August 7th, 2021 Your Call …
Which of today’s four featured images is your favorite? Why?
What’s Up?
I swam for the third straight day, did some shopping, and prepared a picnic basket for today, Saturday 7 August. I am aiming to break my record of 13 hours at Nickerson Beach. Again, I will be photographing with private In-the-Field client Anke Frohlich. We are hoping for more clouds than sun, especially with a southwest and forecast for this morning … 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 a bit less than an hour to prepare, and makes 222 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, and 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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Click on the composite to view a larger version.
The Homer 2020 IPTs image
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Homer Bald Eagles Winter 2022
The photography on this trip of a lifetime is beyond amazing. You can do the whole trip with either the Canon 100-500 or the SONY 200-600 along with any 70-200mm lens. Flight photography until you cannot raise your arms, creative set-ups, lots of snow we hope (earlier in the season is best for that), and lots of opportunities for point-blank head portraits and talon shots. All in a variety of spectacular settings. This is an expensive (but competitively priced) trip. If you are seriously interested in joining me for the world’s best Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle trip(s) — mid-FEB thru early MARCH 2022, please contact me immediately via e-mail for dates and details. I am looking for a roommate who will be doing all eleven days.
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.
SONY a1 AF: Beyond Belief …
With practice, I am getting better at following moving subjects while working off the up-tilted rear monitor with my reading glasses on. When I know that I will be sitting in the same spot for a while — I have been doing a lot of that recently,
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 6th, 2021 Your Call?
According to you, which is the stronger image (by far)? Why?
What’s Up?
For the first time ever, I spent 13 hours at the beach. With the delayed entry time at Nickerson Beach, I had been thinking about staying all day to avoid having to re-enter at 6pm. So when private In-the-Field client Anke Frohlich suggested that we do just that, we did. With perfect cloudy/fairly bright conditions and a northwest wind, we enjoyed an incredible session (by being in the exact right spot …) We photographed until 12:15 before heading for a picnic lunch. The afternoon was far more challenging as the sun came out and the wind switched to the southeast. Not good. Our best chances were with skimmers battling in midair. With some decent sunset color late in the day, we opted to try for some sunset silhouettes. The wind switched to the southwest. Again, not good.
I created 3357 images; I will be picking my keepers after I hit Publish. When we took a peek at my morning folder during Image Review, we came across today’s featured images. To make sure that I did not accidentally screw up and delete them, I tagged them in Photo Mechanic and placed them in a TEMP sub-folder. I am not yet positive that one of them will be my very favorite image from a great day, but that is likely. Finding one that I like better would be a huge thrill.
With another sign-up and lots of interested folks, the 2022 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs are looking good. Each trip needs four to run. I am still hoping to find a roommate who signs up for all 11 days. I was glad to learn of the sale of Ron Horn’s Canon EOS-1DX Mark II.
Today is Friday 6 August 2021. With clear skies and a west wind, staying in this morning was the obvious choice. 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 a bit more than an hour to prepare, and makes 221 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, and 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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Click on the composite to view a larger version.
Homer 2020 IPT Images
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Homer Bald Eagles Winter 2022
The photography on this trip of a lifetime is beyond amazing. You can do the whole trip with either the Canon 100-500 or the SONY 200-600 along with any 70-200mm lens. Flight photography until you cannot raise your arms, creative set-ups, lots of snow we hope (earlier in the season is best for that), and lots of opportunities for point-blank head portraits and talon shots. All in a variety of spectacular settings. This is an expensive (but competitively priced) trip. If you are seriously interested in joining me for the world’s best Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle trip(s) — mid-FEB thru early MARCH 2022, please contact me immediately via e-mail for dates and details. I am looking for a roommate who will be doing all eleven days.
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This image was created on 5 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. While standing at full height, I used the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open). RawDigger showed that the raw file was almost perfect, about 1/6 stop under-exposed. AWB at 11:33:40am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Center Zone/AF-C resulted in a sharp image. As Image #1 is a substantial crop, it was the distance to the subject that provided sufficient depth of field. At a given aperture, in this case f/4, the greater the distance to the subject, the greater the depth of field.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #1: Common Terns battling in midair
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Loving White Sky Days
These images were created after 11:30am. If it had been a clear sunny day, I would have quit hours before regardless of the wind direction. The soft light on cloudy-bright days allow you to photograph in any direction — staying on “sun” angle becomes a moot point. In such conditions, you will not get the dark shadows on the bird that plague flight images made on clear, blue-sky days and decent wing positions will reveal superb underwing detail.
To drive home my point, here is more of the same from yesterday’s blog post:
I chuckle also when I think of my first decade of photography; I would not head out to do photography unless it was sunny. Such were the limitations of Velvia 50 push processed one stop to ISO 100. Cloudy-bright days are ideal as there is enough light to work at reasonable ISOs with decent shutter speeds and no shadows at all. And best of all, the “wrong” wind direction is never a problem when you are photographing when the world is a soft-box.
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This image was created on 5 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. While standing at full height, I used the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open). RawDigger showed that the raw file was almost perfect, about 1/6 stop under-exposed. AWB at 11:33:40am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Center Zone/AF-C resulted in a sharp image. As Image #2 is a substantial crop, it was the distance to the subject that provided sufficient depth of field. At a given aperture, in this case f/4, the greater the distance to the subject, the greater the depth of field.
Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #2: Common Terns battling in midair
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The Realities of 30 Frames per Second
With your a1 set up properly, you will be able to take full advantage of 30 frames per second. Please do not be misled into thinking that you will capture every possible moment (or pose). Let’s divide one second into 4000 tiny increments. There will be 4000 different poses in one second. So when you are working 30 fps with a shutter speed of 1/4000 second, you will capture 30 of those moments. Thus, you are missing 3970 of those moments. That means that you will be missing 99.25% of the poses.
The good news is that when working at 30 fps, you will get to pick from 50% more “moments” than when working at 20 fps, and three times as many moments (or poses or frames) than you would if you had been working with a 10 fps camera body.
How Fast is a Blink?
Today’s two featured images were created consecutively in a short burst in the same second. They represent two of the thirty moments (or poses or frames) captured in that same second. Though it is difficult to see in the 1200 pixel wide JPEGs here, the bird’s nictitating membrane is covering the eye in Image #2, but the eye is fully open in Image #1. Aside from giving us 30 moments (or poses or frames) every second, we get some excellent insurance protecting against nictitating membranes. This can become very important when shooting larger-in-the-frame portraits of static subjects.
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 5th, 2021 Your Call
Which of today’s two featured images is the strongest? Which is the cutest? Please let us know why you made your choices. Also, would you lose the dark smudge in the upper left corner of Image #2? Why or why not?
What’s Up?
I had a great, still, soft-box of a morning at Nickerson Beach on Wednesday. Since it was cloudy, I headed out with 600 f/4 GM (to take advantage of its f/4 speed) along with both TCs. I started doing skimmers on nests and then headed down to the shore to photograph a Common Tern feeding spree and a single un-banded adult American Oystercatcher. Then I sat by the corner of the colony for about and hour and got some nice stuff on skimmer chicks and Common Terns in fresh juvenal plumage.
I was glad to learn that Greg Ferguson will be joining us again in Homer. He was on the last trip in 2020. And loved it so much that he is re-upping. Both trips are filling nicely. Today is Thursday 5 August 2021. I am not sure whether or not I will be headed back to the beach today; I will check the forecast in the morning. 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 220 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, and 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.
|
|
|
Click on the composite to view a larger version.
The Homer 2020 IPTs image
|
Homer Bald Eagles Winter 2022
The photography on this trip of a lifetime is beyond amazing. You can do the whole trip with either the Canon 100-500 or the SONY 200-600 along with any 70-200mm lens. Flight photography until you cannot raise your arms, creative set-ups, lots of snow we hope (earlier in the season is best for that), and lots of opportunities for point-blank head portraits and talon shots. All in a variety of spectacular settings. This is an expensive (but competitively priced) trip. If you are seriously interested in joining me for the world’s best Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle trip(s) — mid-FEB thru early MARCH 2022, please contact me immediately via e-mail for dates and details. I am looking for a roommate who will be doing all eleven days.
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
Hungry Beach Babies!
Here I worked off the rear monitor with the legs of the tripod splayed completely flat. I would get focus on an isolated chick and wait patiently until one of the parent birds landed nearby with a fish. Getting a good image of the hand-off is a huge challenge as bedlam breaks loose when the feeding takes place. I always chuckle when the young bird that just got fed continues to beg.
Loving Cloudy Days
I chuckle also when I think of my first decade of photography; I would not head out to do photography unless it was sunny. Such were the limitations of Velvia 50 push processed one stop to ISO 100. Cloudy-bright days are ideal as there is enough light to work at reasonable ISOs with decent shutter speeds and no shadows at all. And best of all, the “wrong” wind direction is never a problem when you are photographing when the world is a soft-box.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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