Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Saturday Past!

Both of today’s featured images were created last Saturday on a very stormy day when no other photographers ventured out. With 250-odd keepers after the first edit (out of 5300+), it was a memorable day. And it proves the old adage: the worse the weather, the better photography. You will be seeing lots more images from that six hour session. If you are learning from the blog on a daily basis, do consider sharing a link with your photo friends or your photography club.

Your Favorite?

Which of today’s featured images is the strongest? All are invited to leave a comment letting us know why they made their choice.

Higher Res Viewing

Please note that the small JPEGs in each blog post are for display purposes only. Clicking on each blog image to enlarge it will bring up a stunning high resolution image. For unknown reasons, the smaller images simply do not look sharp. I am attempting to rectify that situation. In the meantime, click on the images to be impressed by the quality of the new higher res photos.

What’s Up?

Not much. Did lots of work on images and e-mails on Monday. Swam in the afternoon. Today is Tuesday 31 August with more of the same in store for me. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. Tomorrow: announcing the Fall Fort DeSoto IPTs.

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 a bit more than an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the image optimizations), and makes 243 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.

Nikon AF-S 80-400mm/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens with Extra

Price Reduced $200.00 on 30 August 2021!
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price

Paul Sher is offering a Nikon AF-S 80-400mm/4.5-5.6G ED VR in like new condition for $1196.95 (was $1396.95). The sale includes a Wimberley P-10 plate (a $52.00 value), the front and rear lens caps, the lens case, the original Nikon box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Paul Sher via e-mail or by phone at 1-503-248-9870 (Pacific time zone).

I owned and loved this super-sharp and very versatile lens when I shot Nikon. It was my go-to lens on my bucket-list Emperor Penguin trip to Snow Hill Island, Antartica. It complements either the 500 PF or the 600 f/4 VR lenses perfectly. As it sells new for $2,296.95, you can save an incredible $1100.00 on Paul’s pretty much new lens. artie

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.

This image was created on 28 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand with the tripod lowered, I used the Induro GIT 304L topped by a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro– with the 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 2500. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:18am on dark, windy, cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed just about perfectly and produced a sharp-on-the-eye image. Image 1: Common Tern juvenile bathing.

Tight Bathing Bird Tips from the Wild Windy Saturday Past

When I see a bird dipping its breast into the water, I know that when it has finished its bath, it is practically guaranteed that it will rise up and flap its wings. If your AF system is up to it, the flapping-after-bath image (FABI) is the money shot. If you are too close to try for that, you can zoom out (with a zoom lens) or move back with a fixed focal length lens. The latter takes time, and in any event, there was a snow fence behind us last Saturday so there was no moving back. In addition, I had firmly seated my tripod in the sand, put on my reading glasses, and leveled the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro perfectly by centering the floating bubble on the head inside the scribed circle. That done, I could point my lens in any direction and have every image perfectly square to the world. And on cloudy days, you do not have to worry about sun angle.

In short, I was pretty much glued to my carefully chosen spot. Note: remember that in bathing bird situations, you want the wind (and the sun on clear days), behind you.

So when a small sandpiper began bathing at point blank range, about 15 feet at 840mm, or a tern started its bath at 25 feet, I knew that getting the bird in the frame without clipping any wings or feet (I got lots of those!) for the FABI was pretty much out of the question. So in those point-blank situations, I acquired focus and blasted away on the splashing bird. Though there will be lots of deletes, the results can often be dramatic, different, or comical. Or in rare cases, all three.

You can see a very nice FABI White-rumped Sandpiper image in the Nearly All Bird Photographers Stayed Home on a Wild Windy Weather Morning … blog post here.

The Lesson

When you are too close for the FABI, go for the tight splashing shot.

This image was also created on 28 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand with the tripod lowered, I used the Induro GIT 304L topped by a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro– with the 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 dead-solid perfect: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:55am on dark, windy, cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed just about perfectly and produced a sharp-on-the-face image. Image 2: Least Sandpiper juvenile bathing

The Least Sandpiper Submarine

Clicking on Image #2 to view the higher-res version will put a smile on most folk’s faces.

Background Color Question

Both of today’s featured images were made in dreary light on a cloudy day. With the tern image, I went with the gray-water background. With the sandpiper image, I used Viveza to make the water more blue and erased the effect on the bird (and the splashes) with a regular layer mask. Which background color do you like best?

Typos

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

What’s Up?

At 7:00am on Saturday morning it was teeming rain with a 25mph north wind. By 8:00am things had calmed down a bit so we headed out to the beach. There were thousands of skimmers blasting off into a stiff east wind up and down the beach. But I knew exactly where we needed to be. We went to the perfect spot for the conditions. I killed to the tune of 5293 images. Taking a peek at the folder, I selected today’s featured image.

It was truly a wild morning and there was not another photographer in sight. The action was non-stop with skimming and bathing skimmers and bathing terns and shorebirds. At one point there were 250 oystercatchers bathing in the pool in front of me. Then a tight flock of 100 Sanderlings bathing. We had dozens of Semipalmated Sandpipers in front of us, often within seven feet. There were a smattering of Least, Western, and White-rumped Sandpipers along with a single Pectoral. We also had a single juvenile Piping Plover, a few gorgeous young Short-billed Dowitchers, several Lesser, and a single Greater Yellowlegs, a few Ruddy The turnstones, and two Semipalmated Plovers. A swooping Peregrine cleared the pond in mid-morning but the birds returned within minutes.

I knew when we left the hotel where we needed to be: on the edge of a storm surge/rain pool with the east wind at our backs in the lee of a small dune. The birds knew also. 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 less than an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the image optimization), and makes 241 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.

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.

This image was created on 28 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. While seated 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 2000: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:37am on a cloudy, dark, windy morning. Tracking: Center Zone/AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and performed amazingly well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger, hi-res version. Image #1: White-rumped Sandpiper flapping after bath

Bathing Beach Birds

The smaller shorebirds bathed in an inch or so of water quite close to us. The terns a bit farther out in two to three inches of water, and the skimmers and oystercatchers a bit farther out than that in water perhaps two to four inches deep. The biggest challenge was to make a good image of a juvenile skimmer skimming toward us. Time at the editing table will tell.

Image #1A: The active AF point for the White-rumped Sandpiper flapping after bath image

Shockingly Amazing!

I could barely believe that the a1 AF system detected and locked onto the face of the jumping sandpiper.

SONY a1 AF: Beyond Belief …

a1 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 whether working birds perched or on the ground, when doing flight photography, or when working off the tilted rear screen with the tripod almost at ground level. In short, thee a1 AF system is amazing.

SONY and artie

Switching to SONY, first with the a9 and the a9 II, and then to the remarkable a1, has enabled me (and others, like Mike De Rosa as seen a while ago 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 77 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.