August 16th, 2021 What’s Up?
I was glad to learn that the Homer Bald Eagle IPT is a near sell-out. There is just one slot left on each segment.
Today is Monday 16 August 2021. Nickerson was good again on Monday morning. It was sunny at first with a northeast wind, followed by increasing cloudiness. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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 like me, who 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.
This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes 229 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
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All from the East Pond at JBWR in August
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Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge/East Pond Shorebird In-the-Field Workshops
Saturday 21 August 2021. Morning session: 6:00 until 9:00am (Limit: 6/Openings: 3)
Sunday 22 August 2021. Morning session: 6:00 until 9:00am (Limit 6/Openings 4)
For many decades, the East Pond at JBWR was the premier spot in North America to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds: small sandpipers (known affectionately as “peeps”), plovers, godwits, dowitchers, yellowlegs, and lots more. The pond, the spot were I would like my ashes to be scattered (in about two decades), has not been good for many years because of gate valve malfunction and mismanagement of the resource. Combined, these resulted in water levels that were too high; the mudflats that normally would provide roosting and feeding locations for large flocks of shorebirds were covered.
The refuge staff finally seems to have things under control this year. Water levels at the south end are reported as the best in a decade. The young birds usually arrive around 15 AUG. They are much, much tamer than the skittish adults that begin arriving around 1 July each year. The tides are perfect for 21-22 AUG. That weekend will potentially offer the best juvenile shorebird photography in many, many years. Weather and migratory patterns permitting. You will need to get your butt muddy as you cannot do the shorebirds while standing.
Consider joining me to learn the history of the pond, to learn to identify and age a variety of shorebird species, to learn how to approach the birds, and to improve your photography. I am expecting to have some very good chances for creating images of single birds in flight.
In-the-Field morning session alone: $350/session. With brunch and image review: $425/per session.
An option would be to stay over, grab a motel room, and do both morning sessions. In addition, you might want to add in a 6pm till sunset session at Nickerson Beach for only $250.00. To learn more or too register, please shoot me an e-mail.
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This image was created on 9 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. Sitting on damp sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 11:17am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and performed perfectly by tracking and nailing the bird’s eye.
Click on the image to view a larger version.
Image #1: American Oystercatcher swallowing mole crab
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Un-banded Oystercatchers
It is difficult to find un-banded oystercatchers at Nickerson Beach in this and most years. In this situation we had a banded adult with two young, one banded and one un-banded. I concentrated on the un-banded chick 🙂
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This image was created on 9 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on dry sand, I use the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter(at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1250. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was perfect: 1/640 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:24am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by tracking and nailing the bird’s eye.
Image #2: American Oystercatcher adult head portrait
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Eliminating the Bands
As the adult bird was super-tame, I added the 1.4X TC and scootched forward on my butt to make some head portraits. Surprisingly, this one was sharp at 1/640 even though the bird was walking briskly up the berm.
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This image was created on 9 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on dry sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter(at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was perfect: 1/1000 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:27am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by tracking and nailing the bird’s eye.
Image #3: American Oystercatcher juvenile head portrait
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Super-Tame
With lots of folks enjoying the beach, walking and swimming, most of the nesting oystercatchers are completely acclimated to folks walking by at close range. Note that for each image, I first chose a shutter speed that I thought would be fast enough to create a sharp image. Then I roll the thumb dial until faint Zebras appear. From looking at the exposure data is it obvious that the light was changing quite a bit.
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This image was created on 9 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach, Long Island, NY. While seated on dry sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter(at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was perfect: 1/1000 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:28am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by tracking and nailing the bird’s eye.
Image #4: American Oystercatcher juvenile probing for invertebrates
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Tracking: Spot S
I recently simplified my a1 AF set-up. The next e-mail to the a1 Group will detail the changes that I made.
Highlight Brightness Question?
Are the white feathers and the pink legs of the birds presented in today’s featured images too light for your taste? Any and all comments are welcome.
SONY a1 AF: Beyond Belief …
As Bird-Eye/Face Detection has gotten much better since the V1.10 firmware update that completely eliminated the EVF Blackout problems, it has become easier to trust the AF system when working off the tilted rear screen with the tripod almost at ground level.
AF performance for this eleven-frame sequence was science-fiction-like. It either nailed the chick’s eye or tracked the forehead even as the bird charged toward me. All eleven images were sharp on the eye. I had been working at ISO with a lower shutter speed when I remembered that I had lost lots of similar images to motion blur so I doubled the shutter speed and doubled the ISO. With excellent results. I remember making dozens of images like this with my Canon gear. All were sharp. On the bird’s feet …
Thursday’s Stats
For the day, I created 3359 images. After the first edit, I deleted 3190 of those. In other words, 94.9% were put in the trash. A large percentage of those I kept will follow on the second edit. I kept 143 image out of the 2287 from the cloudy morning session, a 6.25% keeper rate. With wind against sun in the afternoon, I kept only 26 out of 1010 image, a paltry 2 1/2% keeper ratio …
SONY and artie
Switching to SONY, first with the a9 and the a9 II, and then with the remarkable a1, has enabled me (and others, like Mike De Rosa as seen recently in the blog post here), to create images of birds in flight and in action that I could not have even dreamed of when using Canon for 33 years and then Nikon for more than two. Most of the time I am using one of two AF methods that together, cover about 99% of the commonly-encountered bird photography situations. At present, I am experimenting beyond those … Learn more by joining the group!
From Long-ago IPT veteran Keith Kennedy via e-mail
Absolutely great information. I am calling Jim in a few minutes to order a couple of Delkin 128GB UHS-II cards. Your timely email has saved me a ton of money! Many thanks
In the same vein, via e-mail from John LeClair
Well, e-mail #21 alone was worth the price of admission!
From Pamela Viale, after receiving artie’s a1 settings along with detailed instructions on how to copy them to her SONY a1 via e-mail
This e-mail group has been an incredible boon to me! Thank you so much!
From Joe Barranco via e-Mail
Thanks for your great ideas on the A1 set up. I have been getting MANY more keepers doing things your way!
From Barbara White via e-Mail
Wow, I just gotta say – I learn so much from the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info group! My camera is on my desk, and I’m always picking it up and changing something that I’ve read about in the e-mails.
Thanks, Barbara
From Janet Horton via e-Mail
Hi Artie, Mystery solved. Yes, I was able to replicate what you did. I forgot that you have to set self-timer using the upper dial. I am used to that being a MENU selection.
Thanks much, Janet
SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. With two folks joining yesterday, we are now up to an astounding 67 lucky and blessed photographers! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. More recently, we have been in contact with folks at SONY sharing our thoughts, experiences, and frustrations with the EVF blackout problem.
All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
August 15th, 2021 Your Fave?
Which of today’s six featured shorebird images is the strongest? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.
What’s Up?
It was delightfully cool at Nickerson Beach early on the morning of Sunday 15 August 2021. And the photography was pretty good as well with the brisk north wind. I did lots of blurs when it was cloudy, and then went down to the surf for flight and skimmers skimming when the sun came out. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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 like me, who 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.
This blog post took more than an hour to prepare and makes 228 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
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All from the East Pond at JBWR in August
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Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge/East Pond Shorebird In-the-Field Workshops
Saturday 21 August 2021. Morning session: 6:00 until 9:00am (Limit: 6/Openings: 3)
Sunday 22 August 2021. Morning session: 6:00 until 9:00am (Limit 6/Openings 4)
For many decades, the East Pond at JBWR was the premier spot in North America to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds: small sandpipers (known affectionately as “peeps”), plovers, godwits, dowitchers, yellowlegs, and lots more. The pond, the spot were I would like my ashes to be scattered (in about two decades), has not been good for many years because of gate valve malfunction and mismanagement of the resource. Combined, these resulted in water levels that were too high; the mudflats that normally would provide roosting and feeding locations for large flocks of shorebirds were covered.
The refuge staff finally seems to have things under control this year. Water levels at the south end are reported as the best in a decade. The young birds usually arrive around 15 AUG. They are much, much tamer than the skittish adults that begin arriving around 1 July each year. The tides are perfect for 21-22 AUG. That weekend will potentially offer the best juvenile shorebird photography in many, many years. Weather and migratory patterns permitting. You will need to get your butt muddy as you cannot do the shorebirds while standing.
Consider joining me to learn the history of the pond, to learn to identify and age a variety of shorebird species, to learn how to approach the birds, and to improve your photography. I am expecting to have some very good chances for creating images of single birds in flight.
In-the-Field morning session alone: $350/session. With brunch and image review: $425/per session.
An option would be to stay over, grab a motel room, and do both morning sessions. In addition, you might want to add in a 6pm till sunset session at Nickerson Beach for only $250.00. To learn more or too register, please shoot me an e-mail.
Update on Canon Stuff in Stock at Bedfords!
The personable, helpful, and always eager-to-please Steve Elkins let me know that Bedfords now has a very few R5-s left along with several R6 bodies. Those along with a very few RF 100-500 lenses and a good supply of the new Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lenses. He expects the R5-s and the RF 100-500mm lenses to be gone soon. Spend more than $7500.00 and use the BIRDS AS ART code at checkout to earn a free copy of the R5/R6 Camera User’s Guide. Spend less and shoot me an e-mail to learn of your discount. The R5 and R6 are Canon’s best-ever bodies for flight photography and makes a great all around lens for bird photography. And the 100mm focal lengths, long the favorite macro focal length of Denise Ippolito, is both hugely popular and effective for small subjects like flowers, insects, and more.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day 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 use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, 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.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
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August 23, 2014 at the East Pond, JBWR, Queens, NY.
Image #1: Least Sandpiper in fresh juvenal plumage
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JBWR August 2021 Goal: Better These Six Images
Least Sandpiper aka “least” or LESA
This coming weekend I am hoping to make lots of high quality images of the four species featured in today’s blog post. In addition, I will — weather permitting, be trying for some incoming flight shots. I’d love for you to join us on Saturday or Sunday for some potentially great photography and the chance to learn a ton about shorebirds from one of the men who “wrote the book.” In my case, Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers.
The bird in Image#1 is a Least Sandpiper; note the yellow legs and the fine-tipped bill). It is in fresh juvenal plumage; note the overall warm tones, the neat, fringed feathers, the evenly patterned upperparts, and the buffy breast band.
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August 20, 2010 at the East Pond, JBWR, Queens, NY.
Image #2: Semipalmated Plover worn adult
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Semipalmated Plover aka “semi-plover” or SEPL
This bird is an adult. The upperparts are the color of wet mud. Note that the edges of the feathers of the bird’s upperparts show significant fraying and wear. This in contrast with the fresh, unworn feathers of the other birds, all juveniles, that are featured in this blog post. Plovers have larger eyes and shorter bills than most sandpipers to facilitate capturing prey on the surface of the mud or sand or grass. The longer bills of the sandpipers probe the substrate and find their prey by touch; the tips of their bills are flexible and sensitive.
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August 28, 2012 at the East Pond, JBWR, Queens, NY.
Image #3: Semipalmated Sandpiper in moderately fresh juvenal plumage
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Semipalmated Sandpiper aka “semi-sand” or SESA
This is by far the most common of the southbound migrant shorebirds; it would not be uncommon to see as many as 1000-1500 adults on the East Pond in mid-July. This bird exhibits a fairly warm, evenly patterned appearance with each feather edged in either buff or off-white. The feather edgings are showing a tiny bit of wear. The legs of this species are always dark — usually black or a very dark green on some young birds.
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August 8, 2016 at the East Pond, JBWR, Queens, NY.
Image #4: Semipalmated Sandpiper: this is a moderately fresh juvenile aggressively defending its feeding territory
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Threat Display Over Feeding Territory
This young semi-sand was threatening another bird of the same species that was encroaching on its feeding territory. Such encounters are fairly common. This juvenile is a bit grayer than average.
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August 24, 2007 at the East Pond, JBWR, Queens, NY.
Image #5: Semipalmated Sandpipers: juveniles in juxtaposition
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Creating Juxtapositions
Look for a bird that lines up pleasingly with another. Focus on the closest bird and then fire away. Work quickly as pleasing juxtapositions may last only a moment or two.
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August 22, 2010 at the East Pond, JBWR, Queens, NY.
Image #6: Short-billed Dowitcher in very fresh Juvenal plumage
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Short-billed Dowitcher aka “short-billed” or SBDO
Juveniles of this species are drop-dead gorgeous with rich, warm, orange tones predominating. Chances are excellent of getting some great stuff of birds of this species in killer fresh juvenal plumage … This image was made with fill flash on a very dull day. I have been thinking about getting a SONY or Good flash for my SONY system …
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
August 14th, 2021 Your Fave?
Which of today’s juvie Osprey flight shots is the stronger? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.
What’s Up?
Not much. I drove down to the Fish Store in Bayport to get some flounder filets and a dozen and a half Little-necked clams on the half shell for dinner. Alissa and Ajiniyaz and I enjoyed the meal greatly. Today is Saturday 14 August 2021. Again, I will be doing some serious relaxing today. And if it clouds over early, I may take a walk in the woods at Avalon Nature Preserve in Stony Brook. There are just three slots left on the Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs, two on the first trip, one on the second. Scroll down a bit for Info on the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge/East Pond Shorebird In-the-Field Workshops. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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 like me, who 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.
This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes 227 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
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All from the East Pond at JBWR in August
|
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge/East Pond Shorebird In-the-Field Workshops
Saturday 21 August 2021. Morning session: 6:00 until 9:00am (Limit: 6/Openings: 3)
Sunday 22 August 2021. Morning session: 6:00 until 9:00am (Limit 6/Openings 4)
For many decades, the East Pond at JBWR was the premier spot in North America to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds: small sandpipers (know affectionately as “peeps”), plovers, godwits, dowitchers, yellowlegs, and lots more. The pond, the spot where I would like my ashes to be scattered (in about two decades), has not been good for many years because of gate valve malfunction and mismanagement of the resource. Combined, these resulted in water levels that were too high; the mudflats that normally would provide roosting and feeding locations for large flocks of shorebirds were covered.
The refuge staff finally seems to have things under control this year. Water levels at the south end are reported as the best in a decade. The young birds usually arrive around 15 AUG. They are much, much tamer than the skittish adults that begin arriving around 1 July each year. The tides are perfect for 21-22 AUG. That weekend will potentially offer the best juvenile shorebird photography in many, many years. Weather and migratory patterns permitting. You will need to get your butt muddy as you cannot do the shorebirds while standing.
Consider joining me to learn the history of the pond, to learn to identify and age a variety of shorebird species, to learn how to approach the birds, and to improve your photography. I am expecting to have some very good chances for creating images of single birds in flight.
In-the-Field morning session alone: $350/session. With brunch and image review: $425/per session.
An option would be to stay over, grab a motel room, and do both morning sessions. In addition, you might want to add in a 6pm till sunset session at Nickerson Beach for only $250.00. To learn more or too register, please shoot me an e-mail.
Update on Canon Stuff in Stock at Bedfords!
The personable, helpful, and always eager-to-please Steve Elkins let me know that Bedfords now has a very few R5-s left along with several R6 bodies. Those along with a very few RF 100-500 lenses and a good supply of the new Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lenses. He expects the R5-s and the RF 100-500mm lenses to be gone soon. Spend more than $7500.00 and use the BIRDS AS ART code at checkout to earn a free copy of the R5/R6 Camera User’s Guide. Spend less and shoot me an e-mail to learn of your discount. The R5 and R6 are Canon’s best-ever bodies for flight photography and makes a great all around lens for bird photography. And the 100mm focal lengths, long the favorite macro focal length of Denise Ippolito, is both hugely popular and effective for small subjects like flowers, insects, and more.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day 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 use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, 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.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
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This image was created on 10 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. Sitting on damp sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was perfect. AWB at 8:02am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Center Zone/AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and created a sharp-on-the-eye image.
Click on the image to view a larger version.
Image #1: Osprey fresh juvenile in flight (metal band removed).
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On Sitting Still
On my last few visits to Nickerson Beach, I have been trying a somewhat new (for me) approach to bird photography. Rather than chasing birds up and down the beach, I look for a nice patch of clean sand, take a seat, and wait. This has proven to be very productive both along the surf line and at the colony ropes. When sitting at the edge of the beach as I was for today’s featured images, you never know what might fly by in addition to lots of Common Terns. We’ve had lots of fly-by Ospreys, including an adult with a two-pound Bluefish. I did not spot it until it was past sun angle 🙁 In addition we have had Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and Ring-billed, Laughing, Great Black-backed, an Herring Gulls either fly by overhead or land in front of us. And by sitting in stillness near the colony ropes, chicks and adults, some with fish, will come and go, often landing quite close. In short, good things often come to those who wait.
I did not notice the metal band on this bird when I processed Image #1. When I processed Image #2, it jumped right out at me. I decided to remove the band from this image but left it in place for comparison purposes with Image #2. I used a series of small transformed Quick Masks refined with a Regular Layer Mask to do the repair.
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This image was also and obviously created on 10 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. Sitting on damp sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was perfect. AWB at 8:02am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Center Zone/AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and created a sharp-on-the-eye image.
Click on the image to view a larger version.
Image #2: Osprey fresh juvenile in flight looking down (metal band on left leg).
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Stare Down
In the first three frames of an approximately 20-frame sequence, this handsome young Osprey was looking to its right. With most of the rest, it was looking pretty much straight ahead as in Image #1. In the last few frames, including Image #2, it looked right down at me as it flew by.
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Click on the screen Capture to view a larger version.
Image #3: Topaz Sharpen AI on Motion Blur with the Osprey fresh juvenile in flight (metal band removed) image.
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Topaz Sharpen AI on the Young Osprey Lessons
With Image #1, I selected the darker feathers of the face with the Quick Selection Tool (W), put the selection on a layer, and ran Topaz AI Sharpen on that layer only. Auto selected Motion Blur as best. Click on the image to see the amazing improvement as AI Sharpen re-aligned the pixels. With Image #2, I ran Topaz AI Sharpen the whole image (knowing in advance that that was a very poor choice. Again, Auto selected Motion Blur as best. I hit Apply and when the changes were rendered in Photoshop and I clicked the eyeball for the AI Sharpen layer on and off, I saw an ugly green and purple halo around the edges of the bird. In a word, don’t ever apply Topaz AI Sharpen to an entire image. Select the subject before bringing the image into Topaz Sharpen AI. And yes, I know that using Topaz Mask to make the selection would do at least as good a job (if not better), but the Quick Selection Tool is quick 🙂
Topaz DeNoise
Be sure to click on the screen capture to see the complete elimination of noise in the after image on our right. And note that if anything, the fine details are sharper than in the original.
As regular readers know, I run DeNoise on virtually every image that I process immediately after executing the crop with the Delete Cropped Pixels box checked. For images made in sunny conditions, I used Standard. For images made in low light, I use Low Light. You can check all four methods by using the Comparison View but I rarely do that any more as I am confident as noted above.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plug-ins), will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. If the stuff is on sale (as it usually is), you save 15% off of the sale price! To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Those who purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or any other Topaz plug-ins using my link and then entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. Please include a copy of your Topaz receipt that shows the discount. Aside from the basics, the guide explains how to install the plug-ins so that they appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu.
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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.
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The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
Everything mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my MacBook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading, can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: all of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About two years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One Pro 12 and continue to do so today.
To purchase Capture One, please use this link. Then you can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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