August 4th, 2021 This Just In
I began work on this blog post on Tuesday evening and almost finished it, but decided to hit the sack. Then I looked at the weather for Lido Beach — cloudy with light and variable winds. I set the alarm for 5am but woke at 4:39. I headed for Nickerson Beach and when I arrived there was no sign of sunrise color so I finished this blog post. And forgot to hit Publish 🙂 I am doing that now at 9:43am after an amazingly wonderful, still, soft-box of a morning at the beach. Images and details soon.
What’s Up?
There was not much doing on Tuesday as I returned to relaxation mode. I did get over to my sister Ilene’s house late in the day for my half-mile away-from-home swim. I chose my keepers from my Monday afternoon East Pond and Nickerson Beach sessions and was quite happy. My very favorite image is featured in today’s blog post. I am anxious to get back out, but the weather for the next few days is looking less than ideal.
Today is Wednesday 4 August 2021. 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 219 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.
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 2 August 2021 on my first trip this season to Nickerson Beach. While seated on dry sand using the knee-pod technique, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 799mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 3200. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/800 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:04pm on a then-cloudy afternoon.
Tracking: Wide AF-C/Bird-Eye/Face Detection AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed just about perfectly (as below) by grabbing and tracking the chick’s eye. Click on the image to view a larger version
Image #1: Black Skimmer killing chick from another nest
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Murder on the Beach, This Time for Real
Unlike the large Laughing Gull chick that survived a vicious attack by a Herring Gull (in the blog post here), this tiny skimmer chick was pretty much doomed a few moments after it was grabbed by an adult. It is common to see adult skimmers whack small chicks from other nests on fly-by attacks, possibly because they have intruded on their nesting territory, and possibly to eliminate competitors for the available food. This attack took that to the next step. The victim in this case might have wandered very near the nest of the attacking bird.
The entire episode lasted about six minutes; the adult bird grabbed, shook, dropped, and picked up the tiny skimmer repeatedly, most often simply holding the chick in its bill. The chick stopped struggling within half a minute. What happened next was even stranger. The adult walked back to its nest and offered the dead chick to its two chicks. Though its chicks were no more than ten days old (if that), one of them grabbed the tiny chick and attempted to swallow it for several minutes. We lost sight of that chick in the thick beach vegetation. Ten minutes later, an adult Laughing Gull swooped down and grabbed the dead chick. It happened so suddenly that none of the many photographers even had a chance to raise their lenses …
Glad That I Brought the 1.4X TC. Or Not?
When the attack occurred, I had been shooting flight with the bare 200-600. Alerted by the screams of several distraught women — sorry, I always root for the predators — I moved about five yards to my right to get into better position. I made the first hundred frames at 600mm. Then I decided to add the 1.4X TC to the mix and made an additional 700 images of the action. I kept only 13. As is usually the case, a single image from about 800 frames stood out as the cream of the crop.
So why not add the 1.4X teleconverter?
#1: By being too greedy, I clipped the tail of the adult skimmer on about 50 frames. Those included a few really good ones. The position of the chick and the head angles of the chick and the adult were important factors when it came to choosing keep or delete.
#2: In the relatively low light, working at f/9 (rather than at f/6.3) necessitated the use of either a higher ISO or a slower shutter speed. By being at 1/640 or 1/800 second rather than at 1/1250 or 1/1600 second, I lost quite a few excellent images to motion blur as the adult bird pecked at the chick or threw it up or down …
In the field when the action is hot, making the right decision — TC or no TC?, is often tough.
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Click on the image to view a larger version.
Image #1A: Topaz DeNoise on the Black Skimmer killing chick from another nest image
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DeNoise at 400% at ISO 3200
Be sure to click on the image to see the fabulous job of noise reduction on Low Light. Understand that exposing properly for the whites leaves the blacks well under-exposed. Here, I cut the suggested Remove Noise value from 10 on Auto in half to 5. If you think that the blacks are detail-less after the NR, understand that what you are seeing in before image is noise, not detail. Blacks in soft light will never have a ton of detail at the higher ISOs.
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, like this one, 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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Click on the image to view a larger version.
Image #1b: The RawDigger screen capture for the Black Skimmer killing chick from another nest image
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Ho-Hum, Another Perfect Plus Exposure
Nothing has ever helped me learn to create perfect exposures to the degree that RawDigger has. I think that many folks are reluctant to learn that most of their images are underexposed by one or more full stops and that highlight warnings in Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, and your in-camera histogram are completely bogus as they are based on the embedded JPEGs. Only your raw files tell the truth all the time. Heck, I resisted RawDigger for several years … Once you get over that feeling, RawDigger can become your very best exposure friend no matter what system you are using. On the recent IPTs and In-the-Field sessions, we have demonstrated that fact. Convincingly.
The RawDigger (pink) Adapted Histogram
In the RawDigger e-Guide, you will learn exactly how to set up the Adapted “pink” RawDigger Histogram and how to use it to quickly and easily evaluate the exposure or raw file brightness of images from all digital cameras currently in use. RawDigger was especially helpful to me when I struggled with R5 exposures and when learned my new camera body, the Sony Alpha a1.
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RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
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The RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
by Arthur Morris with Patrick Sparkman
The RawDigger e-Guide was created only for serious photographers who wish to get the absolute most out of their raw files.
Patrick and I began work on the guide in July 2020. At first we struggled. We asked questions. We learned about Max-G values. We could not figure out why the Max G values varied by camera system. IPT veteran Bart Deamer asked lots of questions that we could not answer. We got help from RawDigger creator Iliah Borg. We learned. In December, Patrick came up with an Adapted Histogram that allows us to evaluate the exposures and raw file brightness for all images created with all digital camera bodies from the last two decades. What we learned each time prompted three complete beginning to end re-writes.
The point of the guide is to teach you to truly expose to the mega-Expose-to-the-Right so that you will minimize noise, maximize image quality, best utilize your camera’s dynamic range, and attain the highest possible level of shadow detail in your RAW files in every situation. In addition, your properly exposed RAW files will contain more tonal information and feature the smoothest possible transitions between tones. And your optimized images will feature rich, accurate color.
We teach you why the GREEN channel is almost always the first to over-expose. We save you money by advising you which version of RawDigger you need. We teach you how to interpret the Max G values for your Canon, Nikon, and SONY camera bodies. It is very likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you. And lastly — thanks to the technical and practical brilliance of Patrick Sparkman — we teach you a simple way to quickly and easily evaluate your exposures and raw file brightness using an Adapted RawDigger histogram.
The flower video takes you through a session where artie edits a folder of images in Capture One while checking the exposures and Max-G values in RawDigger. The Adapted Histogram video examines a series of recent images with the pink histograms and covers lots of fine points including and especially how to deal with specular highlights. The directions for setting up the Adapted Histogram are in the text.
If we priced this guide based on how much effort we put into it, it would sell it for $999.00. But as this guide will be purchased only by a limited number of serious photographers, we have priced it at $51.00. You can order yours here in the BAA Online Store.
Beach Clean-up
Here are some clean-up tips based on today’s featured image. I used the Patch Tool for nearly every step in the process. I did not use Content-Aware or the Clone Stamp Tool once. For the tiny specks, I used the Spot Healing Brush.
Do you think that I should have left some of the beach crud?
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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)
The Photoshop Tools used with all of my clean-up techniques along with dozens of other 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.
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.
August 3rd, 2021 What’s Up?
Well, I finally got out to photograph on Monday afternoon. In spades! I left Ronkonkoma at 2:30pm and made it to JBWR in an hour with little traffic. I made my way to the northwest end of the East Pond to find very muddy conditions. I almost went down/got stuck in the dangerously soft muck, but survived. Heading south along the shoreline was out of the question. I had picked up an 18-inch square sort of mat on the way in, so I placed that on the mud, sat down, and waited at 1200mm. Over the course of the next hour, I had both yellowlegs fly in and land in front of me. Woo-hoo! Photos and details here soon.
When I was done, I headed south on Cross Bay Boulevard and knocked on Cristy Macrae’s door. This time she answered. At first she did not recognize me, but with recognition came a huge smile and a warm hug. (I was 30 pounds lighter than the last time I had seen her, and in addition, had shaved my head.) I learned the Denis had died only very recently (after a long illness). Their oldest son John-John was there. When I had last seen him he was about ten. He is now 39. It was great seeing them again!
Anyhoo, I drove through the Rockaways and got to Nickerson Beach at 6:10pm. I headed out with “only” an a1 on the 200-600. There were lots of photographers, lots of nesting Black Skimmers, lots of flight action with the skimmers and the Common Terns, and lots of chicks (of several types, including skimmers and humans; the latter, however, were all middle-aged). The highlight occurred when an adult skimmer grabbed a tiny chick and tossed it around for ten minutes. Right out in the open. Finally, it brought the dead-for-sure chick to its two, only slightly larger chicks, one of which attempted unsuccessfully to swallow it. Ten minutes later, an adult Laughing Gull swooped down out of nowhere, and grabbed the dead chick. Waste not, want not. (This proverbial saying was first recorded in 1772 but had an earlier, even more alliterative version: willful waste makes woeful want — 1576).
I was glad to learn yesterday of the sale of Wally Barkley’s near-mint Sony a9 II for a BAA record-low $2494.00 (was $2694.00). Not coincidentally, both of today’s featured images were created with an a9 ii; Scroll down for details on an amazing used a9 ii value.
Today is Tuesday 3 August. I will be downloading and editing the images from yesterday’s very busy afternoon. 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 90 minutes to prepare, and makes 218 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.
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 at Kachemak Bay, AK on 22 FEB 2020. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (at 101mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 1600. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/2500 sec. at f/3.2. AWB at 3:30pm on a cloudy day.
Center Zone AF-C (Continuous) did just fine. See the screen capture below. Be sure to click on the image above to enjoy a spectacular larger version.
Image #1: Bald Eagle in flight in heavy snow
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I Kid You Not; the 70-200mm f/2.8 for Bald Eagle Flight!
The 70-200 f/2.8s are vital tools when photographing Bald Eagles at Kachemak Bay, AK. And that is true when you were on foot or on the boat. ISO 1600 at f/3.2 tells you that there was not a lot of light. But there surely was a lot of snow that day. Photographing in falling snow is a big challenge. I can’t wait to see how the a1 does at tracking the eagle’s eyes in falling snow. Many AF systems grab the largest snowflake between you and the subject. Time will tell …
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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Click on the screen capture to view a larger version.
Image #1A: AF Points for the Bald Eagle in flight in heavy snow image
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An Image Design Note
Note that I opted to place the eagle toward the top of the frame by cropping from the left and above to maximize the size of the darker area at the bottom of the frame. Sharp a9 ii files handle decent crops quite well.
SONY a9 ii AF
Don’t forget that before the a1, the a9 ii had the world’s best AF system for photographing birds in flight. With the a1 selling new for $6499.00, a used a9 ii is an attractive bargain.
SONY a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body
Price Too Low to Publish!
BAA-friend and too-many-to-count IPT veteran Anita North is offering a Sony a9 II in excellent condition for a BAA record-low price that is too low to publish. The sale includes the original box, the front lens cap, the charger but no battery (it died), and insured ground shipping to Canadian addresses only. For price and details, please contact artie via e-mail. The camera is in my possession. Additional discount for Florida pick-up/cash payment.
As things worked out, the a9, and then the a9 ii, turned out to be life-changers for me. From the moment I tracked that first incoming Brandt’s Cormorant at LaJolla, I knew that at that time, the SONY a9 series bodies featured the world’ best AF. I upgraded to the a9 ii as soon as it was released for the slightly larger body size. At one point I owned two a9 ii bodies. A new a9 ii sells for $4,498.00 so you can save a ton of money by grabbing Anita’s a9 ii ASAP. Not to mention that the new Sony A1 sells for $6498.00 … artie
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This image was created at Kachemak Bay, AK on 25 FEB 2020. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (at 200mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 500. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/3200 sec. at f/3.2. AWB at 9:20am on a cloudy-bright day.
Wide Continuous (C) AF performed beautifully. Click on the image to see a larger version. Uncropped.
Image #2: Bald Eagle braking to land
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Pre-visualizing
Note that fairly fresh snow makes a great reflector; here, it lit up the underwings of this adult Bald Eagle beautifully. Another reason that I love this image is that I described it in detail to the group before I made the image. The soft light, the delicate beach grasses, and the lead-blue sky along with the strip of snow, combined to create a very powerful (pre-visualized) image.
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154 sold to rave reviews.
The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris
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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.
Click here to learn more about the SONY e-Guide.
In this guide, we explain virtually every pre-a1 SONY menu item that might be useful in bird, nature, or wildlife photography in detail. 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.
The e-Guide itself is 103 pages. It contains 11 sections:
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. Go figure …
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pre-AF The jury is still out on this one but artie likes it.
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 OperationNaming Your Camera Bodies 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
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
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
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
August 2nd, 2021 What’s Up?
With the unusually cool August weather here on Long Island I have been leading the league in relaxing, and sleeping nine to ten hours every night. I have been taking a nice walk and doing my bursts every day, and will be hitting the community pool at my sister Ilene’s home soon.
Today is Monday 2 August 2021. It has been clear and sunny every morning since I arrived on Long Island, with a northwest wind every morning as well. With yet another wind-against-sun morning forecast, I opted to stay in again today. 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 217 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.
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.
The East Pond
The East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY was the place to observe and photograph North America’s southbound migrant shorebirds. It shined from 1975 through about 2010. Then, for reasons noted in the blog post here, the place pretty much went down the tubes due to high water levels. At present, it seems that the folks at Gateway have gotten their act together; conditions at the pond are reported to be excellent this season. I have a strong connection to the East Pond. I photographed my first shorebird — a Semipalmated Sandpiper, there in August of 1983. I’ve been visiting for 45 years and have spent thousands of hours on the pond.
If you would like to learn to identify more than a dozen species of shorebirds and photograph some of them on an In-the-Field Workshop in August, please shoot me an e-mail to learn the dates and details. The East Pond is best for photography for just three specific days in a calendar year … I will be there then. Here’s hoping that the East Pond will return to its former crown-jewel glory.
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
As used gear sales have slowed just a bit in recent months — especially with dSLR bodies, there are lots of great buys right now both below and on the Used Gear Page.
Canon EF 500m f/4L IS II USM Lens with lots of great extras!
Long-time-ago South Georgia shipmate Asta Tobiassen is offering a Canon EF 500m f/4 L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a very low $4999.00. The sale includes both of the original shipping box, both of the original lens feet, the lens strap, the rear lens cap, the lens hood, the lens trunk, a LensCoat, a LensCoat TravelCoat, a LensCoat Hoodie, a LensCoat RainCoat Pro w/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 Asta via e-mail
With the success of the Canon EOS R5 and R6 mirrorless bodies, the series II super-teles are in high demand. The 500 f/4 super-telephotos have long been the world’s most popular lenses for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. Canon’s Series II version is light, fast, super-sharp, and produces amazing images with both the 1.4X and 2X III TCs. The 500 II is relatively small, easily hand-holdable for some folks, and is much easier to travel with, focuses closer than, and costs a lot less than the 600 II!. Lastly, and you might find this amazing, the magnification for the 500 II is the same as it is for the 600 II: .15X. How is that possible? Magnification is calculated at the minimum focusing distance of the lens — 12.14 feet (3.7 meters) for the 500 II and 14.77 feet (4.5 meters) for the 600 II. Simply put, the 500 II focuses more than two feet closer than the 600 II. This lens sells new right now for $8999.00; you can save $4000.00 by purchasing Asta’s lens (with lots of extras) now: if you are seriously interested, please do not tarry. artie
Canon EF 100-400m f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Zoom Lens
Long-time-ago South Georgia shipmate Asta Tobiassen is offering a Canon EF 100-400m f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM zoom lens in excellent condition for $1399.00. The sale includes the original box, the carrying case, the front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, a LensCoat, a LensCoat TravelCoat, a LensCoat Hoodie, 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 Asta via e-mail
This incredibly versatile zoom lens — with its amazing .98 meter close focus — was my favorite Canon telephoto zoom lens ever. By far. It is easy to hand hold, great for tight portraits, birds in flight, quasi-macro stuff, and lots more. For flight, it is even better with an R5! The lens sells new for $2399.00 so you can save some hard cash by grabbing Asta’s zoom lens now. artie
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV w/BG-E20 Battery Grip
Long-time-ago South Georgia shipmate Asta Tobiassen is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with the BG-E20 Battery Grip, both in like-new condition, for just $1749.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it, the battery grip (a $299.95 value), one extra battery, 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 Asta via e-mail
What can I say? The 5D IV was my favorite ever Canon digital dSLR. I owned and used three of them while my 1DX II sat on the shelf in my garage for the most part. A new 5D Mark IV, with its 30.4MP full-frame CMOS sensor, sell new for $2499.00. If you have been dreaming of a 5D IV (with the grip), grab Asta’s body right now with the grip and save just about $1,000.00! artie
Canon EOS 7D Mark II w/BG-E16 Battery Grip & L-Plate
Long-time-ago South Georgia shipmate Asta Tobiassen is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II in Very Good to Excellent condition with a like-new BG-E16 Battery Grip for $599.00. The sale includes the original box, the front cap, the strap, a RRS L-Plate, one extra battery, the charger, the BG-16 battery grip, 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 Asta via e-mail
Years ago, both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until we both committed to using full-frame Canon bodies. And we both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. One thing is for sure: the 7D Mark II is the greatest value ever dSLR. artie
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens with the Canon Tripod Mount Ring B with extras
Long-time-ago South Georgia shipmate Asta Tobiassen is offering a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens with the Canon Tripod Mount Ring B (a $149.95 value) in near-mint condition for the very low price of $299.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, the Canon Tripod Mount Ring B, a B+W circular polarizer, a B+W UV haze filter, 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 Asta via e-mail
This, the original non-IS version of this hugely popular, very sharp macro lens, was Denise Ippolito’s favorite for many years. It is great for flowers and bugs large and small. The tripod collar for this lens normally requires a separate purchase, but is included with this sale. Still in production, this lens sells new at B&H for $599.00 (though it is currently back-ordered). The IS L version II sells for $1299.00. artie
Canon EF 1.4X II Teleconverter
Long-time-ago South Georgia shipmate Asta Tobiassen is offering a Canon EF 1.4X II teleconverter for a very low $129.00. The sale includes the front and rear caps, 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 Asta via e-mail
As regular readers know, I depended so much on TCs when I shot Canon that I always traveled with two spare 1.4X-s and one spare 2X TC. The Series II TCs perform perfectly with Series II or earlier lenses. he Series III TCs are better for series III lenses like the 600mm f4L IS III lens. artie
Canon EF 2X III Teleconverter
Long-time-ago South Georgia shipmate Asta Tobiassen is offering a Canon EF 2X III teleconverter for a very low $429.00. The sale includes the front and rear caps, 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 Asta via e-mail
As regular readers know, I depended so much on TCs when I shot Canon that I always traveled with two spare 1.4X-s and one spare 2X TC. The Series III TCs perform well with all Canon EF lenses. This item sells new for $429.99. artie
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This image was created on 16 July on the 2nd JAX IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 452mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 500. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/4000 sec. at f/7.1 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that this was a perfect exposure. AWB at 6:12pm on a sunny afternoon
Wide/AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and performed well enough in a difficult situation by creating a sharp-on-the-eye image.
Image #1: Royal Tern blacklit against the shadowed face of the tall dune
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Discovering New Situations
One of the constant themes here on the blog is that when the wind is blowing hard right at the sun on clear days, bird photography will be very challenging at best. Unless you like butt shots. Decades ago Max and Nellie Larsen taught me that when you are birding, you should always look behind you. Not to see what’s gaining on you, just to see what is there. So I have long made it a habit of glancing behind me, especially when things are tough. With the sun at our backs, the wind direction was not quite right for banking flight shots. When I took a quick glance behind me, looking to the west, I saw a Royal Tern fly in to join a scattered group of adults on the beach. When it landed, it was in the sun, but as it approached and flared to land, it was briefly in the shadow of the tall dune; its white feathers were lit strikingly from behind. So, I walked up next to the colony rope, and photographed the bird flaring to land in Image #1. I call this a “blacklit situation; a brilliant bird set against a shadowed background. Birds with white feathers generally work quite well. See the Blacklit Map below.
Anyhoo, I checked the very few frames that I had made, including Image #1, and knew that I had struck gold. I called the rest of the group over to join me, explained what we were looking for, and talked about the difficult exposure. In fact, however, SONY’s Zebra technology made getting these perfect child’s play. The end result: everyone got some very nice images.
Learning to discover and see new and different situations is one of the huge advantages of joining an IPT or an In-the-Field Workshop. I take great satisfaction from discovering the best situations and sharing them with others.
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This image was created on 16 July on the 2nd JAX IPT by Clemens Van der Werf. He used the hand held Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens (that he has since replaced by the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens) and the highly vaunted Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 500: 1/4000 sec. at f/7.1 (stopped down 1 2/3-stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:26pm on a sunny afternoon..
Face Detection + Tracking/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Royal Tern blacklit against the shadowed face of the tall dune
Image Courtesy of and copyright 2021: Clemens Van der Werf
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Listen to the Leader!
I am often amazed that at times, when I call out a fabulous, newly-discovered situation, some folks hesitate to join me. Here two members of the group came over, listened carefully as I explained what we were looking to do, went to work, and made some great images. As Clemens had not yet received his 600 III or an RF 100-500 (both are still hard to come by), he went with the hand held 600 II. As you can see above, he did quite well. I love the light coming through the tern’s orange bill in his image.
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Image #3: Blacklit Situation Map
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Blacklit Situation Map
The red ball is the sun in the western sky. We stood as close as possible to the colony rope to have the birds coming at us as much as possible. As dark backgrounds are a necessity when attempting blacklit shots, we ignored the birds that flew in too high with sky backgrounds. The trick was to anticipate which birds would fly against the shadowed dune while still backlit by the sun. Birds that flew in while completely in the shadow of the dune were not dramatically lit, and thus, were miles under-exposed.
Both Clemens and I used Viveza as the final step in our post-processing. It is superb at darkening the dark tones and brightening the WHITEs to taste. Thanks to Clemens both for letting me share his image with you here today and for his continued Viveza tutoring. I am just about ready to do a Viveza video.
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Cover Image courtesy of and Copyright 2021 Brian Sump (Sump scores!)
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The BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide: $75.00
The guide is 82 pages long: 21,458 words. More than 50 DPP 4 Autofocus-depicting screen captures. And a 31 minute 44 second educational video. This guide took three and a half months of hard work and a ton of help from at least seventeen very helpful and generous folks.
The guide covers — in great detail — all Menu Items that are relevant to bird, nature, and wildlife photography. It does not cover video. The section on AF methods and the AF Gallery has been expanded from the R5/R6 AF e-guide. It remains the one of the great strengths of this guide. I share my thoughts on what I am sure is the single best AF Method for photographing birds in flight. As most of you know, the guide includes a simple and easy way to change AF Methods that was introduced to me by Geoff Newhouse. In the AF Gallery you will see exactly how Face Detection plus Tracking AF works. In the Educational R5 Gallery video, I share my favorite R5 images along with dozens of bird photography tips and techniques.
In addition, I teach you how to get the best exposures with your R5. Detailed instructions on using the great In-camera HDR and Multiple Exposure features will be appreciated by creative folks who like to have fun. The three shutter modes are explained in detail as well. Bruce Dudek solved the can’t-get-to-Auto ISO problem that had stumped everyone at Canon. This information is of course shared in the guide. You will learn how to set up your EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) and Screen toggle options. Not to mention that the mysterious performance of the Q Button is revealed and simplified. Brian Sump’s images reveal how well you can do when using the R5 with EF lenses using one of the three Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapters (as Donna did with Image #1 below). You will learn how I use Customize Dials to put either ISO or EC on the Thumb Dial and how to set up and save Custom Shooting Modes (C1-C3) that can remember both your Customize Dial and Customize Button settings! That is something that none of the SONY bodies do. 🙁 Near the end of the guide I share my all-important MY MENU items with you.
Like all BAA educational materials, the R5 guide is written in my informal, easy-to-follow style. I am quite proud of this guide and look forward to hearing your thoughts on our hard work.
You can purchase your copy of the BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide for $75.00 here in the BAA Online Store or by calling Jim in the office weekday afternoons at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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