April 22nd, 2021 What’s Up?
Anita North and I spent two cloudy hours with the growing crane chicks on Wednesday morning. In the afternoon, we took an airboat ride and learned some important lessons. Airboats have no way of slowing down as there is no reverse. Anchoring an airboat is a lengthy procedure. With their flat bottoms, airboat are not very stable. As you might have figured out by now, bird photography from an airboat is pretty much a losing proposition.
Today is Thursday 22 April. The forecast for Fellsmere is for clear with gentle north winds switching early to northeast. We will be heading to Stick Marsh at about 6am. Clemens Van der Werf is coming up with his flats boat midday, and Jim is picking up Donna Bourdon at MCO at 2pm. I will enjoy three days of busman’s holiday photography. Then Donna and I head over to Gulfport for the second DeSoto IPT. We are now pretty much set at four: Donna, IPT veterans Jim Miller, Shelly Lake, and Jake Levin. But there are still two openings; I would love to have you along. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a great day.
This blog post took more than an hour to prepare and makes 120 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, for example, is available from B&H and/or Bedfords and is also available in the BAA Online Store, that it would be great if you purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save money at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now at zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
The Situation
We were all sitting on the wet sand at the end of a long tidal pool where several dozen shorebirds were actively feeding on invertebrates. We stayed for about an hour. The Westerns were the most numerous. We also had some Semipalmated Plovers and Dunlin, a few Sanderling, and a Least Sandpiper or two. The birds move so fast that when we were done, I didn’t think that I had gotten anything good. When I reviewed my images, however, I was quite thrilled. Of my 92 keepers after the first edit, I had three Dunlin images. All the rest were Western Sandpipers.
What’s Going On Here?
When you see groups of sandpipers feeding on a mudflat, you will often see one or more of them tipping forward with their tails up and their heads down. If you know what this behavior is, or would like to make a guess, please leave a comment.
Sony Alpha a1 Crop-ability
Here, I cropped the original image file to a vertical, getting rid of 66.6% of the original pixels. (Photoshop tip: select the 2X3 preset from the Crop Tool dropdown menu.) The image quality of the resulting 63MB master file is superb. As we discussed here and seen fairly recently, if you begin with a sharp, properly exposed image, the large files of the high mega-pixel camera bodies, they will stand up to healthy crops.
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Image #1A: AF Points for the Western Sandpiper molting into breeding plumage image
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SONY Alpha a1 AF
Set up correctly, the subject detection, face tracking, and animal eye tracking AF system of the a1 is currently second to none. And it kills for flight as well. The results above are typical and can usually be obtained effortlessly. Even though the system was a fraction off the bird’s eye, the eye was laser/razor sharp, and the eye-skin crispy just the way it should be.
Close Enough to Perfect!
With your Sony Alpha a1 set up correctly, the AF system is science-fiction-like (even, as we have seen, at 1200mm). As always, no matter how amazing the AF performance, it is up to the operator to correctly frame the image …
Sony Alpha a1 AF Magic …
The AF system of the a1 — set up as detailed in e-mails to the Sony Alpha a1 Info & Updates group, continues to amaze me. Early on, there was lots of discussion within the group with many preferring multiple back button approaches. For me a simple shutter button approach with the right AF settings that yield 99% sharp-on-the-eye images is best. By far. It is super-simple and mega-effective. Note: info on the program that I use to ascertain SONY AF point information is detailed in one of the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group e-mails. I plan on making that information available here soon for all SONY camera users. You guessed it, I am working on a guide. 🙂
SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based advice. We are now up to an astounding 35 folks. Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. More recently, we have been in contact with folks at SONY sharing our thoughts, experiences, and frustrations with the EVF blackout problem.
All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info Updates. Alternatively, they can call Jim weekday afternoons at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
April 21st, 2021 What’s Up?
Tuesday was dark, dingy, overcast, and gray; it rained softly most of the day. I never got down to the lake even once as I had to run lots of errands in town. I answered lots of e-mails and worked on a few images.
Today is Wednesday 21 April 2021. The forecast for this morning is for cloudy with a 10mph northwest wind. I will be heading down to the lake early to check on the three young Sandhill Cranes. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a great day.
This blog post took more than an hour to prepare and makes 119 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, for example, is available from B&H and/or Bedfords and is also available in the BAA Online Store, that it would be great if you purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save money at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
Sales Tax Update
In the blog post here, I covered the site-by-state tax situations with regards to Bedfords, B&H, and the B&H Payboo card. Please understand that all of the tax situations are subject to change at a moment’s notice. For example, the day after that blog post was published, Colorado sent Bedfords a notice that they now have NEXUS, so they had to add CO to their list of sales tax states.
Important Note: If a retailer does not charge sales tax, consumers are (generally) required to self-assess and pay the sales tax to their local state and or city. Individual tax compliance is, of course, a personal choice.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now at zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created in Katchemak Bay, AK — across from Homer — on one of the two 2020 Bald Eagle IPTS. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (at 170mm) and the former AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 500. Exposure determined via t\Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: 1/3200 sec. at f/3.2 (stopped down 1/3 stop)in Manual (M) mode. AWB at 3:08am on a cloudy afternoon.
Center Zone AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Bald Eagle perfect t-shot
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Perfect Tee Shots Golf
Not many know that in my early twenties I was a pretty fair golfer. My home course was Marine Park in Brooklyn, built on a garbage dump near the Kings Plaza Mall. As a senior, I was captain of the Brooklyn College golf team. Though a four-handicap at my best, I always choked in the big tournaments. One year, I missed qualifying for the second round of the New York State Public Links Championship by one stroke. After starting with a triple bogey seven on a short par four (with three balls in the water on one hole!), I played the best seventeen holes of my life on a tough course to shoot 80. Ask me someday about the late Dom Ferrone, who — as a huge long-shot, won the MGA Intercollegiate Championship in 1968. He became the head teaching pro at Calloway Gardens for several decades, and like Luis Grunauer, died too young. He called me “Boom-boom.”
That brings us to the perfect tee shot. For me, that was a 300-yard fade right down the middle of the fairway. I was always long, but not always straight.
While searching the web for info on Dom, I came across this link to an interview article for SaviorLabs as an Edge of Innovation Podcast that I did more than three years ago with : Living the Dream as a Nature Photographer With Arthur Morris, by Paul Parisi. You can read it or listen. I just read the whole thing and found it quite interesting, especially the part about my sixth grade teacher, Mrs.McMenamin. It’s short and a great read. And Paul has a great voice.
In my early twenties, I had the great pleasure of playing many rounds with the late Charlie Owens, a Black paratrooper who played on the PGA and the Senior Tour, once winning two of three events on the latter. While checking him out as I worked on this blog post, I learned that he died in 2017 at age 85 while living in Winter Haven, FL, just 45 minutes from my home. I would have loved to have visited him.
Perfect T-Shots in Bird Photography
In bird photography a t-shot is an image of a bird in flight that is flying directly overhead. They usually work best when the bird is gliding with flat wings rather than when flapping. In a perfect world, the bird’s wings are symmetrical. Todays’ featured image checks all the boxes.
What Do Snow and White Sand Have in Common?
Both snow and light-toned sand can act as reflectors that light the underwings of birds in flight, even on cloudy days (as with today’s featured image). I schedule my Homer IPTs (2022 dates to be announced soon) very early, in hopes of photographing during a blizzard 🙂 and in hopes of having snow on the ground. Aside from acting as a reflector, fresh snow makes for clean, gorgeous, studio-like backgrounds.
Image Question
Should I have placed this bird a bit lower in the frame? Why or why not?
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144 sold to rave reviews.
The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris
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The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)
Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.
Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.
Click here to learn more about the SONY e-Guide.
Folks who have used my B&H affiliate links or purchased their SONY gear are invited to e-mail for discount information.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
April 20th, 2021 What’s Up?
On Monday morning, the thunder, lightning, and rain stopped at about 10am. I headed down to the lake at about eleven. The two crane chicks and the large colt were healthy and accounted for. I created a few flower images; none of them were any good. I continued my second and third edits. I deleted 510 raw files from the Homer 2020 folder and 192 from the DEC 2020 folder.
I was shocked to learn of the sudden and unexpected death of my good friend and multiple IPT veteran Luis Grunauer. This e-mail was forwarded to me by mutual friend Albert Ryckman:
With my broken heart this news I’m sharing with you… this is Silvia Grunauer; my husband suffered an aneurysm and a stroke on 3/28. He passed on Sunday 4/11.
I am sending love, strength, energy, and a big hug to Silvia and the rest of the Grunauer family. (I called yesterday, but was unable to reach her.)
Luis was as nice and as enthusiastic person as you would ever hope to run into. He will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know him. Rest in peace my little brother.
Today is Tuesday 20 April. It is still, humid, and grey out. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a great day.
This blog post took more than two hours to prepare and makes 118 consecutive days with a new one. Please remember to use my B&H affiliate links or to save money at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs now at zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!
You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.
Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a9 ii, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created on Clemens Van der Werf’s flats boat on 2 February 2021. I used the hand held Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1000. Exposure determined via test image and blinkies evaluation: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 (wide open) in Manual (M) mode. AWB at 4:02am on a partly cloudy afternoon.
Zone AI Servo AF (as detailed in the R5 e-Guide) was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #1: Osprey with wings raised after landing
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Lake Blue Cypress for Ospreys
Lake Blue Cypress is an incredibly gorgeous location. It often seems that every dead or dying Cypress tree has an Osprey nest on it. The bad news is that you need some type of watercraft to photograph there. For me, boats are like dogs. I love dogs, as long as they are not mine (and I don’t have to walk them) … Thanks, Clemens!
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Cover Image courtesy of and Copyright 2021 Brian Sump (Sump scores!)
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The BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide: $75.00
The guide is 82 pages long: 21,458 words. More than 50 DPP 4 Autofocus-depicting screen captures. And a 31 minute 44 second educational video. This guide took three and a half months of hard work and a ton of help from at least seventeen very helpful and generous folks.
The guide covers — in great detail — all Menu Items that are relevant to bird, nature, and wildlife photography. It does not cover video. The section on AF methods and the AF Gallery has been expanded from the R5/R6 AF e-guide. It remains the one of the great strengths of this guide. I share my thoughts on what I am sure is the single best AF Method for photographing birds in flight. As most of you know, the guide includes a simple and easy way to change AF Methods that was introduced to me by Geoff Newhouse. In the AF Gallery you will see exactly how Face Detection plus Tracking AF works. In the Educational R5 Gallery video, I share my favorite R5 images along with dozens of bird photography tips and techniques.
In addition, I teach you how to get the best exposures with your R5. Detailed instructions on using the great In-camera HDR and Multiple Exposure features will be appreciated by creative folks who like to have fun. The three shutter modes are explained in detail as well. Bruce Dudek solved the can’t-get-to-Auto ISO problem that had stumped everyone at Canon. This information is of course shared in the guide. You will learn how to set up your EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) and Screen toggle options. Not to mention that the mysterious performance of the Q Button is revealed and simplified. Brian Sump’s images reveal how well you can do when using the R5 with EF lenses using one of the three Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapters (as Donna did with Image #1 below). You will learn how I use Customize Dials to put either ISO or EC on the Thumb Dial and how to set up and save Custom Shooting Modes (C1-C3) that can remember both your Customize Dial and Customize Button settings! That is something that none of the SONY bodies do. 🙁 Near the end of the guide I share my all-important MY MENU items with you.
Like all BAA educational materials, the R5 guide is written in my informal, easy-to-follow style. I am quite proud of this guide and look forward to hearing your thoughts on our hard work.
You can purchase your copy of the BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide for $75.00 here in the BAA Online Store or by calling Jim in the office weekday afternoons at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.
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Image #1A: Topaz Sharpen AI on the face of the Osprey with wings raised after landing image
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Topaz Sharpen AI
I have been learning recently that even with accurately focused, tack-sharp images made at relatively high shutter speeds (like 1/3200 and 1/2500 second), Topaz Sharpen AI (on Auto) can almost always detect some motion blur and re-align the offending pixels. At times, as with today’s Image #1, the improvement can be dramatic. Before bringing this image into Sharpen AI, I ran Topaz Denoise AI as the first step in my workflow after opening the (Capture One-) converted TIF file in Photoshop.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plug-ins), will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. If the stuff is on sale (as it usually is), you save 15% off of the sale price! To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Those who purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or any other Topaz plug-ins using my link and then entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. Please include a copy of your Topaz receipt that shows the discount. Aside from the basics, the guide explains how to install the plug-ins so that they appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu.
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This image was created by Colin Driscoll of Lake Macquarie, Australia. Working from the back deck of his home, he used the tripod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, the Canon Extender EF 2X III,, and the highly-touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/3200 sec. at f/9 in Shutter Priority AE mode. AWB at 4:02am on a partly cloudy afternoon.
Face Detection plus Tracking AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly.
Image #2: Osprey taking flight
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Colin Driscoll
Crop and post processing by BIRDS AS ART
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Learning a Ton from Colin’s Osprey Image
I ran across Colin’s version of Image #2 here in the Avian Forum on BirdPhotographers.Net. It was obvious to all who commented that there was something rotten in Denmark. The challenge was to figure out the cause of the unsharpness and the poor image quality. Toward that end, I asked Colin to shoot me the raw (CR.3) file via a large file sending service. He did. Whether or not you own an R5, I urge you to visit the thread to see what I learned from examining and re-processing the raw file. In the comments, there are probably a dozen important and basic bird photography lessons. If you would like to see my complete analysis including the screen captures, please click here to shoot me an e-mail requesting same.
The Resulting e-Mail Exchange
AM: Hi Colin, It is good to hear back from you. Thanks for being open to learning.
CD: Thanks so much for the invaluable insights.
AM: YAW.
CD: You saved me from the embarrassment of sending the body to Canon and having them return it with a charge!
AM 🙂
CD: As I noted on BPN, because of a very demanding work load I have little opportunity to go out on photo shoots. Yet I desperately wish to get to a high standard.
AM: Understood about work! Wanting to improve is key.
CD: So the process is a bit slow. One benefit of my job is that the gear is tax deductible because it is also used in my job — I either buy good gear or pay more tax, easy choice.
AM: That is good. When I talked with Brian Sump yesterday, we both spoke of times when we feel that we cannot make a good image and that we should throw our gear in the nearest lake. And Brian made a good point on the thread that it often takes a while to get in sync with one’s new gear.
CD: Brian, your shots with similar gear are a great motivation.
AM: For sure. That is why one of Brian’s images was chosen to grace the cover of the R5 guide.
CD: You’ve been quiet, Daniel, but you are a humbling inspiration and an example of the rule that it is the photographer first and gear second, love your work.
Note: BPN Super-moderator Daniel Cadieux was copied on my original e-mail to Colin; he has been busy at work.
AM: Ditto on that. I have featured Daniel’s extraordinary work with his Canon EOS 7D and then 7D II on the blog many times.
With thanks and love to all, a
artie
BirdPhotogrpahers.Net
BPN, where honest critiques are done gently. And it ain’t just birds! If you are honestly interested in improving your skills as a nature photographer, investing in a BPN membership, posting images, and commenting on the image of others, will surely be the best $40 you have ever spent on photography. Click here to become a BPN member. Right now, there are some amazing images on the first page of Avian.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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