February 25th, 2021 What’s Up?
I had hoped for some huge flocks of ibis in flight at Circle B Bar Preserve before the sun came up and there were. But they were about two miles distant. I did make some half-way decent blurs. I headed for my favorite morning American White Pelican spot and did quite well. I was so busy driving and answering e-mails that I did not touch the R5 Camera User’s e-Guide yesterday. I should have a ton of time to work on it today.
Jim and I went down to the lake at 3:30pm to check on the two crane families. All four chicks were safe and accounted for. Last year, only two Sandhill Crane chicks survived. That out of the six that hatched along the lakefront. The wind was from the northeast, perfect for sunset silhouette photography. I went back down at 5:50pm. There was some nice color brewing, but the wind had switched to the southwest so I turned around and went back home.
Today is Thursday 25 February 2021. The forecast for this morning is for clear skies with a gentle NW breeze. Though that is not good for bird photography, I will head down early to check on the little cranes and see what else is about.
If you would like to explore the possibility of a morning In-the-Field Instructional session here at ILE for crane chicks, or at Lakeland for American White Pelicans, please contact me via e-mail or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372.
As noted below, Bedfords is getting a considerable number of Canon R5 and R6 bodies very soon. The RF 100-500s and 70-200s are, however, currently very difficult to get. My best advice is to stop what you are doing and order yours now to get on the list and get your new lens faster. And be sure of course to use the BIRDSASART code at checkout to save 3% and enjoy free second-day air Fed-Ex shipping.
I was glad to learn that Ted Keltz sold his Canon 7D Mark II and that the sale of Monte Brown’s Canon 100-400 II became pending within hours.
This blog post took more than two hours to prepare and makes sixty-seven days in a row with a new one. Please remember …
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.
Wanted to Buy
If you have a anon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens that you would like to part with, please contact me via e-mail as I have an interested buyer.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III dSLR Converted to Infrared (with Extras)
BIRDS AS ART friend and multiple IPT veteran Morris Herstein is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark III dSLR converted to infrared (830 nanometers) by Life Pixel in excellent plus condition with extras for $999.00. The sale include two Canon LP-E6N batteries, the charger, the front body cap, two Lexar 128GB 1066X flash cards, 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 Morris via e-mail.
When I shot Canon exclusively, I had a ton of fun making landscapes, tree-scapes, and cloud-scapes with a 5D Mark II that had been converted to infrared. The 5D III is a step up from that. These infrared-converted bodies pair well with the 24-105 and any of the 70-200s. artie
Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4 Macro Lens for Canon EF
Sold first day of listing!
BIRDS AS ART friend and multiple IPT veteran Morris Herstein is offering a Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4 Macro Lens for Canon EF in new condition for a very low $279.00. The sale include the front and rear caps 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 Morris via e-mail.
This is a fully manual super-wide angle lens that focuses down to life-size. It sells new for $499.00. artie
Before now, wide-angle macro required the use of extension tubes and other workarounds, but now the Laowa 15mm Macro offers true 1:1 magnification without the hassle. The ultra-wide perspective on full-frame cameras allows users to get exceptionally close to their subjects with a minimum focus distance of just 4.7″, and have them fill the frame, while still capturing the background.
Optically, it is designed to minimize distortion that plagues wide-angle lenses with the use of an advanced 12-element-in-9-group construction with one extra-low dispersion and three high-refractive elements. A multi-layer low-reflective coating further improves image quality by reducing the appearance of flare and ghosting. Also, when used on APS-C cameras, or in crop modes, the lens offers +/- 6mm of vertical shift which can help correct for perspective when shooting objects such as buildings.
Full manual operation is required with this lens through the use of a physical aperture ring with a range of f/4 to f/32 and a large focusing ring. A flat front element provides room for a 77mm front filter thread for using a selection of specialized filters to enhance your scene. Additionally, it has a near circular 14-blade diaphragm for smooth out of focus elements and comes with a lens hood. B&H
FlexShooter Pro Tripod Head
BIRDS AS ART friend and multiple IPT veteran Morris Herstein is offering a barely used FlexShooter Pro head in for a BAA record-low $498.00. The sale includes 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 Morris via e-mail.
The FlexShooter Pro is a ballhead that thinks and acts like a gimbal head. Thanks to the bi-directional clamp, it is great for lenses short and long. Once your rig is set up properly, long lenses stay right where you point them without your having to lock up the head! Where you point the lens is what you get. That thanks to the patented counter-balanced spring system design. I predicted that these heads would take the world of nature photography by storm. And they have. They sell new for $599.00. artie
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RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
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The RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
by Arthur Morris with Patrick Sparkman
The RawDigger e-Guide was created only for serious photographers who wish to get the absolute most out of their raw files.
Patrick and I began work on the guide in July 2020. At first we struggled. We asked questions. We learned about Max-G values. We puzzled as to why the Max G values for different cameras were different. IPT veteran Bart Deamer asked lots of questions that we could not answer. We got help from RawDigger creator Iliah Borg. We learned. In December, Patrick came up with an Adapted Histogram that allows us to evaluate the exposures and raw file brightness for all images created with all digital camera bodies from the last two decades. What we learned each time prompted three complete beginning to end re-writes.
The point of the guide is to teach you to truly expose to the mega-Expose-to-the-Right so that you will minimize noise, maximize image quality, best utilize your camera’s dynamic range, and attain the highest possible level of shadow detail in your RAW files in every situation. In addition, your properly exposed RAW files will contain more tonal information and feature the smoothest possible transitions between tones. And your optimized images will feature rich, accurate color.
We teach you why the GREEN channel is almost always the first to over-expose. We save you money by advising you which version of RawDigger you need. We teach you how to interpret the Max G values for your Canon, Nikon, and SONY camera bodies. It is very likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you. And lastly — thanks to the technical and practical brilliance of Patrick Sparkman — we teach you a simple way to quickly and easily evaluate your exposures and raw file brightness using an Adapted RawDigger histogram.
The flower video takes you through a session where artie edits a folder of images in Capture One while checking the exposures and Max-G values in RawDigger. The Adapted Histogram video examines a series of recent images with the pink histograms and covers lots of fine points including and especially how to deal with specular highlights. The directions for setting up the Adapted Histogram are in the text.
If we priced this guide based on how much effort we put into it, it would sell it for $999.00. But as this guide will be purchased only by a limited number of serious photographers, we have priced it at $51.00. You can order yours here in the BAA Online Store.
Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide
As most of you know, I have been working on a complete BAA Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide. Because the camera and the Menus are so complex, this has required a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort (and will continue to do so until it is complete). It should be finished any day now. The final update of the R5/R6 AF e-Guide has become part of the complete Camera User’s e-Guide; it will be revised there if warranted.
The complete Camera User’s guide will sell for $75.00. Folks who purchased their Canon gear using my links will receive a $65.00 discount; the guide will cost them a nominal $10.00. Folks who spent more than $7500.00 on Canon mirrorless gear using either of my affiliate links (B&H or Bedfords), will receive the User’s Guide for free. Folks who purchased the R5/R6 AF e-Guide will receive a $10.00 discount on the User’s e-Guide. The best news is that the end is in sight.
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.
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
Coming Soon to Bedford’s: a truckload of Canon R5 and R6 Bodies!
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 Wednesday 24 February 2021 at my favorite Lakeland morning spot. I used the Induro GIT 404L/Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter, and the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 800. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed the exposure here to be perfect. AWB at 7:45am on a partly cloudy morning.
Upper Right Zone AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #1: American White Pelican immature in soft light
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A Pastel Masterpiece in Simplicity …
I loved this image through the viewfinder. And it looked even better on my MacBook Pro. There’s no flying bird, and no action. There is no habitat. Simplicity can work well. I find the soft pastels magical. What do you think?
Why Zebras?
Kapil Kapre left this comment (for moderation) at the Too Cute blog post:
I have access to live zebras on my Sony, but I turn them off because they distract me. I do understand the benefit of zebras, and logically they seem like they would help a lot. But practically, how often are you in a situation where you need to quickly set a new exposure and don’t have time for a test shot? I’m sure it’s different for everyone, for me there’s always time for a quick test shot as I deliberate a bit on the composition and/or wait for a specific pose, etc. Or maybe I’m just too slow 🙂
I knew that Kapil’s question warranted a thoughtful response. I was pretty sure from his comment that he does not have the Sony Camera User’s e-Guide. I e-mailed him and confirmed that. So here goes:
Kapil, I wish that you could have been with me this morning in Lakeland photographing the American White Pelicans. The sun was going in and out every minute. Without exaggeration, I had my thumb on the big rear wheel and was changing the exposures (by changing the ISO) several times a minute. Even a shift of the bird’s head position can change the intensity of the Zebras (and require a small adjustment). Do understand that Zebras at the camera’s default settings are 100% worthless. In the aforementioned guide, we teach you exactly how to set up the Zebras and how to use them in the field. Then, in nearly all circumstances, you aim for faint Zebras.
So the answer to your question is very often! And it is not different for anyone who wants to learn to make good exposures consistently. Not to mention that when I switched over to a cormorant, a coot, or a Wood Duck, Zebras, again — set up properly, allowed me to routinely attain excellent or perfect exposures. Do understand that subjects of different tonalities require different amounts of light to be properly exposed. White subjects need less light than middle-toned subject to be properly exposed, and dark subjects need more light than middle-toned subjects to be properly exposed. Best advice on learning exposure theory is to consult the section on that topic in the original The Art of Bird Photography.
On a final note, there are times — not very often, that I turn off Zebras to avoid the distractions. And yes, we cover those situations in the guide.
For me, turning off Zebras is like turning off the jet engines because they are too loud. While you are flying …
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Image #1A: RawDigger screen capture for the American White Pelican immature in soft light image
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RawDigger Screen Capture at 300%
Click on the screen capture to see the rosy-red OvExp warnings (seven pixels worth) in the specular highlight in the pelican’s eye. 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. We speak at great length on specular highlights.
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Image #1B: Topaz DeNoise on the American White Pelican immature in soft light image
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What Noise?
With perfect and near-perfect exposures (thanks to RawDigger study), noise may approach zero (as with today’s featured ISO 800 image). If you click on the image to enlarge it and take a close look at the pupil and the iris — noise is always worse in the darker tones, there is practically zero noise. So why run DeNoise on images like this? Because DeNoise and Low Light (usually) offer just the right amount of non-destructive sharpening. Why usually? At times results can be improved by reducing the Enhance Sharpness slider by one-third or one-half.
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The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
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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
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
February 24th, 2021 Image Perspective Question
Why would today’s featured image have been twenty times better if I had gotten down on my belly?
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All of the images were created at Fort DeSoto in April or early May. Click on the card to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSotoIPT card A
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Fort DeSoto Spring IPT #1
Fort DeSoto Spring IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS. SAT 10 APR thru the morning session on TEUS 13 APR 2021. $1499 includes three lunches. Limit: 6. Openings.
While DeSoto is one of the rare photo hotspots with the potential to be great any day of the year, it absolutely shines in spring. Many of the wading birds and shorebirds are in full breeding plumage. The terns and gulls are courting and copulating. We will have lots of flight photography opportunities. Did I mention that many of the birds are silly tame?
A $499 deposit is required to hold your spot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due immediately after you sign up. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail. If you cancel due to COVID 19 concerns, all of your payments will be refunded.
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All of the images were created at Fort DeSoto in April or early May. Click on the card to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto IPT card B
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Fort DeSoto Spring IPT #2
Fort DeSoto Spring IPT #2. 3 1/2 DAYS. MON 26 APR thru the morning session on THURS 29 APR 2021. $1499 includes three lunches. Limit: 6. Openings.
Not only am I conversant in all three major camera systems used in the US — Nikon, Canon, and SONY (sorry Andy Rouse …), I have used all three within the past four years. Those include both SONY and Canon mirrorless. On both of these IPTs you will learn how to get the best exposure, how to get the most out of your AF system, and how to get close to free and wild birds. And tons more.
A $499 deposit is required to hold your spot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due immediately after you sign up. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail. If you cancel due to COVID 19 concerns, all of your payments will be refunded.
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All of the images were created at Fort DeSoto in April or early May. Click on the card to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto IPT card C
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Fort DeSoto Spring IPTs Expected Species
With any luck, we should get to photograph the following species: Laughing, Ring-billed, Herring, and Lesser Black-backed Gull; Royal, Sandwich, and Forster’s Tern: Great, Snowy, and white and dark morph Reddish Egret and Great Blue, Little Blue, and Tricolored Heron; Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, and Brown Pelican. We will see and photograph lots of shorebirds including American Oystercatcher, Black-bellied, Wilson’s, Semipalmated, Snowy, and Piping Plover, Marbled Godwit, Willet, Dunlin, Red Knot, Sanderling, and Western and possibly White-rumped Sandpiper.
Sign up for both IPTs and enjoy a $200 discount. Most of us will be staying in nearby Gulfport.
What’s Up?
Photography on Tuesday morning was better than expected with the sunny/northwest wind conditions. I was glad to see that both crane families are doing well. Both eagles were at the nest tree with the female on the nest (but not incubating). My favorite image from the early session was a small-in-the-frame frame of the two small crane chicks accented by yellow tickseed flowers.
I got a ton of work done on the Canon R5 Camera User’s Guide. Aside from creating the image gallery, I am very close to being done. I will be sending out a few review copies within a day or two and should have it available in the BAA Online Store by Monday afternoon. Huge thanks to Canon tech rep Rudy Winston for his phone help yesterday!
I thought that sunset was a bit disappointing despite the almost perfect conditions but a quick glance at the images revealed a few very good ones!
Today is Wednesday 24 February 2021. The forecast for Lakeland is partly cloudy with east/northeast winds. I will be leaving soon to photograph in the pre-dawn at Circle B Bar Preserve and then packing up and heading to the American White Pelican spot in Lakeland.
This blog post took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare and makes sixty-six days in a row with a new one. Please remember …
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.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
Recent Sales
Ted Keltz sold his Tamron SP 150-600 F/5-6.3 Di VC USD for Canon EF in like-new condition for the bargain price of $399.00 and a Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS lens in excellent condition for $249.00 in mid-February 2021 just a few days after they were listed.
Craig Mossey sold his SONY a7r iv in near-mint condition for a very low $2198.00 (was $2398.00) in mid-February 2021.
IPT veteran Mike Ross sold his Sony a9ii mirrorless digital camera body in like-new condition for a BAA record-low $3197.00, a Sony a9 mirrorless digital camera body in like-new condition with only 341 shutter actuations for a BAA record-low $1900.00 (was $1996.00), a Sony a7r iii mirrorless digital camera body in like-new condition for $1498.00, a Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $3898.00, and a Canon Extender EF 1.4X iii in like-new condition for a very low $219.00 all within days of their being listed.
Craig Mossey sold his SONY A9 body in excellent condition with 4304 shutter actuations for $1998.00 (was $2,198.00) in early February 2021.
BAA-friend Robert Kimbrell sold his Sony a7r IV Mirrorless Digital camera body in like-new condition for the ridiculously low price of $1948.00 (was $2198.00) inn early February 2021.
Chuck Carlson sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $1249.00, a BG-E20 Battery Grip for the EOS 5D Mark IV in new condition for $149.00, a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a BAA record-low $1299.00, a Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $799.00, and a Canon Extender EF 1.4X iii in excellent condition for a very low $219.00, all within one day of their being listed in early February.
BAA-friend and multiple IPT veteran Bill Schneider sold his Sony a9 ii Mirrorless Digital camera body in like-new condition for the very low price of $3198.00 (was $3498.00) in early February 2021.
BAA-friend and multiple IPT veteran William Schneider sold his Sony a7r IV Mirrorless Digital camera body in like-new condition for the very low price of $2598.00 one hour after it was listed in late January.
BAA-friend Craig Elson sold his Sony a9 ii Mirrorless Digital camera body in like-new condition for the very low price of $3198.00 two hours after it was listed in late January 2021.
Arthur Morris sold his Sony a7r IV Mirrorless Digital camera body in excellent-plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $2098.00 (was $2498.00) after three price reductions in late January 2021.
Joe Randle (finally) sold his EOS 1D-X camera body in excellent condition for only $1,000.00 (was $2,199.00) in mid-January 2021.
Tom Mast sold his Canon EF 300mm f2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for a very low $3399.00 the first day it was listed in January 2021.
New Listings
Canon EOS 7D Mark II with extras
Good friend and many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II in excellent plus condition with several extras for a very low $675.00. The sale includes the Canon Battery Grip BG-E16, two Canon batteries, a 32 GB Delkin CF card, the original box, the cables and software and manuals, the battery charger, the front body cap, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only.
Please contact Monte via e-mail.
Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about four years ago when we both committed — at the time — to using full-frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. One thing is for sure: the 7D Mark II is the greatest value ever in a digital camera body. artie
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens (with LensCoat)
Good friend and many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown is offering a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens in excellent plus to near mint condition for a very low $1349.00. The sale includes a LensCoat, the original box, the tough fabric lens case, the front lens cap, the rear cap, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only.
Please contact Monte 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 great for tight portraits, birds in flight, quasi-macro stuff, and lots more. It sells new for $2399.00 so you can save some hard cash by grabbing Monte’s lens now. artie
Selected Listings
Sony FE 400mm f2.8 GM OSS Lens (with Extras)
IPT veteran Mike Ross is offering a Sony FE 400mm f2.8 GM OSS lens in like-new condition for $9998.00. The sale includes the lens trunk, the original box and everything that came in it, a LensCoat, a Wimberly replacement foot, and insured UPS ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses. Your new lens will not ship until payment clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mike via e-mail.
Patrick Sparkman owned and use this super-fast, super-sharp lens and rues the day he sold it. It produces the world’s sweetest background, is extremely close focusing, and kills with either teleconverter. This great lens sells new for $11,998.00 so you can save $2000.00 by being the one to grab Mike’s pretty much new lens. artie
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens
IPT veteran Mike Ross is offering a Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens in like-new condition for $1898.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it and insured UPS ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses. Your lens will not ship until payment clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mike via e-mail.
This lens was my primary lens on that last Galapagos Photo-Cruise. It performed fabulously on boobies, Flightless Cormorants, Waved Albatrosses, tortoises, iguanas, Sally Lightfoot Crabs, and anything I pointed it at. It focuses to just over three feet making it great for medium-sized flowers, snakes, frogs, and turtles. A new one sells for $2,398.00. You can save a very nice $500.00 by grabbing Mike’s copy. artie
Sony Alpha a7r IV Mirrorless Digital Camera Body
Price Reduced $200 on 2 FEB 2021
Price Reduced $150 on 11 FEB 2021
BAA-friend Craig Elson is offering a Sony a7r IV Mirrorless Digital camera body in like-new condition for the very low price of $2048.00 (was $2398.00). The body had a glass LCD protector on it from the moment it was taken out of the box. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it and insured UPS ground shipping to lower-48 US addresses. Your new camera will not ship until payment clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Craig via e-mail or by phone at 1-704.904.7953 (Pacific time zone).
For the past two years you have seen the incredible detail in my a7r IV images made with a variety of SONY lenses and both teleconverters. I’ve typically used my 7r IV for about 50% of my bird photography and my a9 II in pure flight situations. As the 7r IV sells new right now for $2998.00, you can save a cool $950.00 by grabbing Craig’s pretty much new a7r iv. Though this 61-MP body is especially attractive to landscape and macro photographers, it is great for birds as well as you can pretty much crop to your heart’s content. artie
Canon 300mm f/4L IS USM Lens
Art Leyenberger is offering a Canon 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in mint condition the very low price of $699.00. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps, the lens case and strap, 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 Art via e-mail.
When I shot Canon, I loved my 300 f/4L IS lens. With its 4.92′ (1.5 meter) minimum focusing distance and impressive 0.24X magnification, it was great for large flowers, dragonflies, butterflies, and frogs. With or without the 1.4X TC it makes a great starter lens for any bird photographer. It does very well on birds in flight and in action. I preferred it to my old toy lens, the 400mm f/5.6L lens as it offered Image Stabilization and greater reach at f/5.6 with the 1.4X TC. This lens is still in production and sells new for $1349.00. artie
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Nikon D850 Users e-Guide & Video
Purchase here.
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Nikon D850 Users e-Guide & Video
$50 via download
This great guide includes 15 pages of text, a 46-image gallery, and a comprehensive camera handling video.
The text covers all of the menu item settings that I used on my two D850 bodies and each gallery image has a legendary BIRDS AS ART educational caption. The emphasis is two-fold:
1- getting your camera set-up so that it is optimized for bird photography.
2- sharing everything that I know about the Nikon AF system so that you can create consistently sharp images of static subjects, and most especially, of birds in flight and in action.
Though this guide is designed for the D850 nearly all of it applies to the D5 and to the D500 as well. You can purchase your copy in the BAA On-line Store here. Both files are large so you will need a good internet connection to download them.
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The Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide
Please click here to purchase.
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The Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide: $30.00 (or free to some–see below for details on that).
by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART and Patrick Sparkman
There is lots of misinformation out there on the Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune feature. Much of that involves vast over-simplifications. Patrick Sparkman and I developed a way of using the Automatic Fine-tune feature effectively with the D5, D500, the D7500, and the D850. Patrick, however, was on a roll and perfected a method for using the Focus Peaking feature available only on the D850 to quickly and accurately micro-adjust all lenses and TC-Es with your D-850. If you own a D850 you should be using D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune rather than Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune. It is faster and easier and more accurate. While there is some halfway decent info online with regards to Nikon Automatic Fine-tune feature, I have never seen a word about using the amazing D850 Focus Peaking capabilities to determine an accurate AF Fine-tune value. You can thank Patrick Sparkman for rectifying that situation.
With both Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune and D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune, the use of a LensAlign Mark II unit is recommended as best by far for accurate results and thus, this guide is written reflecting that. Taping a sheet of newsprint on a wall or using the FoCal kit does not assure you of the True Parallel Alignment (TPA) that is guaranteed when you set up your LensAlign properly. Without TPA your results will be off anywhere from a little to a lot. You can purchase the LensAlign Mark II alone here. Or you can purchase the LensAlign/FocusTune combo here. If you do not own either of those we suggest that you decide which to purchase after reading this guide through once. That said, we recommend the LensAlign/FocusTune combo for reasons that will become obvious as you make your way though the guide.
Do understand that much of the set-up information included in the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide is by necessity a duplication of information included in The LensAlign/FocusTune Micro-Adjusting Tutorial e-Guide.
Please click here to purchase.
The Under-Appreciated Laughing Gull
Laughing Gull is common along Gulf and eastern US coasts. In breeding plumage, it is an absolutely gorgeous bird with its jet-black hood, white eye-crescents, gleaming white breasts, and wine-red soft parts colors. It is greatly under-appreciated by both birders and photographers. But never by me. On both DeSoto IPTs we will expect to photograph Laughing Gulls engaged in a variety of courtship behaviors including drooped-wing-displays, mate-feeding, and head throwing. Those often result in either copulatory stands or copulation. Throw in the same behaviors from the equally spectacular Royal and Sandwich Terns and you have quite a show.
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Click on the image to see the vastly improved sharpness.
Topaz Sharpen AI on the Laughing Gulls courting image
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Topaz Sharpen AI/Stabilize
After converting this image in Capture One, I ran Topaz DeNoise AI on DeNoise (Auto). Then I used the Quick Selection Tool to select both heads and place them on a layer. The plug-in chose Stabilize and did a superb job of sharpening the heads. I use Sharpen AI only rarely but when it is needed, it does the job in spades!
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plug-ins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. If the stuff is on sale (as it usually is), you save 15% off of the sale price! To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Those who purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or any other Topaz plug-ins using my link and then entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. Please include a copy of your Topaz receipt that shows the discount. Aside from the basics, the guide explains how to install the plug-ins so that they appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
February 23rd, 2021
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All of the images (plus lots more) were created on a very short visit at the end of January. Click on the card to enjoy a larger version.
Merritt Island NWR IPT card
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Merritt Island NWR IPT
Merritt Island NWR IPT. 3 1/2 DAYS. MON 15 MAR thru the morning session on THURS 18 MAR 2021. $1499 includes three lunches. Limit: 6. Openings: 3.
When I visited — and later lived — in Deltona, FL, I made many trips to Black Point Wildlife Drive and environs. On a recent visit, I did quite well. The birds were much tamer than I remembered. I know the place well. Early spring was always best. There are tons of ducks, and wading birds including and especially both ibises. It can be great at sunrise with large flocks of shorebirds, waterfowl, ibises, and American White Pelicans filling the skies. We should get to do lots of flight photography on the causeway. At least a few good chances with Roseate Spoonbill are possible.
A $499 deposit is required to hold your spot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due immediately after you sign up. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail. If you cancel due to COVID 19 concerns, all of your payments will be refunded.
What’s Up?
After spending ten minutes with the crane family at the north end of the north field, I drove to the South Peninsula to set up a road-kill cafe. That done, I pulled my SUV into position so that I could do some work on the R5 Camera User’s e-Guide while waiting for the vultures to come to breakfast. I set the exposure, put the rig on the passenger seat, an grabbed my laptop. Opps. Where are my glasses? . Did I leave them at home or did they fall out of the car at my first stop near the end of the North Field? I called Jim and asked him to check around for my glasses. No luck there. I had a spare pair in the glove box so I went to work on the guide and got some good stuff done.
Usually, I sense a vulture circling and am able to make some good flight images from the front seat. I was concentrating hard on the guide (while working on the Q Button section). I glanced out at the bait only to discover that I had missed eleven vultures flying into the perfect wind. Bummer. :). I had very few chances on flight after that, so I set up the SONY 600 GM with the 2X and the a9 ii on the tripod in the vehicle, moved the car closer to the hungry birds, and made a slew of nice Black Vulture head portraits along with a few frames of one chowing down on the raccoon’s neck and another enjoying some long, skinny intestines.
At about 9:30, I drove back to the North Field to look for my glasses. I did not want to run them over with the car so I parked well away from the search area. I began walking a short by long grid while staring at the ground. When I was almost done, I looked up at the sky and said, “Elaine, help me out here.” My late-wife has bailed me innumerable times in similar (and even in dangerous) situations. I was about ready to give up when I decided to walk the grid long by short. As I turned, I looked down to my left and saw my glasses staring up at me. “Thanks, babe!”
After brunch I got some more work done on the guide, napped, did my bursts, and enjoyed an easy swim. Sunset was grey so I never got down to the lake after an early-as-usual dinner.
If you would like to explore the possibility of a morning In-the-Field Instructional session here at ILE for crane chicks or at Lakeland for American White Pelicans, please contact me via e-mail or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372.
Today is Tuesday February 23 2021. The forecast for this morning is for partly cloudy turning sunny with northwest winds. That is a bad forecast for bird photography. I peeked out the door at 7:05am and saw that it is dead-clear in the east. Sunny with northwest winds is worse for bird photography than partly-cloudy with northwest winds so I am gonna get down to the lake ASAP before the wind picks up. Have a great day.
This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes sixty-five days in a row with a new one. Please remember …
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.
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RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
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The RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
by Arthur Morris with Patrick Sparkman
The RawDigger e-Guide was created only for serious photographers who wish to get the absolute most out of their raw files.
Patrick and I began work on the guide in July 2020. At first we struggled. We asked questions. We learned about Max-G values. We puzzled as to why the Max G values for different cameras were different. IPT veteran Bart Deamer asked lots of questions that we could not answer. We got help from RawDigger creator Iliah Borg. We learned. In December, Patrick came up with an Adapted Histogram that allows us to evaluate the exposures and raw file brightness for all images created with all digital camera bodies from the last two decades. What we learned each time prompted three complete beginning to end re-writes.
The point of the guide is to teach you to truly expose to the mega-Expose-to-the-Right so that you will minimize noise, maximize image quality, best utilize your camera’s dynamic range, and attain the highest possible level of shadow detail in your RAW files in every situation. In addition, your properly exposed RAW files will contain more tonal information and feature the smoothest possible transitions between tones. And your optimized images will feature rich, accurate color.
We teach you why the GREEN channel is almost always the first to over-expose. We save you money by advising you which version of RawDigger you need. We teach you how to interpret the Max G values for your Canon, Nikon, and SONY camera bodies. It is very likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you. And lastly — thanks to the technical and practical brilliance of Patrick Sparkman — we teach you a simple way to quickly and easily evaluate your exposures and raw file brightness using an Adapted RawDigger histogram.
The flower video takes you through a session where artie edits a folder of images in Capture One while checking the exposures and Max-G values in RawDigger. The Adapted Histogram video examines a series of recent images with the pink histograms and covers lots of fine points including and especially how to deal with specular highlights. The directions for setting up the Adapted Histogram are in the text.
If we priced this guide based on how much effort we put into it, it would sell it for $999.00. But as this guide will be purchased only by a limited number of serious photographers, we have priced it at $51.00. You can order yours here in the BAA Online Store.
Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide
As most of you know, I have been working on a complete BAA Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide. Because the camera and the Menus are so complex, this has required a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort (and will continue to do so until it is complete). It should be finished by late February. The final update of the R5/R6 AF e-Guide has become part of the complete Camera User’s e-Guide; it will be revised if warranted.
The complete Camera User’s guide will sell for $75.00. Folks who purchased their Canon gear using my links will receive a $65.00 discount; the guide will cost them a nominal $10.00. Folks who spent more than $7500.00 on Canon mirrorless gear using either of my affiliate links (B&H or Bedfords), will receive the User’s Guide for free. Folks who purchased the R5/R6 AF e-Guide will receive a $10.00 discount on the User’s e-Guide. The best news is that the end is in sight.
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.
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 21 February 2021 down by the lake near my home at ILE. Sitting in the wet grass I used the handheld 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 1640. Exposure determined via test image/histogram evaluation: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed this one to be absolutely perfect. Maybe I am learning … AWB at 7:44am on a sunny morning.
Face Detection plus Tracking AI Servo AF performed to perfection as shown in the DPP 4 screen capture below.
Image #1: Sandhill Crane chick flapping in place
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The Situation
I headed down to the lake early at about 7:15am. Things were looking good for setting up the raccoon road-kill cafe as it was clear with a stronger than predicted east wind. I decided to check on the two new crane families; all four chicks appear to be in good shape. I found the pair with the larger chicks in a decent setting so I got down on my soon-to-be-wet butt with the Canon rig in hand. I made some test images and — after carefully evaluating the histogram — wound up with a perfect exposure. I went with 1/1000 second as in the past, when trying to minimize ISO (and thus noise), I’d go with 1/500 second and wind up loosing images to motion blur when the subject flapped in place or began to run.
After creating a few series of images I noticed one of the chicks standing still in a fairly nice area with some wildflowers in the background. I turned the rig to vertical, acquired focus, and began making images. After the first few the bird serendipitously began to flappier its little wing-stubs. I kept firing until the show was over. I made 41 images in all. Today’s featured image — with the little one staring right down the lens barrel for an instant — was my favorite. There are a few other very good ones. I am toying with the idea of creating an animated GIF with all 41 images.
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Image #1A: DPP 4 screen capture for the Sandhill Crane chick flapping in place image
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Face Detection plus Tracking Kills!
Note the red AF square squarely on the chick’s right eye. By comparing the original frame with the optimized image, you can see that I cropped a bit from the lower and upper right to center the subject. (I write about this exact situation in the AF portion of the R5/R6 AF e-Guide and in the R5 Camera User’s e-Guide: I’ve never seen an AF system that (when set up correctly) can perform so well with tall-in-the-frame birds facing and looking right down the lens barrel at the photographer.
After evaluating all of the the images in the sequence in DPP 4, I’d rate overall the performance of Face Detection plus Tracking as excellent plus plus. Near the end of the sequence as the bird jumped up and down a bit, AF momentarily lost the eye and grabbed the forehead or the cheek. But every frame was sharp.
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Image #1B: RawDigger Adapted (pink) histogram screen capture for the Sandhill Crane chick flapping in place image
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Getting Better With R5 Exposures …
If you own the RawDigger e-Guide, you will understand exactly why this is a dead-solid perfect exposure. And you will learn why to totally disregard the 283 OvExp pixels (out of 45 million); by enlarging the image in RawDigger and scrolling around, you will see the rosy red OvExp warnings only on the specular highlights on the dew drops.
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. Tip: for a perfect exposure, you want the GREEN histogram to get 2/3rds of the way from the 8000 line to the 16000 line; with today’s featured image the GREEN channel gets all the way to the 16000 line without any significant over-exposure (OvExp) noted.
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Image #1C: Topaz DeNoise AI screen capture for the Sandhill Crane chick flapping in place image
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Topaz DeNoise AI Revelations
After clicking on the screen capture to enlarge it, check out the background noise in the original on the upper left. With the perfect exposure (thanks to my work with RawDigger), the background noise (in the original) is next-to-nothing. As has been the case recently, I went with Low Light on Auto pretty much by flipping a coin; results with DeNoise AI were pretty much identical.
Do note the incredible (fine-feather and otherwise) detail in this sharp R5 image.
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The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
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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
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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