 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, understand that that lens does not accept any teleconverter, not an EF TC and not an RF TC. As I have said here often that is ridiculous. You’d be much better off with one of the EF versions to enjoy the true versatility of your 70-200.

The versatile 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses have long been big favorites of many nature photographers. They are great for landscapes especially with fall color peaking in many areas. I have used this lens with Canon and Nikon and SONY. I used my Canon version to photograph granddaughter Maya’s dance recitals and to create bird-scapes and pre-dawn blast-off blurs at Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico. They are 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. artie

ps: To see what the 70-200 zoom lenses can do, see the blog post here.

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM Lens with extra

Sale Pending within hours of listing

Many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a very low $3699.00. The glass is clean and has no scratches or blemishes. The sale includes the LensCoat that has protect the lens since day one, the original box and everything that came in it, the front and rear lens caps, the tripod ring, the lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only.

Please contact Monte via e-mail.

I owned and used and loved both versions of the 400 DO. In fact, I owned this very lens — Monte purchased it from me when I switched to Nikon. It is easily handhold-able by most folks and delivers sharp images with either TC. This lens with a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R is deadly with all Canon mirrorless bodies. Though no longer in production, there are a very few new ones available for $6899.00. Save a very nice $3200.00 by grabbing Monte’s 400 DO II. artie

Canon Extender EF 1.4X II (Teleconverter)

Many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a Canon Extender EF 1.4X II (Teleconverter) in excellent condition for a very low $139.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens pouch, 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 Monte via e-mail.

As regular readers know, TCs are so important to what I do that I always travel with three 1.4X teleconverters and two 2X teleconverters. (Note: they do fail on occasion. artie

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens with extra

Sale Pending within hours of listing

Many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a very low $4999.00 (was $5199.00). The glass is perfect with no scratches or blemishes. The sale includes the LensCoat that has protect the lens since day one, the original box and everything that came in it, the lens trunk, the lens strap, a replacement foot, the front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only.

Please contact Monte via e-mail.

The 600mm f/4 lenses have been the state of the art super-telephotos for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many years. When I was using Canon and could get it to my location, my 600 II was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new 600 III going for $12,999 and used version 600 IIs hard to find, you’d do well to grab Monte’s lens ASAP. artie

This image was created on 17 June 2008 22 at Bonaventure Island, Percé, Quebec, Canada. Working on a tripod, I used the M-3.6.1 Mongoose Gimbal Action Head-supported Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM lens and the oft-maligned Canon EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 400: 1/800 sec. at f/8 (sopped down two stops). AWB at 8:40:03am on a cloudy morning. “Gannets in Love” — Northern Gannet pair courting

Gannets in Love

Gannets in Love was created when I was co-leading a trip to Bonaventure Island 13 years ago. It seems much longer than that. Northern Gannets nest in huge colonies on both sides of the Atlantic. The largest range from 25,000 to 75,000 pairs. I have been privileged to visit the largest of those, Bass Rock, Scotland, on many occasions.

Gannets build nests of seaweed, plants, mud, and debris from the sea, usually atop coastal hillsides or cliffs. As the nests are only two to three feet apart, these gannetries are crowded places. And loud! Making an artistic photograph of a gannet nest in the muck is a near-impossible task. Unless you keep your eyes open.

The birds featured in Gannets in Love, probably a young pair, were building a nest on top of a viewing shelter. I saw a unique situation. After shortening one leg of my tripod, I set it up at the bottom of the stairs that led down to the shelter and began making images. My favorite image of the series caught a small bit of greenery in midair as one bird — usually but not always the male — passed nesting material to the other.

This image was was awarded first place in the “Professional Birds” category of the 2009 National Wildlife Federation contest, and first place in “Art in Nature” in the 2009 Nature’s Best contest. As those contests were judged earlier in the year than the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition (WPTOY), the image was still alive in the BBC contest which prohibits folks from entering images that were honored in other notable contests. I was hoping for a rarer-than-rare triple header. I was pissed when I learned that Gannets in Love did not even make the final round of judging in the WPOTY contest. And so it goes.

Digitally-signed Fine Art Canvas prints of “Gannets in Love” are available in various sizes. Each print is skillfully produced by Canvas In Demand. Click here for sizes, pricing, and framing and additional information.

Fine Art Traditional Photographic Prints

All BIRDS AS ART images, both film and digital, are available as signed traditional photographic prints in a great variety of sizes. You may purchase an unframed print of any BAA image that you see on the web site, in a Bulletin, or on the Blog. Click here for sizes, pricing, and additional information.

birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100 The companion e-book to the solo exhibit at TheNat, San Diego, California The new e-book on CD is available here.

birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100

This e-book, created on a wing and a prayer in less than two weeks–see Harebrained Scheme here–includes the 67 spectacular images that hung in the Ordover Gallery at the San Diego Natural History Museum in a career-retrospective solo exhibition in 2017. In addition, there are an additional 33 images in the spectacular e-book that barely missed making the show.

This exhibition companion e-book makes it possible for everyone to “visit” TheNAT gallery retrospectively — and, in addition, to enjoy seeing my then-top one hundred bird photographs under one roof. Each image includes a title, the species name, the location, relevant EXIF data, and an anecdotal caption.

birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100: $23 for the professionally produced CD (includes shipping to US addresses only)

Please click here to purchase the CD. As above, your purchase price includes shipping to all US addresses. If you would like your CD signed on the inside cover with a black Sharpie, you will need to place your order by phone and request a signed copy: 863-692-0906. For our Canadian friends we are offering the CD for $28 with shipping to Canada via phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Those who purchase the CD are advised to copy the file to their computers and then archive the CD.

To purchase via convenient download for $20, click here.

The new e-book via is also available via convenient download for $20 by clicking here.

birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100: $20 via convenient download.

Overseas folks, and anyone else as well, can purchase the e-book via convenient download for $20 by clicking here.

Typos

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

This all-new card includes only images created on my JAN 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs

San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 21 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 24 DEC 2022. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.

San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 2.

San Diego IPT #3: 3 1/2 DAYS: FRI 20 JAN thru the morning session on MON 23 JAN 2023: $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.

Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT sessions.

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.

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.

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 exposure 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 so that you can 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 will be 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 those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the 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

These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

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.

Deposit Info

A $599 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2022/23 San Diego IPTs. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due three months before the trip.

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 sunsets.

What’s Up?

Most folks do not realize that the best sky color often occurs as early as 45 minutes before sunrise. I arrived at Sebastian Inlet just after 6:30am. Sunrise was at 7:20am. I was on the jetty by 6:40am just as the color was developing on what was a partly cloudy morning. I had my 600 f/4 alone on the tripod so I grabbed my 70-200 II from my Xtra-hand vest and created some nice cloud-scapes. Early on, there was zero wind with a very healthy population of no-see-ums. After a while with little to no action, I headed up the inlet for a Wood Stork fix. They were tamer than ever. Then it was back to the jetty. The action had picked up a bit with fishing Caspian Terns and Ospreys. As the sun broke through, conditions soon became sauna-like so I packed up and headed home.

Today is Thursday 13 October. I have a ton of work to do but may head down to the lake early to check things out. 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 two hundred-one days a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Iceland

If anyone would like information on the world’s greatest Iceland/Atlantic Puffin trip this coming July, please contact me via e-mail.

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

Dorsal Flight Pano Crop

This image was created on 24 January 2022 on a San Diego IPT. Standing at full height, I used the no-longer available (except from BAA) Induro GIT 304L tripod/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 640. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was about 1/10-stop short of perfect. AWB at 3:43:06pm on sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Brown Pelican — breeding plumage Pacific-race in flight — dorsal view

A New Afternoon Spot in La Jolla

Just a few years ago, I found an afternoon spot in La Jolla that — contrary to popular opinion, offers consistently good opportunities for Pacific-race Brown Pelican flight photography. Along with head shots and lots of greetings and squabbles. I am not sure why I never processed this one as the breeding plumage bird is a beauty and the incoming dorsal wing pose is very sweet indeed. Not to mention the sweet Pacific-blue background. Be sure to click on the image to see the bird jump off your screen.

One of the neatest things about this spot is that lenses as short as 70-200mms can be effective for incoming flight shots.

Typos

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

Get Well Soon Jim

Longtime friend and employee Jim Litzenberg is recovering at home from a mild case of COVID. He will likely be back to work on Monday 17 October. If you placed an order and need it ASAP, please forward your receipt via e-mail and I will get it to you as quickly as possible.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All the images on this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

Fall 2022 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3

3 1/2 Days: Monday 31 October through the morning session on Thursday 3 November 2022. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings: 5.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. 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. And we will get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and 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.

On this IPT, all 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. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). 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 and whenever you photograph.

There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

These IPTs 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 Gulfport AirBnB information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.

A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check two months before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the 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, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Up Early, Stay Out Late!

Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. The length of cloudy morning sessions will often be extended. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Spoonbills at DeSoto

Over the past years, Roseate Spoonbills have become regular visitors to Fort DeSoto Park. I know when and where to find them and can teach you to approach them successfully. Do consider joining me on the last Fall DeSoto IPT.

What’s Up?

On Sunday evening, I took the four folks who attended the entire second DeSoto IPT out for dinner at Pia’s Trattoria in Gulfport. Wow! Four folks, including me, had the tenderloin. It came with a wonderful creamy white wine sauce that was amazing. I had mine with roasted vegetables and porcini mushrooms. The entire meal was a delight to the palate.

The fourth, last, and final morning of the second Fort DeSoto IPT began slowly and then heated up nicely at my favorite back-up spot. When the clouds thickened at about 8:30pm, we enjoyed non-stop diving tern action. I began handling the 400mm f/2.8 lens with the 1.4X TC, removed the TC as the baitfish and terns got closer and closer, and after an hour of solid flight photography, I needed to take a break as I could not hold the lens up any longer. Everyone got some neat stuff.

In the afternoon, I scouted Boyd Nature Preserve only to learn that it is closed on Monday’s and otherwise does not open until 9:00am. Then I visited my secret sunset spot. There were only a few birds, but the late sky colors were a spectacular blend of red, orange, yellow, purple, pink, blue, and grey. I used my 600 for pan blurs, my 24-125mm and the 70-200 for skyscapes, and my iPhone for panos.

I pack up and head home tomorrow after a short session.

Today is Tuesday 11 October 2022. 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 makes one hundred ninety-nine days in a row with a new one.

Iceland

If anyone would like information on the world’s greatest Iceland/Atlantic Puffin trip this coming July, please contact me via e-mail.

Sandwich Tern as Cruise Missile

This image was really created on 10 October 2022 on the last morning of the second Fort DeSoto IPT. Again, working from the fishing pier, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera).The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500. 1/5000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 9:40:08am on a then cloudy morning. Tracking: Spot Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Sandwich Tern diving

Spectacular Flight Pose and Head Angle

Over the years, I have made several sharp images of diving terns with similar wing positions. But in every frame, the head of the tern was angled away. the action was hot and heavy, I rarely review images in the field and have no recollection of creating this image. WDYT?

BAA Fort DeSoto/Sarasota Site Guide

Fort DeSoto is about the only bird photography hotspot that I know of that has the potential to offer great opportunities to every day of the year. The big attractions at the park are about 15 species of shorebirds, all the large wading birds (including Roseate Spoonbill and both dark and white morph Reddish Egret), and many species of terns and gulls. In spring we get to photograph the breeding behaviors of Royal & Sandwich Terns and Laughing Gull. Flight photography can be good when feeding sprees occur just off the beach or near the piers. These feature terns and gulls and Brown Pelican. Spring and fall migration can be excellent for all manner of warblers, vireos, gnatcatchers, tanagers, grosbeaks, and orioles in the wooded areas. There are several good locations within an hour of DeSoto that can also offer some great opportunities; Sarasota and the Skyway Bridge Piers are also covered in this site guide. Purchase and study the guide and you will know exactly where to be on what tide and what wind. Why waste your time searching for the birds when you can just show up and act like a DeSoto veteran?

Purchase your BAA Fort DeSoto/Sarasota Site Guide here.

Important note: In March of 2022, an updated map and a North Beach Mini-Guide were added to the sending document.

Typos

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

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All the images on this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

Fall 2022 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3

3 1/2 Days: Monday 31 October through the morning session on Thursday 3 November 2022. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings: 5.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. 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. And we will get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and 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.

On this IPT, all 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. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). 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 and whenever you photograph.

There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

These IPTs 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 Gulfport AirBnB information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.

A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check two months before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the 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, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Up Early, Stay Out Late!

Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. The length of cloudy morning sessions will often be extended. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Spoonbills at DeSoto

Over the past years, Roseate Spoonbills have become regular visitors to Fort DeSoto Park. I know when and where to find them and can teach you to approach them successfully. Do consider joining me on one of the DeSoto IPTs.

What’s Up?

The second morning of the second DeSoto IPT started off slowly, but all in all, it turned out to be a great session. We found the rare shorebird for the first time in the morning. We photographed lots of Marbled Godwits in still blue water, had a nice dowitcher flapping after its bath, and a beautiful, tame juvenile Great Egret fly right at us and land ten feet away from the group. Honest. It posed for front-lit and backlit head shots for fifteen minutes before suddenly taking flight and heading east. We had a fly-by flock of about 40 Blue-wing Teal and a distant blast off of a flock of more than a thousand Red Knots. The knots wheeled and turned and then flew right over our heads with a huge whoosh!

We made a last minute change in our afternoon plans and headed to a local golf course for spoonbills. Bingo! Then we found the rare bird only briefly, worked some Snowy Egrets and a juvie Little Blue Heron in gorgeous light, and ended with a handsome young Great Blue Heron posing in the beach grasses after the sun went down!

Today is Sun 9 October, day three of the second DeSoto IPT. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than 90 minutes to prepare makes one hundred ninety-seven days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

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 on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

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. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. 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.

When Shutter Priority Mode is Just Fine

This image was created on 8 October 2022 on the first morning of the second DeSoto IPT. ILE. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). Shutter Priority +1.7 stops with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Wheel. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology. AUTO ISO set ISO 100: 1/1000 sec. at f/4.5 (stopped down 1 2/3-stops Wheel. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 8:35:13am on hazy, sunny morning. Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Snowy Egret small tree at sunrise

Seeing the Shot

On Friday morning, our white-on-white egrets in still blue/pink/purple water all flew off too soon so we headed toward Hidden Lagoon as the sun came up. With some nice sky color next to the sun, I was searching for a subject to silhouette. Well to our right, I saw a Snowy Egret atop a tree facing away from us but thought that there might be some potential for a bird-scape. I had the group follow me and explained that we needed to keep the sun out of the frame while lining the bird up with the yellow sky on either side of the sun. I had been working in Shutter Priority mode doing blurs at 1/30 second so the fastest and simplest thing to do was to raise the shutter speed and adjust the Exposure Compensation so that I had some Zebras on the brightest portion of the sky in the lower right corner. The exposure turned out to be dead-solid perfect. The image was razor sharp with enough depth of field. And everyone in the group loved the image.

Shutter Priority mode can work well whenever the background remains the same. With changing backgrounds and most birds-in-flight photography, working in Manual mode is a necessity.

Typos

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

This all-new card includes only images created on my JAN 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs

San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 21 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 24 DEC 2022. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.

San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 2.

San Diego IPT #3: 3 1/2 DAYS: FRI 20 JAN thru the morning session on MON 23 JAN 2023: $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.

Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT sessions.

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.

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.

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 exposure 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 so that you can 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 will be 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 those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the 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

These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

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.

Deposit Info

A $599 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2022/23 San Diego IPTs. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due three months before the trip.

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.

What’s Up?

I woke very early on Thursday, packed my suitcase, packed the cooler and box of miscellaneous stuff, and drove over to my AirBnB in Gulfport. Greg Hritzo and wife Jenny showed up at 4:15pm. We headed over to DeSoto to meet Monte Brown who wisely cancelled the Hurricane Ian Fort DeSoto IPT two weeks ago. I had invited both Greg and Monte for a free a1/200-600 scouting session. Monte is new to Sony and Greg had never held an a1 before! Greg has been away from bird photography for 14 years. We had a very interesting and somewhat productive session.

Today is Friday 7 October 2022, the first day of the #2 DeSoto Fall IPT. 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 one hundred ninety-six days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

This image was created on 18 January 2022 on a San Diego IPT. Standing at full height, I used the no-longer available (except from BAA) Induro GIT 304L tripod/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 640. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was about 1.3 -stop too dark (gasp!) AWB at 10:10:10am on a rare cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Brown Pelican, non-breeding adult head throw

Head Throws

As regular readers know, head throws are the holy grail of pelican photography. All three North American pelican species engage in this behavior, but catching either the Brown Pelicans in the east or on the Gulf, or the American White Pelicans in the act, is next to impossible. With the Pacific-race birds in La Jolla, at least you have a chance. My goal for my five-week trip this winter is to get some head throw images of breeding plumage adults that are better than the BBC WPOTY-honored ones I made on film way back when.

Join me on an IPT or an In-the-Field morning at La Jolla to learn how and when to anticipate and photograph head throws. And a whole lot more!

Loren Waxman

Via e-mail from multiple IPT veteran Loren Waxman

Artie,

I really loved the San Diego IPT. I loved all the bird life & getting to see everything at such close range. Sometimes, when sitting close to the pelicans, I would just put my camera down & stare at them. I felt like a tiny part of their group for just a second.

The instruction was top notch!!

(1) You gave me the confidence to handle my first big lens. Getting used to all the tricks from traveling with it in the car to slipping down muddy hills with it perched over my shoulder on the tripod.

(2) I really appreciate all the time you took with me before the trip getting my gear together. Having the right equipment made a world of difference & I’m grateful for what you shared with me.

(3) Once I managed to get my lens & camera to the scene in one piece, you were terrific at setting the group up for success by having us in the right place at the right time with the right lenses, wind, sun & settings. When I look at my photos by capture time, I can see the improvements in my focusing, exposure & composition each day.

(4) You helped me save a bunch of photos from oblivion by educating me about flash cards & paving the way with your connections at Delkin – that was much appreciated.

(5) The Photoshop sessions were extremely helpful for me. While I have Digital Basics, APTATS I & II, Digital Eye Doctor, & the post processing guide, I’m a visual learner. Seeing it done really helped with understanding the written material.

(6) I really enjoyed all the extra time driving around with you, your company, & peppering you with Q’s – photographic & otherwise. You are one-of-a-kind!!!

(7) It was amazing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you taking pictures & to see how things came up on the back of your camera compared to mine (guess who’s were better???).

(8) All-in-all, I had a blast. I think it’s safe to say that you brought my photographic game up an order of magnitude. I learned so much, from capturing the photos, to critiquing the images, to understanding the details that make or break a good shot, or separate a good shot from a great one.

Thanks again for everything!!! I look forward to doing it again!

xoxoxo
L.

Loren’s Work

Loren has been on Instagram before anyone ever heard of it. He is earlofclinton with 3559 followers! You can see his fine work here. Many of his avian and landscape images are spectacular. San Diego was his first IPT and he came on many more. He photographed crane colts at my home, did the Galapagos Photo Cruise of a Lifetime, the UK Puffins and Gannets trip, a land-based Falklands trip, a DeSoto IPT, probably a Bosque IPT, and probably a few more that I do not remember. He lives in Bend Oregon and does mountain rescue work in the winter. I’m not sure if he is still doing any real estate/architectural work as I have not heard from him in many years.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

Not much. I walked/rope flow walked early on another gorgeous day; one small benefit of Hurricane Ian has been the fabulous dry weather it left in its wake. I stopped briefly at the Vulture Trees without much success. I swam early, finally finished my 2021 taxes, and got the information to my accountant, Chip Jackson, who had been vacationing in Europe for most of September.

In this post Anita North kindly shares four of her favorite images from her trip to the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia in September. Kudos to Anita for not worrying about the ridiculously high ISOs. If you want to make sharp images, it is best not to be concerned with the ISO settings that you need to make good exposures. Anita went as high as ISO 32,000! If you have a favorite image, please leave a comment and let us know what you like about it.

Today is Wednesday 5 October 2022. I will be packing to get ready to head over to Fort DeSoto for IPT #2. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about three hours to prepare and makes one hundred ninety-four days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

This image was created on 9 September 2022 by Anita North. She used the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 318mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) ISO 32,000. 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB. Note: ISO 32,000 is not a typo. Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Animal Face/Eye Detection performed well. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. And be sure to scroll down to see the original. Image #1: Spirit Bear with salmon in stream/mixed light Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Anita G. North

Introductory Background Text by Anita North

In February 2016, there was a great international celebration. After a 20-year struggle, led in part by the Indigenous Tribes that have lived there for thousands of years, the Canadian Government finally signed the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement. What began with blockades, protests, and hundreds of arrests, ended with an unprecedented environmental stewardship agreement with 85% of the Great Bear Forest permanently protected from industrial logging.

Greenpeace International

The story of the campaign to protect Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest, and how a landmark agreement has so far secured the protection of half of the natural old growth forest. The Great Bear Rainforest campaign demonstrates that out of conflict and peaceful resistance, it is possible to work towards solutions. It inspires our work in the Amazon, the Congo and Indonesia today. Learn more in the 3-minute YouTube video here.

This image was created on 17 September 2022 by Anita North. She used the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) ISO 25,600. 1/1250 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB. Note: ISO 25,600 is not a typo. Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Animal Face/Eye Detection performed well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Spirit Bear walking on rocks near stream Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Anita G. North

A Critical Gear Error

Astoundingly, Anita made it to BC with her 600mm f/4, her 400mm f/2.8, and her 200-600 GM lens. As soon as she arrived, she realized that she had made a big mistake. With the low light levels in the rain forest, she should have left the 200-600 at home and taken the much faster (f/2.8 as compared to f/6.3) Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 II GM lens. Taking a look at the EXIF for Image #2 — created at only 200mm, you quickly realize that if Anita had the 70-200 in her hands, she could have saved 2 1/3 stops of ISO. Instead of needing ISO 25,600 for the image above, she could have maintained the same shutter speed and exposure level by working at ISO 5000. And with the lighter lens, she could easily have made sharp images at 1/500 second. That would have brought her down to a very attractive 2500 ISO.

That said, thanks to the great Sony A1 raw files and Topaz Denoise, Images #1 and #2 look pretty darn good to me.

National Geographic

In this well-worth-watching YouTube video, NG photographer Paul Nicklen tests his patience in an effort to capture the rare spirit bear — a potential key to saving a pristine corner of British Columbia. After a month in the rain and having spotted zero Spirit bears, he was worried about failing on a project that he proposed. He imagined his boss saying, “We’re a magazine; we publish photos, not excuses.” He says of his experience in the rain forest with the Spirit Bears, “One of the most powerful moments of his career.”

Watching this video will give you a good idea of why I never had a desire to be a National Geographic photographer.

Scroll down here to see another inspirational Paul Nicklen/Spirit Bear video.

This image was created on 13 September 2022 by Anita North. She used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1250. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/800 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB. Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Animal Face/Eye Detection performed well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Spirit Bear in stream in mixed light Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Anita G. North

More From Anita

I recently returned from a 2-week trip to Hartley Bay, British Colombia, the home of the Gitga’at First Nation. Native guides take you by boat to Gribbell Island to sit by the river and wait for the Spirit and Black bears to arrive for salmon fishing.

The Spirit Bear is a magnificent and rare subspecies of the American Black Bear. It’s white/creamy yellow fur and white nails are the result of mating between black bears that both carry a recessive gene. They are only found in north central British Columbia, Canada. They now number approximately 150 and the largest concentration of these very special animals are found on 3 islands –Gribbell, Prince Royal, and Roderick. Recently, all bear hunting was banned in the Great Bear Forest. Spending time waiting, watching, and having a chance to photograph this rare, ethereal bear, surrounded by equally rare, unspoiled temperate rainforest was a great blessing. Thanks to Arthur for sharing a few of my images on the blog. You can see more of my images here on Instagram (anitanorth1).

Huge thanks to my guide, Marvin Robinson. He truly is the “spirit bear whisperer.” He is a Guardian Watchman who has the responsibility of managing and restoring wildlife populations in the newly protected areas. He is an utterly amazing individual who has been and is making a huge contribution.

Spirit bears and the Great Bear Rainforest — from the Blog of Tim Irvin

Spirit bears are a variant of the American black bear with a recessive genetic trait that makes their fur white. These magnificent bears are extremely rare and are only found in a small corner of the Great Bear Rainforest. Existing population estimates vary between 100 to 500 individual bears and are likely to be closer to the low end of that scale. By comparison, the latest population estimate for wild pandas is just over 1800. Witnessing a white spirit bear in its dark green rainforest home is an extraordinary experience. The Great Bear Rainforest is the largest intact temperate rainforest on Earth. This is a place where the ocean, mountains and ancient forests teem with wildlife including bald eagles, salmon, humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, grizzly bears and black bears, wolves, wolverines and more.

You can learn about booking a trip to see the Spirit Bears here.

This image was created on 14 September 2022 by Anita North. She used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). ISO 400. 1/4000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB. Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Animal Face/Eye Detection performed well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Humpback Whale feeding Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Anita G. North

Humpback Whales

In addition to the Spirit Bears, there were other natural history subjects to photograph!

Thanks to Anita for allowing me to share her images with y’all here on the blog.

This image was created on 9 September 2022 by Anita North. She used the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 318mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) ISO 32,000. 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB. Note: ISO 32,000 is not a typo. Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Animal Face/Eye Detection performed well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1A: The original for the Spirit Bear with salmon in stream/mixed light image Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Anita G. North

Dealing with Mixed Light Over-exposure

The screen capture above represents the raw file at the default settings. The red overlay on the highlights indicates the areas that are grossly over-exposed.

Note: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART (that’s me), did the four raw conversions, the image optimizations, and the clean-up work for each of today’s featured images. As you can see, photographing in mixed light is a huge challenge, one that I strive to avoid. With sun on the log in this image, two raw conversions were done, one properly exposed for the bear, and a second, very dark one for the highlights. After running Topaz DeNoise on each image, the dark image was dragged atop the one that was exposed for the bear. Next, a Hide-all (Black, or Inverse) Mask was applied. The mask was painted away over the toasted areas in increments with a 33% opacity brush.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

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 my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all 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. 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 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. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.

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.

On Improving Your Bird Photography

Consider joining me on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). The DeSoto, San Diego, Homer, and the yet-to-be announced July 2023 Jacksonville IPTs, and July 2024 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime, all offer the opportunity for you to dramatically improve your skills both in the field and at the computer and to make some astounding images as well. Click here and see which IPT might be best for you.

What’s Up?

I walked early on Sunday morning and found the cooperative snake that is today’s featured subject. The water level in the lake is so high that many overflow ponds have been created in the North Field. At one of those yesterday I counted 10 Greater Yellowlegs (unusual for ILE), sixty Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (including one juvenile), and an assortment of herons and egrets. Then I headed home for a day of TIVO-ed NFL games.

As many folks who shoot Sony are still using some of the older camera bodies like the a7R III, the a7R IV, the a9, and the a9 II, I resurrected the info on The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos) for those folks who for whatever reason are not using an a1. If you own one of the aforementioned bodies and do not have the guide, it would behoove you to scroll down, check it out, and get a copy.

Note: Everyone who is in the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group can receive a free copy of the The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide by request.

Today is Monday 3 October 2022. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more almost three hours to prepare makes one hundred ninety-two days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

Image #1: iPhone image of small snake

The Discovery

While finishing my morning walk on Sunday, I noticed a small snake coiled on the railing of the pier right next to a light pole. I grabbed my iPhone, turned off a Billy Joel album, and made several images. By working at 2X and holding the phone out over the lake and shooting back, I was able to eliminate the light pole. As I start my walk in the dark, this image was created well before sunrise.

The Plan

My plan was to walk back to my vehicle that had been parked near the boat ramp, photograph the remnants of a natural Osprey nest that had been blown down by Hurricane Ian with the handheld Sony 24-105, and then drive back to the pier, grab my macro set-up and a tripod, and photograph the snake on the railing. That, of course, assuming that it was still there. It was, and as I had learned earlier, it was exceedingly tame and cooperative.

Image #2: iPhone image of the macro lens set-up

The Set-Up

I needed to get as far left as possible so that I could shade the subject with my torso and, at the same time, minimize the impact of the fleck of shed skin on the left side of the snake’s face below its left eye (as seen in Image #1). To do that, I splayed the legs of the tripod and rested it somewhat precariously on the pier railing. That done, I’d set the exposure, steady the rig, and focus manually. Considering the slow shutter speeds and the less-then-rock solid support system, I was surprised every image made on the tripod was razor sharp

The Canon 180mm Macro Lens with Sony

I absolutely love the 180mm focal length for macro, in part, because I have a “telephoto eye.” I see the world in small rectangles and love the backgrounds provided by lenses with narrow angles of view. As compared to the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens, a 180mm focal length will render the subject four times larger when photographed from the same distance. Why? The size of the subject in the frame is a function of the square of the focal length.

I sold my Canon 180 when I switched to Nikon about five years ago, and then purchased a used one from old friends Alan and Sarah Levine. Since that was the slowest and worst focusing lens ever made by Canon, I knew that all would be well using manual focus and focus peaking. That as described in detail in the Sony Camera (a7R III, a7R IV, a9, & a9 II) User’s e-Guide with One Camera Set-up Video and in the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group e-mails as well.

This rig has served me well for flowers, buds, bugs, and yes, the occasional snake. See the Green Lynx Spider image made with this lens and the Sony a7R IV in the blog post here.

This image was created on the morning of 2 October 2022 down by the lake near my home at ILE. I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM lens with the Metabones Canon EF/EF-S Lens to Sony E Mount T Smart Adapter (Fifth Generation) and The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera body. ISO 1600: 1/40 second at f/10 in Manual Mode. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial and was determined by RawDigger to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 7:42:30am in the shade of my body on a clear morning just after sunrise. Manual focus with (red) focus peaking. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Image #3: Eastern (Red) Ratsnake

Getting the Color Right was a Bear

It was a bear idiom: Something that is difficult to do or deal with, a task or burden

With the subject shaded by my torso, the raw file had a large BLUE color cast. Even after I dealt with that, the image still needed to be warmed up. Working on the converted TIF file and working on a new layer, I went Filter > Camera Raw Filter, hit “I” for the Eyedropper Tool, and clicked on the grayest thing I could find, the shaded section of snake skin just below the upper left corner. Voila! I had the color I was looking for.

102 sold to rave reviews. The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris

The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)

Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.

Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.

It is hard to believe that we sent out an early draft of the guide for review in early December 2019 after we had been working on it for several months. We thought that it was pretty good at that point but Ellen Anon and her son Josh both commented to this effect: not so fast!. Both took us to task by asking lots of good questions and making dozens of excellent suggestions. They did that for several versions of the guide and for that we are very thankful.

At one point Josh wrote, Remember there are free resources competing with your guide; you need to ensure your paid guide is above and beyond these and worth the money!

Here are the links that he provided:

Sony Alpha Focus Masterclass by Mark Galer, (Sony Ambassador) here.

Sony a7R IV Tips & Tutorial by Tony Northrup here.

Sony a9 Bird In Flight/Wildlife Photography Setup and Usage Guide by Mark Smith here

Now, ask yourself why I would be sharing these free resources with you? Some of the advice is halfway decent, some of it is confusing, some of it just plain wrong, and some of it is beyond insane. Good luck trying to figure out which is which … Highlights (lowlights?) include using back-button focus (and release!) and suggested Zebra values that ensure that you will never get anything close to a good exposure. Regular readers here already know that there is never any need to use back-button focus with SONY. If you missed that, the guide clearly explains why.

Later on in the process, Josh sent me another link (one that I can no longer find). IAC, I followed it and found that the creator took you through and explained all the SONY menu items exactly as detailed in the Help Guide, but never once told you what settings he used and why he used them.

In our new guide, we explain virtually every SONY menu item in detail that might be useful in bird, nature, or wildlife photography. And then we explain your options and state clearly which setting we use in different situations and why we go that route. This invaluable advice is based on many hundreds of hours in the field photographing birds and other natural history subjects.

In short, the SONY e-Guide is incredible. While I am proud of all the previously published Camera User’s Guides, my feelings about the SONY guide go far beyond that. The stuff on using Zebras with ISO on the Rear Wheel to get the right exposure every time is all Patrick Sparkman. Without his technical brilliance, this guide would not be nearly as valuable as it is. And like my good friend Dr. Cliff Oliver, Patrick is a superb researcher — if he does not know something, he will find it online very quickly, check it out, and draw his own conclusions. Not only are the SONY menus complex, but they offer a zillion options, many of which are hidden in sub-menus and Custom Settings. Patrick figured many of those out, I discovered a few, and blog regular Craig Elson came up with some incredibly helpful little menu tricks, tricks that solved some thorny problems. Thanks also to the eagle-eyed Dane Johnson who spotted a zillion typos and type-setting errors.

The longer and harder we worked on the guide, the more I wanted to price it at $200.00. But I did not want anyone to faint. The cost of the SONY Guide is $100.00. Your purchase includes the e-Guide itself and one of the four camera-specific videos. Extra camera videos cost $25.00 each. In each video, Patrick and I take you through all the relevant menu items. We urge you to follow along with your camera in hand. Here is short and timely excerpt from the guide:

Before You Begin

With the a7r iv, the a9, and the a9 ii, the last page of My Menu allows you to turn Display From My Menu on and off as needed. It is best to keep this On so that whenever you hit the Menu button on the camera, the last-viewed My Menu page will display. When you are setting up a new camera or working on your settings while following along with this guide, you should turn Display From My Menu to Off so that you do not have to scroll through endless menu items to find what you are looking for. With My Menu Off, hitting the Menu button will return you to the last viewed Menu screen.

Once you have read this far, we urge that you watch the video for your SONY body with the camera in hand while following all the instructions before consulting the remainder of this guide.

SONY Image Galleries with Educational Captions: page 48

The e-Guide is 103 pages. The guide contains 13 sections; among those are these:

The Introduction — This section contains a bit of the back-story on how the guide came to be.

Important Stuff — This section contains some important stuff 🙂

SONY Help Guides — Here you will find active links to the Help Guides for each camera body. Note: the Camera Manuals are pretty much useless.

Points of Emphasis In this section, we reinforce and expand upon many of the important concepts that are covered in the video.

Additional Info– Here we cover tons of new stuff that we discovered in the 3 1/2 months after we created the four videos.

Clarifications — In this section we detail nineteen fine points and sticky situations.

SONY Workflow — In this very short section we outline our SONY workflow. No great shock there!

SONY Image Gallery with Educational Captions (77 images.) This collection of stunning images is meant to inspire, educate, and show folks what is possible with SONY gear. There is tons of AF info in the captions. And lots more.

SONY Zebras Coaching Gallery (14 images.) Here we explain exactly what we did with the Zebras to come up with a perfect exposure.

Tracking Flexible Spot Gallery 8 images.) The images here demonstrate the use of SONY’s most valuable AF Area Mode.

Thanks! Here we thank the many folks who helped us to improve the guide.

About the Authors — Learn a bit about artie and Patrick.

SONY Zebras Coaching Gallery: page 89

So What Does the SONY Guide Cover?

Under Points of Emphasis

Note: items without comment are self-explanatory.

Using Zebras to Get the Right Exposure in Manual Mode — Patrick’s technique allows you to make perfect or near-perfect exposures quickly and consistently.
Using Zebras to Get the Right Exposure in Manual Mode Illustrated — Thanks to an amazingly cooperative crane, this item shows how Zebras are set in an actual shooting situation.
A Final Word on Zebras –We explain the fine points of using Zebras in bright sun versus using Zebras in the shade.
Using Zebras to Get the Right Exposure in Shutter (or Aperture) Priority This technique is used by artie at times when creating pleasing blurs.
Mechanical vs Electronic Shutter It is important to know which to use with each camera …
Silent Shooting — Silent Shooting is closely linked to Mechanical vs Electronic Shutter.
Card Slots 1 & 2
Auto Review — Really valuable info here.
Focus Areas and Focus Area Limit — Along with Zebras, the info here is the meat of the guide.
a7r iv vs. a9 ii — Comparing these two great bodies.
My Menu — Learning how and what to place on your My Menus helps folks operate their SONY bodies more efficiently.

SONY Image Galleries with Educational Captions: page 66

Additional Info

Enlarge Initial Position — Explains how to see the area of sharpest focus in an image; it only works before the images are downloaded.
Telephoto Lens Focus Range Limiter Switch — Explains how and why to set this important switch.
Initial Focus Acquisition Problems With Telephoto Lenses — The tips here and in DMF below might be worth the price of the entire guide.
Direct Manual Focus (DMF)
Camera Direct Manual Focus (DMF)
An Important AF Note for a9 ii Users — Learn about a problematic dial on the a9 ii.
Optical Steady Shot (OSS)
Optical Steady Shot (OSS) on Telephoto Lenses
Diopter-adjustment Dial
Firmware Updates
Touch Operation
Naming Your Camera Bodies — This can save you lots of hassles.
Saving/Loading Settings
Sensor Cleaning
Anti-dust Function — New to the a9 ii only.
Reg. Custom Shoot Set
Function Menu Set & the Fn Button — Learn to customize the screen that comes up after pushing the Fn button.
More on Face/Eye Priority in AF — Super-important if you want to use the fabulous Tracking Flexible Spot (M).
The SONY Histogram Our comments here will likely surprise you.
Display Quality/a7 Series Bodies
Saving Settings to the Mode Dial
Compressed vs. Uncompressed Raw
Image Review with the Control Wheel — This was a “duh” moment for artie.
When to Turn Off Zebras — Super-important.
SONY US Repair Advice — Also super-important.
Vertical Grip — yeah or nay?

Tracking Flexible Spot Gallery: page 96

Under Clarifications

Power Save Start Time
AEL Button
Using SONY with an Adapter
The Eye Sensor (Tiny Window Above the Viewfinder) — Valuable stuff here …
The Mysterious Viewfinder Blackout Problem — Dealing with SONY’s most annoying problem.
Assigning Finder/Monitor to a Custom Button
Another Possible Finder/Monitor Solution
Return to Center
Bright Monitoring — A must for astrophotography.
e-Front Curtain Shutter
Manual Focus Toggle — A fabulous tip for macro photographers (often combined with Focus Magnifier below).
The Top Wheels
If You Use Rear Button Focus
Focus Magnifier — Fabulous tips for macro photographers (combined with Manual Focus Toggle above).
The Viewfinder Level
Changing the Focus and Drive Modes
AF Illuminator
AF Sensitivity
Focus Peaking
Shutter Priority for Video

SONY Image Galleries with Educational Captions: page 73

What They’ve Been Saying

From Fred Innamorato via e-mail

Hi Artie, I want to thank you for making the Sony e-Guide and videos available and for the work you put into the blog as well as for your books that teach us how to photograph birds and also for your camera User’s Guides. There is just no possible way I would have been able to get my Sony a9 ii camera settings so technically correct for doing birds in flight on my own without this guide. in my opinion, Sony should pay you for taking on the task of educating their customers. Sony has created an amazing camera but they fail to explain to their customers how to take full advantage of it. I appreciate that you know and have access to some very competent people with the technical backgrounds to assist you in your field experimentation to come up with the best and most practical and useful Menu Settings for bird photography. We all will benefit from your unique ability to pull this together. I am especially happy with your instructions on how to use the Zebra Settings for getting proper exposures. I really can’t thank you enough Artie for making my bird photography hobby so much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. My photography brings me great satisfaction. Sharing quality photographs with my family and friends has generated lots of interest in my hobby and why I do it. Life is good!

I highly recommend the purchase of your Sony e-Guide and Video(s). This information is just not available anywhere else. Even from Sony …

Fred Innamorato

Via e-Mail from Jerry Barrack

Hi Art,

I want to thank you again for your help with selling all of my Canon gear. Your advice on pricing was right-on as most items sold very quickly. As much as I loved my Canon equipment, the advances made by Sony with regard to autofocus made it a no-brainer for me to switch.

And thanks also for the SONY e-Guide, the Sony a9 video, and your Capture One Simplified video. After resisting using manual exposure for many, many years, I switched over to Patrick’s and your Zebras system with ISO on the rear wheel. I cannot believe how easy it is. It just shows that you can teach an old dog new tricks! My only complaint is that it now takes a lot longer to edit because nearly all of the images are properly exposed and in focus. The SONY focusing system along with the stuff I learned in the guide continues to amaze me. I just finished shooting Purple Martins and the percentage of sharp ones is unbelievable.

Thanks again for all your help. Stay safe and well.

Jerry

Blog comment by IPT veteran Barry Barfield

I have been actively using the set up from artie’s Sony e-Guide now for about four weeks. With my a9 ii and the 200-600 rig is easy to get the right exposure 99% of the time. I could never have figured out the settings suggested on my own, so thank you artie and Patrick. If you have Sony A9, A9ii, or one of the A7r bodies covered – you should get this guide today. Barry, Australia

From Peter Noyes via e-mail

Artie, In March, I purchased your e-Guide and Camera Set Up Video for the SONY a-7r iv mirrorless camera body. Both were great saving me a lot of time allowing me to spend more time outside enjoying my camera. The guide is surely worth a lot more than the purchase price to me.

Peter

From Thomas Bourne via e-mail

Artie, You and Patrick have done an outstanding job. Even though I own the a7 ii with its limits, I can see how you think and work. The guide was quite helpful to me. At 79 – and in great health, I may have enough time left to get another camera. Stay healthy!

Tom

Typos

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

Homer IPT Multiple Trip Discounts Increased

Save $1,500.00 by doing back-to-back trips. Save $2500 by doing all three trips. Please e-mail for couples’ discount info.

On Getting Better

Consider joining me on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). The DeSoto, San Diego, Homer, and the yet-to-be announced July 2023 Jacksonville and July 2024 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime all offer the opportunity for you to dramatically improve your skills both in the field and at the computer and to make some astounding images as well. Click here and see which IPT might be best for you.

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/Openings: 3.

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/Openings: 3.

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: 3.

Save $1,500.00 by doing back-to-back trips. Save $2500 by doing all three trips.

These trips feature 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 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 stay out and 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.

All images from Kachemak Bay in 2022!

What You Will Learn

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 trips 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 three. 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.

What’s Up?

I walked, rope flowed, and swam twice each on Friday. It was relatively cold (64°) and clear in the early morning. With the strong wind from the northwest, I bundled up with two sweatshirts, a woolen watch cap, and gloves. The birds, all facing and flying away from the light, were acting strangely after Hurricane Ian. There were more than one hundred vultures flying, on the ground, and roosting on various structures near the base of the pair. I saw several groups of three or four cranes in flight, calling loudly as if asking, “What’s going on here?” Both adult eagles were perched in the nest tree when I went by. My walk to the end of the pier just before sunset revealed that the “T” at the end of the pier had been noticeably twisted by the force of the wind and the waves on Thursday evening.

Today is Saturday 1 October 2022. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than 90 minutes to prepare makes one hundred ninety days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

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 on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

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. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. 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 26 February 2020 on an Instructional Photo-Tour at Kachemak Bay, Homer, AK. While crouching, I used the hand held Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 lens (now replaced by the greatly improved Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens) at 200mm and the Sony a9 II (now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.) The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 800: 1/2000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide-open) in Manual mode. AWB at 1:25:32 pm on a cloudy morning. Flexible Spot (M) AF/C performed well. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Bald Eagle in snow bird-scape

What You See is What You Get!
Depth of Field (DOF) at the Wide-Open Aperture

With more than enough shutter speed (1/2000 sec.) for a static subject, many folks might ask, Why didn’t you stop down?

The answer was in the viewfinder. At the default settings, all modern camera bodies offer viewing at the wide-open aperture. Even when stopped down considerably, you view the subject and the scene as it would appear at the wide-open aperture. So, with DOF, when working at the wide-open aperture, what you see is what you get!

In other words, if all the feathers on a subject look sharp in the viewfinder, they will be sharp in the final image (assuming a fast-enough shutter speed and/or good to excellent sharpness techniques). When I looked through the viewfinder when creating this image at Kachemak Bay, it was obvious that the whole bird was sharp. Thus, there was zero need to stop down “for more depth of field.”

Try it, you’ll like it. For nearly all my bird photography, I work at the wide-open aperture unless I can clearly come up with a good reason to stop down. On IPTs, I will always let the group know when and why I am stopping down.

Image Design Question

Crouching when creating this image was vital to its success. Why? If you are confused, ask yourself, “How image would this image have been different if artie had been seated or had been standing at full height?”

Image #1A: a7INFO screen capture for the Bald Eagle in snow bird-scape image

The a7INFO Screen Capture

As always, a7INFO provides us with two bits of important information:

1- the location of the AF points.

2- the focus distance (7.81 meters as highlighted in blue, on the right).

Note: because of limitations in the Sony EXIF, the AF Area mode provided in by a7INFO is rarely correct and almost always confusing. It will not correlate with the AF Area and/or Tracking mode that was used to create the image.

Image #1B: PhotoPills screen capture for the Bald Eagle in snow bird-scape image

PhotoPills

There are many free and excellent DOF apps and websites. I recently began using PhotoPills. You can learn a ton by listing your preferred DOF site often. Once you know the focus distance, the rest is child’s play. It is not important to select your exact camera model. Just be sure to select one with the same sensor size as yours. The Sony A1 is a full frame body so I went with the Sony a9 as it is also full frame. Select the aperture from the dropdown menu and type in the focus distance (while selecting the correct units for the latter).

The last three lines of data are the most important. The depth of field is .25 meters. That is distributed almost equally before and beyond the point of focus, in this case, the plane of the eagle’s neck (as we learned in the a7INFO screen capture above). The DOF in front, .12 meters, converts to 4.7 inches. The DOF behind, 1.3 meters, converts to 5.1 inches. While Bald Eagle is a large bird, the width of its body is well less than 9.8 inches. This shows clearly that the DOF at f/2.8 is more than enough to “cover” the subject, that is, to render all the feathers sharp.

And it proves that what you see is what you get.

Typos

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

After Hurricane Ian at Indian Lake Estates, FL

When I hit the sack last night at about 9:30pm — late for me, the forecast for ILE was for winds as strong as 77mph peaking at midnight. I slept pretty well and never heard the wind. I woke twice during the night and was surprised to see that we still had power. With more than 2.5 million Floridians without power this morning, we were and are quite blessed. Not wanting to jinx myself, I do understand that we might still lose power due to flooding. Ian was quite different from Hurricane Irma in 2017 when the house shook all night, a large tree fell, and we were without electricity for more than two weeks.

Fort Myers Beach got creamed and seemed to be completely underwater late yesterday afternoon. I am anxiously awaiting reports on Sanibel, Fort Myers, Cape Coral (where good friend Bill Schneider lives), and points north to Sarasota and Tampa. Good luck with the house, Bill. And I just learned that a section of the causeway leading to Sanibel was wiped out by the remnants of Ian early this morning. See the storm damage photos and learn more here. And there has been unprecedented flooding in Orlando.

Today is Thursday 29 September. It continues to pour here. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about three hours to prepare and makes one hundred eighty-eight days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Lens (with an extra)

BAA Record-low Price!
Price reduced $200.00 on 9/28/22

John Armitage is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens in excellent condition for a for a BAA Record Low $2296.95 (was $2496.95). The sale includes the original lens foot, a RRS stuff foot, the front and rear caps, the lens strap, the soft case, the original box, 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 John via e-mail.

Yes, I loved this even now hard-to-get lens a ton when I used Nikon gear. The Nikon PF series telephoto lenses are tremendously popular as they are relatively small and light and offer great reach. Both do well with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III. On my bucket list trip for the Emperor Penguins, I brought two D850 bodies, the 500 PF, and the Nikon 80-400 VR lenses! The 500 PF is still hard to come by and sells new for $$3,296.95. At $2296.95, John’s lens is a steal as you save an even $1000.00. artie

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR Lens with extra

BAA Record-low Price!
Price reduced $200.00 on 9/28/22

John Armitage is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens in excellent condition for a BAA record low $1195.95 (was $1,395.95). The sale includes the original tripod mount, a Lens Collar Support Tripod Mount Ring RT-1 for Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens (a $29.99 value), the soft case, the front and rear caps, the original box, 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 John via e-mail

The skilled and venerable Anita Gail Erica North owned and used this lens a lot on her international travels when she shot Nikon. It is light in weight and focuses quickly and accurately. artie

Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM Lens

Price reduced $100.00 on 9/28/22

John Armitage is offering a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for a very low a BAA record-low $399.00 (was $499.00). The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the tripod mount ring, 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 John via e-mail.

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

Before Hurricane Ian at Indian Lake Estates, FL

This image was created on 28 September 2022 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lakes Estates, FL. Working from the front seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/160 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 10:38:38am on a windy, cloudy morning. Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #1: Adult Red-shouldered Hawk perched in pine tree

Down to the Lake. Or Not?

It was dark and very windy and raining hard early on Wednesday morning. I skipped my walk. With the brisk northeast wind, I knew that I could comfortably shoot from the car with the wind (and the wind-driven rain) behind me. While getting set up at the Vulture Trees, I saw a red-shouldered fly up from the South Field and land in the pine trees on the east side of the road. I headed north, hooked a u-turn, and almost missed the bird sitting in the open on a relatively clean perch. So I went to work.

DMF OFF when on the BLUBB

Sony folks using large GM lenses on a BLUBB, are reminded to turn the Direct Manual Focus switch to the FFF position. Doing so eliminates the possibility of inadvertently throwing off the focus when framing the shot.

This image was also created on 28 September 2022 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lakes Estates, FL. Working from the front seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported 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 1600. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/800 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 10:52:30am on cloudy, windy morning. Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2: Turkey Vulture struggling in wind

Wind Lessons

With the Vulture Trees west of Banyan Drive, I opted to head down to the lake only because of the wind direction: northeast. I could angle the car to keep the wind behind me and stay dry at the same time. By Thursday morning, the wind had swung to the northwest; the decision to stay warm and dry at home was a no-brainer. If I headed to the Vulture Trees this morning, all the birds would be facing away, and the rain would be blowing right at my lens and into the car (not to mention my face).

On sunny mornings with a northwest wind, and the light behind you, the birds will be facing and landing and taking off and flying away from you. Bite the bullet and stay home.

This image was also created on 28 September 2022 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lakes Estates, FL. Working from the front seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported 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 4000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2000 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 10:55:08am on cloudy, windy morning. Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #3: Turkey Vulture struggling in wind

Your Call

Which of today’s three featured images do you like best? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice. I have a single favorite.

High ISOs and Large Crops

It is amazing that we can now work at ISOs of 4000 and beyond and then execute large crops without batting an eyelash. I attribute that to three things:

1- The image quality and dynamic range of sharp, properly exposed Sony a1 raw (ARW) files is outstanding.

2- Exposing properly to the right reduces noise dramatically.

3- Topaz DeNoise is remarkable.

Typos

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