Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

I stayed in and worked on the RawDigger e-Guide on Tuesday morning. At 10am, Jim and I drove down to the lake to get wet and muddy. With a roll of stiff wire and a pair of pliers, we repaired The Perch that I had erected with Anita North about two years ago. I thought that it has simply fallen down, but closer inspection revealed that it actually broke in half. We were able to wire the upper part of the perch to the lower part. The best news is that the horizontal part of the perch at the top was shortened perfectly when it fell. After that was done, we erected a second tall perch that I had found last week on a day of perch hunting. Thanks, Jim!

Now I will see how long it takes for the birds to get used to them 🙂

Today is Wednesday 16 December 2020. The forecast is partly cloudy with gentle south/southeast winds so I will be headed down to the lake at about 7:30am. Have a great day, and consider joining me at DeSoto at the end of this week.

I peeked out the back door at 7:13am and saw that it is totally foggy so my trip to the lake will be delayed just a bit.

Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instructional Sessions

As the weather is looking excellent again for this coming Friday and Saturday, I will almost surely be headed over to Fort DeSoto to photograph early on Friday and Saturday mornings. If you would like to join me for one or two morning sessions (and possibly for a Friday afternoon session as well), please contact me via e-mail to learn the low rates.Limit two.

The BAA Used Gear Page

The Used Gear page continues to be red hot! It is 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 ten months at the bottom of the page.

Brand New Listings

SONY a7r iii Mirrorless Digital Camera Body(with SONY battery grip!)

Mansoor Assadi is offering a SONY a7r iii Mirrorless digital camera body in excellent condition for a very low $1198.00. The sale includes a Sony VG-C3EM Vertical Grip (a $348.00 value), only the original battery, the original box, the front body cap, the strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).

The 7r iii performed superbly as my workhorse camera body on the 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. The image files are superb and it was not bad at all for flight photography. As this body with the SONY grip sells new for $2,346.00, you can save a handsome $1,148.00 by grabbing Mansoor’s a7r iii (with the SONY grip!) right now. artie

SONY a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body

Mansoor Assadi is offering a SONY a9 Mirrorless digital camera body in like-new condition for a BAA record-low $2,297.00. The sale includes an off-brand (Green Extreme) battery grip, only the original battery, the original box, the front body cap, the strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).

I was sold on SONY five minutes after trying my SONY a9 on the Brandt’s Cormorants at La Jolla, CA. The AF system is identical to the AF system on the more expensive a9 ii which costs $4,498.00. The a9 ii body is about 1/8 inch thicker than the a9 ii. If you do not have large hands, or if you like the feel of a smaller body, you will love the a9. And if you like the feel of $1,101.00 in your pocket — the a9 sells for $3,398.00 — get in touch with Mansoor ASAP. artie

Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info

So far, thirty-six folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And twenty who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 e-mailed for their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way, less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.

BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide

Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.

You will learn:

1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.

2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.

3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.

4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.

5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.

I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.

Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:

From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.

The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.

The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.

To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.

Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.

Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide

I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.

Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.

Please Remember

With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.

Great Topaz News!

Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.

Topaz Stuff

As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.

Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).

126 sold to rave reviews. The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris

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.

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 overnight 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 (Eastern time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. 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 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.

This image was created on 15 October 2020 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. TX. I used the Induro GIT 304/Levered-clamp FlexShooter-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2.0x teleconverter and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body). ISO 640. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/2000 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. AWB at 4:33pm on a clear afternoon. Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection. Click the image to see a larger version. Image #1: American White Pelican in fresh juvenal plumage

American White Pelican in Fresh Juvenal Plumage

I was thrilled to see several American White Pelican in fresh juvenal plumage in a flock of about forty early-arriving birds in mid-October of this year. Note all the brown and tan feathers on what I believe are the wing coverts. Wanting to create a field–guide-portrait of single bird in what was a brand new plumage for me, I added the 2X TC to the 600 GM and approached carefully. I got lucky as the birds swam from one group to another and was thrilled with several frames; this one was my favorite by a small margin.

Be sure to click on the image to view it larger. Image #1A: Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the American White Pelican in fresh juvenal plumage image at 100%

Topaz DeNoise AI on the American White Pelican in fresh juvenal plumage image

Be sure to click on the image and note how Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto completely eliminated the noise in the blue water background and while sharpening the bird non-destructively.

Understand that the noise in the water was partly due to the fact that water was about one stop under-exposed as we properly exposed for the WHITEs. Remember: WHITEs need one stop less light to be properly exposed than middle tones and about one and two-thirds stops less light than dark tones. Confused? See and study the section on Exposure Theory in the original The Art of Bird Photography.

This image was created on 15 October 2020 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. TX. I used the Induro GIT 304/Levered-clamp FlexShooter-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2.0x teleconverter and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body). ISO 800. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/2500 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. AWB at 4:37pm on a clear afternoon. Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed surprisingly well. Click the image to see a larger version. Image #2: American White Pelican adult taking flight

You Know the Drill!

If I have said it here once … When unexpected action happens, push the shutter button. Do not try to make it perfect. I created about a dozen sequences of individual birds taking flight knowing that at 1200mm (much too long a focal length), my chances of not clipping wings or feet or heads were somewhere between slim and none. But push the button I did, and in just one frame, slim came home! You can see how tight the original image capture was and what I did about that in the Animated GIF just below.

Adding Canvas with Choppy Water …

First I tried adding canvas using the Crop Tool/Content-Aware Fill option. That made a total mess of things. Instead, I expanded the canvas and then filled in the skinny triangle on three of the frame edges one skinny triangle at a time!. Though I am sure that the pixel-peepers could find some problematic areas, the optimized image with just a bit more room behind, above, and in front of the subject, is a lot more pleasing to my eye.

The expanding and filling in canvas techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and tricks 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.

Exposure Fine-Point Question

Why did I use 1/3-stop less light to photograph the adult than I did to make the image of the juvenile?

Note: both exposures were confirmed as dead-solid perfect by RawDigger.

RawDigger e-Guide and Video Advance Copy Available

Save $10 Now

The RawDigger e-Guide and Video is almost finished. It will sell for $51.00. If you are anxious to get started with RawDigger, learn to mega-Expose to the Right, and wind up with the highest quality image files, you can save $10.00 and have a chance to review a pre-publication copy of the guide by sending a PayPal for $41.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net with the words RawDigger e-Guide and Video Pre-publication Copy cut and pasted into the Subject line. The recent delay is the result of my recent conversations with Iliah Borg, the brains behind RawDigger. It is likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you.

You will of course receive a link for the completed PDF when the guide is finished.

Typos

Feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :). with love, artie

What’s Up?

Saturday morning at DeSoto was totally different from Friday morning. When I left my hotel it was drizzly but quickly turned cloudy, then cloudy bright, then mostly sunny by 10am. Carl Page, who had signed up for the recently canceled San Diego IPT, who was attending a business meeting in Sarasota, joined me for a morning of instruction. He was like a kid in the proverbial candy store. In addition to the birds we had seen on Friday morning we added Red Knot and a pair of tame American Oystercatchers. As Joe Usewicz did on Friday morning, Carl learned a ton about bird photography in just three hours. Carl and I also got along great, and again I had a great time. Safely. With masks when close, social distancing, and wind. And sun 🙂 My SONY 600 stayed in the back of my SUV for the entire weekend as I continued to use and learn more about my Canon loaner rig.

Today is Sunday 13 December 2020. It is foggy at 7:15am but looks clear behind that … I will likely head down to the lake in a few minutes.

Charlie Pride

Country singer Charlie Pride died yesterday at age 86. I am sending love, strength, and energy to his family and friends. Pride was one of three African-American members of the Grand Ole Opry — the others are DeFord Bailey and Darius Rucker. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. While preparing this blog post, I listened to his greatest hits here on You Tube. My favorite is the little-known Streets of Baltimore (at the 34:09 mark). I hope that you got to kiss an angel this morning 🙂

From Wikipedia here:

When Pride was 14, his mother purchased his first guitar and he taught himself to play. Though he loved music, one of Pride’s lifelong dreams was to become a professional baseball player. In 1952, he pitched for the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro American League. In 1953, he signed a contract with the Boise Yankees, the Class C farm team of the New York Yankees. During that season, an injury caused him to lose the “mustard” on his fastball, and he was sent to the Yankees’ Class D team in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Later that season, while in the Negro leagues with the Louisville Clippers, two players – Pride and Jesse Mitchell – were traded to the Birmingham Black Barons for a team bus. “Jesse and I may have the distinction of being the only players in history to be traded for a used motor vehicle,” Pride mused in his 1994 autobiography.

R5 Bodies Available Right Now!

Steve Elkins at Bedfords Camera still has a handful of R5 bodies ready to ship second day air with the 3% discount for using the BIRDSASART code at checkout. Not to mention a free copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. Scroll down to get in touch with Steve.

Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info

Yesterday, thirteen folks sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And twelve who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 e-mailed for their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Two folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, they both back-tracked. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.

BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide

Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.

You will learn:

1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.

2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.

3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.

4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.

5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.

I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.

The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.

To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail. If you would like to receive your copy before Monday, please shoot me a copy of your PayPal transaction via e-mail.

Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.

Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide

I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.

Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.

The BAA Used Gear Page

The Used Gear page continues to be red hot! It is 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 ten months at the bottom of the page.

Brand New Listing

Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4 G ED VR Super-telephoto Lens (with extras)

John Mosier is offering a Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4 G ED VR lens in excellent plus to near-mint condition (with extras) for a very low $8596.95. The sale includes a LensCoat, the rear lens cap, the hood, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, the original lens foot, the Wimberley Replacement Foot for Nikon 600mm f/4.0 AF-S, the product 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 John via e-mail at john@fastforwardrentals.com or by phone at 1-337-739-0400 (Central time zone).

In all systems, the 600 f/4 lenses are the weapons of mass destruction when it comes to birds and wildlife. I loved my Nikon 600 both alone and with the 1.4X teleconverter. If you use Nikon gear and have been dreaming of moving up to the big leagues, do get in touch with John ASAP to save a very sweet $3,700.00; this lens sells new for $12,296.95. artie

Back in Stock

Three sold yesterday!

We now have fifteen of the hugely popular Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro tripod heads in stock. Click on the preceding link to learn more about this amazing head, the ballhead that thinks it’s a gimbal head and — thanks to the amazing counter-balanced spring mechanism — works great with any rig from the longest, heaviest super-telephoto lens to a camera-body-mounted wide angle. The latter is possible because of the bi-directional clamp; it is no longer necessary to travel with a gimbal head for long lens photography and a ballhead for scenic photography. And after just a moment’s adjustment, the double ball enables you to ensure that every image you take is on the level.

Please Remember

With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here 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 overnight 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 (Eastern time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. 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.

126 sold to rave reviews. The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris

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.

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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

This image was created on 11 December 2020 at Fort DeSoto Park during a morning session with old and new friend Joe Usewicz. 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 500. Exposure determined by experience and luck and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:42am on sunny morning. Face Detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Photo Mechanic screen capture for the small-in-the-frame immature LBH in flight image

Operator Error and More

I’ve said it here before and often; my birds in flight skills are somewhat lacking. Here, I was not able to match my panning rate with the speed of the bird in flight. The first four frames were clipped and in today’s featured image I barely got the bird into the frame. At first I thought, This one is too small-in-the-frame — delete it. Then I realized that I have zero flight shots of immature Little Blue Heron and that this it was a sharp 45MP R5 file, so I decided to take a crack at it.

Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1A: RawDigger screen capture for the small-in-the-frame immature LBH in flight image

RawDigger and Canon Raw Files

When I first started looking at the R5’s CR.3 files in RawDigger I realized that something was off. After several back and forth e-mails with Patrick Sparkman and Iliah Borg — the creator and the brains behind RawDigger, we got it figured out. In the pre-publication version e-mail, there is a brand-new chart that has been updated with the Canon Max G values. I will be working hard on finishing the guide this coming week and it will have lots more info on the Canon files that have a substantially high Black Level value baked into the raw files (as compared to both Nikon and SONY files).

After the ease and convenience of having Zebras live in the viewfinder with SONY, I am struggling a bit with getting perfect exposures with the R5. I have to rely on the less-than-ideal histogram in the viewfinder followed by a review of a time-wasting test image … In addition, having the histogram in the viewfinder can play havoc with your image designs.

Huge Advantage: SONY. But, the R5 has many amazing features and is the best Canon body ever by far (with the possible exception of the far heavier 3.17 pounds), far more expensive ($6499.00) EOS-1DX Mark III. The R5 tips the scales at 1.62 pounds and sells for $3899.00.

Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1B: DPP4 screen capture for the small-in-the-frame immature LBH in flight image

A Great AF System. But …

The Canon R5 (and the R6 as well) have admittedly great AF systems and Face Detection + Tracking is — when set up properly — quite amazing, even astonishing. But … A user who has strength, stamina, fast reflexes, excellent hand-eye coordination, and superb fine motor skills, will do far better than most. And folks in that category who practice, practice, and practice, will do even better. Yes, the system is great. Note the large focus square in red. That is an indication of a sort of “in-the-general-area” focusing. Note that the image is sharp on the eye I have no doubt that if I had done a better job of framing and panning with the subject, and had gotten the bird closer to the center of the frame, the system would have tracked with a smaller square box indicating that face detection had worked. And in an ideal world with a user more skilled than I, there would have been a tiny box right on the eye indicating that Eye Tracking had performed perfectly.

This image was created on 11 December 2020 at Fort DeSoto Park during a morning session with old and new friend Joe Usewicz. 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 500. Exposure determined by experience and luck and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:42am on sunny morning. Face Detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1C: The optimized immature Little Blue Heron in flight image

The Image Optimization

The CR.3 file was quickly and easily converted in the latest version of Capture One. First I moved the bird away from the left frame-edge in small increments using techniques from APTATS I & II. Then I cropped away about 2/3rds of the original pixels (using Original Ratio. I used the Patch Tool and Content-Aware Fill to clean up the remains beach. I did a 65-pixel Gaussian blur on the whole image, added a Hide-all (or Inverse) Layer Mask, painted in the effect only on the sand, and — because the sand looked too smoothed, reduced the opacity to about 60%. Then I ran Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the whole image. With the image pretty much finished, I put it through Topaz Gigapixel AI at 2X to double the file size while improving the image quality of the large crop from the 45MP file.

The techniques mentioned above and tons more (with the exception of the Capture One RAW Conversions and the Topaz stuff) — along with all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail.

I was quite happy with the master file. Would I say that the image quality is superb? No, but it is more than acceptable for a wide variety of electronic and web usages, for magazine publication, and for making small to medium-sized prints.

A Variable Aperture Zoom Lens Tip!

I use manual exposure mode 95+ percent of the time. Just as you should be doing. As I have begun using the Canon RF 100-500 lens, I remembered something that I learn long ago when using the Canon 100-400 II. Many zoom lenses feature variable apertures — that is, there is a wider aperture at the short and a narrower aperture at the long end. For example, the RF 100-500 opens up to f/4.5 at 100mm, and closes down to f/7.1 at 500mm. If you are photographing birds and working in manual mode, it is important to set the aperture as follows: start by going to a smaller aperture (larger f/number) than f/7.1 (like f/11), and then dialing it down to f/7.1. Now set the correct exposure by adjusting the shutter speed and the ISO. Now, if you zoom to a shorter focal length, the aperture will remain at f/7.1 and you will still have the correct exposure. If, however, you are working at 200mm and you have the aperture set to f/5.0, for example, and then zoom to 500mm, the lens will stop down to f/7.1, the image will be under-exposed by three clicks — one full stop.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).