June 7th, 2021 What’s Up?
I had an interesting morning photo session on Sunday. It was a bit cloudy with not much going on. As I drove south on the road next to the South Field, I saw a Crested Caracara digging around. I hung a u-turn, put the 600 f/4 on the BLUBB, and approached slowly. The caracara had an egg. Thinking “egg,” I wondered, “What type of bird’s egg?” I made some very good images in very low light. When the bird flew off, I followed and found it eating the egg on the ground in the North Field. When it flew off I got out of the car to investigate. I found the remainder of the shell. It felt wet and leathery. Mystery solved: the caracara had been digging up a turtle nest! Photo story here at some point.
I have been getting some work done on the Nikonians webinar, and in addition, consolidated the MAY 2021 folder. On Sunday, I began the second edit of 2258 raw files … I’ve been swimming and doing my bursts every day.
Today is Monday 7 June 2021. The forecast for this morning at ILE is for cloudy with an easterly breeze. I will be heading down to the lake for a bit. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a great day.
This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare, and makes 163 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.
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.
Laughing Gull as Devil Crop Quiz
In the Laughing Gull as Devil? blog post here, this was included:
Multiple Choice Crop Quiz
What percentage of the original frame does the optimized TIF file represent (as represented by the JPEG above)?
- a- 11%
- b- 22%
- c- 44%
- d- 66%
- e- 88%
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Click on the screen capture for a better look at the histogram.
Image #1A RawDigger screen capture for the Laughing Gull as Devil? image
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RawDigger Screen Capture shows the full frame original
Checking out the full frame original in the screen capture above shows that the Laughing Gull as Devil image was indeed a very large crop. Only 89% of the original pixels were represented in the JPEG that represented the master file, Image #1 above.
Two folks nailed it:
Yves Guillot: A pour moi aussi: 11%
Mark Jordan: Hi Artie. I’ll say A. 11%.
Ho Hum …
Same old, same old: another perfect exposure thanks to studying RawDigger. Note that the G channel makes it 2/3 of the way from the 8000 line to the 16000 line. Thanks to RawDigger, that is exactly what I aim for.
Via e-Mail from Geri George
Hi Artie, Thanks for the RawDigger e-Guide. With many of my flower images, DPP 4 shows lots of over-exposure on the petals, but RawDigger shows only a smattering (less than a hundred). They all converted perfectly in DPP 4 simply by pulling down the Highlight slider a bit. RawDigger has some really cool stuff!
Thanks and best, Geri
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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 puzzled as to why the Max G values for different cameras were different. 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.
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This image was created on 4 June 2021 at Fort DeSoto Park. I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 200. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/5000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:21am on with a bit of fog barely covering the sun.
Wide/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Great Egret backlit in sparkling golden water
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Right Place + Right Time + Vision + Good Technique Usually Works Out Just Fine
Clemens was already lying in the sand trying for Least Terns and the Snowy Plover chicks. For whatever reasons, I did not feel like getting sandy and/or wet on our getaway morning. As I lagged behind him, I noted a Great Egret to my right feeding in a shallow bay just as the sun was breaking through the fog just a bit. I had been carrying the tripod in one hand and the big lens in the other. I decided that handholding would be best as I would have lots of shutter speed and would be able to more easily get into position. If the sun had been out fully there would have been no shot at all. But with the fog, there was a swatch of sparkling golden water. As the bird was walking to the south, the trick was to move slightly ahead of the bird and let it walk into the bright water.
I made about one hundred images in all, perhaps 6-10 each time that the bird walked into the golden zone. The first thirty or forty had an ugly sandbar in the foreground that showed up as black but that was a blessing as I was fine-tuning the exposure. As the bird made its way south, I moved a bit closer. This one — with one foot raised out of the water, was the best from the last series before the bird turned around and walked back to the north in front of the sandbar. Party over. At no time did I consider getting lower because that would have brought the far shoreline of the lagoon into the top of the frame as an ugly black border.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
June 6th, 2021 What’s Up?
Clemens Van der Werf and I went down to the lake early. It dawned totally foggy, but the sun broke through quickly. The stilt nest with four eggs was predated. There were raccoon tracks in the mud. You could see from the South Peninsula that one of the adults was always sitting on that nest. The pretty nest with two eggs has survived so far despite some fairly heavy rains. And despite the fact that there is rarely an adult sitting on that nest. Go figure. All of the crane families are doing quite well. We photographed the two now pretty large colts early, and then found and photographed the two now pretty large chicks. Clemens headed home at about 9:30am. We had two good two days photography. I will be sharing some more of Clemens fabulous R5 images with y’all here soon.
Have I mentioned that summer has come to Central Florida with a vengeance — hazy, hot, and humid is now the norm. I have been checking the new The Perch once or twice a day when I have been home. So far, the only birds to land on it have been Boat-tailed Grackles. I do, however, have faith.
Today is Sunday 6 June 2021. The forecast for ILE is for partly cloudy with a very light breeze from the east-southeast. I will be headed down to the lake early. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a great day.
This blog post took about an hour to prepare, and makes 162 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.
Estero Lagoon Least Terns?
If you have been photographing the Least Tern colony at Estero Lagoon and would like to share info with me, please LMK via e-mail.
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This image was created on 3 June 2021 at a fabulous rookery in north Tampa. Standing at full height, I used the Induro GIT 304L/ Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/640 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:03pm on a cloudy afternoon.
Wide/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure performed almost perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Tricolored Heron — fledged chick just of the nest — begging
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The Keep-out Fence and the Rocks
At the south end of this small rookery, there are some rocks and a fence that extends into the water to keep folks out of the abutting neighbor’s backyard. On my last visit, as many as three fledgling Tricolored Herons stood on the fence for much of the afternoon. They had all disappeared when this fresher bird, looking as if it had just left the nest, landed on a rock right in front of me and began begging to be fed. I acquired focus and made about four images in less than a second knowing that the bird was not gonna stay long. It did not. You can see the full frame original in the AF point screen capture below. I am happy with the crop. In addition, there was a small white patch of over-exposed feathers as I followed my own oft-given advice: push the button now so that you do not miss the shot. See more on that in the RawDigger screen capture below.
As for me, I am glad that I pushed the shutter button pretty much instantly! And I wound up getting my best stuff ever on a just fledged Little Blue Heron that landed on the same rock and posed for me for ten minutes. You will meet that handsome bird here at some point.
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Click on the screen capture to see a larger version.
Image #1A: AF point for the Tricolored Heron — fledged chick just of the nest — begging image
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Almost Perfect
The a1’s AF system missed the eye by just a bit, the image was incredibly sharp right out of camera. See the next screen capture for proof. Folks who join the SONY a1 Info and Updates group receive a link to the great free plug-in that allows you to see the artie AF point or points after the fact from the raw (.ARW) files.
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Click on the screen capture to see a larger version.
Image #1B: An unsharpened tight crop of the face of the Tricolored Heron — fledged chick just of the nest — begging image
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Incredible Image Quality
Sharp 51 MP a1 image files will take your breath away when viewed at high magnification. If you are so impressed by the Image Quality here that you decide to purchase an a1 (they are still hard to come by), be sure to use one of my two affiliate links — B&H, or Bedfords to save 3%. Either way, you earn a free pass into the SONY a1 Info and Updates group …
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Click on the screen capture to see a larger version.
Image #1C: RawDigger screen capture for the Tricolored Heron — fledged chick just of the nest — begging image
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An Easy Save
Note the pink over-exposure warning — 2000 OvExp pixels only in the G channel, on the white feathers of the flank just above the base of the folded near-wing. Normally OvExp pixels in a single channel can easily be resolved during the Raw conversion. In this case, the WHITEs still looked a bit hot, so I painted a Quick Mask of an area of white feathers that had detail, placed the selection on its own layer, moved it over the hot spot, painted it completely away, and then — working large, painted the patch in with a soft brush.
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Click on the screen capture to see a larger version.
Image #1D: Topaz DeNoise screen capture for the Tricolored Heron — fledged chick just of the nest — begging image
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Topaz DeNoise AI
A New Trick…
As with almost every image I process, this image was run through Topaz DeNoise AI as the first step after being converted. I used DeNoise, now called Standard, with a twist. Checking the Comparison View, I liked Standard a bit better than Low Light. Just for the heck of it, I reduced the Auto setting for Remove Noise from 8 to 2. As you can see, the noise was completely eliminated.
Compare this screen capture with Image #1B and note that I eliminated the single white feather on the fledgling’s forehead using the Patch Tool and Content Aware Fill. All as detailed (plus tons more) in the hugely popular Digital Basics II.
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.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
June 5th, 2021 Which is the Stronger Image?
All are invited to leave a comment and to let us know which of today’s two featured images they think is the strongest, and why they made their choice.
What’s Up?
The thunderstorms at DeSoto on Friday morning –scattered or otherwise — never materialized. There was no feeding spree in the washover pool, in fact, there were very few birds at all in the pool other than some Willets. Clemens spent the morning on his belly at 1200mm working a Snowy Plover chick. I started with a backlit Great Egret in sparkly golden water and then practiced my flight photography skills on some Laughing Gulls along the dunes. It was a hazy/lazy day and I did not feel like getting wet and sandy. I did walk out into the lagoon and made a few snaps of a bathing Red Knot and then checked Hidden Lagoon on the way back to the car. I ran into a Whimbrel on the beach and made some nice ground-level images. Then I did the same with a Loggerhead Shrike on a limestone road. All in all, it was a decent morning. Especially considering the dire forecast. In general, I tend to ignore der forecasts. If they are accurate, you can always hang out in your vehicle for a bit. If you stay home, you may very well miss some good stuff.
I finished editing three sessions of images and found (and processed) some excitingly good photos that I will be sharing with you here soon. I was please to learn that Geri George sold all three of her Used Gear items within one hour of being posted.
Today is Saturday 5 June 2021. The forecast for ILE this morning is for partly cloudy skies and a gentle southeast breeze. Clemens and I will be heading down to the lake soon to check things out. He is heading home to Fort Lauderdale after brunch.Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a great day.
This blog post took about an hour to prepare, and makes 161 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.
Estero Lagoon Least Terns?
If you have been photographing the Least Tern colony at Estero Lagoon and would like to share info with me, please LMK via e-mail.
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.
Low Osprey Nests
There are some low Osprey nests on Lake Blue Cypress. For Image #1, I went with 1200mm on the 404L tripod. The 304L was at home getting cleaned up by Jim. Clemens maneuvers the boat skillfully and quietly with the trolling motor. Neither the adults, nor the very two big chicks, paid us any mind. I glanced at some of Clemens’s images on his laptop and saw that hey are even more powerful than mine. Why? At 6′ 6″ tall, he was standing on the boat’s rear platform and was much more on the bird’s eye level than I was.
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Image #1A: Topaz DeNoise AI on the Osprey — grown chick in nest image
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Topaz DeNoise AI
As with almost every image I process, this image was run through Topaz DeNoise AI as the first step after being converted. I use DeNoise, now called Standard, for all images made in sunny conditions. I usually go with Low Light for images made in low light; makes sense, no?
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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This image was also created on 3 June 2021 at Lake Blue Cypress aboard Clemens Van der Werf’s flat boat. While standing, I used the Induro GIT 404L/ Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/800 sec. at f/8 (stopped down two stops)in Manual mode. AWB at 8:16a when a faint cloud slid in front of the sun.
Wide/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and again, performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Osprey large chick in nest
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Going Wide 🙂
After creating a few hundred head portraits of the two chicks, I realized that I wanted to create an image that showed the complete necklace of the young female. To accomplish that, I simply removed the TC and stopped down to f/8 for more depth-of-field. Note that I added 1/3-stop more light than in Image #1, that in response to the faint cloud. Zebras make life so, so easy.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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