Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

I left the house at 6:00am on Sunday morning and headed west on SR 60 in hopes of some color sunrise tree silhouettes. That fizzled quickly so I gassed up at Jimmy’s and headed back to ILE and down to the lake. As expected, I came across the crane family at the north end of the North Field. But there was only one chick with the two adults … The young cranes often nestle down to rest in the grass where they are well camouflaged. But they had mowed that field the other day … When my careful search came up empty, it seemed that one of the two chicks had perished. I walked to end of Palmetto to check on a huge dead oak to see if there were any photo possibilities. There were not.

It was not yet seven am and I was ready to head home. But when I turned around to head back to the car, there were the adults feeding their two chicks! Hooray. I got out the 600 and the tripod and made images of the chicks — now almost half as large as their parents, for about 45 minutes working off the rear monitor and the splayed, ground-level tripod. No matter how much I practice that technique, I know that I still need lots more practice to get the perfect framing every time … IAC, I was home well before eight.

Today is Monday 14 June, 2021. Happy Flag Day to you. And a happy 75th birthday to me. To celebrate, I got to bed at 6:30pm, set the alarm for 3:00am, but woke at 1:55am. I packed the car and was headed to Clemens Van der Werf’s home in Fort Lauderdale by 2:55am. I’ll have time for a short nap if I need to stop on the way down. I will be staying two nights. We will be photographing at a Least Tern colony in Southeast Florida for three mornings. I will head home after the morning shoot on Wednesday.

Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes 170 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 if you 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.

Still Need One for Jax n-the-Field

If you are interested in four (two 1/2 and three full) days of In-the-Field Instruction at a great new spot in the Jacksonville, FL area — the afternoon of Sunday 27 June through the morning session on Thursday 1 July 2021, please get in touch ASAP via e-mail for details, or call me on my cell at 863-221-2372. If you have a four-wheel drive truck or an SUV that would do well on the beach, that would be an amazing plus. Inexpensive lodging at a gorgeous AirBnB just 25 minutes from our shooting location is available. We only have room for one more in the 4 bedroom home.

We will be going to the beach in my vehicle (unless you have a 4wD vehicle) for all eight sessions at Huguenot Memorial Park. We will have thousand of birds to photograph. Mainly nesting Royal Terns with chicks of all sizes and Laughing Gulls with large chicks and fledglings. There are nesting Brown Pelicans there as well. We will have tons of flight photography. The terns will be carrying all sorts of fish and shrimp and other prey items for the young. There may be less action for the afternoon sessions, but with any luck at all we will have the larger Royal Tern chicks (and possibly recently fledged young) swimming in the surf (along with young laughing gulls).

Sony a9 ii Mirrorless Digital Camera Body

Price reduced $103.00 12 JUNE 2021
BAA Record-low Price

Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master is offering a Sony a9 ii mirrorless digital camera body in near-mint condition (with a very low shutter count of 2340) for $2895.00 (was $2998.00). There is a single, almost microscopic scratch on the rear monitor. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it, along with insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your new camera will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Larry via e-mail or by phone at 1-518-645-1545 (Eastern time zone).

As things turned 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, I knew that 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 very nice $1603.00 by grabbing Larry’s a9 ii ASAP. Not to mention that the new Sony A1 sells for $6498.00 … artie

This image was created on 2 June 2021 in the marsh on the edge the lake near my home. While seated in the wet mud, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 524mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/12500 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. (I had been set up for a potential fly-by Osprey.) AWB at 7:08am on a dead-clear morning. Wide/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed as expected: perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Black-necked Stilt female on vegetation-covered mud bar

Mommy Long-legs

The stilts liked the vegetation-covered mud bar seen in today’s featured image. And they visited it often. It was midway between the two original nests. The day before, when neither bird had been on eggs (I always check with my binoculars before heading down), I took ten minutes to clean up the bar. I picked up several dozen clam and mussel shells along with more than a few shed feathers. The next day my clean-up efforts paid off in spades. I often do the same thing at the beach. If there is a nice stretch of sand with a few distracting shells, I will tidy up, take a seat, and wait for the shorebirds to return to that stretch of beach.

If anyone knows the name of the fresh-water ground-cover vegetation — it grows below the water and does well as things dry up — please leave the name in a comment. Comments on the image are welcome as well. BTW, how did I do on sun angle?

Lastly …

Do you think that this image needs some to be leveled? If yes, CW or CCW? And if yes, how did you know?

Image #1A: AF point for the Black-necked Stilt female on vegetation-covered mud bar image

More of the Same a1 AF Magic

Nothing new here as far as a1 AF is concerned.

The Image Optmization

The screen capture above shows you what the original looked like. Despite my previous in-the-field clean-up efforts, I needed to do a bit more in Photoshop. The clean-up was one with my usual cadre of clean-up tools. Those include the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, and Content Aware Fill. Note that I did not use the Clone Stamp at all. I rarely do. A small crop from the left and below eliminated some crud along the lower frame edge. In addition, I eliminated all of the larger specular highlights and then smoothed the upper background with a Gaussian blur painted in after applying an Inverse (Black, Hide-all) Layer Mask.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II). You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

The clean-up techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my MacBook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: all of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.

You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About two years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One Pro 12 and continue to do so today.

To purchase Capture One, please use this link. Then you can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here.

You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.

Typos

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

Your Fave?

Please be so kind as to leave a comment and let us know which of Clemens four featured images you think is the strongest. And why.

What’s Up?

I never made it down to the lake on Saturday morning. I worked on flowers in the butterfly garden for an hour, and then beat my way through the bushes to the creek behind the house and did some more. It was gloriously still with not even a hint of breeze and for that I was thankful. I spent a good part of the day doing image critiques in the Avian Forum at Bird Photographer’s.Net. BPN, where honest critiques are done gently.

I was about to get into the pool for my almost daily swim at about 3:15pm on Saturday afternoon. As I walked out onto the pool deck there was a loud thunderclap so I decided to postpone for a bit. Ten minutes later a huge blast of thunder and lightning shook the house violently. We lost lights and TV. It poured so hard that in two minutes the pool deck was flooded. Neither Jim nor I had ever seen anything like that before. I was able to get safely into the pool at 5:00pm. By the time I finished, the sun was out.

Today is Sunday 13 June 2021. The forecast for today is for mostly cloudy with a light southwest breeze, isolated and scattered thunderstorms, and an afternoon high of 90 degrees. I’ll probably go down to the lake and wind up doing flowers again. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

If you are interested in four (two 1/2 and three full) days of In-the-Field Instruction at a great new spot in the Jacksonville, FL area — the afternoon of Sunday 27 June through the morning session on Thursday 1 July 2021, please get in touch ASAP via e-mail for details, or call me on my cell at 863-221-2372. If you have a four-wheel drive truck or an SUV that would do well on the beach, that would be an amazing plus. Inexpensive lodging at a gorgeous AirBnB just 25 minutes from our shooting location is available. We only have room for one more in the 4 bedroom home.

This blog post took well more than an hour to prepare and makes 169 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 if you 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.

Get on Line Now for the Canon EOS R3!

How to be one of the first to get yours. Seriously.

The specs below are quite impressive. If you are a serious Canon shooter who loves your R5 but are not enthralled by it, you will surely want to be among the first on your block to get your hands on the new Canon EOS R3. Right now this body is not available for pre-order. That tells us that it will be a while till it gets here. So what’s the secret, shoot Steve Elkins of Bedfords an e-mail and let him know that you would like to be placed on his R3 list and will be using the BIRDSASART discount code to save 3%. Act now and you will be #2 on his list; today’s guest photographer, Clemens Va der Werf, is #1.

The Canon EOS R3 will soon join the current lineup of EOS R full-frame mirrorless series cameras. This camera will usher in a new category to the EOS R system, positioned squarely between the EOS R5 and EOS-1D X Mark III cameras. The camera will put great emphasis on superb AF performance and speed with fast-moving subjects. It is being designed to meet the reliability and durability demands of professionals, even when working in challenging conditions.

Stacked Sensor and Electronic Shutter

At the heart of the EOS R3 camera’s performance will be an EOS camera first, a Canon-developed, full-frame stacked CMOS sensor with a back-illuminated design, providing substantially faster read-out speeds during still-imaging recording. This completely new sensor is designed to produce less “rolling shutter” distortion during Electronic Shutter operation and offers continuous Electronic Shutter still-image shooting at speeds up to 30 fps with full Dual Pixel CMOS AF and auto exposure. Also, the electronic shutter function will even support flash sync when working with Canon Speedlites.

Updated Autofocus and Eye Control AF

The AF system will leverage technology and performance from the well-received EOS R5 and EOS R6 cameras using Deep Learning technology to further enhance eye and body detection for even better performance for portrait and action-type shooting. In addition, the EOS R3’s subject detection AF will offer new recognizable subjects for its AF system, bolstering its focusing capabilities during challenging shooting conditions.

The Electronic Viewfinder of the EOS R3 will offer photographers the ability to select the initial area for AF tracking by simply looking directly at the viewfinder location where they want to begin AF. With Eye Control AF and Servo AF activated, the camera will focus on and track moving subjects at that location in the frame. When Face Detect + Tracking is active, the camera will continue to follow moving subjects around the entire active AF area.

4K Video Recording

With the EOS R3, you will be able to shoot in high-quality 4K with Canon Log3 and oversampled 4K, and raw movie internal recording. AF tracking for people, animals and motorsports will be possible while recording video as well.

Low-Light Performance

Able to autofocus in light as low as EV -7 or more, along with up to 8 stops of Coordinated IS control when used with RF lenses featuring Optical Image Stabilization, the EOS R3 will deliver amazing performance even in remarkably dark areas.

Rugged Body Design

The EOS R3 features a solid yet lightweight magnesium alloy body and carries forward the integrated vertical grip similar to the 1D series cameras, emphasizing both horizontal and vertical handling for challenging shooting situations. Weather-resistance and durability will equal Canon’s top-of-the-line EOS-1D X Mark III camera, and power will be delivered by the same Canon LP-E19 battery pack, too. And, the EOS R3 will have three primary input dials, giving familiar operation to current Canon EOS users. In terms of memory card support, a dual slot configuration will offer one CFexpress Type B slot and one SD slot.

The camera will also feature a multi controller to help you easily select the AF point, quickly change Menu settings, and more. And, the R3 will also be equipped with a smart controller-similar to that on the EOS-1D X Mark III, which lets you quickly shift AF point locations, or a starting point for Servo AF tracking. A vari-angle LCD will make it easy to compose shots at virtually any angle, and the touchscreen will enable you to access menus, change settings, and more, all on the fly.. Canon USA

Cover Image courtesy of and Copyright 2021 Brian Sump (Sump scores!) The BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide

The BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide: $75.00

The first thing that Clemens did when he got his R-5 was to set it up exactly as detailed in the R5 e-guide. The guide is 82 pages long: 21,458 words. There are 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.

From the late Luis Grunauer via e-mail

I’ve watched the R5 gallery video. I LOVE THE PHOTOS and the stories behind them, not to mention that the EXIF data is displayed in Photo Mechanic. Your explanations of the settings and the processes are very helpful. Your comments on framing and composition (both the great ones and the ones you refer to as “created by operator error”) were enlightening. It gives folks a chance to learn from someone with lots of in-the-field hands on experience with the R5! Well done and thanks so much for sharing it with me. There is some awesome teaching in the video to say the least!

From Ron Santini via e-mail

I have an R5 and purchased your “The BAA R5/R6 AF Guide” about a month ago. It has been a game-changer for me. I previously used back button focus (BBF), but after following your guide, that is a thing of the past. You truly simplified the process and I just want to thank you.

This image was created on 29 May 2021 at Fort DeSoto by Clemens Van der Werf. Lying flat on the ground, he used the tripod-mounted Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens (now replaced by the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens), the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 800: 1/2000 sec. at f/10 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:29am on a slightly overcast morning. 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 #1: Snowy Plovers squabbling Image Courtesy of and copyright 2021: Clemens Van der Werf

The 600 mm f/4 + a 2xTC Rocks with Canon and SONY Systems

Both Canon and SONY now offer amazing, astounding, science-fiction-like, nearly full frame autofocus at 1200mm with their 600mm f/4 lenses and a 2X TC. Skilled, young, strong photographers are even shooting hand held flight at 1200mm. With small subjects. And sharp 1200mm images from both the R5 (45MP) and the a1 (51MP) can easily stand up to healthy crops. We are indeed living in a world that is vastly different from even two years ago.

On a related note, if you are a serious bird photographer without any physical limitations, and can afford a top of the line 600mm or 500mm f/4 along with a high-end mirrorless body and both teleconverters, but do not presently own that gear, I can only ask, “what are you waiting for?” 1200mm and 1000mm are deadly weapons ever for those who live in areas with silly tame birds, and they have never been more effective than they have ever been before. And yes thanks, please use the links.

This image was also created on 29 May 2021 at Fort DeSoto by Clemens Van der Werf. He used the tripod-mounted Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens (now replaced by the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens), the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 500: 1/2000 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:12am on a then fairly bright overcast morning. 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: Yellow-crowned Night-Heron with ghost crab Image Courtesy of and copyright 2021: Clemens Van der Werf

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Fort DeSoto

This species used to be quite common at DeSoto but I have seen very few over the past few years and none on many visits this year. On the morning of the 29th I mentioned to Clemens that it was strange that we had not seen one at North Beach or anywhere else. An hour later, Clemens ran into the holy grail yellow-crowned with a whole ghost crab. That’s what happens when you work hard. As the bird was uncharacteristically on the timid side, 24X magnification was just the ticket.

This image was created on 3 June 2021 on Lake Blue Cypress by Clemens Van der Werf while we were aboard his flats boat. He used the hand held (yes, hand held!) Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens (now replaced by the much lighter Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens), the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 1000: 1/1600 sec. at f/11 (stopped down one-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:13am on a then fairly bright overcast morning. 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 #3: Baby Osprey staring Image Courtesy of and copyright 2021: Clemens Van der Werf

Tall and Taller, Strong and Stronger …

Here Clemens was standing precariously on the rear platform of his flats boat and thus, was pretty much at eye level with the very low Osprey nest. In addition to his height (6′ 6″), Clemens’ strength is a huge asset. The Canon 600 II is a beast to hand hold.

This image was created on 4 June 2021 at Fort DeSoto by Clemens Van der Werf. Lying flat on the ground, he used the tripod-mounted Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens (now replaced by the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens), the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 640: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:44am on a slightly overcast morning. 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 #1: Snowy Plover chick Image Courtesy of and copyright 2021: Clemens Van der Werf

Perseverance Helps Too!

Blessed by a somewhat cloudy morning, Clemens set out in search of a Snowy Plover chick. He lay on his belly for close to two full hours and was eventually rewarded with some very good chances. I love that he caught the little guy on top of the beach vegetation.

Designing and Creating Pleasing and Dramatic Natural History Images A Video Webinar: $30 by electronic download Order your copy by clicking here.

Designing and Creating Pleasing and Dramatic Natural History Images

A Video Webinar

In this 1 hour 28 minute plus video you will learn and be inspired. We cover everything from the very basics to the fine points. After a brief bio, the topics include Behavior, Action, Diagonal Lines, and the Cuteness Factor; Birds in Flight — The Holy Grail of Bird Photography; Mis-Framing!; Basic Image Design/HORIZONTALS: Get the subject out of the center of the frame. Basic Image Design/VERTICALS: The center of the frame is generally fine; The Importance of BACKGROUND; Isolating the Subject; Other Elements of Composition; On Getting Low; Going Wide for Bird-scapes; Super-tight!; Working in Sunny Conditions; Working in Cloudy Conditions; Working in Foggy Conditions; Working in the Shade; Working in Bad Weather; Creating Back-lit Images; Creating Silhouettes; and Creating Pleasing Blurs.

Each segment of the program consists of an average of about 15 images that will drive home the points being made, educate you, and inspire. The instructions and advice, given clearly and concisely, are based on my near-38 years of experience photographing birds with telephoto and super-telephoto lenses. And on several decades of creating educational blog posts.

This presentation is based on the webinar that I did for the South Shore Camera Club in April. You can find some of the comments below along with comments from two of the folks who viewed the webinar the night before the DeSoto IPT began.

You can order your copy of Designing and Creating Pleasing and Dramatic Natural History Images/A Video Webinar by clicking here or by calling Jim with your credit card in hand at 863-692-0906.

Typos

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