Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The One Big Secret to Making Great Bird Photographs
With Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART — Free NANPA Webinar

Yes, boys and girls. There really is just one big secret. It will be revealed at the very end of the webinar. Join me on July 13 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm EDT to learn a ton. Click here to register. This program is free and open to all. Covered topics will include seeing the shot, finding the best perspective, getting close to free and wild birds, the importance of wind direction in bird photography, understanding the direction and qualities of natural light, flight photography tips, getting the right exposure, image composition and design, and lots more.

What’s Up?

There was a huge, anvil-shaped cloud on the eastern horizon at sunrise on Thursday morning at ILE. I walked the pier with the 400 f/2.8/2X/a1 combo experimenting with mid-range shutter speed intentional blurs. I have been learning a lot recently using shutter speeds in the 1/125th to 1/250th second range for flight. This morning I was somewhat amazed by the results. Photos and more soon. After my pier-walk, I worked both crane/colt families and got some good stuff.

Be sure to read all the way down to the Bummer item; you will learn a ton along the way.

Today is Friday 8 July 2022. The forecast for this morning is for partly cloudy and still. I will be heading down to the pier early to see what I can learn. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes one hundred ten days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

JAX

If you would like to join me for the July 15-19 Jacksonville IPT, or for some In-the-Field sessions there on those dates, please get in touch via e-mail.

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906.

This image was created on 4 July 2022 at Huguenot Memorial Park near Jacksonville, FL. I used handheld Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS lens )at 24mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 1000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/125 second at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 6:31:06am on an obviously cloudy morning right about the time of sunrise. Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly as it held focus on the closest bird. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Large, Surreal Storm Cloud on the Eastern Horizon

The Value of the 24-105mm Lenses

As soon as I got out of my car on the morning of the Fourth of July and saw the huge storm cloud out over the Atlantic, I knew that the 24-105 would come in handy. The 70-200 would not have been wide enough. So, for the first time in recent memory, I donned my X-tra Hand vest and stuck the short zoom lens in one of the pockets, protected by a woolen watch cap. It was the ticket to success once the sky brightened up a bit. Even though the cloud was spectacular in life, understand that the properly exposed raw file was washed out and boring. Exposing to the right minimizes noise; you bring your raw files to life during the raw conversion and then in Photoshop.

This image was also created on 4 July 2022 at Huguenot Memorial Park near Jacksonville, FL. Standing at full height, I used the no-longer-available Induro GIT 304L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted 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 1600. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/250 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was within 1/6 stop of being perfect. AWB at 7:27:53am on a thankfully then-cloudy morning. Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2: Laughing Gull — large chick flicking wing

Big Cloud Prayer Answered

When the morning forecast calls for a strong west/southwest wind and clear skies, most of the birds will be flying, landing, standing, and taking off into the wind and thus away from you. In those conditions, a cloud on the eastern horizon can be a Godsend, the bigger the better. When the sun is covered by a decent cloud, sun angle barely matters — you are free to shoot in almost any direction. Even faint light on the cloudiest of days has a direction, but rather than being restricted to photographing birds in a 20° or 30° arc on either side of sun angle, you can work those in a 180° or even greater arc.

At 8:07am, the sun made its way over the storm cloud and the soft light party was over.

Juvenile Wing-flicking and Wing-Dragging

Young terns and gulls are often seen flicking or dragging their wings. When I first saw this behavior, I assumed that the juvenile bird had a broken wing. Conversations with researchers and personal experience revealed that many of the birds exhibiting this behavior are just fine. The nearly fledged gull in Image #2 was flicking and dragging its left wing. Last year at JAX I was watching a young Royal Tern dragging its wing around, looking helpless. Until it jumped into the air and took flight with ease.

What Happened to Fat Boy?

With my right wrist and my right shoulder bugging me after handholding the 400 f/2.8 for two days, I went to the tripod-mounted 600mm f/4. I took the lens off the tripod and hung it on my left shoulder via the lens strap when I was moving along on the beach. That turned out to be much more forgiving. While it’s great to have complete freedom when working without a tripod, I, like Rafael Nadal, have my limits.

This image was also created on 4 July 2022 at Huguenot Memorial Park near Jacksonville, FL. Again, I used the handheld/ankle-podded 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 1600. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was within 1/6 stop of being perfect. AWB at 7:47:33am on a brighter but still cloudy morning. Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #3: Laughing Gull — large chick begging

Bummer

I was thrilled that I was able to get perfectly parallel to the two subjects and quickly find and frame the birds on the rear monitor — that can be a challenge at times. When the chicks peck at the adult’s neck and bill, that stimulates the parent bird to regurgitate the meal, often partially digested bits and chunks of fish. When the adult bird began to vomit up breakfast, it turned its head completely away from me. By force of habit, I quit shooting for 20 seconds. I did keep a single frame that shows the chick swallowing some orange gunk, but both the adult and the chick were angled away from me.

The Lesson

Subject-to-sensor-plane orientation needs to be considered carefully whenever you press the shutter button. If a bird’s tail is closer to you than its head, it is difficult to create a memorable, dramatic, pleasing, and/or artistic photograph. If you have a good image with the bird facing away, feel free to shoot me a sharpened 2400 pixel wide or tall JPEG via e-mail for a short free critique. Please type the words “Facing Away” into the Subject Line.

Flight Photography at Jacksonville Till You Can’t Lift Your Lens! with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Join me on the beach at Huguenot Memorial Park to learn about photographing terns in flight. 8,000 pairs of Royal Terns nest there and there are birds in the air all the time, often carrying all kinds of fish and crabs for their young. Learn about how the relationship between the wind and the sun impacts flight photography and about the best gear for shooting birds in flight. Join me on a workshop at Jacksonville this summer.

Cute & Beautiful: Photographing Chicks in Jacksonville, FL with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

There is an amazing beach near Jacksonville, FL where 8,000 pairs of Royal Terns and 12,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls (along with a few other species) breed each summer. As this video shows, photographing the chicks is easy in the summer. And there is tons of great flight photography as well. If you want to improve your bird photography skills, consider joining me on an Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT).

Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG. Clockwise from upper left clockwise and back around to the center: Royal Tern in flight with squid for chick; Royal Tern chick on beach; Royal Tern in flight with shrimp for young; Royal Tern chick — double overhead wing stretch; Royal Tern landing with greenback for chick; Royal Tern in flight with juvenile mahi mahi for chick; Brown Pelican — large chick preening; Laughing Gull in fresh juvenal plumage; Royal Tern chick begging; Many Royal Terns with many chicks on face of dune.

Jacksonville IPT: 4 FULL DAYS — the afternoon of FRI 15 JULY thru the morning of TUES 19 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5)

I first visited the breeding bird colony at Jacksonville in late June 2021. I was astounded. There were many thousands of pairs of Royal Terns nesting along with about 10,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls. In addition to the royals, there were some Sandwich Terns nesting. And there are several dozen pairs of Brown Pelicans nesting on the ground. Flight photography was non-stop astounding. And photographing the tern chicks was relatively easy. Folks could do the whole trip with the Sony 200-600, the Canon 100-500 RF, or the Nikon 500 PF or 200-500 VR. With a TC in your pocket for use on sunny days. Most of the action is within 100 yards of where we park (on the beach). As with all bird photography, there are times when a super-telephoto lens with either TC is the best tool for the job.

Morning sessions will average about 3 1/2 hours, afternoon sessions about 1 1/2 hours. On cloudy mornings with favorable winds, we may opt to stay out for one long session and skip the afternoon, especially when the afternoon forecast is poor. Lunch is included on the first three days of the IPT and will be served at my AirBnB. We will do image review and Photoshop after lunch.

We will be based somewhere west and a bit north of Jacksonville where there are many AirBnB possibilities. The deposit is $599.00. Call Jim at the office any weekday at 863-692-0906 to pay by credit card. Balances must be paid by check.

Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG. Clockwise from upper left clockwise and back around to the center: Royal Tern feeding chick; Royal Tern/4-week-old chick; ink-stained Royal Tern in flight with squid for chick; Royal Tern/3-week-old chick begging; Brown Pelican in flight on white sky day; fresh juvenile Laughing Gull on clean beach; Laughing Gulls stealing fish from Royal Tern; tight shot of Royal Tern in flight with fish for young.

What You Will Learn on a Jacksonville IPT

• 1- First and foremast you will learn to become a better flight photographer. Much better.
• 2-You will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button.
• 3- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you fear it.
• 4- You will learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography, especially the photography of birds in flight.
• 5- You will learn several pro secrets (for each system) that will help you to become a better flight photographer.
• 6- You will learn to zoom out in advance (because the birds are so close!) 🙂
• 7- You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 8- You will learn to spot the good and the great situations.
• 9- You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior.
• 10- You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 11- You will learn to choose the best perspective.
• 12- You will learn to see and control your backgrounds.
• 13- You will learn to see and understand the light.
• 14- You will learn to see and create pleasing blurs in pre-dawn situations.
• 15- You will learn to be ready for the most likely event.

The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever you are and whenever you photograph.

Typos

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

The One Big Secret to Making Great Bird Photographs
With Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART — Free NANPA Webinar

Yes, boys and girls. There really is just one big secret. It will be revealed at the very end of the webinar. Join me on July 13 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm EDT to learn a ton. Click here to register. This program is free and open to all. Covered topics will include seeing the shot, finding the best perspective, getting close to free and wild birds, the importance of wind direction in bird photography, understanding the direction and qualities of natural light, flight photography tips, getting the right exposure, image composition and design, and lots more.

What Up?

Mr. Lazy Man slept in on Tuesday morning and left early to drive the four hours from Jacksonville back to ILE. He was home before 11am. And took a nap.

Today is Wednesday 6 July 2022. The morning forecast for ILE is for clear and sunny with a faint breeze from the ESE. Jon Hoiles and I could have used some of that at Huguenot Memorial Park as we were working with wind-against-sun conditions most of the time. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes one hundred eight days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

JAX

If you would like to join me for the July 15-19 Jacksonville IPT, or for some In-the-Field sessions there on those dates, please get in touch via e-mail.

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906.

This image was created on 2 July 2022 on the beautiful beach at Huguenot Memorial Park. I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1250. 1/2000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. (Sorry for boring you.) AWB at 6:56:04am on sunny morning. Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Most of the time, Bird works just fine for human subjects. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Jon Hoiles on the beach with his Nikon rig

Jon Hoiles

Jon Hoiles retired from the Navy in 2020. As director of the Navy blood program, he held the rank of Commander. He now works for Cerus, a company
headquartered in Concord, California, that develops and supplies vital technologies and pathogen-protected blood components to blood centers, hospitals, and ultimately patients who rely on safe blood. Jon is currently the product manager for pathogen-reduced red blood cells. Simply put, Cerus and Jon work to ensure that donated blood (in it various forms) is safe.

Jon got the bug for bird photography about 10 years ago while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. He was out doing landscapes and would often run into some bird photographers. What they were doing looked a lot more fun to him than taking pictures of seascapes and waterfalls. His first birds were Black-Faced Spoonbill, Japanese Common Kingfisher, and Japanese White-eye that had to be photographed on cherry blossoms in the spring.

Via e-mail from Jon

Art,

Thanks again for a great trip to photograph the Royal Terns and Laughing Gulls at Huguenot Memorial Park. What a great location. They say you learn from your mistakes, and, while I am happy with the image I made, I know I missed quite a few. I underexposed far too many, had too many birds with clipped wings, paid no attention to shadows, and had lots with uninteresting or distracting backgrounds (especially the birds in flight). I’d also like to take the 600mm f/4 out there next time. And the 800mm when that gets delivered!

The Z9, on the other hand, did great. It took me some time to figure out the best way to use the various autofocus modes, but, with the help of Warren Hatch’s great Z9 Guide, I had it figured out and the camera worked very well.

Thanks again for your help with getting the TC-E14 (teleconverter) ordered with Bedfords. I look forward to shooting with you in the future. It is always a treat and great a learning experience.

Jonathan

My Reply

Hey Jon,

Thanks for the images and thanks again for joining me. Clipped wings happen all the time with fixed focal length lenses (and even with zooms as everyone gets greedy). The shadows result from working off sun angle. And getting the right exposure is more difficult than with Sony. I’d advise getting into RawDigger. One last suggestion: when you have tons of light for flight photography with an f/5.6 lens, aim for 1/4000 second or 1/3200 second. You will still enjoy relatively low ISOs.

with love, artie

This image was created on 2 July 2022 at Huguenot Memorial Park by multiple In-the-Field participant Jon Hoiles. He used the handheld Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and the vaunted Nikon Z9 Mirrorless camera body with the FTZ II Adapter Kit. ISO 360: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 Image #2: Royal Tern braking to land

Blessed by Soft Light

On Saturday afternoon we enjoyed the best conditions of the weekend with light clouds and the wind from the south. We stood near the ropes and had the birds landing at us. Jon and the Z9 did the rest.

This image was created on 3 July 2022 at Huguenot Memorial Park by multiple In-the-Field participant Jon Hoiles. He used the handheld Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and the vaunted Nikon Z9 Mirrorless camera body with the FTZ II Adapter Kit. ISO 180: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 Image #2: Royal Tern chick begging

Wind Against Sun and Chick Feeding

So if the wind was in Jon’s face, why was this begging chick facing right at him? Because the adults land into the wind and the chicks face them expectantly.

Jon on the Z9 Guide

The guide was great. Nikon’s default method of changing AF methods is difficult at best to use. You need three hands. Warren’s multi back-button approach saves the day. Not to mention his complete coverage of all relevant menu items and lots of great tips. I am glad that I read the guide completely. When I got to JAX I realized that I had left the battery charger at home. I remembered reading how to charge the camera directly using a compatible USB cable so I opened up the guide, found the info, and saved my weekend.”

You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store for $69.00. Or Call Jim weekdays at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers

The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers/by Warren Hatch
Editorial Consultant: Arthur Morris

In this downloadable e-book (you will receive a link by e-mail), you’ll learn everything a wildlife photographer needs to know about the Nikon Z9. The Z9 is one of the most complex camera bodies ever made. In this guide, the brilliant Warren Hatch will teach you exactly how to set up your Z9 for bird, wildlife, and nature photography. The camera offers hundreds of settings and options. Selecting the right combination of these is essential in order to effectively use the Z9 in the field.

This 83-page guide, created in the tradition of the many mega-successful BIRDS AS ART Camera User’s Guides, includes:

1- Extensive information on the autofocus system and the optimal settings for the various shooting situations that wildlife photographers encounter including and especially for birds in flight.

2- The camera controls – what they do and how to customize them for your shooting style and varying conditions.

3- Configuring the camera so that you never need to take your eye from the viewfinder when the action unfolds.

5- Insights and details on using legacy F-mount lenses on the Z-9.

6- Practical advice about the camera batteries and chargers.

7- How to take advantage of the new capabilities introduced with firmware v2.00.

8- The AF-area Modes you should use and those you should avoid.

Order yours here in the BAA Online Store for $69.00. Or Call Jim weekdays at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand.

Alan Murphy on the Z9 Guide

I was excited to learn that Warren had written a guide to the Nikon Z9 as I have been learning so much about the camera from him. I’ve had the Z9 for several months. Whenever I was puzzled by my new mirrorless camera body, I’d call Warren. He always had the answer. Now, everything that he knows about this great camera body — it continues to amaze me, is available to everyone. Warren’s Z9 guide is great asset for Nikon shooters.

The Backstory

I’d been thinking about trying to find someone competent to write a Z9 for BIRDS AS ART ever since I heard that Nikon had released a mirrorless camera that was great for bird photography. Warren Hatch attended an IPT several decades ago, learned the basics, and was inspired by the original The Art of Bird Photography. When a participant on the last 2022 Homer IPT had to leave early, Warren joined the IPT for several days. He raved about his Z9. After he told me about the work he had done extracting metadata for the last ten years of Nikon camera bodies for ExifTool, I was pretty sure that I had found the author I needed for a Z9 guide …

When I broached the subject of doing a Z9 guide for BIRDS AS ART, he did not seem too thrilled. But I talked him into it. We sent him a few of my Camera User’s Guides for reference. I was shocked when he sent me a link to his first draft in what seemed like only a week. Even better, the layout and design of the document was beyond impressive. I was busy getting ready for the GNPA EXPO (and then came home with COVID) so it took me a while to get into it. As the editorial consultant, my job was to bust Warren’s b____s when it came to clarity and readability. So I did. We exchanged three or four edited versions, each one a great improvement from the previous version. When we were almost done, Warren enlisted the help of Kaitlin Marks-Dubbs who did a professional job of copy editing the document. The last step was to send the final draft to the esteemed and talented lifelong Nikon shooter Alan Murphy who gave the project his blessings. That brings us to the publication of The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers by Warren Hatch. 🙂

So Who the Heck is Warren Hatch?

When it comes to Nikon camera bodies and nature photography, Warren Hatch is not chopped liver.

Warren retired from the information technology field eight years ago. He began as a computer programmer and retired as the Chief Information Officer of a multibillion-dollar consulting firm. He has been photographing full-time since then. His images have been honored by Audubon, Nature’s Best, and other international photo contests. Like me, photography is both his profession and his passion. For decades, Warren has made a concerted effort to understand what each and every camera body feature does and believes that his in-depth knowledge of his cameras’ buttons, dials, and capabilities has improved his photography.

Because of his close ties to Nikon, Warren was one of the first in the US to get his hands on a Z9. Not to mention a Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens!

For the past ten years, Warren has extracted the encrypted metadata from the Nikon NEF (raw) files for all Nikon professional camera bodies. The metadata contains the camera settings that include detailed autofocus information that is not available in Nikon’s NX Studio. He shares the extracted metadata with Phil Harvey who uses it in his hugely popular ExifTool software.

Typos

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

The One Big Secret to Making Great Bird Photographs
With Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART — Free NANPA Webinar

Yes, boys and girls. There really is just one big secret. It will be revealed at the very end of the webinar. Join me on July 13 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm EDT to learn a ton. Click here to register. This program is free and open to all. Covered topics will include seeing the shot, finding the best perspective, getting close to free and wild birds, the importance of wind direction in bird photography, understanding the direction and qualities of natural light, flight photography tips, getting the right exposure, image composition and design, and lots more.

What’s Up?

Jon Hoiles and I enjoyed another great morning at Huguenot Memorial Park just northeast of Jacksonville, FL. That despite a brisk southwest wind blowing right at the sun on a clear morning. Conditions for flight were so bad that we were actually doing landing-away shots. We had a decent sunrise and then worked the chicks for two hours. We both have sore butts. It stormed all afternoon, so I stayed in and got lots of work done both on the blog and the upcoming webinar.

I was thrilled to learn on Saturday that two folks more folks signed up for the August 2023 Galapagos trip. It may very well be sold out soon.

Be sure to scroll down all the way to view Images #2 and 2A, and to read my comments on “ghastly?” And be sure to click on each image to see the high-res version to increase your viewing pleasure.

Today is Sunday 3 July 2022. The forecast for this morning in Jacksonville is for more of the same — sunny to partly to mostly cloudy with a breeze from the west. Again, this is generally a kiss of death forecast for bird photography, but we will be out there again teaching and learning and having a ton of fun. When Jon got out of my vehicle in the morning, he said, “I can’t believe a place like this exists!”

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took less than an hour to prepare and makes one hundred six days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

This image was created on 1 July 2022 at St. Augustine Alligator Farm. I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/1000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be a perfect. AWB at 4:15:03pm on a finally and thankfully cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Spot S with AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled. — I did not think fast enough to switch to Animal, but the system performed well enough. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: American Alligator with a nearly-fledged Great Egret chick in its jaws

A Ghastly (?) Scene at St. Augustine

The young father to my right let out a scream to alert his young son that a gator had grabbed a bird that had fallen into the moat. The big reptile swam slowly from my right to left. “It may surface soon” I called out. And it did. The preponderance of alligators actually protects the young birds from ground predators like raccoons and opossoms.

Women’s Hats

Many of you know that in the late 1800s, more than 50 species of North American birds were being slaughtered annually, their feathers used by the millinery trade to adorn women’s hats. By the turn of that century many millions of birds were being killed by plume hunters each year. To learn how the carnage was ended, click here to read How Two Women Ended the Deadly Feather Trade on the Smithsonian Magazine website.

The above came to mind when I realized that the gator appears to be wearing an egret for a hat!

Getting the Right Exposure

This is one of the most difficult exposures that you could ever hope (or hope not to) run across: a dark, almost black subject with a white bird in its jaws. I am glad the sun was not out! With Zebra technology getting it right was almost too easy. I picked my shutter speed, 1/1000 second in case the gator started thrashing around. I went with my usual wide-open aperture, f/4. Then I simply increased the ISO until I saw faint Zebras on the whitest feathers. And fired away. See the RawDigger item below for confirmation.

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 techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all 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. 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: most 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 three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. 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. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.

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

Image #1A: RawDigger screen capture for the American Alligator with a nearly-fledged Great Egret chick in its jaws image

Ho Hum, Another Perfect Exposure

What can I say? The combination of Zebras live in the viewfinder (with your camera set up properly) and post-capture study of the raw files in RawDigger makes it pretty much child’s play to come up with perfect exposure after perfect exposure. Even in the most difficult situations. It would be impossible to overstate how much I have learned by studying RawDigger and how much better my exposures have become since I started with the program almost three years ago. The raw file brightness for today’s featured image is perfect with the G channel almost making the 16000 line.

RawDigger — not for the faint of heart …

Nothing has ever helped me learn to create perfect exposures to the degree that RawDigger has. I think that many folks are — as I was for many years, 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 often 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 Adapted (pink) 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 as I have struggled with R5 exposures and learned my new camera body, the Sony Alpha a1.

RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos

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 evaluate your exposures and the raw file brightness quickly and easily the 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.

This image was created on 1 July 2022 at St. Augustine Alligator Farm. I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via guesstimated with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/1000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 4:15:34pm on a finally and thankfully cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Spot S with AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled. — I did not think fast enough to switch to Animal, but the system performed well enough. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: American Alligator swimming away with a nearly-fledged Great Egret chick in its jaws

Going Away

The gator turned right as it approached a small island and swam away from me. I kept shooting figuring “What the heck? What better could I be doing? Even with the gator heading away, I liked this frame because the egret’s head broke the surface.

The Image Optimizations

Even with a dead-solid perfect exposure, great care was required when optimizing both of today’s featured images. First, I used Select > Color Range to select the WHITEs, placed the selection on its own layer, removed the BLUE, and restored some detail with a Linear Burn. Next, I selected the dark tones of the gator using the Quick Selection Tool, placed the selection on its own layer, and went Filter > Camera Raw Filter. There, I applied a big Shadow slider adjustment, and, in Curves, moved the Darks and the Shadows sliders to the right being sure not to overdo it.

Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2A: a large crop of the heron’s head in the American Alligator swimming away with a nearly-fledged Great Egret chick in its jaws image

What’s the Best Part?

When I asked myself that question for Image #2, the obvious answer was the head of the young bird that had broken the surface. So, I executed a relatively huge crop to create the image above. Sony Alpha a1 file size and image quality allowed for the big crop. I did select the young egret’s face and head and applied some Topaz Sharpen AI to that layer only. I will admit that it did a great job.

Ghastly?

As far as ghastly goes, remember that I am always rooting for the predators. Gators and raptors gotta eat too.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

I woke at 2:30am on Friday, read until 3:30, got out of bed and finished packing for JAX, created today’s YouTube video, and had time for a short session on the pier to satisfy my addiction. I headed into town at 8:15am.

TJ did his usual bang-up job on my right shoulder, my left knee, and my lower back. I headed toward my AirBnb right off I-95 in Jacksonville but when it clouded over and began to drizzle, I headed for the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. I was stunned when I walked in. There were probably more than 300 Snowy Egret chicks, many of them fledged, more than 200 fledged Tricolored Herons, probably 100 young Great Egrets, and maybe a dozen fledged or near-fledged Roseate Spoonbills. There were also a few Cattle Egret and Little Blue Heron families. Last but not least, there were several dozen Wood Stork nests, some with small chicks, others with fledged and flying young. But for a pair or two, the storks moved out of the big tree at the end of the boardwalk took up residence in the taller trees on either side of the boardwalk. And amazingly, there were several nests in the tall trees in the tourist section of the park.

By the time I got my gear, the sun had come out and the rain had disappeared. It was boiling broiling hot. From about 1:30 till 3pm, I nearly suffocated. And photography was nearly impossible because of the harsh shadows. At one point I almost quit. Just after three, the clouds returned and I enjoyed a nice 90 minutes until the lighting strikes were getting too, too close. Even with the clouds and the hundreds of birds making a good image was difficult. That’s how it rolls at rookeries. The strange thing about the day was that I never stopped for a nap.

Jeez, I almost forgot: a gator grabbed a big Great Egret chick right in front of me and I did make a few images.

Today is Saturday 2 July. The forecast for Jacksonville is for cloudy with a breeze from the WSW. With that wind in the morning clouds are way better than sun if you want to do flight photography. I am meeting Jn Hoiles at 5:30am just in case we get some mega sunrise color. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post (AKA, the video) took too long to prepare and makes one hundred five days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Instagram

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Creating the World’s Best JPEGs (Video)

Creating the World’s Best JPEGs Video: $23.00

In this 16-minute video, you will learn to create relatively small, high quality JPEGs to varying size specifications. However you wish to size your JPEGs, you will learn to create and sharpen highly detailed JPEGs that can be saved while limiting the file size. The method that I use to generically sharpen all my JPEGs is unique. Sharpening the whole image saves a ton of time and with the values that I use, nobody has ever commented on over-sharpening and the final results are spectacular. In the video, I show you exactly how I create and sharpen JPEGs for the blog and how I create and sharpen JPEGs for BirdPhotographer’s.Net. With my recipe, you will learn to create JPEGs to your specific size requirements while at the same time, maximizing image quality and limiting the file size.

Thanks to Anke Frohlich for pointing me in the right direction as to creating fabulous JPEGs.

You can order your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

Did the Green Heron Hold On To the Perch?

A few days ago, I posted the thumbnail image above in the blog post here and asked if folks thought that the heron held onto the post. It was unanimous that the bird held fast to the piling. Watch this short video and see if the bird held on, or if it wound up in the water. In addition, you will learn a bit about getting the right exposure and a bit about light angle.

Questions and comments are welcome.

The Galapagos 2023 Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime IPT

As a child, you dreamed of getting to the Galapagos. As a nature photographer, you’ve dreamed of getting to the Galapagos. If you’ve been, you’ve dreamed of getting back — with your mirrorless gear. International travel is now a reality. And you’ve come to realize that life is short. And that a dream deferred is a dream denied.

Dreams by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow

If you want to make your dream to come true, read everything below carefully, and then get in touch.

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: Nazca Booby staring, Sally Lightfoot Crab legs, Blue-footed Booby braking to land, dried mud patterns/Floreana, face of Galapagos Sea-Lion, Sally Lightfoot Crab, Great Frigatebird — large chick, Land Iguana, Magnificent Frigatebird, male in flight with pouch distended.

The Galapagos 2023 Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience

August 29 – September 12, 2023, on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $15,999.00 double occupancy. Single cabin: $28,999.00. Strict Limit: 13 photographers (plus the leader)

For this trip to run, I need ten deposit checks in hand by August 30, 2022. If this trip does not run, your deposit will, of course, be refunded in full — no questions asked. Five folks plus the leader are already committed.

If you are considering this trip, be sure to check out the Galapagos Gallery here. Please shoot me an e-mail if you are interested or if you have any questions.

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: Galapagos Sea-Lions squabbling; Blue-footed Booby foot; Blue-footed Booby in flight; seabird chick; Sally Lightfoot Crab; Swallow-tailed Gull in flight; Great Frigatebird head portrait; Galápagos penguin — juvenile; Nazca Booby resting.

The Best

This trip is THE best Galapagos Photo-Cruise in the world. By far. No one offers a trip that visits the top three world-class landings twice each (pending National Park Service approval as below). What does this trip offer? The world’s best Galapagos guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), a great crew, and me, with thirteen Galapagos Photo-cruises under my belt. Pre-trip gear suggestions and advice, and twice-daily, pre-landing, location-specific briefings. In-the-field photo instruction and guidance. Jeez, I almost forgot: fine dining at sea! Do know that there are one-week Galapagos trips (six full and two half- days on the boat) “from $9995”! Thus, this trip represents a tremendous value; why go all that way and miss half of the great photographic locations? And why not visit the three very best spots twice each? Additionally, there are two-week trips for less money where the itineraries include several waste-of-time “tourist landings” that offer little in the way of wildlife and nature photography.

Important notes: approval of the itinerary that allows for our extra visits is customarily approved right by the Galápagos National Park Service just before departure. We have never been turned down before. If by some chance the itinerary change is not approved, each participant will receive a $200 rebate.

The great spots that we will visit include Tower Island — including Darwin Bay (almost surely twice!) and Prince Phillips Steps, Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross (almost surely twice!), and Gardner Bay -— each of the preceding locations are world-class wildlife photography destinations that rank right up there with the best of Antarctica, South Georgia, the Falklands, Africa, and Midway. We will also visit Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises and Darwin’s Finches, Puerto Egas—James Bay, and North Seymour (twice!) for nesting Blue-footed Boobies and both frigatebird species in most years, South Plaza for Land Iguanas and seabirds (including Red-billed Tropicbird), Floreana for Greater Flamingoes, and Urbina Bay (for Land Iguanas. Each is spectacular in its own right. We visit every great spot on a single trip. Plus lots more.

There will be opportunities to snorkel on sunny middays for those who (like me) who wish to partake. We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast skies, we will often spend 5+ hours at the best sites. And as noted above, mid-day snorkeling is an option on most sunny days depending on location and conditions. On the 2015 trip we snorkeled with thousands of dolphins.

Note that some of the walks are on the difficult side. Great images are possible on all landings with a hand-held 70-200mm lens and a 1.4X teleconverter or an 80-or 100-400mm lens, a 100-500, or a 200-600 lens. In the past, I have taken a longer lens ashore on most landings as they better fit my style. In 2019 I did the whole trip with my Nikon 500PF and my SONY 100-400. In 2023, it is likely that I will do the whole trip with The Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 II (with both TCs) and the 200-600. I just might bring the 400mmm f/2.8 along …

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: Green Iguana – Guayaquil; Waved Albatross clicking display; Galapagos Tortoise eating passionfruit: Red-billed Tropicbird: male frigatebird with pouch distended; cave wall blur; face of Galapagos Sea-Lion with red sand background — Rabida: White-cheeked Pintail; Nazca Boobies calling.

The Logistics & Tentative Itinerary

Please note: All itineraries, routings, and visitor sites on the Galápagos Islands are subject to change by the Galápagos National Park Service to minimize traffic and impact.

SUN August 27, 2023: Arrive in Guayaquil a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat.

MON August 28, 2023: Introductory sessions.

TUES August 29, 2023: We fly to the archipelago (Baltra) and board the Samba. Heck, on some trips, folks make great images from the dock in Baltra while our luggage is being loaded!

TUES September 12, 2023: We disembark the Samba in mid-morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Most will fly home on the early morning of Wednesday, September 13, 2023, unless they are staying on or going elsewhere (or catching a red-eye flight on the evening of the TUES September 12.).

$15,999 includes just about everything: all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, transfers and ground transportation, your flights to and from the archipelago, and three nights (double occupancy) in a top-notch hotel in Guayaquil. If you are good to go, your non-refundable (except as previously noted) deposit of $7,000 per person is due immediately. The second payment of $5,000 is not due until 1/15/2023. The final payment of $3,999 per person will be due on 5/15/2023. All payments must be made by checks made out to BIRDS AS ART and mailed to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Deposits are double for single supplements.

Again, this trip needs ten participants registered by August 30, 2022, to run, so please do not book your flights until you learn that we are good to go.

Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully.

Not included: your round-trip airfare from your home to and from Guayaquil, beverages on the boat, phone calls, your meals in Guayaquil, personal items, and an $800/person cash tip to be shared by the crew and the guide. These folks will be waiting on us hand and foot every day for two weeks. The service on the boat is so wonderful that many folks opt to tip extra.

Please note: the current fuel surcharge of $300/person is included in the cost of the trip. If there is a significant increase in the price of diesel fuel in the next 14 months, the cost will be shared on a per/person basis (payable by check after you get home).

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: barrel cactus — infrared; Galapagos Storm Petrel — dorsal view; juvenile frigatebird banking; Short-eared Owl withe Wedge-rumped (Galapagos) Petrel; Nazca Booby displaying; immature frigate bird landing; booby sunset silhouette; Marine Iguana; White-cheeked Pintail displaying drake.

The Itinerary

The Logistics

SUN August 27, 2023: Arrive in Guayaquil a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat.

MON August 28, 2023: Introductory sessions.

TUES August 29, 2023: We fly to the archipelago (Baltra) and board the Samba.

On the Boat

Day 1: Tuesday, August 29 — PM North Seymour

Day 2: Wednesday, August 30 — Genovesa: AM Darwin Bay, PM Prince Phillips´ Steps

Day 3: Thursday, August 31 — Marchena: AM Playa Negra, PM Navigation to Isabela

Day 4: Friday, September 1 — Isabela: AM Punta Albemarle, PM Punta Vicente Roca

Day 5: Saturday, September 2 — AM Fernandina: Punta Espinoza, PM Isabela: Bahía Urbina

Day 6: Sunday, September 3 — Isabela: AM Elizabeth Bay, PM Punta Moreno

Day 7: Monday, September 4 — Floreana: AM Post Office Bay, PM Punta Cormorant

Day 8: Tuesday, September 5 — Santa Cruz: AM Highlands and Lunch, PM free time in the city with some usually poor internet access.

Day 9: Wednesday, September 6 — Española: AM Gardner Bay, PM Punta Suárez

Day 10: Thursday, September 7 — Española: AM Punta Suarez, PM Navigation to San Cristóbal

Day 11: Friday, September 8 — San Cristóbal. AM Isa Lobos (until 9 am), PM Punta Pitt

Day 12: Saturday, September 9 — AM Santa Fe, PM South Plaza

Day 13: Sunday, September 10 — Genovesa: AM Darwin Bay, Navigation to Santiago

Day 14: Monday, September 11 — AM: James Bay, PM Rábida

Day 15: Tuesday, September 12 — North Seymour from 6 to 9am. We disembark late morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023: Fly home.

I do hope that you can join us on what will surely be a rich and rewarding photographic voyage.

Typos

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

Jacksonville In-the-Field Sessions

Though nobody signed up for the first Jacksonville IPT, I am driving up on Friday and shooting through Tuesday morning. Dustin Hulbert inspired me with his e-mail a few days ago stating that the nesting season is in full swing with non-stop flight action, terns carrying all types of fish and invertebrates, lots of chicks, and lots of Laughing Gull/Royal tern midair battles.

The cost of a 3-1/2 hour morning session (this coming Saturday thru Tuesday) is only $275.00. For an additional $25.00, you can meet me at my AirBnb in Jacksonville and ride to, on, and from the beach with me. If you are interested in signing up for one or more sessions, please shoot me an e-mail ASAP.

What’s Up

As expected, bird photography opportunities are diminishing as it gets hotter and hotter here during the day. Tuesday morning was my least productive session in many months. No worries, though, the reality is that things will continue to get worse (until they get better). My hope is that the Green Herons continue to fish from the low pilings north of the pier, and that at some point, the juvies join the adults.

Today is Thursday 30 June 2022. The forecast is for partly cloudy with a light SE breeze. It will be down to the lake for me. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 Minutes to prepare and makes one hundred four days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

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Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Lens (with Extra)

Price Reduced $200.00 to a BAA Record-low on 6-29-2022

Bedford-friend Frank Ballatore is offering an AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens in near-mint condition for $2,695.95 (was $2,896.95). The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the soft-sided case, the original product box and manual, and a Wimberley AP-500 Replacement Lens Foot (along with the original Nikon foot). The lens has been stored in a humidity-controlled cabinet when not in use. Also included is 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 Frank via e-mail.

Taking exceptionally long reach and giving it a hand-holdable form factor, this 500mm prime utilizes a unique Phase Fresnel element to greatly reduce the size and weight compared to previous versions of the focal length.

This PF element, along with three extra-low dispersion elements, also helps to virtually eliminate color fringing and chromatic aberrations in order to achieve a high degree of clarity, sharpness, and color fidelity. Complementing this advanced optical design, individual elements also feature both Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings to suppress flare and ghosting, as well as a protective fluorine coating to guard the optical system from dust and moisture. Nikon & B&H

The Nikon PF series telephoto lenses are tremendously popular as they are relatively small and light and offer great reach. Both do well with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III. On my bucket list trip for the Emperor Penguins, I brought two D850 bodies, the 500 PF, and the Nikon 80-400VR. The 500 PF is still hard to come by and sells new for $3,296.95. This lens kills with a D850, a D500, or better yet, with a Z9 and the FTZ II adapter. artie

Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Zoom Lens

BAA-friend Steve Freno is offering a new-in-the-box Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Zoom lens for the fabulous price of $1599.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it along with insured ground shipping via FedEx to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Steve 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, for birds in flight, for quasi-macro stuff, and lots more. For flight, it is fabulous with an R5 or an R6 or an R7! The lens sells new for $2399.00 so you can save an amazing $800.00 by grabbing Steve’s brand-new lens right now. artie

This image was created on 27 June 2022 down by the lake at ILE. While standing on the pier, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via guesstimated with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/6400 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:31:50am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Center Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: the full frame version of the Green Heron striking image

Necessity, the Mother of Invention

I have ordered a monopod and the Wimberley MH-100 MonoGimbal Head for Monopods. I have long been against the use of monopods for bird photography, but my BPN-friend Joe Przybyla finally convinced me to give it a go. Hand holding the 400mm f/2.8 is an absolute delight. Even though it is only a few ounces lighter than the 600mm f/4 GM, it shorter length makes it much easier to handhold. That said, it is too heavy for me to hold in place without support while waiting for a Green Heron on a piling to strike. And I hate dragging the tripod around, especially when I am hoping to photograph flying Ospreys. So, on Monday past, I invented a new technique.

I rested the lens hood on the pier railing with my left hand below the lens barrel making sure that the Full Time Direct Manual Focus (DMF) switch was set to OFF. That prevents my hand from throwing off the focus. Anyhoo, my right hand held the camera and allowed me to frame the image and acquire focus using the tilted rear screen (with my reading glasses on and the viewfinder level activated). This technique is not as stable as being on a tripod, but it works well. I would acquire focus with Tracking: Center Zone and recompose to place the subject in the upper right corner of the frame. The AF held nicely and performed magically as the bird struck.

This image was created on 27 June 2022 down by the lake at ILE. While standing on the pier, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via guesstimated with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/6400 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:31:50am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Center Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: a cropped version of the Green Heron striking image

Striking Image Questions

1- Do you think that the bird kept its grip on the piling?

2- Do you like the wider version, Image #1, or the cropped, tighter version, Image #2? Either way, why?

Flight Photography at Jacksonville Till You Can’t Lift Your Lens! with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Join me on the beach at Huguenot Memorial Park to learn about photographing terns in flight. 8,000 pairs of Royal Terns nest there and there are birds in the air all the time, often carrying all kinds of fish and crabs for their young. Learn about how the relationship between the wind and the sun impacts flight photography and about the best gear for shooting birds in flight. Join me on a workshop at Jacksonville this summer.

Cute & Beautiful: Photographing Chicks in Jacksonville, FL with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

There is an amazing beach near Jacksonville, FL where 8,000 pairs of Royal Terns and 12,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls (along with a few other species) breed each summer. As this video shows, photographing the chicks is easy in the summer. And there is tons of great flight photography as well. If you want to improve your bird photography skills, consider joining me on an Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT).

Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG. Clockwise from upper left clockwise and back around to the center: Royal Tern in flight with squid for chick; Royal Tern chick on beach; Royal Tern in flight with shrimp for young; Royal Tern chick — double overhead wing stretch; Royal Tern landing with greenback for chick; Royal Tern in flight with juvenile mahi mahi for chick; Brown Pelican — large chick preening; Laughing Gull in fresh juvenal plumage; Royal Tern chick begging; Many Royal Terns with many chicks on face of dune.

Jacksonville IPT: 4 FULL DAYS — the afternoon of FRI 15 JULY thru the morning of TUES 19 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5)

I first visited the breeding bird colony at Jacksonville in late June 2021. I was astounded. There were many thousands of pairs of Royal Terns nesting along with about 10,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls. In addition to the royals, there were some Sandwich Terns nesting. And there are several dozen pairs of Brown Pelicans nesting on the ground. Flight photography was non-stop astounding. And photographing the tern chicks was relatively easy. Folks could do the whole trip with the Sony 200-600, the Canon 100-500 RF, or the Nikon 500 PF or 200-500 VR. With a TC in your pocket for use on sunny days. Most of the action is within 100 yards of where we park (on the beach). As with all bird photography, there are times when a super-telephoto lens with either TC is the best tool for the job.

Morning sessions will average about 3 1/2 hours, afternoon sessions about 1 1/2 hours. On cloudy mornings with favorable winds, we may opt to stay out for one long session and skip the afternoon, especially when the afternoon forecast is poor. Lunch is included on the first three days of the IPT and will be served at my AirBnB. We will do image review and Photoshop after lunch.

We will be based somewhere west and a bit north of Jacksonville where there are many AirBnB possibilities. The deposit is $599.00. Call Jim at the office any weekday at 863-692-0906 to pay by credit card. Balances must be paid by check.

Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG. Clockwise from upper left clockwise and back around to the center: Royal Tern feeding chick; Royal Tern/4-week-old chick; ink-stained Royal Tern in flight with squid for chick; Royal Tern/3-week-old chick begging; Brown Pelican in flight on white sky day; fresh juvenile Laughing Gull on clean beach; Laughing Gulls stealing fish from Royal Tern; tight shot of Royal Tern in flight with fish for young.

What You Will Learn on a Jacksonville IPT

• 1- First and foremast you will learn to become a better flight photographer. Much better.
• 2-You will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button.
• 3- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you fear it.
• 4- You will learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography, especially the photography of birds in flight.
• 5- You will learn several pro secrets (for each system) that will help you to become a better flight photographer.
• 6- You will learn to zoom out in advance (because the birds are so close!) 🙂
• 7- You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 8- You will learn to spot the good and the great situations.
• 9- You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior.
• 10- You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 11- You will learn to choose the best perspective.
• 12- You will learn to see and control your backgrounds.
• 13- You will learn to see and understand the light.
• 14- You will learn to see and create pleasing blurs in pre-dawn situations.
• 15- You will learn to be ready for the most likely event.

The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever you are and whenever you photograph.

Typos

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

World War II and Me

I recently realized that there were big holes in my understanding of World War II. At the suggestion of a friend, I enrolled in a free online course at Hillsdale College. “The Second World Wars,” is taught by Victor Davis Hanson and Larry P. Arnn. It helped me understand this massive and complex conflict in new ways. You can learn more or enroll here. After watching the seven videos, and wanting to go deeper, I purchased a copy of The Story of World War II: Revised, expanded, and updated from the original text by Henry Steele Commager, by Donald L. Miller & Henry Steele Commager.

It was fantastic, packed with quotes from the men and women who were there. The sheer horror and fear and pain and suffering experienced and conveyed is so real that you could feel it. As my Dad, PFC Robert Edward Morris, had his right arm shot off in Okinawa, the book brought his experience to life for me through the words of others. You can learn more about my Dad’s amazing life in the 2019 veteran’s Day blog post here. And you can meet my mom as well.

In The Story of World War II, Commager and Miller told the stories of several war photographers and artists. They mentioned one specific painting. I sought it out.

Note: I flopped this painting from the original to honor my Dad, who lost his right arm in WW II. “The Price” by Tom Lea

The Price

That painting was “The Price,” by Life Magazine WW II artist Tom Lea. My search brought me to the blog of Mark Vallen, Art for a Change. There, I found his Tom Lea & the Art of War post. I read it with great interest and followed many of the links. There you can see the field sketch that Lea based the painting on (when he got home). And there I found a link to the PBS gallery of artworks created by combat artists of World War II, They Drew Fire.

In Vallen’s post, he quotes Tom Lea:

“I fell flat on my face just as I heard the whishhh of a mortar. I knew was too close. A red flash stabbed at my eyeballs. About fifteen yards away, on the upper edge of the beach, it smashed down four men from our boat. One figure seemed to fly to pieces. With terrible clarity I saw the head and one leg sail into the air.

I got up … ran a few steps, and fell into a small hole as another mortar burst threw dirt on me. Lying there in terror looking longingly up the slope for better cover, I saw a wounded man near me, staggering in the direction of the LVTs (Landing Vehicle – Tracked). His face was half bloody pulp and the mangled shreds of what was left of an arm hung down like a stick, as he bent over in his stumbling, shock-crazy walk. The half of his face that was still human had the most terrifying look of abject patience I have ever seen. He fell behind me, in a red puddle on the white sand.

It was established later that the invasion of Peleliu as a stepping stone to the invasion of the Philippines had not been necessary – Gen. MacArthur had already bypassed the Palaus and landed at Leyte in the Philippines.”

If the word Peleliu does not ring any bells for you, you might wish to learn more about it. Learn more about Peleliu and Tome Lea’s experience there in the History.Net article, “Fire for Effect: The Price,” here. These two short quotes are from the piece.

On Peleliu, Lea closed that range with all the finality of a prison gate slamming shut. He felt the fear, heard the screams, and saw the different ways combat can shatter a man: physically by fire, or emotionally by the inhuman stress of the fight. Lea was pretty modest about his role. “My work [on Peleliu] consisted of trying to keep from getting killed,” he later wrote. His short stay on the island changed him, however, and resulted in two of the war’s most harrowing images.

Peleliu was the place where Tom Lea, artist, gazed into the face of war. Peleliu was where he learned the truth, and where he showed America the price its sons were paying every day.

Both Lea’s painting and The Story of World War II were brutally sobering. I have lots more books to read.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

I got down to the pier early and was glad I did as there was some nice sunrise silhouette color. And a Little Blue Heron foraged in just the right spots. Next, I created a few Osprey images. Then it clouded over completely, and the wind died to nothing, so I headed home to do some wildflowers in my front yard.

Today is Sunday 26 June 2022. The forecast for this morning if for sunny with increasing cloudiness and a breeze from the northwest. I will be heading down to the lake early to see what’s up. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes one hundred days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906.

Sunrise Silhouette Strategy from the Pier in June

Discovering New Stuff

Though I’ve been photographing at Indian Lake Estates (ILE) for more than two decades, I did not realize that there were some good sunrise silhouette possibilities from the pier during the warmer months when the sun rises north of east. The more you photograph at a given location, the more you will discover and learn.

If I am out on the pier in the vicinity of B, and there is a bird or two in the vicinity of A, I can move east or west as needed to place the bird in the sunrise color (and make some nice images). Even on dead clear days, there may be some nice color just before or after sunrise. And if there are some light clouds on the eastern horizon, or some fog or haze, there can be some very good opportunities. All that I need to do is get down to the lake by 6:15am at the latest.

For more than two decades, I assumed that there simply were very few if any good sunrise situations at ILE. Go figure.

This image was created on 25 June 2022 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing on the pier, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined accurately using Zebra technology. ISO 2000. 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 6:53:06am with some light clouds on the eastern horizon just after sunrise. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Little Blue Heron adult fishing

What Makes a Good Sunrise Situation on the Pier?

1- First, you need a subject. If there are no birds in the water close to the pier, you will go home empty-handed even with spectacular sunrise color.

2- Mornings with little or no wind will maximize the color (if any).

3- You need at least some sunrise color reflected in the water. As noted above, some light clouds or fog or haze can be your best friends.

4- There is some freshwater vegetation in the area denoted by the A in the diagram above. Sometimes including the vegetation in the frame can be a plus, but it often detracts. With today’s featured images I was glad to have the bird in open water.

This image was created on 25 June 2022 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing on the pier, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined accurately using Zebra technology. ISO 2000. 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 6:53:06am with some light clouds on the eastern horizon just after sunrise. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Little Blue Heron adult striking

The Gear and How I Used It

Most mornings, I head onto the pier with the handheld 400mm f/2.8 GM lens with the 1.4X TC and an Alpha 1 attached. The 2X TC is in my fanny pack, along with the TC caps, in case I want to go to the bare lens alone. If I see a Green Heron or two on the small pilings to the north of the pier, I will usually bring the tripod along. On some mornings — don’t ask me why, I will bring the 600mm f/4 GM lens along with both TCs and the tripod. I am always happy with my choice. Why? Because happiness itself is a choice. (Byron Katie — www.The Work.com)

Anyhoo, on Saturday morning I mounted the 2X TC as the possibility for some sunrise color existed. There was some very nice color early on, but the sun was a bit too bright, and the bird was fishing in the vegetation. But the time it made its way into clear water, there was just a hint of color left. Resting my left forearm and the pier railing I set the shutter speed at 1/500 second and increased the ISO until I had some Zebras on the water. With my Zebra values set perfectly, this ensures a perfect or dead-solid perfect exposure. In a span of about seven seconds, I created more than 40 images. The herons and egrets will almost always give you a sign that they are about to strike by retracting the feathers on their head and neck. At that point, I hold the shutter button down to take advantage of the a1’s 30 frames per second. So, that is exactly what I did. I kept two of the seven images that showed the splash. The fish was a tiny one.

Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action. Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide 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. By June 1, 2022, the group was up to an astounding 124 lucky and blessed folks. (More than a few folks own two or more a1 bodies! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that everyone in the group receives an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. Your entry into the group includes a consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE. New a1 folks will now receive six e-mails instead of the previous 28! You will receive new e-mails as they are published. Simply put, this e-mail guide is an incredible resource for anyone with an a1.

All who purchased their Alpha 1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link — B&H or Bedfords — will receive a free Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up Guide and free entry into the Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.). Others can purchase their guide here in the BAA Online Store.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide

126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.

Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back-and-forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:

• Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
• Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
• The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
• Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
• Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
• Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
• West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
• Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.

Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.

You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.

Typos

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

July 4th Weekend in Central Florida

If you live or will be in Central Florida (or anywhere near Duval county) on the long July 4th weekend and would like to explore the possibility of doing some amazing photography with me on a shared-cost basis, please get in touch with me immediately via e-mail.

What’s Up?

Every day that I head down to the lake I see or learn something new — often both. I’ve seen Purple Gallinule in the marsh almost every day. I’ve seen the young Ospreys in fresh juvenal plumage dive off the pier railings into the lake and come up empty every time. On Thursday morning, I saw one on a power pole with a large, fresh-caught fish. I’ve been seeing a hen Mottled Duck with two tiny ducklings. I’ve studied the patterns of the roosting young Anhingas and the fishing adult green herons on the short pilings. I’ve tried a variety of lighting situations with both species. I’ve worked on my early morning silhouette images made from the pier. And I’ve learned that when the adult Limpkins grab a big snail, they will extract the meat and feed it to their now large chicks while standing in the water. But when the adults and the young are foraging on their own, they will walk to nearest vegetation, place the prey item on a leaf or the stalks in the center of the plants, and work it then to avoid dropping their meal in the water. In many but not all these cases, the additional knowledge leads to better images.

I was glad to learn that the sale of Sandra Calderbank’s Canon Flash/Battery/Macro 30-item Package is now pending.

Be sure to check out Images #1, 1A, 1B, and 1C as there is a ton to learn in today’s post.

Today is Friday 24 June. The forecast was for clear skies with a SW breeze, so I tried something new. More on that tomorrow. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than two hours to prepare and makes ninety-eight days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906.

This image was created in the Highlands of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos. I used the Induro GIT-204L/Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 560mm) and the Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 640: 1/125 second at f/9 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 10:44:39 on a cloudy, misty morning. Image #1: Galapagos Tortoise enjoying a guava fruit brunch

Tortoise Day!

We land early at the town dock, take a bus up to the highlands, photograph for many hours, enjoy a catered lunch, and then spend the afternoon tooling around town. For those who have not had enough photography, there are some good opportunities by the bay. We end with a fine thank you dinner on the main street of Puerto Ayora. Did I mention great shopping?

As we head up the hill by bus, the weather invariably becomes foggy and misty, perfect weather for photographing the ancient and often huge tortoises. In addition, we usually have some good chances on songbirds. These include Galapagos Flycatcher, the rufous-capped race of Yellow Warbler, and several species of Darwin’s finches. Tortoise Day comes smack in the middle of the Photo-cruise and offers a chance to have some laundry done. It is one of the many great highlights of the trip. There is an option to head back to the ship to change and/or nap before dinner.

The tortoises are not tame. In our pre-landing briefing, on the bus en route, and again in the field, we instruct you on how to get close to these amazing animals without disturbing them. As you might expect, low and very slow is the ticket. A pair of light rain pants is a plus.

Image #1A: the Photo Mechanic screen capture for the Galapagos Tortoise enjoying a guava fruit brunch image

Blocked Up Dark Tones

Whether using film or digital, we must always expose to the right without over-exposing the highlights. The result is that the dark tones will be rendered several stops too dark. With film, it is what it is. Your dark tones will be too dark and you just have to live with it. In addition, the colors are muddy. But with digital, it is easy to open up the dark tones and to adjust the color balance as well. The trick is do most of the adjustments during the raw conversion and to be sure to do that judiciously. Remember, the further you expose to the right without over-exposing the highlights, the easier it will be to open up the darker tones. Why? Because you are rendering them as light as possible in the raw file.

Image #1B: the Camera Raw sliders used to convert the Galapagos Tortoise enjoying a guava fruit brunch image

Opening Up the Dark Tones During the Raw Conversion

First, be sure to click on both Image #1 and Image #1A to see how nicely the dark tones were opened up by properly adjusting the sliders in Camera Raw, as in Image #1B. The key adjustments here were reducing to color temperature to eliminate the red cast, moving the Shadow slider to +54, and moving the Black slider to +35. The latter is done by rote while holding down the Alt key until the under-exposure warnings disappear. I moved the Vibrance slider to +20 to bring up the colors of the smashed guava bits.

Compare Image #1 with Image #1B and note the clean-up work done on the face. Most of that involved removing dirt from the fruit. I used my usual cadre of clean-up tools and techniques, the Patch Tool, Content-Aware Fill, the Clone Stamp, and Divide and Conquer. Last was to lighten the white portion of the iris just a bit using Tim Gray Dodge and Burn.

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 techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all 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. 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: most 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 three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. 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. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.

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

Image #1C: The RawDigger screen capture for the Galapagos Tortoise enjoying a guava fruit brunch image

Getting the Right Exposure

Though this image was made a year before I learned about RawDigger, I did a very good job with the exposure. Compare the Photo Mechanic histogram with the RawDigger adapted histogram. Both look pretty darned good. That is often not the case. As seen in the RawDigger screen capture, the exposure here is perfect with the green channel approaching the 16000 line.

What can I say? The combination of Zebras live in the viewfinder (with your camera set up properly) and post-capture study of the raw files in RawDigger makes it pretty much child’s play to come up with perfect exposure after perfect exposure. It would be impossible to overstate how much I have learned by studying RawDigger and how much better my exposures have become since I started with the program almost two years ago. The raw file brightness for today’s featured image is perfect with the G channel almost making the 16000 line. In other words, the raw file brightness is perfect.

RawDigger — not for the faint of heart …

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 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 Adapted (pink) 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 as I have struggled with R5 exposures and learned my new camera body, the Sony Alpha a1.

RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos

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 evaluate your exposures and the raw file brightness quickly and easily the 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.

The Galapagos 2023 Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime IPT

As a child, you dreamed of getting to the Galapagos. As a nature photographer, you’ve dreamed of getting to the Galapagos. If you’ve been, you’ve dreamed of getting back — with your mirrorless gear. International travel is now a reality. And you’ve come to realize that life is short. And that a dream deferred is a dream denied.

Dreams by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow

If you want to make your dream to come true, read everything below carefully, and then get in touch.

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: Nazca Booby staring, Sally Lightfoot Crab legs, Blue-footed Booby braking to land, dried mud patterns/Floreana, face of Galapagos Sea-Lion, Sally Lightfoot Crab, Great Frigatebird — large chick, Land Iguana, Magnificent Frigatebird, male in flight with pouch distended.

The Galapagos 2023 Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience

August 29 – September 12, 2023, on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $15,999.00 double occupancy. Single cabin: $28,999.00. Strict Limit: 13 photographers (plus the leader)

For this trip to run, I need ten deposit checks in hand by August 30, 2022. If this trip does not run, your deposit will, of course, be refunded in full — no questions asked. Five folks plus the leader are already committed.

If you are considering this trip, be sure to check out the Galapagos Gallery here. Please shoot me an e-mail if you are interested or if you have any questions.

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: Galapagos Sea-Lions squabbling; Blue-footed Booby foot; Blue-footed Booby in flight; seabird chick; Sally Lightfoot Crab; Swallow-tailed Gull in flight; Great Frigatebird head portrait; Galápagos penguin — juvenile; Nazca Booby resting.

The Best

This trip is THE best Galapagos Photo-Cruise in the world. By far. No one offers a trip that visits the top three world-class landings twice each (pending National Park Service approval as below). What does this trip offer? The world’s best Galapagos guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), a great crew, and me, with thirteen Galapagos Photo-cruises under my belt. Pre-trip gear suggestions and advice, and twice-daily, pre-landing, location-specific briefings. In-the-field photo instruction and guidance. Jeez, I almost forgot: fine dining at sea! Do know that there are one-week Galapagos trips (six full and two half- days on the boat) “from $9995”! Thus, this trip represents a tremendous value; why go all that way and miss half of the great photographic locations? And why not visit the three very best spots twice each? Additionally, there are two-week trips for less money where the itineraries include several waste-of-time “tourist landings” that offer little in the way of wildlife and nature photography.

Important notes: approval of the itinerary that allows for our extra visits is customarily approved right by the Galápagos National Park Service just before departure. We have never been turned down before. If by some chance the itinerary change is not approved, each participant will receive a $200 rebate.

The great spots that we will visit include Tower Island — including Darwin Bay (almost surely twice!) and Prince Phillips Steps, Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross (almost surely twice!), and Gardner Bay -— each of the preceding locations are world-class wildlife photography destinations that rank right up there with the best of Antarctica, South Georgia, the Falklands, Africa, and Midway. We will also visit Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises and Darwin’s Finches, Puerto Egas—James Bay, and North Seymour (twice!) for nesting Blue-footed Boobies and both frigatebird species in most years, South Plaza for Land Iguanas and seabirds (including Red-billed Tropicbird), Floreana for Greater Flamingoes, and Urbina Bay (for Land Iguanas. Each is spectacular in its own right. We visit every great spot on a single trip. Plus lots more.

There will be opportunities to snorkel on sunny middays for those who (like me) who wish to partake. We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast skies, we will often spend 5+ hours at the best sites. And as noted above, mid-day snorkeling is an option on most sunny days depending on location and conditions. On the 2015 trip we snorkeled with thousands of dolphins.

Note that some of the walks are on the difficult side. Great images are possible on all landings with a hand-held 70-200mm lens and a 1.4X teleconverter or an 80-or 100-400mm lens, a 100-500, or a 200-600 lens. In the past, I have taken a longer lens ashore on most landings as they better fit my style. In 2019 I did the whole trip with my Nikon 500PF and my SONY 100-400. In 2023, it is likely that I will do the whole trip with The Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 II (with both TCs) and the 200-600. I just might bring the 400mmm f/2.8 along …

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: Green Iguana – Guayaquil; Waved Albatross clicking display; Galapagos Tortoise eating passionfruit: Red-billed Tropicbird: male frigatebird with pouch distended; cave wall blur; face of Galapagos Sea-Lion with red sand background — Rabida: White-cheeked Pintail; Nazca Boobies calling.

The Logistics & Tentative Itinerary

Please note: All itineraries, routings, and visitor sites on the Galápagos Islands are subject to change by the Galápagos National Park Service to minimize traffic and impact.

SUN August 27, 2023: Arrive in Guayaquil a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat.

MON August 28, 2023: Introductory sessions.

TUES August 29, 2023: We fly to the archipelago (Baltra) and board the Samba. Heck, on some trips, folks make great images from the dock in Baltra while our luggage is being loaded!

TUES September 12, 2023: We disembark the Samba in mid-morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Most will fly home on the early morning of Wednesday, September 13, 2023, unless they are staying on or going elsewhere (or catching a red-eye flight on the evening of the TUES September 12.).

$15,999 includes just about everything: all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, transfers and ground transportation, your flights to and from the archipelago, and three nights (double occupancy) in a top-notch hotel in Guayaquil. If you are good to go, your non-refundable (except as previously noted) deposit of $7,000 per person is due immediately. The second payment of $5,000 is not due until 1/15/2023. The final payment of $3,999 per person will be due on 5/15/2023. All payments must be made by checks made out to BIRDS AS ART and mailed to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Deposits are double for single supplements.

Again, this trip needs ten participants registered by August 30, 2022, to run, so please do not book your flights until you learn that we are good to go.

Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully.

Not included: your round-trip airfare from your home to and from Guayaquil, beverages on the boat, phone calls, your meals in Guayaquil, personal items, and an $800/person cash tip to be shared by the crew and the guide. These folks will be waiting on us hand and foot every day for two weeks. The service on the boat is so wonderful that many folks opt to tip extra.

Please note: the current fuel surcharge of $300/person is included in the cost of the trip. If there is a significant increase in the price of diesel fuel in the next 14 months, the cost will be shared on a per/person basis (payable by check after you get home).

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: barrel cactus — infrared; Galapagos Storm Petrel — dorsal view; juvenile frigatebird banking; Short-eared Owl withe Wedge-rumped (Galapagos) Petrel; Nazca Booby displaying; immature frigate bird landing; booby sunset silhouette; Marine Iguana; White-cheeked Pintail displaying drake.

The Itinerary

The Logistics

SUN August 27, 2023: Arrive in Guayaquil a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat.

MON August 28, 2023: Introductory sessions.

TUES August 29, 2023: We fly to the archipelago (Baltra) and board the Samba.

On the Boat

Day 1: Tuesday, August 29 — PM North Seymour

Day 2: Wednesday, August 30 — Genovesa: AM Darwin Bay, PM Prince Phillips´ Steps

Day 3: Thursday, August 31 — Marchena: AM Playa Negra, PM Navigation to Isabela

Day 4: Friday, September 1 — Isabela: AM Punta Albemarle, PM Punta Vicente Roca

Day 5: Saturday, September 2 — AM Fernandina: Punta Espinoza, PM Isabela: Bahía Urbina

Day 6: Sunday, September 3 — Isabela: AM Elizabeth Bay, PM Punta Moreno

Day 7: Monday, September 4 — Floreana: AM Post Office Bay, PM Punta Cormorant

Day 8: Tuesday, September 5 — Santa Cruz: AM Highlands and Lunch, PM free time in the city with some usually poor internet access.

Day 9: Wednesday, September 6 — Española: AM Gardner Bay, PM Punta Suárez

Day 10: Thursday, September 7 — Española: AM Punta Suarez, PM Navigation to San Cristóbal

Day 11: Friday, September 8 — San Cristóbal. AM Isa Lobos (until 9 am), PM Punta Pitt

Day 12: Saturday, September 9 — AM Santa Fe, PM South Plaza

Day 13: Sunday, September 10 — Genovesa: AM Darwin Bay, Navigation to Santiago

Day 14: Monday, September 11 — AM: James Bay, PM Rábida

Day 15: Tuesday, September 12 — North Seymour from 6 to 9am. We disembark late morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023: Fly home.

I do hope that you can join us on what will surely be a rich and rewarding photographic voyage.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

Most of the photography action is centered around the pier right now. On Tuesday morning, I walked the pier twice and spent some time in the shallow water just north of the pier. I photographed Osprey, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Common Moorhen, Mottled Duck, Anhinga, Limpkin, and Green Heron. Oh, and a guy who seems to be fishing for alligators.

I was thrilled to learn that Eugen Dolan and David Pugsley and his wife Michelle have signed up for the Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a lifetime. That makes eight. I need two more deposits by the end of August to commit to the trip. If you are at all interested, please contact me via e-mail.

Today is 22 June 2022. The forecast for this morning is for partly to mostly cloudy with the wind switching early from the E/NE to the north. That sounds like fun to me. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an 90 minutes to prepare and makes ninety-seven days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Another Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906.

AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Lens (with Extra)

Bedford-friend Frank Ballatore is offering an AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens in near-mint condition for $2,896.95. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the soft-sided case, the original product box and manual, and a Wimberley AP-500 Replacement Lens Foot (along with the original Nikon foot). The lens has been stored in a humidity-controlled cabinet when not in use. Also included is 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 Frank via e-mail.

Taking exceptionally long reach and giving it a hand-holdable form factor, this 500mm prime utilizes a unique Phase Fresnel element to greatly reduce the size and weight compared to previous versions of the focal length.

This PF element, along with three extra-low dispersion elements, also helps to virtually eliminate color fringing and chromatic aberrations in order to achieve a high degree of clarity, sharpness, and color fidelity. Complementing this advanced optical design, individual elements also feature both Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings to suppress flare and ghosting, as well as a protective fluorine coating to guard the optical system from dust and moisture. Nikon & B&H

The Nikon PF series telephoto lenses are tremendously popular as they are relatively small and light and offer great reach. Both do well with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III. On my bucket list trip for the Emperor Penguins, I brought two D850 bodies, the 500 PF, and the Nikon 80-400VR. The 500 PF is still hard to come by and sells new for $3,296.95. This lens kills with a D850, a D500, or better yet, with a Z9 and the FTZ II adapter. artie

And Please Remember

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) 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 who, like me, 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.

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 earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex 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 check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists 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 a 1, 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.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

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 (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs 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. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

This image was created on 21 June 2022 down by the lake at ILE. While standing in the marsh right of the pier, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via guesstimated with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500. 1/1250 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:15:35am on a cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Green Heron — juvenile in flight/wings up pano crop

Guesstimating the Exposure

I picked up the Green Heron as it flew by from left to right, angling a bit toward me. With the scalloped pattern on the upper wing coverts, I knew that it was a juvenile. It was the first I had seen this season. I am hoping that the young will begin fishing on the pilings.

Anyhow, I had been working a Great Egret fishing in the marsh at ISO 1000, 1/1250 sec. at f/4. I instinctively turned the Thumb Dial four clicks to the right to ISO 2500 as the darker juvie heron needed a lot more light than the Great Egret. I realized that the shutter speed — 1/1250 second, was in the marginal range, but I did not have time to change the shutter speed after raising the ISO. And if I had raised the shutter speed by any number of 1/3-stop clicks, I would have needed to raise the ISO that same number of clicks. So, I winged it and fired off a 20-frame burst. I was pleasantly surprised that the images were acceptably sharp.

For flight photography I have come to prefer 1/2500 or 1/3200 sec. or faster. That’s a far cry from film where 1/500 sec. was the norm for flight photography.

This image was created on 21 June 2022 down by the lake at ILE. While standing in the marsh right of the pier, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was guesstimated with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500. 1/1250 sec. at f/6.4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:15:35am on a cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Green Heron — juvenile in flight/wings down pano crop

Head Angle Fine-point Question

Enlarge each image and take a close look at the head angle. Is one head angle better than the other? Which one? Why?

Your Calls?

Which image do you like best? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.

Do both images need more contrast or darker middle tones? Which and why?

Image #3: Topaz DeNoise screen capture for the Green Heron — juvenile in flight image

Topaz DeNoise

Be sure to click on the screen capture to see the complete elimination of noise in the after image on our right. And note that if the fine details are sharper than in the original.

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, 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.

Flight Photography at Jacksonville Till You Can’t Lift Your Lens! with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Join me on the beach at Huguenot Memorial Park to learn about photographing terns in flight. 8,000 pairs of Royal Terns nest there and there are birds in the air all the time, often carrying all kinds of fish and crabs for their young. Learn about how the relationship between the wind and the sun impacts flight photography and about the best gear for shooting birds in flight. Join me on a workshop at Jacksonville this summer.

Cute & Beautiful: Photographing Chicks in Jacksonville, FL with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

There is an amazing beach near Jacksonville, FL where 8,000 pairs of Royal Terns and 12,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls (along with a few other species) breed each summer. As this video shows, photographing the chicks is easy in the summer. And there is tons of great flight photography as well. If you want to improve your bird photography skills, consider joining me on an Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT).

Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG. Clockwise from upper left clockwise and back around to the center: Royal Tern in flight with squid for chick; Royal Tern chick on beach; Royal Tern in flight with shrimp for young; Royal Tern chick — double overhead wing stretch; Royal Tern landing with greenback for chick; Royal Tern in flight with juvenile mahi mahi for chick; Brown Pelican — large chick preening; Laughing Gull in fresh juvenal plumage; Royal Tern chick begging; Many Royal Terns with many chicks on face of dune.

Jacksonville IPT #1: 4 FULL DAYS — the afternoon of FRI 1 JULY thru the morning of TUES 5 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5)

Jacksonville IPT #2: 4 FULL DAYS — the afternoon of FRI 15 JULY thru the morning of TUES 19 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5)

The first three folks to register on each trip can ride to and on and from the beach with me for no charge.

I first visited the breeding bird colony at Jacksonville in late June 2021. I was astounded. There were many thousands of pairs of Royal Terns nesting along with about 10,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls. In addition to the royals, there were some Sandwich Terns nesting. And there are several dozen pairs of Brown Pelicans nesting on the ground. Flight photography was non-stop astounding. And photographing the tern chicks was relatively easy. Folks could do the whole trip with the Sony 200-600, the Canon 100-500 RF, or the Nikon 500 PF or 200-500 VR. With a TC in your pocket for use on sunny days. Most of the action is within 100 yards of where we park (on the beach). As with all bird photography, there are times when a super-telephoto lens with either TC is the best tool for the job.

Morning sessions will average about three 1/2 hours, afternoon sessions about 1 1/2 hours. On cloudy mornings with favorable winds, we may opt to stay out for one long session and skip the afternoon, especially when the afternoon forecast is poor. Lunch is included on the first three days of the IPT and will be served at my AirBnB. We will do image review and Photoshop after lunch.

We will be based somewhere west and a bit north of Jacksonville where there are many AirBnB possibilities. The deposit is $599.00. Call Jim at the office any weekday at 863-692-0906 to pay by credit card. Balances must be paid by check.

Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG. Clockwise from upper left clockwise and back around to the center: Royal Tern feeding chick; Royal Tern/4-week-old chick; ink-stained Royal Tern in flight with squid for chick; Royal Tern/3-week-old chick begging; Brown Pelican in flight on white sky day; fresh juvenile Laughing Gull on clean beach; Laughing Gulls stealing fish from Royal Tern; tight shot of Royal Tern in flight with fish for young.

What You Will Learn on a Jacksonville IPT

• 1- First and foremast you will learn to become a better flight photographer. Much better.
• 2-You will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button.
• 3- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you fear it.
• 4- You will learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography, especially the photography of birds in flight.
• 5- You will learn several pro secrets (for each system) that will help you to become a better flight photographer.
• 6- You will learn to zoom out in advance (because the birds are so close!) 🙂
• 7- You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 8- You will learn to spot the good and the great situations.
• 9- You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior.
• 10- You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 11- You will learn to choose the best perspective.
• 12- You will learn to see and control your backgrounds.
• 13- You will learn to see and understand the light.
• 14- You will learn to see and create pleasing blurs in pre-dawn situations.
• 15- You will learn to be ready for the most likely event.

The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever you are and whenever you photograph.

Typos

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

Which Do You Like Best?

Which do you like best, the flight shot, the video, or the clacking head shot? Why?

What’s Up?

Sunday morning dawned cloudy. The sun came out for ten minutes early on. I was out for an hour and a half; it was my least productive morning in the last four months. But I had fun and created a few nice images. The best of those were of an adult Killdeer. At about 4pm, my central AC unit began blowing hot air. Ridge Energy should be here today.

Today is Monday 20 June 2022. The forecast for this morning is for sunny with a soft breeze from the east. I will be headed down soon. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than an hour to prepare and makes ninety-seven days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens for Nikon F

Susan Piper is offering a Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens for Nikon F in like-new condition for $650.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the front lens cover, the original product box and packaging, the lens bag, the owner’s manual, 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 Susan via e-mail.

The versatile 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses have long been big favorites of many nature photographers. They are great for landscapes. I have used this lens with Canon and Nikon and SONY. I used my Canon version to photograph granddaughter Maya’s dance recitals and to create bird-scapes and pre-dawn blast-off blurs at Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico. They are fast and sharp and have 1,000 uses. The 70-200 f/2.8 lenses are a specialty lens for bird photographers. Like the bad little child, when they are good, they are really, really good! I’ve used mine mostly for flight photography at point blank range where their performance is unmatched, especially in low light. I’ve killed with these lenses on the gannet boat in the UK, in Homer for eagles, for pre-dawn and blizzard blast-offs at Bosque, and at Merritt Island on single birds from huge feeding sprees right next to the road.

The Nikon version of this super-versatile lens sells new for $1,896.95! Grab Susan’s practically new body and save $1246.95. artie

A popular telephoto zoom lens for a variety of shooting applications, this Nikon F-mount SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens from Tamron is characterized by its bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture, as well as sophisticated optical and physical designs. In regard to optics, an improved layout contains one XLD element and five LD elements to suppress color fringing and chromatic aberrations for notable clarity and color accuracy, and both BBAR and eBAND coatings have been applied to reduce flare and ghosting.

Complementing the optical assets, this 70-200mm f/2.8 also features an advanced Vibration Compensation (VC) system that compensates for up to five stops of camera shake for sharper handheld shooting. A ring-type Ultrasonic Silent Drive autofocus motor is also featured for responsive and accurate performance, and also affords full-time manual focus override for fine-tuned control. Additionally, the lens is also dust- and moisture-resistant for working in trying environmental conditions, and it is paired with a rotating, removable tripod foot with an Arca-type compatible base for seamless shooting atop a tripod or monopod. Tamron & B&H

This image was created Punta Suarez — Espanola (Hood Island), Galapagos, Ecuador on 31 July 2019. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my main (#1) Nikon D850. ISO 500. Matrix metering at about +1/3 stop as originally framed was perfect: 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6. AUTO1 WB at 3:23pm on a sunny afternoon. Center Group (grp)/Shutter Button/Continuous (AI Servo with Canon) AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune: +2. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Image #2: Waved Albatross in flight

Photographing Waved Albatross

Punta Suarez — Espanola (Hood Island), Galapagos, Ecuador is just about the only place in the world to photograph Waved Albatross. With two visits, our chances for making some excellent flight shots of this species on my next Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a lifetime will be excellent. My primary lenses on this voyage will be The Sony 70-200mm II GM and the 200-600 G lens. My 600 f/4 GM lens will be left at home, but I just might bring my 400mm f/2.8 GM along for selected landings.

Waved Albatross Courtship Video

Click on the play button above to view my Waved Albatross courtship video. The video was Highly Honored in the Video category of the 2016 Nature’s Best contest. Thanks to Patrick Sparkman for the great work he did editing the videos and shaping them into a highly honored entry.

If you’d like to see this dance in person, join me on the August 2023 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a lifetime (details below). My trip is the only one on the planet that visits Hood, Tower Island, and North Seymour twice each on a two-week trip. Both locations rank right up there with the best photo locations in the world.

This image was created Punta Suarez — Espanola (Hood Island), Galapagos, Ecuador on 1 August 2019. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 479mm) and the Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800: 1/800 second at f/9 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:33am on a very cloudy morning. Waved Albatross clacking display

Espanola (Hood Island), Galapagos

Other than a few breeding pairs along the coast of Ecuador, all the world’s Waved Albatrosses nest on Espanola. The population has been relatively stable at about 34,000 pairs. Only a small section of the colony is seen by visitors along parts of the (at times) rocky trail on one of the great landings in all of the archipelago. The trail is rife with Red-tailed Tropicbirds, Swallow Tailed Gulls, and Marine Iguanas. We should have lots of chances on Waved Albatrosses in flight and performing their elaborate courtship dances. In fact, the landing at Hood Island is so good that we do it twice on my trips. And the same is true of spectacular landings at Darwin Bay and North Seymour.

I hope to be making one last voyage to the Galapagos in late August 2023 (as below). If you are interested in joining me on the 2023 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime, scroll down and then get in touch via e-mail.

The Galapagos 2023 Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime IPT

As a child, you dreamed of getting to the Galapagos. As a nature photographer, you’ve dreamed of getting to the Galapagos. If you’ve been, you’ve dreamed of getting back — with your mirrorless gear. International travel is now a reality. And you’ve come to realize that life is short. And that a dream deferred is a dream denied.

Dreams by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow

If you want to make your dream to come true, read everything below carefully, and then get in touch.

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: Nazca Booby staring, Sally Lightfoot Crab legs, Blue-footed Booby braking to land, dried mud patterns/Floreana, face of Galapagos Sea-Lion, Sally Lightfoot Crab, Great Frigatebird — large chick, Land Iguana, Magnificent Frigatebird, male in flight with pouch distended.

The Galapagos 2023 Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience

August 29 – September 12, 2023, on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $15,999.00 double occupancy. Single cabin: $28,999.00. Strict Limit: 13 photographers (plus the leader)

For this trip to run, I need ten deposit checks in hand by August 30, 2022. If this trip does not run, your deposit will, of course, be refunded in full — no questions asked. Five folks plus the leader are already committed.

If you are considering this trip, be sure to check out the Galapagos Gallery here. Please shoot me an e-mail if you are interested or if you have any questions.

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: Galapagos Sea-Lions squabbling; Blue-footed Booby foot; Blue-footed Booby in flight; seabird chick; Sally Lightfoot Crab; Swallow-tailed Gull in flight; Great Frigatebird head portrait; Galápagos penguin — juvenile; Nazca Booby resting.

The Best

This trip is THE best Galapagos Photo-Cruise in the world. By far. No one offers a trip that visits the top three world-class landings twice each (pending National Park Service approval as below). What does this trip offer? The world’s best Galapagos guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), a great crew, and me, with thirteen Galapagos Photo-cruises under my belt. Pre-trip gear suggestions and advice, and twice-daily, pre-landing, location-specific briefings. In-the-field photo instruction and guidance. Jeez, I almost forgot: fine dining at sea! Do know that there are one-week Galapagos trips (six full and two half- days on the boat) “from $9995”! Thus, this trip represents a tremendous value; why go all that way and miss half of the great photographic locations? And why not visit the three very best spots twice each? Additionally, there are two-week trips for less money where the itineraries include several waste-of-time “tourist landings” that offer little in the way of wildlife and nature photography.

Important notes: approval of the itinerary that allows for our extra visits is customarily approved right by the Galápagos National Park Service just before departure. We have never been turned down before. If by some chance the itinerary change is not approved, each participant will receive a $200 rebate.

The great spots that we will visit include Tower Island — including Darwin Bay (almost surely twice!) and Prince Phillips Steps, Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross (almost surely twice!), and Gardner Bay -— each of the preceding locations are world-class wildlife photography destinations that rank right up there with the best of Antarctica, South Georgia, the Falklands, Africa, and Midway. We will also visit Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises and Darwin’s Finches, Puerto Egas—James Bay, and North Seymour (twice!) for nesting Blue-footed Boobies and both frigatebird species in most years, South Plaza for Land Iguanas and seabirds (including Red-billed Tropicbird), Floreana for Greater Flamingoes, and Urbina Bay (for Land Iguanas. Each is spectacular in its own right. We visit every great spot on a single trip. Plus lots more.

There will be opportunities to snorkel on sunny middays for those who (like me) who wish to partake. We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast skies, we will often spend 5+ hours at the best sites. And as noted above, mid-day snorkeling is an option on most sunny days depending on location and conditions. On the 2015 trip we snorkeled with thousands of dolphins.

Note that some of the walks are on the difficult side. Great images are possible on all landings with a hand-held 70-200mm lens and a 1.4X teleconverter or an 80-or 100-400mm lens, a 100-500, or a 200-600 lens. In the past, I have taken a longer lens ashore on most landings as they better fit my style. In 2019 I did the whole trip with my Nikon 500PF and my SONY 100-400. In 2023, it is likely that I will do the whole trip with The Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 II (with both TCs) and the 200-600. I just might bring the 400mmm f/2.8 along …

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: Green Iguana – Guayaquil; Waved Albatross clicking display; Galapagos Tortoise eating passionfruit: Red-billed Tropicbird: male frigatebird with pouch distended; cave wall blur; face of Galapagos Sea-Lion with red sand background — Rabida: White-cheeked Pintail; Nazca Boobies calling.

The Logistics & Tentative Itinerary

Please note: All itineraries, routings, and visitor sites on the Galápagos Islands are subject to change by the Galápagos National Park Service to minimize traffic and impact.

SUN August 27, 2023: Arrive in Guayaquil a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat.

MON August 28, 2023: Introductory sessions.

TUES August 29, 2023: We fly to the archipelago (Baltra) and board the Samba. Heck, on some trips, folks make great images from the dock in Baltra while our luggage is being loaded!

TUES September 12, 2023: We disembark the Samba in mid-morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Most will fly home on the early morning of Wednesday, September 13, 2023, unless they are staying on or going elsewhere (or catching a red-eye flight on the evening of the TUES September 12.).

$15,999 includes just about everything: all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, transfers and ground transportation, your flights to and from the archipelago, and three nights (double occupancy) in a top-notch hotel in Guayaquil. If you are good to go, your non-refundable (except as previously noted) deposit of $7,000 per person is due immediately. The second payment of $5,000 is not due until 1/15/2023. The final payment of $3,999 per person will be due on 5/15/2023. All payments must be made by checks made out to BIRDS AS ART and mailed to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Deposits are double for single supplements.

Again, this trip needs ten participants registered by August 30, 2022, to run, so please do not book your flights until you learn that we are good to go.

Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully.

Not included: your round-trip airfare from your home to and from Guayaquil, beverages on the boat, phone calls, your meals in Guayaquil, personal items, and an $800/person cash tip to be shared by the crew and the guide. These folks will be waiting on us hand and foot every day for two weeks. The service on the boat is so wonderful that many folks opt to tip extra.

Please note: the current fuel surcharge of $300/person is included in the cost of the trip. If there is a significant increase in the price of diesel fuel in the next 14 months, the cost will be shared on a per/person basis (payable by check after you get home).

Clockwise from upper left corner and back to center: barrel cactus — infrared; Galapagos Storm Petrel — dorsal view; juvenile frigatebird banking; Short-eared Owl withe Wedge-rumped (Galapagos) Petrel; Nazca Booby displaying; immature frigate bird landing; booby sunset silhouette; Marine Iguana; White-cheeked Pintail displaying drake.

The Itinerary

The Logistics

SUN August 27, 2023: Arrive in Guayaquil a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat.

MON August 28, 2023: Introductory sessions.

TUES August 29, 2023: We fly to the archipelago (Baltra) and board the Samba.

On the Boat

Day 1: Tuesday, August 29 — PM North Seymour

Day 2: Wednesday, August 30 — Genovesa: AM Darwin Bay, PM Prince Phillips´ Steps

Day 3: Thursday, August 31 — Marchena: AM Playa Negra, PM Navigation to Isabela

Day 4: Friday, September 1 — Isabela: AM Punta Albemarle, PM Punta Vicente Roca

Day 5: Saturday, September 2 — AM Fernandina: Punta Espinoza, PM Isabela: Bahía Urbina

Day 6: Sunday, September 3 — Isabela: AM Elizabeth Bay, PM Punta Moreno

Day 7: Monday, September 4 — Floreana: AM Post Office Bay, PM Punta Cormorant

Day 8: Tuesday, September 5 — Santa Cruz: AM Highlands and Lunch, PM free time in the city with some usually poor internet access.

Day 9: Wednesday, September 6 — Española: AM Gardner Bay, PM Punta Suárez

Day 10: Thursday, September 7 — Española: AM Punta Suarez, PM Navigation to San Cristóbal

Day 11: Friday, September 8 — San Cristóbal. AM Isa Lobos (until 9 am), PM Punta Pitt

Day 12: Saturday, September 9 — AM Santa Fe, PM South Plaza

Day 13: Sunday, September 10 — Genovesa: AM Darwin Bay, Navigation to Santiago

Day 14: Monday, September 11 — AM: James Bay, PM Rábida

Day 15: Tuesday, September 12 — North Seymour from 6 to 9am. We disembark late morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023: Fly home.

I do hope that you can join us on what will surely be a rich and rewarding photographic voyage.

Typos

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