I was, very early on Thursday. But with some violent thunderstorms forecast for the areas around Okefenokee Swamp, I decided to stay in and work on my upcoming programs rather than have no nap in the middle of an 18-hour day … My workflow program went very well despite an hour-long blackout. I made two Camtasia videos — one of picking your keepers and another of the image processing we did. Once I upload them, the links will be e-mailed to the participants. With a strong west/northwest wind and clear skies after a big storm, conditions were perfect for the afternoon bird photography workshop to Jekyll Point. But very few birds showed up. Nonetheless, the boys and girls learned a ton as we worked a small flock of Royal Terns sitting on a clean sand beach. We did have some flying in and out. Amazingly, there were very few Laughing Gulls. The storm was surely the culprit. We stayed late on the beach and created some soup-from-a-stone images of sparkling golden sand patterns and zig zag tidal pool sunset scenic silhouettes.
Thanks to the many who commented on the Gorgeous or Garbage question in yesterday’s blog post.
Today is Friday 8 April 2022. I will be doing my first GNPA keynote program at 10:00am. It is entitled A Bird Photographer’s Story. I have done it many times over the past 15 years. This latest version features about 200 new images, all of which were among my recently recovered images. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes twenty-eight days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
This image was created on 5 April 2022 on the way to Harris Neck NWR. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial. AUTO ISO set ISO 100. Multi-metering -4 stops: 1/8000 second at f/8 (stopped down 2/3 stop) in Shutter Priority mode. AWB at 7:13:37 (about six minutes after sunrise) with some faint clouds on the eastern horizon. RawDigger showed the exposure to be within 1/3-stop of dead-solid perfect.
Tracking: Upper Center Zone AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: The sun and the sun glint swath
The Sun Glint Swath
What can I say? I like making up new photo-related words and terms. When I created the “keyhole technique” way back in the times of film, I created a good exposure only by luck. It was called the “keyhole technique” because there was a Great Blue Heron (along with some marsh grasses) in the swath. The caption, on page 73 of the still relevant The Art of Bird Photography, read as follows:
GREAT BLUE HERON AT DAWN, Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey
Canon FR 400mm f/4.5 lens and T-90 body. Kodachrome 64, center-weighted average metering: 1/2000 sec. at f5/6.
Sometimes it pays to experiment. After making a series of images at the “correct exposure (by metering off the sky adjacent to the sun), I made a single image at the metered exposure with the sun in the frame and discovered the “keyhole technique.”
You can create a similar image today with any digital camera body if you understand what is going on and have some understanding of where you are going with the exposure. With most systems, it would take several test images to avoid any blinkies, again, only if you had a clue where to begin. With Sony and a good idea of where to start, I simply switched to S (Tv) mode, began with a very high shutter speed, and dialed down the Exposure Compensation until there were only faint Zebras on the sun. It really was child’s play using Zebra technology.
I’ve been trying to create an image like the great blue keyhole shot for more than 35 years but have never had a bird in the sun glint swath! I guess that it would not be too difficult to put a small, silhouetted bird in there, but I rarely add anything to an image that wasn’t there when I pushed the shutter button.
Note for the exposure-proficient folks: If I had a more advanced camera body that featured evaluative metering the GBH keyhole image would have been grossly over-exposed as the system would have opened up too much upon seeing the blasting sun in the frame …
Yes, the original The Art of Bird Photography (in soft cover and available only from BIRDS AS ART), illustrated with only film images (it was first published in 1998), is somewhat dated. But many of the topics covered have not changed a bit in nearly one-quarter of a century. My life sure did change after it was published. 🙂 The still-relevant topics include Choosing the Right Equipment (to some degree), the Autofocus Advantage (in spades!), Making Good Exposures, On Matters of Light, Producing Sharp Images, Getting Close, and Capturing Action and Behavior. Only two chapters are irrelevant today; Film Choice, and, unfortunately, Evaluating and Selling Your Work.
All in all, eight out of ten ain’t bad. The Making Good Exposures chapter, is, however, worth the price of the book on its own for those serious students who wish to master exposure theory. If you have not mastered the principles detailed in the A Quick Guide to Correct Exposure chart on page 62, you are pretty much hunting in the dark …
Homer 2022 Bald Eagle Highlights and Handholding Compositional Tips by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Enjoy and be inspired by just a few Homer Bald Eagle highlight images. Hand holding intermediate telephoto lens will always yield slightly different compositions. Learn more about that topic in this short (3:14) video.
All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK
2023 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs
IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers
IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers
IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers.
Save $1,000.00 by doing back-to-back trips. Save $1500.00 by doing all three.
This trip features non-stop flight photography as well as many opportunities to create both environmental and point-blank portraits of one of North America’s most sought-after avian subjects: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Other reliable subjects will include Sea Otter, Glaucous-winged and Short-billed (formerly Mew) Gulls.
In addition, we should see Common Murre, Black Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, two or three species of loons, and a smattering of ducks including two species of merganser, all three scoters, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Harlequin, and Long-tailed Ducks. Close-range photographic chances for these species will require a ton of good luck. Some of these species, especially when in flocks, can, however, often be used effectively when pleasing creating bird-scapes.
If we need to be out early, we will be the first boat out. If conditions are great, we will stay out. And when there is a chance for sunset silhouettes, we will be in the right spot.
We will be traveling through gorgeous wilderness country; landscape and scenic opportunities abound.
Also featured is a professional leader, often referred to as the world’s most knowledgeable bird photography trip leader, who is conversant in Canon, Nikon, and Sony. You will learn practical and creative solutions to everyday photographic problems. You will learn to see the shot, to create dynamic images by fine-tuning your compositions, to best utilize your camera’s AF system, and how to analyze the wind, the sky conditions, and the direction and quality of the light. This is one of the very few trips Homer trips available where you will not be simply put on the birds and told to have fun. You will learn to be a better photographer. But only if that is what you want.
You will learn to get the right exposure when it is sunny, when it cloudy-bright, when it is cloudy, when it is cloudy-dark, or when it is foggy. Not to mention getting the right exposure when creating silhouettes.
You will learn to make pleasing blurs working in manual mode and to create silhouettes working in Shutter Priority mode.
Most importantly you will learn to pick your best flight images from tens of thousands of images.
You will enjoy working with the two best and most creative boat captains on their sturdy, photography-spacious, seaworthy, open-deck crafts.
The second and third IPTs are the only Bald Eagle workshops that feature an incredibly helpful first mate.
Only five photographers (not the usual six), plus the leader.
Small group Photoshop, Image Review, and Image Critiquing sessions.
All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK
What’s Included
One four hour or two two-hour boat trips every day (weather permitting), all boat fees and boat-related expenses (excluding tips), ground transportation to and from the dock and back to the hotel each day, in-the-field instruction and guidance, pre-trip gear advice, small group post-processing and image review sessions, and a thank you dinner for all well-behaved participants.
What’s Not Included
Your airfare to and from Homer, AK (via Anchorage), the cost of your room at Land’s End Resort, all personal items, all meals and beverages, and tips for the boat captain and/or the first mate.
Please Note
On great days, the group may wish to photograph for more than four hours. If the total time on the boat exceeds 20 hours for the five-day trips, or 24 hours for the second trip, the group will share the additional expense at a rate of $225/hour.
Some folks may wish to rent their own vehicle to take advantage of local photographic opportunities around Homer.
Deposit Information
A $3000 non-refundable deposit/trip is required. You may pay your deposit with credit card or by personal check (made out to BIRDS AS ART) and sent via US mail only to Arthur Morris. PO Box 7245. Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Your balance, due 90 days before the date of departure, is payable only by check as above.
In Closing
I have been going to Homer off and on for close to two decades. Every trip has been nothing short of fantastic. Many folks go in mid-March. The earlier you go, the better the chances for snow. The only way to assure that you are on the best of the three trips is to sign up for all of them. Can you keep up with me? If you have any questions, or are good to go for one, two, or all three trips, please let me know via e-mail or give me a call on my cell phone at 863-221-2372.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Eric Bowles and I headed to Jekyll Point in the dark with high hopes. The forecast was for cloudy, but the sky was filled with stars. But not for long. Clouds and offshore fog closed in from the north and by the time the sun rose, it was barely visible. And then it disappeared for an hour. With the wind from the southwest, it was a tough morning for bird photography even when the sun went behind a big cloud.
As it was cloudy on Wednesday afternoon and I have a long day tomorrow, I stayed in.
Today is Thursday 7 April 2022. We will be up early and headed for an Okefenokee Swamp boat ride. Though I have never been, I am the leader on one boat. My first program, Streamlining Your Wildlife Photography Workflow, run from 1-4pm. At 4:40pm I lead a photo walk to Jekyll Point. Yikes! I sure hope that I have time for a nap after the boat ride! 🙂
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 45 minutes to prepare and makes twenty-eight days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Wanted to Buy
I have a serious buyer looking for a Sony a9 II and a Sony 200-600 G lens. Please contact me via e-mail if you have one or both of those items sitting on a shelf unused.
And Please Remember
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 4 April at Jekyll Point, Jekyll Island, GA. I used the no-longer-available Induro GIT 304L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 80. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 8 seconds at f/16 (stopped down three stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:48:24am on what would become a clear sunny morning.
Manual focus with focus peaking. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Tidal Pool in the pre-dawn
The Experience
Eric Bowles knows his way around Jekyll Point. Early on Monday morning, he took me in the dark to the best spot for pre-dawn photography. Most folks do now realize that on dead-clear days the vivid glow on the eastern horizon occurs at least 30 minutes before the sun peaks over the horizon. I made lots of 30 second exposures when the orange was brightest. I had the a1 set to mechanical shutter because you can only get down to 1/2 second in electronic shutter. I never check sharpness in the field. Then I remembered an old trick that I learned shooting long exposures with big lenses …
Any Birds?
There are five or six small shorebirds in today’s featured image. Can you see them? Remember, the exposure time was 8 full seconds.
An Important Old Tip Re-learned the Hard Way …
I was shooting the New York Skyline with a long lens and was mystified as to why my 15 second exposures were all badly blurred. There was no wind. If I am remembering correctly, it was old photographer friend Scott Vincent of New Jersey who shed light on the situation. When using super-telephoto lenses and working with very slow exposures, let’s say one second or longer, you must remember to turn off image stabilization (OSS for Sony, IS for Canon, VR for Nikon). If not, the systems will detect motion when there is none and shift the elements to reduce the (perceived) vibrations. I remembered that one Monday just as the color began to fade. II did a quick test on the sand patterns. With IS on, the image was hopelessly blurred. With IS off, it was sharp. Just in the nick of time, I created a few tidal pool images with OSS off. As you might imagine, the raw files — being properly exposed to the right, were dull and almost colorless. But I knew that the color was there. Thirty seconds of moving the sliders during the raw conversion with Adobe Camera Raw in Photoshop brought the image to life.
I experimented with the 70-200 at 70mm on the tripod with 30-second exposures on Wednesday morning. It did not matter whether the image stabilization was on or off.
Via e-mail from multiple IPT participant David Hollander
Primarily, what distinguished the San Diego IPT other photographic classes that I have attended was the “granularity” and specificity of the information you shared. By that I mean the level of specific, technical information that was covered. This was helped by the fact that you often gave an explanation as to why you made your choices. For example, when we first arrived at the location, you told people to shoot at 1600, F 5.6, and various shutter speeds. As the light got better, you progressively moved to lower ISOs, and gave us rules of thumb on what ISO to use in different lighting conditions.
You further explained in one of the review sessions that with modern cameras and good software, the noise isn’t really a problem and that you could get rid of the noise from a 1600 ISO a lot easier than fixing a blurred image. Similarly, you gave precise instruction on what aperture to use in various circumstances. In general, before your class, my “default” mode was to shoot in aperture priority, usually at about F 9 or 8.1. The reason wasn’t that I was trying to capture background detail, but instead was trying to increase my chances of getting the bird’s head in focus if I got the focus point in the wrong place. I will revisit that approach now. During one session, you showed a picture that had the bird’s eye in focus, but the tip of the beak was slightly off. When I asked you whether you would have used a higher f-stop in that case, you went to a website showing the impact on the depth of field at the given distance of moving up a stop, which was a fraction of an inch. That demonstrated why increasing the f-stop would not have worked in that case. From a teaching perspective, hearing the same information in multiple channels makes it more likely for people to absorb and remember it, so the technical explanations help the main message sink in. The instruction on use of the back button focus was also very helpful. I had read about that on your blog before, but I had not taken the time to try it, and now I have a new tool in my kit. Overall, I found the advice and instruction to be “actionable”. It was all there for those who were listening.
The comparison of slightly different images of the same bird was also very helpful. It showed what you were looking for head angles and placements. However, I should note that differences in many of the pictures that were acute to you were subtle to me, and all the pictures were ones that most photographers would have been proud to have taken, even the ones that you were rejecting.
This all-new card is comprised of images created on my JAB 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs
San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 21 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 24 DEC 2022. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.
San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.
San Diego IPT #3. 3 1/2 DAYS: FRI 20 JAN thru the morning session on JAN 23 DEC 2023: $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.
Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT sessions.
Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.
Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not
Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time if a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant. (Or two seconds with SONY Zebras…) And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure is one of the great takeaways on every IPT.
Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
It Ain’t Just Pelicans
With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well, often with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.
Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
The San Diego Details
These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.
A $599 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2022/23 San Diego IPTs. 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 right after you sign up.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late
On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Eric Bowles and I explored Harris Neck NWR on Tuesday morning. It turned out to be one of those making-soup-from-a-stone days, a little of this and a little of that. We found a nice sunrise spot out of the park proper and had a sweet sunrise without many birds. 🙁 We visited several ponds on the refuge. The best by far was Woody Pond, in part because it actually had water in it. I got to see the famed Wood Stork rookery from a distance; the only photographs to be made of the breeding storks were scenic images of the nesting islands. We had several gators, a Tricolored Heron, and a very cooperative Great Blue Heron; we worked that bird hard and did well thanks to the clouds. It had gotten very windy on the way home. I had noticed roadsides full of Indian Blanket Flower in bloom on the way into Jekyll, so I suggested that we stop to do some blurs, and we did just that.
After lunch and a nap, it got really stormy, so we headed back to the causeway to do some more blurs. I again went with the 200-600 with a 5-stop ND filter screwed onto the front with the lens on a tripod so that I could try some circle blurs. I had put chicken and butternut squash in the oven at 360° so we headed back to Villas By the Sea after an hour of shooting while dodging a few raindrops. Dinner was done perfectly and was delicious.
Today is Wednesday 6 April. The forecast for the morning is for mostly cloudy with a SW wind. That is pretty bad for bird photography unless you have lots of cloud cover… We have just today shooting on our own till the boys and girls arrive. Starting very early on Thursday, GNPA will keep me very busy until midday on Sunday. That will be followed with a 2 1/2-day IPT. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 45 minutes to prepare and makes twenty-seven days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
And Please Remember
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 4 April 2022 on the Jekyll Island Causeway. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 496mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 50. 1/8 second at f/16 (wide open). AWB at 11:39:13am on a cloudy very bright morning.
Spot S! AF-C did just what I wanted it to. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Roadside wildflower wind blur
Gorgeous or Garbage?
Your honest thoughts would be appreciated.
More On 200-600 Versatility
The Sony 2-6 continues to amaze me with its versatility. I used it on Tuesday with high ISOs to create sunrise scenics, sharp images of the perched and fishing Great Blue Heron, bird-scapes of the Wood Stork Rookery, and all sorts of gator shots. Lastly, it was great on the causeway for shooting the flower blurs both handheld and on a tripod. One negative? Turning the lens in the tripod collar was a bit sticky. It does not rotate smoothly as the 600 f/4 does.
A Guide to Pleasing Blurs
Learn everything there is to know about creating pleasingly blurred images in A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. This 20,585-word, 271-page PDF is illustrated with 144 different, exciting, and artistic images. The guide covers the basics of creating pleasingly blurred images, the factors that influence the degree of blurring, the use of filters in creating pleasing blurs, and a great variety of both in-the-field and Photoshop techniques that can be used to create pleasingly blurred images.
Artie and Denise teach you many different ways to move your lens during the exposure to create a variety of pleasingly blurred images of flowers and trees and water and landscapes. They will teach you to recognize situations where subject movement can be used to your advantage to create pan blurs, wind blurs, and moving water blurs. They will teach you to create zoom-blurs both in the field and during post-processing. Artie shares the techniques that he has used and developed for making blurred images of flocks of geese in flight at his (formerly) beloved Bosque del Apache and Denise shares her flower blur magic as well as a variety of creative Photoshop techniques that she has developed.
With the advent of digital capture creating blurred images has become a great and inexpensive way to go out with your camera and have fun, especially when there is not much light. And while many folks think that making successful blurred images is the result of being a sloppy photographer, nothing could be further from the truth. In “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs” Artie and Denise will help you to unleash your creative self.
Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in full breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull landing on head of Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull in flight, Reddish Egret sunrise silhouette, Great Blue Heron with needlefish, Yellow-crowned Night Heron with ghost crab, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling in breeding plumage, and white morph Reddish Egret in glorious breeding plumage.
The 2022 DeSoto Spring IPT/April 26 through the morning session on April 29, 2020. 3 1/2 DAYS: $2099.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings 3
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for breeding terns and gulls and wading birds in spring. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography.
Again, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull in flight, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandwich Terns copulating, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret with reflection, breeding plumage Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, white morph Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret in marsh.
We will also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, most especially, Red Knot with many individuals in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures.
With luck, we might get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will almost surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
Yes, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, Laughing Gull vertical front-end portrait, Laughing Gull with prey item, landing on head of Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Royal Tern displaying, Royal Terns — pre-copulatory stance, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a rare treat, a breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.
On the IPT you will learn:
1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
3- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
4- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
5- To age and identify many species of shorebirds including sandpipers, plovers, dowitchers, and possibly yellowlegs.
6- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
7- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
8- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
9- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
10- How and when to access the magical sandbar safely.
11- More than you could ever imagine.
You got it by now! Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Roseate Spoonbill, immature Brown Pelican in flight, the heron/egret hybrid, American Oystercatcher feeding, immature Royal Tern on railing, Great Egret morning silhouette, Black Skimmer in surf, and underside head portrait of Great Blue Heron.
Morning sessions will run at least three hours, afternoon sessions 2 1/2. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. On cloudy morning when the photography is excellent, we may opt to extend the morning session and skip the afternoon, especially if the afternoon weather is not looking too good. There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area — Gulfport in this case, rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away.
Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors; this is pretty much a staple on almost all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours. Doing so will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest and those who need to get home for a proper dinner. I really love it when I am leaving the beach at 9:30am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We will be getting wet.
Credit cards are OK for your $500 deposit. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. After you leave the deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your check out to BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, and clothing and gear advice a month before the trip. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Our phone and DSL lines are out since the huge rainstorm on Sunday. Please accept our apologies if your order is delayed. Frontier is supposed to be coming to the house on Wednesday … I an extreme emergency, please text me complete details to 863-221-2372 and I will do my best.
What’s Up?
Despite the cloudy-with-thunderstorms forecast, Monday morning at Jekyll Point was still and fabulous. And clear and sunny. We arrived in the dark to shoot the pre-down orange glow. I re-learned an lesson that I had learned many years ago — and had forgotten … Image and lesson here soon. With breeze against sun at sunrise, we killed on incoming backlit gulls and tern landing right at us. As the wind shifted lightly to the south we had a gorgeous Snowy Egret and some Willets in a tidal creek. After our morning session, Eric and I headed to Brunswick to do some grocery shopping. With wind against sun on a beautiful afternoon, we opted not to make the walk out to Jekyll Point and instead, visited several other spots on the island with the expected results. As Meatloaf says, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.
Today is Tuesday 5 April 2022. Eric and I will likely be headed to Harris Neck NWR in Richmond County, GA. The forecast for the morning is for partly cloudy with a gentle SE breeze followed by severe thunderstorms for the entire afternoon. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes twenty-six days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
This image was created on 3 April 2022 at Jekyll Point, Jekyll Island, GA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/1600 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 6:34:39pm on a sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Dunlin in surf
Back of the Left Hand on the Beach!
To work at ground level, behind by sitting down.On clear days you need to try to get on sun angle. Then place the back of your left hand on the beach with your palm facing the sky and supporting the lens. You will work the tilted rear screen. Reading glasses are a must for me. It is a good idea to keep the monitor level activated so that you at least have a clue as to what level is. Handling the lens and framing the subject is awkward, and zooming in or out is difficult at best. I clipped lots of tails, and missed on tons of action and take-off chances. But getting a few good ones right at water level makes the risk worthwhile for me. As with many images made using this technique, this one needed to be leveled.
This image was also created on 3 April 2022 at Jekyll Point, Jekyll Island, GA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/640 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 7:01:21pm on a sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Laughing Gull in surf calling
Trusting AF
When working at ground level, it is necessary to trust your camera’s AF system implicitly. Having the level activated clutters the viewfinder and makes it difficult to see how well the autofocus system is performing. That’s where the trust comes in. And as always, you can get to Carnegie Hall by practicing, practicing, and practicing some more.
This image was created on 3 April 2022 at Jekyll Point, Jekyll Island, GA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 524mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/1600 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 7:26:55pm on a sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Laughing Gull screaming at fly-by
Sony 200-600 Lethality
It has become obvious to me that the Sony 200-600/Alpha 1 combo is the best-ever by far walk around super-telephoto rig for bird photography, zoom or otherwise. To be able to take a walk on the beach without a huge heavy lens and a tripod and make images like those featured here today is a blessing. In addition you have a deadly flight photography lens and a rig that does very well with the 1.4X TC on sunny days getting you out to 840mm. If you can hand hold this less-than six pound combo, you need to seriously think about switching to Sony …
If you cannot afford the a1, the 200-600 with an a9 II is a close second, and still better than anything else out there.
High Level Questions
1- Which of today’s three images was the most difficult to create? Why?
2- Which of today’s three image succeeded in part because of sheer luck?
Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG.
Clockwise from upper left clockwise and back around to the center: Royal Tern in flight with squid for chick; Royal Tern chick on beach; Royal Tern in flight with shrimp for young; Royal Tern chick — double overhead wing stretch; Royal Tern landing with greenback for chick; Royal Tern in flight with juvenile mahi mahi for chick; Brown Pelican — large chick preening; Laughing Gull in fresh juvenal plumage; Royal Tern chick begging; Many Royal Terns with many chicks on face of dune.
Jacksonville IPT: #1: 4 FULL DAYS — the afternoon of 16 June thru the morning of MON 20 June 2022: $2,099.00. (Limit 6 photographers)
Jacksonville IPT #2: the afternoon of FRI 1 JULY thru the morning of TUES 5 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers)
Jacksonville IPT #3: the afternoon of FRI 15 JULY thru the morning of TUES 19 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers)
Ride with me: add $200.00. I do not like to disappoint: each trip will run with one participant. If necessary.
I first visited the breeding bird colony at Jacksonville in late June 2021. I was astounded. There were many thousands of pairs of Royal Terns nesting along with about 10,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls. In addition to the royals, there were some Sandwich Terns nesting. And there are several dozen pairs of Brown Pelicans nesting on the ground. Flight photography was non-stop astounding. And photographing the tern chicks was relatively easy. Folks could do the whole trip with the Sony 200-600, the Canon 100-500 RF, or the Nikon 500 PF or 200-500 VR. With a TC in your pocket for use on sunny days. Most of the action is within 100 yards of where we park (on the beach). As with all bird photography, there are times when a super-telephoto lens with either TC is the best tool for the job.
I got tons of work done in my Jacksonville AirBnb on Sunday morning and then headed to Jekyll Island. I arrived at Villas by the Sea at about 2:00pm. Check-in is at four, but they mercifully got me into my unit at 3:05. I unpacked the car for my ten-night stay and rested a bit. I headed out to check out the fishing pier at the north end of the island but wound up at the south end instead. Oops. I met Eric Bowles of GNPA at the St. Andrews Picnic Area at 5:45pm and we headed to Jekyll Point, 1.3 miles there and 1.3 mile back. We had lots of gorgeous Laughing Gulls, some Royal Terns, a few assorted gulls, more than 500 Black Skimmers, several dozen Sanderling and a dozen Dunlin, several fly-by flocks of Double-crested Cormorants and a single fly-by flock of about 20 Blue-winged Teal. The beach itself is beautiful. I worked exclusively with the 200-600 shooting at close to ground level.
The strange thing about today’s post is that I still have many more good images from what I originally thought was a poor morning.
Today is Monday 4 April 2022. The forecast for the morning is for partly cloudy skies with a southeast wind with thunderstorms developing at about 10:00am. Eric and I are headed back to Jekyll Point for sunrise. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes twenty-five days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
And Please Remember
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 2 April 2022 at Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 400mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 1250: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was perfect. AWB at 9:12:22am on a very overcast morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Two tiny Great Egret chicks in the nest
The Situation
Most of the photographers at Gatorland were dismayed that Saturday past dawned very foggy and that the sun never appeared. I was thrilled. Rookeries are difficult enough to photograph on cloudy days and when the sun is out and up, things can be borderline impossible. With no harsh shadows to deal with, at least you have a chance.
Looking at today’s three featured images, you will quickly realize that I had to choose my perspectives very carefully to find a slot through the twigs and branches, all the while using out-of-focus leaves in the foreground to pleasingly frame the images. As there are several nests very close to the boardwalk, the 600mm f/4 was completely worthless. I loaned it to BPN/UK friend Mike Poole. When I ran IPTs to Bempton Cliffs, Mike was always a huge help. Anyhoo, the new Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the FE 2x Teleconverter and a1, proved to be deadly once again. AF is super-fast and accurate, the zoom is fast and smooth, and at 400mm, the lens focuses inside of four feet! When working in tight quarters, this combo is remarkable. As I have said here before and often, the new 70-200 II obsoletes the Sony FE 100-400 GM lens.
You can learn more this great lens in several blog posts including the New Kid on the Block: Versatile, & Deadlier Than Ever post here and the In Memoriam: Not! More on the Sony 70-200 f/2.8 II GM post here.
This image was also created on 2 April 2022 at Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 400mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 800: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was perfect. AWB at 8:40:47am on a very overcast morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Great Egret chick looking like a cobra
A Single Tip that is Worth the Price of Admission …
There is a single tip in the Gatorland section of The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide that is immensely helpful for photographing the point-blank Great Egret nests. You can find it in the section on photographing the nests near the small shelter and in the Gatorland 3 April 2022 Short Update. If you own the guide, please shoot me an e-mail that includes proof of purchase with the words Gatorland 3 April 2022 Short Update Please in the Subject line.
This image was also created on 2 April 2022 at Gatorland, Kissimmee, FL. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 400mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 1000: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:34:24am on a very overcast morning.
Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Great Egret chick thinking about begging
No Idea How I Made This One
I am not sure how I made such a clean image here. It’s as if the bird were floating in some sort of nest heaven. I did execute a small crop from our right and below. Images #2 and #3 show a different large chick from the same nest. I guess that perspective is everything.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back-and-forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:
Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.
Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.
You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.
What’s Up?
When I left Gatorland after the Saturday morning session, I thought that it had been a bad one. When I saw my images, I changed my mind. Working several Great Egret nests at close to point-blank range with the Sony 70-200 f/2.8 II and the 2X TC with the a1 I made many excellent photos of small chicks. All were pleasant surprises. It was great seeing UK and BPN friend Mike Poole at GL. He recently switched to the Sony A1/200-600 G lens after decades with Canon. He did lots of great stuff underwater with his Nikon gear. I stopped for a great salad bar lunch with Anita North at Jason’s Deli, 25 W Crystal Lake St., Orlando. Getting to my AirBnB in Jacksonville took a lot longer than expected as I encountered several Armageddon-like thunderstorms on I-4. I had to pull off the highway several times.
Today is Sunday 3 April 2022. With clear skies and NW winds from Jacksonville to Jekyll Island, I will be staying in the morning and getting some work done. Why not even try? NW winds with cool temps and sunny skies are the death knell for bird photography. You gotta know when to fold em …I will likely try to make it to Jekyll Point on Sunday afternoon for a walk-about. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes twenty-four days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Wanted to Buy
I have a serious buyer looking for a Sony a9 II and a Sony 200-600 G lens. Please contact me via e-mail if you have one or both of those items sitting on a shelf unused.
Great Flight Photography Experience and Tips with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Enjoy this short (3:16) video and learn a ton on one of my best flight photography sessions ever. To learn to be a better bird photographer, sign up for an Instructional Photo-Tour here.
Did I pick the best White Ibis image?
This image was created on 30 March 2022 at Alafia Banks in Tampa Bay aboard James Shadle’s customized pontoon boat, the Hooptie Deux. I used the no-longer-available Induro GIT 304L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 1000. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the image was about 1/3 stop too dark. That knowledge helped me to properly adjust the Exposure slider during the raw conversion in ACR. AWB at 8:13:11am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Brown Pelican returning to nest with bill pouch distended. image
Always Looking for Something Special
It is possible that when a pelican approaches its nest with the bill pouch distended it is some sort of display. The bird in the nest will usually look up and open their bill pouch, seemingly as a greeting.
Comments on the vegetation in the lower right corner are welcome.
This image was created on 30 March 2022 at Alafia Banks in Tampa Bay aboard James Shadle’s customized pontoon boat, the Hooptie Deux. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 353mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 9:46:20 on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: White Ibis in max breeding plumage with prominent gular sac
Vulchinnian
Many years ago, Captain James “Froggie” Shadle coined the term vulchinnian for the red gular sacs of White Ibises at the height of breeding plumage. I believe that both the males and females develop the sacs during the breeding season. We had some good chances on these birds on our Saturday morning trip, but Sunday was beyond the beyond. It took me a few minutes to find the best spot on the relatively small island. Following my instinct, I discovered a group of about 40 birds bathing just around a corner. With the wind and sun right behind me, the birds were taking off one after another and flying right at me. I quickly called James and Brendan to the spot. From there on, it was an absolute slaughter.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
If April flowers bring May showers, there will be lots of blossoms here at ILE next month; it poured for most of the day and my late afternoon swim was delayed by a big thunderstorm.
Most folks did not fall for my traditional April Fool’s Day shenanigans, but as is the case every years, I did get a few folks, hook, line, and sinker, all via e-mail:
I’m shocked to hear your news. You have been such a huge help to me and I’m sure thousands of others over the years. You are a pro and a kind soul. Best of luck finding your next passion. Please send me you list of Sony gear as well as tripods and heads. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED to OUR PHOTOGRAPHY!
Wow Artie, thats a stunning decision for sure. Hope that I was not the straw (request for the A1 camset file) that broke the camel’s back. Well, all the very best and hope to run into you in Florida some time.
I’m looking for a tripod and head, what do you have for sale?
I (and a million other people) hope your “retirement” is an April Fool’s joke. It’s very suspicious that you are announcing this out of the blue, on April 1. I doubt it would be possible for you to just suddenly up and leave something that has been such an important part of your life for so many years (Me. either). NOT a good joke!
Anyhoo, it was fun for me. And Mike Wilbon and “Fill-in” Frank Isola got me good on a very well done by very phony Pardon the Interruption feature story about Duke Men’s Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski retiring before Saturday’s Final Four fame against North Carolina. April fool indeed!
Folks who know me understand that photographing birds and teaching others is my life, my passion, and my fun. As I used to say to my late-Mom, “I will stop photographing birds when they put the nails in the coffin.”
Today is Saturday 2 April 2022. I will be headed to Gatorland early, continuing on to Jacksonville, and then will be headed for the GNPA EXPO in Jekyll Island, GA where they will keep me very busy for more than a week. I should be home on the afternoon of Wednesday 13 April. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes twenty-three days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
In-the-Field
Jacksonville Sunday Morning In-the-Field Session: Sunday April 3 2022, 3 hours for a ridiculously low $200.00. Limit two photographers.
This is an exploratory early-in-the season visit. I expect that there will be lots of excellent photographic opportunities including Royal Terns and Laughing Gulls copulating. Please contact me via e-mail to reserve a spot or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Payment by cash or check at the beach will be fine.
And Please Remember
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection worked perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Royal Tern chicks on dune/juxtaposition
Photographing Juxtapositions
You need to be fast on your feet to create pleasing juxtapositions. Why? Since birds are usually quite active (except when sleeping), most pleasing juxtapositions (PJs) last only for a second or two. Simply have two birds in the frame does not of course yield a PJ. As the artist, you are looking for a pleasing arrangement of the subjects. The second bird, almost always in the background, should be in a position that is pleasing and balanced to the eye. There are no set rules as the second bird may be directly behind the main subject (as above) or offset to some degree. Ninety-nine times out of 100, focus should be on the closest bird for the image to be successful.
The Lesson
To create PJs, you must first be aware of the possibility and then press the shutter button at the precise moment when the two subjects (and the stars as well) are perfectly aligned.
This image was created on 17 June 2021 at a beach bird colony near Jacksonville, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 335mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 640. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide open). RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:08:13 on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zonewith Bird/Face-Eye Detection AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Royal Tern in flight with juvenile mahi mahi for young
Most Bank Shots are Cropped from Horizontals
In general, there are not enough birds consistently banking in flight to warrant trying to create vertical original flight shots. We do encounter such situations many times on a Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. Most vertical bank shots are — like the one above, created from horizontal images. With fixed focal length lenses, you will often clip a wingtip or two when the bird banks. When using an intermediate telephoto zoom lens, you can often zoom out a bit (as I did with Image #2) to avoid clipping either wind tip when the bird banks. Sharp horizontal images from most digital camera bodies can successfully be cropped to verticals without any great loss of image quality. Cropping the incredible Sony A1 files to a vertical yields large optimized files with incredible detail.
Shooting Verticals
Twenty years ago, we shot lots of verticals in hopes of making a book or magazine cover image. Those days are long gone. Today, the main reason we shoot images with the camera turned on end is because a vertical is the best compositional choice. Your reasons for going vertical are now artistic rather than financial. Take a look at a collection of your best images and see what percentage of them are verticals. For most folks (including me) it will be about 10%.
Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG.
Clockwise from upper left clockwise and back around to the center: Royal Tern in flight with squid for chick; Royal Tern chick on beach; Royal Tern in flight with shrimp for young; Royal Tern chick — double overhead wing stretch; Royal Tern landing with greenback for chick; Royal Tern in flight with juvenile mahi mahi for chick; Brown Pelican — large chick preening; Laughing Gull in fresh juvenal plumage; Royal Tern chick begging; Many Royal Terns with many chicks on face of dune.
Jacksonville IPT: #1: 4 FULL DAYS — the afternoon of 16 June thru the morning of MON 20 June 2022: $2,099.00. (Limit 6 photographers)
Jacksonville IPT #2: the afternoon of FRI 1 JULY thru the morning of TUES 5 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers)
Jacksonville IPT #3: the afternoon of FRI 15 JULY thru the morning of TUES 19 July 2022: $2099.00 (Limit 6 photographers)
Ride with me: add $200.00. I do not like to disappoint: each trip will run with one participant. If necessary.
I first visited the breeding bird colony at Jacksonville in late June 2021. I was astounded. There were many thousands of pairs of Royal Terns nesting along with about 10,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls. In addition to the royals, there were some Sandwich Terns nesting. And there are several dozen pairs of Brown Pelicans nesting on the ground. Flight photography was non-stop astounding. And photographing the tern chicks was relatively easy. Folks could do the whole trip with the Sony 200-600, the Canon 100-500 RF, or the Nikon 500 PF or 200-500 VR. With a TC in your pocket for use on sunny days. Most of the action is within 100 yards of where we park (on the beach). As with all bird photography, there are times when a super-telephoto lens with either TC is the best tool for the job.
Morning sessions will average about three hours, afternoon sessions about 1 1/2 hours. On cloudy mornings with favorable winds, we may opt to stay out for one long session and skip the afternoon, especially when the afternoon forecast is poor. Lunch is included on the first three days of the IPT and will be served at my AirBnB. After the first lunch there will be an introductory program. On days two and three we will do image review and Photoshop after lunch.
We will be based somewhere west and a bit north of Jacksonville where there are many AirBnB possibilities. The deposit is $599.00. Call Jim at the office any weekday at 863-692-0906 to pay by credit card. Balances must be paid by check.
What You Will Learn on a Jacksonville IPT
1- First and foremast you will learn to become a better flight photographer. Much better.
You will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button..
2- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you are scared of it.
3- You will learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography, especially the photography of birds in flight.
4- You will learn several pro secrets (for each system) that will help you to become a better flight photographer.
5- You will learn to zoom out in advance (because the birds are so close!) 🙂
6- You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
7- You will learn to spot the good and the great situations.
8- You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior.
9- You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
10- You will learn to choose the best perspective.
11- You will learn to see and control your backgrounds.
12- You will learn to see and understand the light.
12- You will learn to see and create pleasing blurs in pre-dawn situations.
12- You will learn to be ready for the most likely event (at all times).
And the best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever you are and whenever you photograph.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
After many months of torment, I decided last night to retire from bird photography. I am selling all of my Sony gear. And my Canon 180mm macro lens. Even my Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens. And my tripod heads. And my tripods — I have lots of them, some brand new. If you are interested in purchasing some or all of it, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here. I will shoot you an itemized list with prices.
Thanks a stack to all the blog regulars. Anyone who wishes to get in touch and say their goodbyes can do so via e-mail by clicking here.
with love, artie
ps: Who knows, maybe I will be like Tom Brady, but right now my mind is made up.
Wednesday morning on the Hooptie Deux was incredible. Phenomenal. I got some good stuff on Brown Pelicans landing at the nest with their bill pouches distended. As it seems that most of the spoonbills are on eggs, we moved to the newly discovered White Ibis island earlier than we did yesterday. It took me ten minutes to figure out where we needed to be with the south by slightly east wind. Once we were in position it was an absolute flight slaughter. For two solid hours, it was the best flight photography I have ever encountered. We had the birds taking off and flying directly at us. In addition to the perfect situation, some very light clouds drifted in front of the sun and softened the light just a bit.
I picked my keepers last night. Of more than 3200 images I kept 205. About 160 of those are stunning images of the White Ibises in flight. Shaded cupped underwing problems are greatly reduced when the birds are flying toward you on sun angle (or close to it). And the soft light helped there as well.
After stopping for lunch and visiting the Apple Store in Brandon, I headed home and was back at ILE at 3:00pm.
Today is Thursday 31 March 2022. The forecast is for partly cloudy skies with a brisk southeast wind. I may head down to the lake briefly to check on the crane nest but will not be doing any photography as I have too much work to do to get ready to leave for Jekyll Island and the GNPA EXPO early on Saturday morning. I will be photographing at Gatorland on Saturday morning and at Huguenot Memorial Park on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. From there, it is less than 1 1/2 hours to Villas by The Sea Resort and Conference Center where I will be staying.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes twenty-one days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
This image was created 27 March 2022 at Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). ISO 640: 1/125sec. act f/8 (wide open). The exposure, determined using Zebra technology, was perfect when evaluated in RawDigger. AWB at 8:12:44am in the shade of the trees on the east bank on a clear sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S Bird Face/Eye detection performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Great Egret standing on back of gator
Pushing Our Luck
Both the bird and I were pushing our luck. The bird by standing on the back of an eight-foot gator, and me by working at 1200mm with a shutter speed of only 1/125 sec. We were both lucky — the egret flew off unscathed and I made a few sharp images.
This image was also created 27 March 2022 at Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL. Again, I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). ISO 800: 1/1600 sec. act f/8 (wide open). The exposure was determined using Zebra technology; RawDigger showed it to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:40:30am in on a clear sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S Bird Face/Eye detection AF performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Great Egret taking flight with stick for nest
Grab Shot
I was working on the two big chicks in the nest as seen in Image #3 below when I saw this bird about to take off. I was vertical using Tracking: Spot S. Rather than take an extra second to toggle to Tracking: Upper Center Zone I acquired focus and fired off three quick frames. This, the third in the series, worked well with a crop from below and from the left.
The Lesson
At the risk of beating a dead horse, when unexpected action occurs you must resist the urge to change your settings for the better and press the shutter button. Nine times out of ten, if you hesitate, you will wind up with nothing …
This image was also created 27 March 2022 at Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL. Again, I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). ISO 800: 1/1200 sec. act f/10 (stopped down 2/3 stop) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology; RawDigger showed it to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:40:30am in on a clear sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S Bird Face/Eye detection AF performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Great Egret feeding large chicks
Stopping Down for Just a Bit of Extra Depth of Field
According to DOF PhotoPills, stopping down from f/8 to f/10 at 30 feet (approximate) working at an effective focal length of 1200mm will yield about 1/8 inch of extra depth of field both in front of and behind the point of focus. In other words, not much. But with lots of light and enough shutter speed to freeze the action, the extra d-o-f surely did not hurt.
30 Good Reasons to Visit Gatorland
In this short (3:48) video, you can check out the variety of wading bird species that can be easily photographed at Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL in most years. Keep reading for info on the 2022 Gatorland Photographer’s Pass Program.
2022 Gatorland Photographer’s Pass Program
Though the 2022 Gatorland Photographer’s Pass Program (GPPP) is much improved from last year’s program, it falls well short of the great program that was in effect BC (Before Covid). I am hoping that the program will be restored to its former greatness next year. This year’s program includes ten scheduled days. The first is on 19 March, and the last is 21 May 2022. And it gives photographers the opportunity to get into the park at 7:00 am instead of the normal 10:00 am entry time.
Reservations are required two days before your visit. For example, if you wish to visit on 27 March, you need to make your reservation on March 25th. You can make reservations here on the Gatorland website, or by calling 407-855-5496 ext. 226 during business hours with your credit card in hand. There is no late stay option this year. The price is $25.00 + tax per visit and includes early entry at 7:00 AM at the SOUTH ENTRANCE. All tickets are date specific and non-transferable. You will not be able to leave until 10:00am when Gatorland opens.
Choose from the following 2022 dates:
April 2, 2022 (sold out)
April 10, 2022 (sold out)
April 16, 2022
April 22, 2022
April 30, 2022
May 8, 2022
May 13, 2022
May 21, 2022
A far better deal for folks who live in the area is the Birding Seasonal pass for $125.00 per person. That includes visits on all ten dates. And best of all, you can never be shut out. If, like me, you are on the list for the Birding Seasonal pass, you can show up on any of the GPPP days, have your name checked off the list, and enjoy a great morning of photography.
If you have a party of 15 or more folks and would like to book a Private Group early entry, Gatorland is able to offer additional dates of your choice (subject to availability and pending approval). Please contact: JoIndomenico@gatorland.com.
The famous Gatorland Bird Rookery was created in 1991 as an alligator breeding marsh. While the birds lose an occasional chick to the gators, they gain pretty much complete protection from ground predators. This unique habitat has grown into one of the largest and most accessible wading bird rookeries in Florida. Today, this area provides protected nesting, foraging, and roosting area to more than 20 different species of birds, many of which are listed as Endangered or Species of Special Concern. Gatorland’s boardwalks provide birders and photographers with access to these incredible birds, their nests, and their young, allowing people to safely observe them while capturing stunning photographs.
You can learn exactly how to make the best possible photographs at Gatorland in here ; details on that above.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Tuesday morning was still and gorgeous on the water in Tampa Bay. I was aboard the Hooptie Deux with Captain James (Froggy) Shadle and four clients: Peter Dominowski, Brendan Burns, Joh Hoiles, and Lorvey Stark. In the pre-dawn, I taught pleasing blur techniques, a new one for all the clients. As the sun rose, we had a great time with bathing Brown Pelicans in golden water. Once the sun up, we got out of the boat only to find that the spoonbills were few and far between. We did have lots of good chances on Brown Pelicans in flight. When the action slacked off a bit we moved to a new location and enjoyed non-stop action with breeding plumage White Ibises in flight. When the light got harsh, I taught the group how to create backlit flight images of the ibises overhead by turning around and facing the sun! All in all, we had a great morning and everyone learned a ton. Peter Dominoskwi had his first flight photography experience with his brand new a1 and was (properly) amazed.
I forgot to check the wind direction before heading back to the wading bird rookery in Brandon at 5:00pm on Tuesday. What little wind there was was from the northeast. With the still conditions few birds were flying. And those that did fly were landing into the wind. I took about 100 images and left. I kept one of a perched Wood Stork …
Today is Wednesday 30 March 2022. The morning forecast for Gibsonton is for partly cloudy with a decent wind from the southeast. I am meeting Froggy and Brenda at the dock at 6:30am. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post about an hour to prepare and makes twenty days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Unsolicited e-Mail from Jon Hoiles
Thanks again for a wonderful morning at Gatorland. As I said on Sunday, it was an awesome experience for me, not only meeting you, but having the 1:1 time in the field. I was half-expecting to get a few tips and then we’d go shoot, and that would have been good with me. But to get a solid 2.5 hours of hands-on, no-holds-barred photography training time from the best just blew me away. Thank you! I sincerely appreciate how you helped with both the technical aspects of operating the camera (and even the tripod head!) and the creative process of composing an image and using the light to your advantage. And the role of the wind in bird photography! I don’t think I would have gotten the backlit egret with rim-light image if I had been using manual with auto-ISO.
Gatorland In-the-Field Instruction: Saturday April 2 2002, 2 1/2 hours from 7:00 – 9:30am for a ridiculously low $200.00. Limit two photographers.
Please contact me via e-mail to reserve a spot. Payment by cash or check on site is fine.
This image was created on Monday 28 March 2022 at a rookery in Brandon, FL. I used the no-longer-available Induro GIT 304L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 800. The exposure for the Cattle Egrets that were flying in was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the image was more than one full stop too dark. AWB at 6:32:59pm on a sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed very well. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: The Photo Mechanic screen capture for the Black-crowned Night-Heron carrying nesting material image
The Under-exposed Original
I was getting some great stuff on incoming Cattle Egrets with decent backgrounds when the Black-crowned Nigh-Heron above appeared right in front of me, so close that I could barely fit it in the frame. I had no time to increase the exposure at all much less increase it the 3 clicks that were needed. And not only was the night-heron much darker overall than the Cattle Egrets, but is was slightly shaded as it approached the nest. So I did what I espouse here often: I pressed the shutter button and created a four frame sequence.
I loved the sharpness and the nesting material but I absolutely hated shadow on the left underwing. I spent a half-hour trying to lighten that shadow, but was still not happy. Before you scroll down to Image #1A to see my creative solution, try to figure out what I did.
Cupped Wings Cause Underwing Shadows
Though the night-heron was right on sun angle when I pressed the shutter button, the cupped left wing resulted in the ugly dark shadow under that wing. What to do?
The Lesson
Other than trying to shoot birds in flight right down sun angle, there is nothing that you can do to prevent the dark underwing shadows caused by cupped wings. Because such shadows come and go almost instantly, a 30 frames/second camera body with science-fiction like autofocus is a huge advantage. While editing the pelican and ibis flight shots from, more than 50% of the 2000+ deleted images were the result of unpleasant underwing shadows. Images with evenly lit underwings are highly desired, but are rarer than hen’s teeth.
This image was created on Monday 28 March 2022 at a rookery in Brandon, FL. I used the no-longer-available Induro GIT 304L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 800. The exposure for the Cattle Egrets that were flying in was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the image was more than one full stop too dark. AWB at 6:32:59pm on a sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed very well. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1A: The cropped, optimized version of the Black-crowned Night-Heron carrying nesting material image
The Solution
I hated the dark shadow so much that I simply eliminated it with a vertical crop. As you can see, sharp a1 images can stand up to healthy crops.
I added some canvas on the top and cleaned and softened the background in Photoshop. Details are included in Digital Basics II. Learn the location of the rookery in Brandon in the BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide. The rookery islands are extremely active this year.
SONY and artie
Switching to SONY, first with the a9 and the a9 II, and then to the remarkable a1, has enabled me (and others, like Mike De Rosa as seen a while ago in the blog post here), to create images of birds in flight and in action that I could not have even dreamed of when using Canon for 33 years and then Nikon for more than two. Right now I am using only two AF methods. that They cover about 99% of the commonly-encountered bird photography situations. Learn more by joining (or by earning your way into) the group!
From Long-ago IPT veteran Keith Kennedy via e-mail
Absolutely great information. I am calling Jim in a few minutes to order a couple of Delkin 128GB UHS-II cards. Your timely email has saved me a ton of money! Many thanks
In the same vein, via e-mail from John LeClair
Well, e-mail #21 alone was worth the price of admission!
From Pamela Viale, after receiving artie’s a1 settings along with detailed instructions on how to copy them to her SONY a1 via e-mail
This e-mail group has been an incredible boon to me! Thank you so much!
From Joe Barranco via e-Mail
Thanks for your great ideas on the A1 set up. I have been getting MANY more keepers doing things your way!
From Barbara White via e-Mail
Wow, I just gotta say – I learn so much from the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info group! My camera is on my desk, and I’m always picking it up and changing something that I’ve read about in the e-mails.
Thanks, Barbara
From Janet Horton via e-Mail
Hi Artie, Mystery solved. Yes, I was able to replicate what you did. I forgot that you have to set self-timer using the upper dial. I am used to that being a MENU selection.
Thanks much, Janet
SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. The group is now up to an astounding 113 lucky and blessed folks. Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that all who wish, can request an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. I finally finished the consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE and distributed it yesterday. New a1 folks will now receive three e-mails instead of the previous 28! It is a lot easier on me and is an incredible resource for folks new to the a1.
All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info & Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
While checking the crane on the nest before the sun was fully up — the bird was sleeping on the two eggs (as usual), I spotted two adult Brown Pelicans flying over the lake not far from the shore. They were the first in more than 20 years of observation. Then, using the hand held 200-600 (and wishing I had taken the 600 f/4 and the 1.4X TC), I carefully approached some Great Egret gorging on baitfish in the canal at the north end of ILE. I got a few good ones. After brunch, an early nap, my bursts, and my swim I drove over to my AirBnB in Valrico. At 5pm, I met up with Jon Hoiles at the rookery in Brandon. We had a great time with lots of flight action. Images and story at some point.
Today is Tuesday 29 March 2022. The forecast for Gibsonton is for mostly sunny with a very gentle breeze from the N/NW switching to northeast early. My group of four will be meeting Captain James Shadle aboard the Hooptie Deux at 6:30am sharp. Speaking of spoonbills, the Wednesday morning trip still has three openings and the forecast is for a southeast wind. Yummy for flight photography. Details below. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post about 90 minutes to prepare and makes nineteen days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Gatorland In-the-Field Instruction: Saturday April 2 2022, 2 1/2 hours from 7:00 – 9:30am for a ridiculously low $200.00. Limit two photographers.
Please contact me via e-mail to reserve a spot. Payment by cash or check before boarding the boat will be fine.
Unsolicited e-Mail from Jon Hoiles
Thanks again for a wonderful morning at Gatorland. As I said on Sunday morning, it was an awesome experience for me, not only meeting you, but having the 1:1 time in the field. I was half-expecting to get a few tips and then we’d go shoot, and that would have been good with me. But to get a solid 2.5 hours of hands-on, no-holds-barred photography training time from the best just blew me away. Thank you! I sincerely appreciate how you helped with both the technical aspects of operating the camera (and even the tripod head!) and the creative process of composing an image and using the light to your advantage. And the role of the wind in bird photography! I don’t think I would have gotten the backlit egret with rim-light image if I had been using manual with auto-ISO.
Very Short Notice Hooptie Deux Roseate Spoonbill Opportunities
Morning Roseate Spoonbill Session: 7-10am on the boat
Wednesday 30 March 2022: $500 includes the boat fees, waders, and in-the field instruction.
Limit 5 photographers/openings: 3.
Add a working brunch with image review: $125.00.
As above, there are 3 spots left on the Wednesday morning Hooptie Deux spoonbill trip. Please contact me via e-mail to reserve a spot. Payment by cash or check before boarding the boat will be fine.
This image was created on 27 March 2022. I used the no-longer-available Induro GIT 304L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 1000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/60 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:17:29am on what would be a sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Great Egret pre-dawn in dark relefctions
Slow Shutter Speeds and Big Glass
Many folks (including new student and friend Jon Hoiles), believe that they need to use shutter speeds in excess of 1/500 second when using a tripod-mounted 500 or 600mm lens. I believe that with good sharpness techniques and some practice, most folks will be able to create razor sharp images at least down to 1/60 sec. Doing do will save you at least three stops of ISO.
This image was created 27 March 2022 at Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). ISO 1250. 1/640 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual Mode. The exposure, determined using Zebra technology, was dead-solid perfect when evaluated in RawDigger. AWB at 7:51:27am on a clear sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S Bird Face/Eye detection performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Great Egret in breeding plumage/head and neck portrait
Manual Mode Rocks
Learning to work in Manual mode is a necessity if you want to learn to make consistent exposures and become a better bird photographer. And the last thing that you want to do, is to use Auto ISO in conjunction with Manual (exposure) mode. The beauty of working in manual mode is that you have complete control over all three exposure parameters. Once you go to Auto ISO, you are giving up control. If working in Manual mode scares you, check out the great tutorial in the blog post here.
This image was created on 27 March 2022 at Gatorland. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 318mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/250 second at f/8 (stopped down 2/3 stop).AWB at 9:16:44 in the shade on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Great Egret on nest with aigrettes fluffed up
Embracing the Clutter
On rare occasions, you can actually work with the jumble of sticks that comprise a wading bird nest and create a successful image by integrating and working around and with the clutter. If that makes any sense. Here I zoomed out to include the spray of the bird’s aigrettes to soften the look of the image. A single small twig that intersected with the tip of the bill was removed (seamlessly).
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Despite a less than favorable breeze from the NW, I had a great Sunday morning at Gatorland with Nikon shooter Jon Hoiles. Conditions were vastly improved as compared to last Saturday. There were many more pairs of Great Egrets and several photographable nests with chicks. There was a nice Cattle Egret and one super-spiffy Snowy Egret. I created exactly 1200 images and kept 76 after the first edit. I will be sharing lots more stuff from that session here on the blog very soon.
Jon — who has a z9 on backorder, was working with his brand-new Nikon Z6 II Mirrorless camera body. I helped Jon figure out a few things with the AF system. He was a quick study. Though we did not do any flight photography, I was quite impressed with the Z6 II. It goes for $3500.00 less than the Z9 and you can actually get one. The unassailable fact is that dSLRs are on their way out for bird photography. The current crop of digital bodies is just too good. Apologies to the Nikon and Canon folks; the a1 is by far the best of the lot.
I went down to the lake late in the day to check on the crane nest. The bird still sits and there was no sign of chicks. Sky conditions looked good but with a 15mph+ wind from the west by slightly north, I turned around and drove home.
Unsolicited e-Mail from Jon Hoiles
Thanks again for a wonderful morning. As I said on Sunday morning, it was an awesome experience for me, not only meeting you, but having the 1:1 time in the field. I was half-expecting to get a few tips and then we’d go shoot, and that would have been good with me. But to get a solid 2.5 hours of hands-on, no-holds-barred photography training time from the best just blew me away. Thank you! I sincerely appreciate how you helped with both the technical aspects of operating the camera (and even the tripod head!) and the creative process of composing an image and using the light to your advantage. And the role of the wind in bird photography! I don’t think I would have gotten the backlit egret with rim-light image if I had been using manual with auto-ISO.
Jon grew up in Alabama and attended the University of South Alabama. Following undergraduate studies, he joined the Navy as a Laboratory Officer, served 20 years, and retired in 2020 at the rank of Commander while serving as the Director of the Navy Blood Program. Upon retirement, he moved to Louisiana for about a year, then recently moved to Tampa. Today he works (at home) as a Product Manager for a medical device company based in the San Francisco Bay area that markets a pathogen reduction technology that improves the safety of the blood supply.
He started bird photography in 2011 while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. At the time he was shooting pictures of the Japanese landscape, but kept running into a group of Japanese bird photographers in the field. After a while, he bought a super-telephoto lens and joined his Japanese friends photographing kingfishers, Black-faced Spoonbills, and many more. He’s been shooting off and on ever since (as Navy life allowed for it), and now that he’s here in Florida, is absolutely loving it! He says, “The birds here in Florida are absolutely amazing; they re-kindled my interest in bird photography.
I am looking forward to Tuesday!”
Jon had so much fun and learned so much that he signed up for Tuesday morning on the spoonbill boat. (There is room for you on Wednesday — details below). While Brendon Burns looks 16, Jon looks about 24. As he served in the Navy for 20 years, I am thinking that he is a bit older than that. In any case, my blessings continue: over the weekend I met two very fine young men who love bird photography and want very badly to improve their skills. Jon sent some JPEGs last night via e-mail. Like Brendan, his images were quite excellent …
Today is Monday 28 March 2022. I will be heading down to the lake early at least to check on the yet un-hatched Sandhill Crane nest. I have an AirBnB in Brandon for Monday and Tuesday nights so that I will not be too far from Gibsonton where we will be meeting Captain James Shadle aboard the Hooptie Deux. Speaking of spoonbills, the Tuesday morning trip is sold out. There are still three openings for Wednesday morning. Details below. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post about an hour to prepare and makes eighteen days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Very Short Notice Hooptie Deux Roseate Spoonbill Opportunities
Morning Roseate Spoonbill Sessions: 7-10am on the boat
Tuesday 29 March 2022: $500 includes the boat fees, waders, and in-the field instruction.
Limit 5 photographers/sold out.
Wednesday 30 March 2022: $500 includes the boat fees, waders, and in-the field instruction.
Limit 5 photographers/openings: 3.
Add a working brunch with image review: $125.00.
Add Monday and/or Tuesday afternoon at a nearby wading bird rookery: $150.00.
As above, there are 3 spots left on the Wednesday morning Hooptie Deux spoonbill trip. Please contact me via e-mail to reserve a spot. Payment by cash or check before boarding the boat will be fine.
And Please Remember
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created 27 March 2022 at Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). ISO 640. 1/1000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual Mode. The exposure, determined using Zebra technology, was dead-solid perfect when evaluated in RawDigger. AWB at 8:55:38am on a clear sunny morning.
Tracking: Spot S Bird Face/Eye detection performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Great Egret in breeding plumage with leaf shadow tattoo
Photographing Birds in Filtered Light
I have long railed against photographing birds in filtered light, when part of the bird is lit by direct sun and part is in shadow. My thoughts were simple: never do it. So, when I first looked at this bird with the shadow of a plant on it, I said, “No way, Jose.” But then I put the lens on it and thought, “That looks pretty cool.” So, I made a few images making sure to press the shutter button only when the eye was in the clear. I shared the image on the back of the camera with Jon who said, “It looks like a Mike Tyson face tattoo.” Thus, the title of today’s post.
Like it or Hate It?
Whenever you try something totally new and different, there is always a chance that everyone will hate the photo. Do you like today’s featured image, or do you hate it? Either way, why?
Image #1A: RawDigger screen capture for the Great Egret in breeding plumage with leaf shadow tattoo image
Dead-Solid Perfect!
Images where the G channel gets 2/3rds of the way from the 8000 to the 16000 line are perfect exposures. Images where the G channel gets right up to the 16000 line are dead-solid perfect. With 1353 OvExp pixels out of 51,000,000, this is a dead-solid perfect exposure. Note that most of the OvExp pixels are on the brightest white features in the lower right corner of the image. They are as close to insignificant as you can get, and since all the over-exposure is in one channel, the GREEN channel, detail was easily restored during the raw conversion. The pixels needed to restore detail are borrowed from the R and B channels.
RawDigger — not for the faint of heart …
Nothing has ever helped me learn to create perfect exposures to the degree that RawDigger has. I think that many folks are reluctant to learn that most of their images are underexposed by one or more full stops and that highlight warnings in Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, and your in-camera histogram are completely bogus as they are based on the embedded JPEGs. Only your raw files tell the truth all the time. Heck, I resisted RawDigger for several years … Once you get over that feeling, RawDigger can become your very best exposure friend no matter what system you are using. On the recent IPTs and In-the-Field sessions, we have demonstrated that fact. Convincingly.
The RawDigger (pink) Adapted Histogram
In the RawDigger e-Guide, you will learn exactly how to set up the Adapted “pink” RawDigger Histogram and how to use it to quickly and easily evaluate the exposure or raw file brightness of images from all digital cameras currently in use. RawDigger was especially helpful to me when I struggled with R5 exposures and when I was learning my new camera body, the Sony Alpha a1.
RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
The RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
by Arthur Morris with Patrick Sparkman
The RawDigger e-Guide was created only for serious photographers who wish to get the absolute most out of their raw files.
Patrick and I began work on the guide in July 2020. At first, he z we struggled. We asked questions. We learned about Max-G values. We could not figure out why the Max G values varied by camera system. 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.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Of the seven images presented here today, which two are the strongest? Please leave a comment letting us know why you made your choices. I think that most folks will agree on at least one of the images below. I will share my two favorites with you here in the nest Catching Up blog post.
What’s Up?
On Saturday morning I worked here at ILE with Brendan E. Burns. Brendan is joining me for two days on the Hooptie Deux and is signed up for the DeSoto IPT. Brendan looks as if he is about 16 years old. He works as an investment analyst. He is tall and fit. He had been working with some very limited Canon gear when he signed up for the IPT. After a phone consultation, he purchased a Sony a1, the 200-600 G lens, and a 1.4X TC. Then he bought Bill Schneider’s Sony 600mm f/4 lens before it was even listed. So what does he think of Sony? Sony is in a different universe. The autofocus system is beyond amazing. Brendan has been working away from home in an AirBnB in St. Pete and has been photographing at DeSoto most every morning and afternoon. We reviewed some of this recent images. I was beyond impressed. For a relative beginner, his stuff was simply excellent. And best of all, he wants to improve. For me, meeting a bright young man who loves bird photography was an absolute pleasure.
With today’s post, I am almost caught up with unanswered questions past and will do a second post soon that will bring everything up to date.
Today is Sunday 27 March 2022. I am headed to Gatorland for an In-the-Field Session with Nikon shooter Jonathan Hoiles. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post about two hours to prepare and makes seventeen days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Very Short Notice Hooptie Deux Roseate Spoonbill Opportunities
Morning Roseate Spoonbill Sessions: 7-10am on the boat
Tuesday 29 March 2022: $500 includes the boat fees, waders, and in-the field instruction.
Limit 5, Openings: 1.
Wednesday 30 March 2022: $500 includes the boat fees, waders, and in-the field instruction. Limit 5, Openings: 2..
Do Both Mornings for $950.
Add a working brunch with image review: $125.00.
Add Monday and/or Tuesday afternoon at a nearby wading bird rookery: $150.00.
There are still 3 spots left on the Hooptie Deux spoonbill trips. Please contact me via e-mail to reserve a spot. Payment by cash or check before boarding the boat will be fine.
This image was created on 12 April 2021. While seated on the damp sand, I used the no-longer-available Induro GIT 304L/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 2000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:45:05am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C performed very well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image #1: Royal Tern pair: pre-copulatory stand
Surprisingly, the Higher Perspective
In the Royal Terns Screwing Around: Is Lower Always Better? blog post here, I asked of the two featured images, Which is the better perspective?
Somewhat surprisingly, I preferred Image #1, the image made from a higher perspective — seated. I agree that Image #2 is the stronger image overall, but liked seeing the greenish algae stains on the sand in the first image. In addition, I did not like the greenish-gray line going through the birds in the second image.
This image was created on 19 February 2022, the scouting day for the Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 195mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras: ISO 400. 1/4000 second at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 11:02:07am on then sunny morning. a somewhat foggy afternoon.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Bald Eagle beginning dive – B
All Razor Sharp. All the Time!
In the All Razor Sharp. All the Time! blog post here, opinions as to which was the strongest image in the series were widely divided. Most folks liked Images #1 and #3. Image #2, which was my favorite, received only two mentions. I liked all three dorsal views, but the upper wings surfaces in the second image were well lit. That was not quite true in the first and the third images.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Photo courtesy of and copyright 2022: Anita G. North
Image #2: Bald Eagle over mountain II
The Eagle-Over-the-Mountain Photo Contest
In the The Eagle-Over-the-Mountain Photo Contest blog post here, a zillion folks commented. Many favored Anita’s fine image; my image got just enough votes to eke our first place. I liked Anita’s image above just a bit better than mine. That said, I love mine. 🙂
This image was created on 28 February 2022, the third day of the second Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was set using Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial: ISO 640: 1/6400 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 10:05:40am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Red-breasted Merganser drake in flight
This image was created on 26 February 2022, Day One of the second 2022 Homer/Kachemak Bay IPT. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500: 1/1600 second at f/7.1 (stopped down 1/3 stop). AWB at 9:49:17am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Upper Zone with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Bald Eagle posing on perch
Miracle Homer Flight Shots –faster than a speeding bullet!
In the Miracle Homer Flight Shots –faster than a speeding bullet! blog post here, I loved and was amazed by both images, but liked Image #2 (above) best because of the better view of the near underwing. As some suggested, I like the distant background better in Image #1.
Homer YouTube Bald Eagle Video and Announcing the 2023 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs
In the Homer YouTube Bald Eagle Video and Announcing the 2023 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs blog post here, I liked Image #1 but #2, was my favorite. What can I say? I am a sucker for those pure backgrounds and I liked the bird being a bit larger in the frame as well.
My Thoughts on Background Softness (Bokeh?) Simplified
In the My Thoughts on Background Softness (Bokeh?) Simplified blog post here, options on the better background were evenly decided. I agree — I like both equally and could not pick a favorite.
This image was also created on Saturday 12 March 2022, the morning of the day that the colts had vanished. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 400mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000: 1/250 second at f/8 (stopped down one stop). AWB at 8:04:45am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Sandhill Crane colt: folded wing detail
In Memoriam: Not! More on the Sony 70-200 f/2.8 II GM
In the In Memoriam: Not! More on the Sony 70-200 f/2.8 II GM blog post here, everyone who commented like Image #1 best. I disagreed. I love, love, love Image #2 above. Why? The delicate,folded, growing wing is framed perfectly. It is hard to believe that in about six weeks the colts will be flying. Despite the extra d-o-f — stopped down one full stop, the background is pleasing (because I was so close to the subject). In addition, I have been trying for this shot for close to two decades. This one is the best by miles!
This image was created on 20 February 2022, day one of the first 2022 Homer/Kachemak Bay IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 312mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 11:51:21am in the shade on a cloudy-bright day.
Tracking: Spot S with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Five Bald Eagles on radiolarian chert
Nine Out of Ten Ain’t Bad. And One Tough Question …
In the Nine Out of Ten Ain’t Bad. And One Tough Question … blog post here, everyone (including me) agreed that Image #2 above, was by far the stronger image.
The nine out of ten referred to nine good head angles in the two photos combined. The eagle on our left in Image #1 is facing away. I also asked a high level image design/field-craft question. I wrote, I really wanted to take one step more up the slope, but refrained from doing so in fear of scaring off one or more to the carefully arranged adult eagles. Why did I want to take one more step up the slope?
Jerry Turner answered correctly when he commented: One more step up the slope up would have raised the horizon above the Eagle’s head on the right in Image 1.. Well done Jerry!
Nancy’s DeSoto IPT Experience
In the Nancy’s DeSoto IPT Experience blog post here, I liked both images with a slight preference for the vertical.All but one of the folks who commented liked the vertical image because the bird is so much larger in the frame. Kudos to Ted Willcox for swimming agains the tide. He wrote: Image #1 is my favourite. I love the composition, and I like the feeling of more room around the bird.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
On Thursday, a short visit to the lakefront yielded some very nice images of the perched young eagle. Then I watched him soar over ILE like the king of the skies. The crane is still sitting steadfastly on its nest and is usually sound asleep … Again, I made some progress on my two GNPA Keynote programs.
Today is 26 March 2022. The forecast for the morning is dead clear with a gentle NW breeze — not ideal for bird photography but I will head down to the lake at least to check on the 2-egg crane nest. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post more than less than an hour to prepare and makes sixteen days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Great Canon Stuff at Bedfords
Steve Elkins let me know on Wednesday that Bedfords has a Canon RF400mm f/2.8 lens in stock along with two EOS R3 bodies in stock. If you bite, please remember to use the BIRDSASART code at checkout to earn 3% back on your credit card and free second-day air Fed-Ex.
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission on items priced at $1,000 or more. With items less than $1000, there is a $50 flat-fee. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. If you are interested, please click here, read everything carefully, and do what it says. To avoid any misunderstandings, please read the whole thing very carefully. If you agree to the terms, please state so clearly via e-mail and include the template or templates, one for each item you wish to sell. Then we can work together to get your stuff priced and listed.
Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice only to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past years, we have sold many hundreds of items. Do know that prices for used gear only go in one direction. Down. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
Canon EOS-1DX Mark II (with extras!)
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Multiple IPT veteran Jeff Armstrong is offering a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II in mint condition (with less than 3000 shutter actuations) for the BAA record-low price of $2,450.00. The sale includes the front cap, a Ruggard silicone rubber cover that has been on camera from Day One, a Hoodman H-eyec22 eye cup, the strap, the original box, one battery with the end caps, the charger, the instruction manual, and insured ground shipping via major carrier to lower 48 U.S. address. Your item will not ship until your check clears, unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Jeff e-mail or by phone at 510-604-6100 (Mountain time zone).
The EOS-1DX Mark II was Canon’s flagship professional dSLR for many years. I made many fine images with mine. It is rugged and fast and featured Canon’s best AF system at the time. The 1DX II sells new at B&H for$4,499.00 so you can save a very cool $2049.00 by grabbing Jeff’s pretty much new body ASAP. artie
From left to right clockwise back to the center: Brown Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill downstroke, Brown Pelican sunrise silhouette, Double-crested Cormorant pre-dawn blur, Roseate Spoonbill flapping after bath, Brown Pelican taking flight, Roseate Spoonbill taking flight, Reddish Egret white morph breeding plumage in flight, and Reddish Egret dark morph breeding plumage in flight.
All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks on the 2018 trip. With Captain James “Froggie” Shadle
You can click on each card to enjoy a larger version.
Very Short Notice Hooptie Deux Roseate Spoonbill Opportunities
Morning Roseate Spoonbill Sessions: 7-10am on the boat
Tuesday 29 March 2022: $500 includes the boat fees, waders, and in-the field instruction.
Limit 5, Openings: 2.
Wednesday 30 March 2022: $500 includes the boat fees, waders, and in-the field instruction. Limit 5, Openings: 2.
Do Both Mornings for $950.
Add a working brunch with image review: $125.00.
Add Monday and/or Tuesday afternoon at a nearby wading bird rookery: $150.00.
We will be leaving the dock very early for the morning sessions in hopes of photographing the pre-dawn fly-outs and blastoffs of White Ibis and Fish Crow. The weather forecast is perfect for both days. The morning sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, both morphs of Reddish Egret, Great Blue Little Blue, and Tricolored Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets, White and Glossy Ibises, Turkey and Black Vultures, and Double-crested Cormorant. We should have some good chances with birds carrying nesting material. The fee for each session includes all boat and guide fees, in the field instruction and chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit). For the most part we will be standing in mid-calf to knee-high water behind our tripods. Tripod-mounted 500 and 600mm f/4 super-telephoto lenses with a 1.4X TC are best though folks with the Sony 200-600 will do well. We help you get in and out of the boat with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.
All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks
Everything is Perfect!
These two sessions represent an incredible opportunity to photograph Florida’s most wanted species. I do hope that you can join us. All the images on the cards were made on Hooptie Deux trips from late-February through March, prime time for the spoonies in breeding plumage. Many folks have written expressing interest so please do not tarry.
You must e-mail to reserve a spot. Payment by cash or check before boarding the boat will be fine.
Images courtesy of our guide; copyright 2017 Captain James Shadle (aka Froggie). All the images here were created at Alafia Banks. Card creation and design by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.
Everybody Loves Spoonbills!
Roseate Spoonbill is one of if not the most sought after avian photographic subjects in Florida. They are generally hard to find and somewhat difficult to approach. They are relatively easy to find at Alafia Banks—heck, you can’t miss seeing them, but even there they can on some days be somewhat difficult to approach. On some days we may be able to get ridiculously close to them. The huge incentive to get out to Alafia Banks in mid-February is the chance to photograph this species at the height of its spectacular breeding plumage…. with long telephoto lenses. Again, a 500 or 600mm f/4 lens with a 1.4X TC is perfect for this trip.
Mornings to Alafia Banks for spoonbills and Brown Pelicans (with lots of flight photography often with the birds likely carrying nesting material), Double-crested Cormorants, ibises (both Glossy and White) in breeding plumage. Some of the White Ibises may be sporting their spectacular, distended, red, naked (un-feathered) throat pouches—typically larger in the females. In addition, we may get to photograph egrets including Great and Reddish, both in full breeding plumage, shorebirds, and more. There will be lots of flight photography opportunities.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice. Be sure to click on each image and view the high-res versions to appreciate the incredible sharpness of a1 images.
What’s Up?
On Wednesday, for the first time in recent memory, I did not get down to the lake at all. I did get lots of work done on my two GNPA Keynote programs.
Today is 25 March 2022. The forecast for the morning is for cloudy early becoming sunny with a gentle NW breeze. I will be headed down to the lake at least to check on the 2-egg crane nest. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post more than 90 minutes to prepare and makes fifteen days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Great Canon Stuff at Bedfords
Steve Elkins let me know late yesterday that Bedfords has a Canon RF400mm f/2.8 lens in stock along with two EOS R3 bodies in stock. If you bite, please remember to use the BIRDSASART code at checkout to earn 3% back on your credit card and free second-day air Fed-Ex.
And Please Remember
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 27 May 2021 at Fort DeSoto Park, St. Petersburg, FL. While seated on damp sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 800. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:27:30am on a hazy, sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image #1: Tricolored Heron hunting
Photoshop Crop Tool Basics
Folks often ask if I am wedded to the 3X2 proportions of our images as they come out of Sony, Canon, and Nikon camera bodies. I am not sure why I love the 3X2 proportions (and 2X3 for verticals), but I do. That said, there are times when I prefer crops to other proportions. Those include square crops, boxy crops, and pano crops. In the dropdown Crop menu in Photoshop, there are presets for 1:1 (Square), 4X5 (8X10), 5X7, and others. When you wish to work outside the box as I did with today’s two featured pano crops, or when creating a boxy crop, you need to select the second item in the dropdown menu: W X H X Resolution. Be sure to hit Clear before cropping. Note: you do not have to enter a value in the Resolution box; it will not change if you leave it blank. To set the crop, grab the length and the width love handles (one at a time) and drag them in as needed. You can execute the crop in one of three ways:
1- Hit Enter.
2- Click on the check mark icon above the image; it is the last one on the right.
3- With the cursor anywhere on the image, double-click.
So, What’s a Boxy Crop?
I define a boxy crop as a horizontal image where the proportion is less than 3X2. Both 4X5 and 5X7 are examples of boxy crops, but you do not need to limit yourself to those two. Your images come into Photoshop at 3X2. To create a boxy crop first select the second item in the dropdown menu: W X H X Resolution and then be sure to hit Clear before proceeding. Now grab the love handle on either side of the image and move it in as desired. You can do one or both sides. Now hit Enter. Congrats; you have executed a boxy crop.
This image was created on 12 May 2021 at Fort DeSoto Park, St. Petersburg, FL. While crouching down, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 400. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/5000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:26:31am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image #2: Snow Egret hunting
Wading Birds Fishing: Pano Crops
When actively fishing, wading birds like herons and egrets will often crouch down and lean forward when working the shallows for baitfish. It is natural to work in horizontal format when photographing these fishing birds. And as with today’s two featured images, a pano crop is often the most powerful choice.
Don’t Take This Lightly
Many photo tour leaders are more than glad to get rid of their group at lunch. Each promotion of a BAA IPT includes this:
There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day.
These sessions are hugely popular. On Day One I will usually pick my keepers from the morning session while explaining the fine differences that make one or two images the best from 5 to 30 frame bursts of the same subject/situation. That is almost always followed by an image optimization or two. Those are recorded and a link to the video is sent to the group.
On the following days, we will look at participants’ images. I will pick a strong one to optimize from the raw conversion to the JPEG creation. And again, the whole process is recorded and a link to the video sent to the group.
These sessions are amazingly valuable, not only for the group but for me as well. Why the latter? Many of my best Photoshop tricks and techniques are a result of someone saying, “Why are you doing it that way? There is a much easier way to do it.”
Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in full breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull landing on head of Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull in flight, Reddish Egret sunrise silhouette, Great Blue Heron with needlefish, Yellow-crowned Night Heron with ghost crab, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling in breeding plumage, and white morph Reddish Egret in glorious breeding plumage.
The 2022 DeSoto Spring IPT/April 26 through the morning session on April 29, 2020. 3 1/2 DAYS: $2099.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings 3.
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for breeding terns and gulls and wading birds in spring. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography.
Again, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull in flight, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandwich Terns copulating, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret with reflection, breeding plumage Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, white morph Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret in marsh.
We will also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, most especially, Red Knot with many individuals in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures. With any luck, we might get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will almost surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
Yes, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, Laughing Gull vertical front-end portrait, Laughing Gull with prey item, landing on head of Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Royal Tern displaying, Royal Terns — pre-copulatory stance, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a rare treat, a breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.
On the IPT you will learn:
1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
3- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
4- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
5- To age and identify many species of shorebirds including sandpipers, plovers, dowitchers, and possibly yellowlegs.
6- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
7- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
8- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
9- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
10- How and when to access the magical sandbar safely.
11- More than you could ever imagine.
You got it by now! Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Roseate Spoonbill, immature Brown Pelican in flight, the heron/egret hybrid, American Oystercatcher feeding, immature Royal Tern on railing, Great Egret morning silhouette, Black Skimmer in surf, and underside head portrait of Great Blue Heron.
Morning sessions will run at least three hours, afternoon sessions 2 1/2. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. On cloudy mornings when the photography is excellent, we may opt to extend the morning session and skip the afternoon, especially if the afternoon weather is not looking too good. There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area — Gulfport in this case, rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away.
Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors; this is pretty much a staple on almost all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours. Doing so will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest and those who need to get home for a proper dinner. I really love it when I am leaving the beach at 9:30am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We will be getting wet.
Credit cards are OK for your $500 deposit. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. After you leave the deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your check out to BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, and clothing and gear advice a month before the trip. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
The weather on Wednesday morning was perfect: hazy sun with an east wind at about 12 mph. I got some nice stuff on adult cranes, both species of vulture, and a few not-too-great images of the young eagle flying around the South Peninsula. And I got lots of work done on my two GNPA keynote programs.
Today is Thursday 24 March 2022. The forecast is calling for cloudy early with thunderstorms in the afternoon. I will probably stay in until the skies get black later in the day. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too had a great day. This blog post more than two hours to prepare and makes fourteen days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission on items priced at $1,000 or more. With items less than $1000, there is a $50 flat-fee. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. If you are interested, please click here, read everything carefully, and do what it says. To avoid any misunderstandings, please read the whole thing very carefully. If you agree to the terms, please state so clearly via e-mail and include the template or templates, one for each item you wish to sell. Then we can work together to get your stuff priced and listed.
Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice only to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past years, we have sold many hundreds of items. Do know that prices for used gear only go in one direction. Down. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
Nikon D5 Professional dSLR
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Sigmon Whitener is offering a Nikon D5 (Dual XQD/CF Express Type B) in like-new condition with 55,000 actuations for a BAA record-low $2796.95. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it including the strap, one battery, the dual battery charger, the manual (Sp and En), the USB connecting cord, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Although the D5 has a 20MP sensor, the frame rate and AF tracking are the best (IMO) you can get in a DSLR. Some of my best BIF shots were made with this camera. It’s also great for any type of sports photography. And the low light performance is best of any camera I have owned. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Sigmon via e-mail or by phone at 1-818-239-2403 (Pacific time).
The D5 was buy first Nikon camera body. After using it for ten minutes on flying pelicans in San Diego I sold all of my Canon gear. The AF system is indeed superb. artie
Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Sigmon Whitener is offering a Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR lens in like new condition for a BAA record-low $1096.95. The sale includes the lens, all accessories that came with the original purchase – case, front and rear lens caps, manual, original Nikon lens collar and foot, lens hood, original box. Also included is a Really Right Stuff LC_A13 lens collar with RRS LCF-10B quick release foot. This collar makes for a much more robust and smoother action and sells new for about $250. I do not want to sell without the RRS collar and foot. 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 Sigmon via e-mail or by phone at 1-818-239-2403 (Pacific time).
I owned and loved this super-sharp and very versatile lens when I shot Nikon. It was my go-to lens on my bucket-list Emperor Penguin trip to Snow Hill Island, Antarctica. It complements either the 500 PF or the 600 f/4 VR lenses perfectly. As it sells new for $2,296.95, you can save an incredible $1200.00 on Sigmon’s pretty much new lens. artie
This all-new card is comprised of images created on my JAB 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs
San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 21 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 24 DEC 2022. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.
San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.
San Diego IPT #3. 3 1/2 DAYS: FRI 20 JAN thru the morning session on JAN 23 DEC 2023: $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 8 photographers.
Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT sessions.
Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.
Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not
Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant. (Or two seconds with SONY zebras…) And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure is one of the great takeaways on every IPT.
Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
It Ain’t Just Pelicans
With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well, often with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.
Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
The San Diego Details
These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.
A $599 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2022/23 San Diego IPTs. 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 right after you sign up.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully.
Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late
On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Early on Tuesday morning I spotted the young eagle in a pine near the nest tree. Then it disappeared for the rest of the morning. The crane on eggs is still on eggs. And the 2-colt crane family remained in the marsh while I was at the south end of the South Peninsula. I made a few images of an atypical group of seven cranes standing in the North Field doing nothing. Last and best was a session with a tame Eastern Meadowlark photographed from my SUV while working off the BLUBB at 1200mm.
I headed down at sunset and things were looking good for a while with a nice east wind and a hazy sun. I fanned on a fly-by American Bittern that flew from north to south while I was looking to the south. I had a few grackles and blackbirds on The Perch, but the party was ended by a single dark cloud about 10 minutes above the horizon. I packed up and drove off only to look back and see that a huge sun ball had broken through below the afore-mentioned cloud … And so it goes.
Today is Wednesday 22 March. The forecast for this morning is for mostly to partly cloudy with a freshening southeast breeze. I am not sure what I will be doing early. I have gotten lots of work done on my first GNPA keynote program, A Bird Photographer’s Story, and have assembled nearly 400 images that will be re-crafted to for the second keynote, Lessons from the Field. To learn more about the GNPA Expo early this April click here.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Fan Mail
The Handoff. Gatorland Update. Sony 200-600 Versatilityblog post here, generated zero comments. I was gratified, however, to receive some fan mail regarding that post. Here is my e-mail conversation with Robert C. Parsons:
AM: Dear Robert,
re:
RCP: Interesting comments about your day at Gatorland this past Saturday. I was one of the “dozen or so” photographers you noticed with decent gear …
am: Perhaps you were …
RCP: … who you observed “probably didn’t get a decent shot”. As a retired professional commercial photographer, I was wondering how you could ascertain the quality of my images by simply “observing” as you stated.
AM: After 38+ years of photographing birds, I generally have a very good idea of what the photos made by someone I observe in the field will look like, good or bad. I can often tell simply by the way they handle their gear. And I can certainly hazard a very good guess after I see what they are pointing their lens at. It is frustrating to watch folks shoot well off sun angle with their lenses pointed at cluttered nests completely blocked by sticks and vegetation with zero chance of success.
RCP: Your work is truly stunning …
AM: Thank you.
RCP: … but your apparent attitude …
AM: Your “apparent” is my “probably” (above).
RCP: … about less accomplished or experienced photographers who don’t avail themselves of your workshops or training media is in …
AM: I do take issue with your statement above. There are lots of folks who have never purchased a book or a PDF from BIRDS AS ART and have never attended a BAA Instructional Photo-Tour who consistently make great images. I have respect for the images, not for how the person got there. That said, many of today’s finest bird and nature photographers have learned from me and/or been inspired by me in one way or another …
RCP: … my opinion,
AM: You are of course entitled to your opinion.
RCP: … arrogant and condescending to others who are simply discovering the joys of photography as I did over 50 years ago.
AM: Perhaps you are right. I can see how you reached that conclusion without knowing me. I do, however, always love seeing folks excited about bird photography. I often ask beginners if they would like a tip. It was so crowded at Gatorland on Saturday past that I refrained from doing that.
I invite you to send me one good image from your Saturday session. It was a very challenging day. If you do, I would be glad to apologize profusely and personally to you on the blog. Either way, I will run our e-mail conversation in the blog on Wednesday. If you send me one great image, I will run it in the blog, admit that I was 100% wrong, and apologize as above.
With love, artie
Important Note
As of the time of publication, Mr. Parsons had not responded to numerous e-mail requests to see his best image from last Saturday, nor did he acknowledge receipt of any of my e-mails as requested.
And Please Remember
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 19 March 2022 at Gatorland. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 456mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500: 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 8:20:22Am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Great Egret — Male passing twig to female
No Comments At All
In The Handoff. Gatorland Update. Sony 200-600 Versatilityblog post here, I wrote:
If you see any evidence of significant Photoshop clean-up work, please leave a comment and state your case clearly. All are invited to share their thoughts on today’s featured image, good or bad.
That post generated zero comments.
The Image Clean-up
The Animated GIF above shows Image #1 right after the raw conversion (the BEFORE) and Image #1 after the image optimization in Photoshop (the AFTER). The work took about 30 minutes. After I started on the lower right corner, I could not stop. I used my usual cadre of clean-up tools and techniques. Those included the Patch Tool, the Clone Stamp, the Spot Healing Brush, Divide and Conquer, and Content-Aware Fill.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with all my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my MacBook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: all the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Do you like today’s featured image? Why or why not? All comments are both welcome and appreciated.
What’s Up?
I forgot to mention that on Sunday morning, while photographing with Peter Dominowski, I had an American White Pelican on the ground here at ILE for the first time ever. It landed several times on the South Peninsula but was very shy.
I enjoyed an excellent Monday morning session. The potential crane mom continues to sit on her two eggs. I keep hoping to spot some orange fluff on her back or tucked under her, but so far, nothing. I saw a “vulture” on the ground on the South Peninsula but as I drove past it realized that it was the young eagle! Oops! It flew off, of course. I had a few more chances with the eaglet as the morning progressed but did not get anything great. I spent a bit of time at the vulture tree and made a few very nice images of a dramatically side-lit TV (Turkey Vulture) flying toward me in the canal to my left. Just before heading home, I spent some time with a pair of Sandhill Cranes on the rise behind the small building that sits near the base of the pier. Birds on any type of hill or elevated ground will usually offer distant backgrounds that can be rendered soft and out-of-focus. And that was indeed the case.
Be sure to click on today’s featured image to view the larger, high-res version.
I was glad to learn that BAA friend Greg Gulbransen sold his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens in near-mint condition (with extras) for a very low $7996.95 (was $8496.95) in mid-March 2022 and that Used Gear Page regular Karen McCormick sold her Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR lens in excellent condition a very low $5750.00 (was $6750.00) immediately after the price drop.
Today is Tuesday 22 March. The forecast for the morning is really a good one for bird photography: clear with a southeast breeze. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too had a great day. This blog post took a bit more than an hour to prepare and makes twelve days in a row with a new one.
If you are headed to Gatorland this Sunday and would like to learn to be a better photographer, please get in touch via e-mail ASAP.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
And Please Remember
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
This image was created on 20 March 2022 down by the lake at Indian Lake Estates. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/2000 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 8:07:12Am on a bright sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Turkey Vulture in flight — dramatically side-lit
Different Usually Works Very Well …
I had seen several Turkey and Black Vultures flying in as I pulled up to the Vulture Trees. I parked on the grass, got out of my SUV, and set the exposure for the incoming birds. First, I set 1/2000 sec. wide open and then aimed the lens at the light toned bark at the top of the left-most vulture tree. I know that raising the ISO until I see Zebras on the highlights of the bark will yield a workable if not perfect exposure for the dark birds that have some highlights on them. I had several decent chances with birds flying right at me right down sun angle but none of those excited me. After a few minutes of nothing, I looked to my left and saw a Turkey Vulture flying east down the canal. The woods on the south side of the canal were completed shaded, but the bird was lit by the sun, albeit more than 30 degrees of sun angle.
My mind processed the situation as follows:
1- Since the bird is lit by full sun, the manually-set exposure should be pretty good.
2- Since TVs have super-bright white bill-tips, there was absolutely no reason to try and lighten the exposure.
3- Though I often rail against using sidelight when photographing birds, I thought that the sunlit bird flying against a very dark background might look pretty neat.
4- I thought that I should practice what I preach: when something unexpected happens, try not to think too much, acquire focus, and press the shutter button.
5- Different in bird photography is almost always a good thing. Especially when you are photographing a common subject that you photograph often.
I fired off about 15 frames and kept five good ones. Today’s featured image was the best of the lot. Since there was a sunlit moss-covered tree trunk on the right side of each frame, I executed a healthy crop from the right and from below. Image #1 contains about 70% of the original pixels. The crop left a few sunlit stalks of weeds in the bottom right; those cleaned up nicely with the Patch Tool and Content-Aware Fill.
The Lessons
#1: Trying for something different is always an excellent option, even if you fail.
#2: When something unexpected happens, press the shutter button.
And finally, a realization:
#3: Like backlight, sidelight works best against dark backgrounds.
Sony 200-600 Versatility
Check out the amazing versatility of the Sony 200-600 G lens by comparing today’s featured image with the feautured image in the The Handoff. Gatorland Update blog post here.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back-and-forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:
Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.
Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.
You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which of today’s seven featured images is the strongest? Why?
What’s Up?
I headed down to the lake for sunset and hung out by The Perch. The sky color was gorgeous, and I had a few Boat-tailed Grackles land. But there were no fly-bys in the color. I spent most of the day watching more March Madness games on TIVO and finally finished watching the 32 first round games. Today is Monday 21 March 2022. The forecast for this morning is for clear skies with a northeast breeze. You know where I will be. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes eleven days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on most blog pages and always in the right column or to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Animal-Eye/Face Detection performed very well. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #1: Leopard cub holding antelope leg
A Great Trip Made Possible by a Great Driver-Guide
A photo trip to Africa can be made or broken by the skill and knowledge of your driver guide. On several of my trips to Kenya and Tanzania, I argued often with my co-leader about firing one of the guides … Anita North spent four months in Africa in 2021 — from August thru November. She spent a good deal of time with the same guide, and came home raving about him. Here is what she had to say:
First, I would like to thank Arthur for posting the story of my remarkable photography experiences with Simon Kararei in Kenya. I hope that this blog post inspires others who wish to visit Africa to make a trip with Simon. Simply put, he is the best.
In the early 1980’s I made my first trip to Africa with a small local company in Tanzania. We camped off the beaten path at several locations. Amazingly, we pitched tents on the floor of Ngorongoro Crater; there were no lodges on the rim and the crater was densely populated with wildlife. Over the decades, I visited Tanzania several times but had never explored Kenya. I began photographing 2016 and was determined to get to Kenya.
I recalled a photographer who had mentioned a terrific driver-guide in Kenya but remembered only his first name: Simon. Almost miraculously, I was able to find him on social media. Or so I thought. When I contacted him, he told me that I had reached the wrong Simon, but he knew exactly who I was looking for, his friend and neighbor — Simon N. Kararei.
Each segment of my trip the I did with Simon was flawlessly planned and executed. I loved he Simon offered a variety of lodging options. On my travels, I learned that Simon was a highly respected in his community and served as a mentor for other aspiring driver-guides.
Most nature photographers appreciate the critical importance of a wildlife guide. All the amazing opportunities I had in Kenya during my two trips were due to Simon’s immense knowledge of the animals and their habitats and due to his incredible understanding of photography and his commitment to helping you get the best possible shot. One of his strongest skills is getting the safari vehicle in the best spot and positioning it perfectly every time. He was tireless in his efforts.
Simon’s Safari Vehicle
Get in Touch with Simon!
Simon was born and raised in the Masai Mara. He knows and understands the habits of all the animals that share his home. He always had me in the right place at the right time. And he was at his best when the sun was close to the horizon so that I could enjoy the magical early morning light and create dramatic sunset silhouettes. His modified vehicle has the door removed so that you can photograph from a low perspective rather than from the top of a safari van.
Simon is quite flexible and would be glad to help you or your group plan the African trip of a lifetime. Here is his contact info:
Simon N. Kararei
e-Mail: skararei@gmail.com
What’s App #: +254717457601
Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Animal-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #2: Leopard taking down wildebeest
A Note From Simon
I was born in Maasai Mara and grew up there. I have been leading safaris here and in other parks in Kenya and Tanzania for more than 15 years. I love Nature! Guiding is my passion and career and I just love helping photographers to make great images. I did my extensive forestry training in 1998. From 2001 to 2004 I worked with Basecamp Mara where I helped create various tree plantation woodland projects to conserve the environment. While I was working with Basecamp I got inspired and did my guiding training with Kenya’s professional guiding association and did my field training with the WWF Mara Monitoring program. In 2005, I began guiding at Fig Tree Camp. From 2006 to 2008 I worked with Kicheche Camps. At that time, I worked with several other guides to create the Olare Conservancy. In 2009 I set out on my own and started my own small private guided safari business. My business grew slowly, and I now have clients from around the globe. I work with a group of 4 other excellent Maasai guides. I guide both single photographers and larger photographic groups in addition to private individuals and families as well.
Thanks, Anita, for helping me to get my name out there. Lots of love. God 🙏 bless you a million times over.
Simon
This image was created on 3 September 2021 somewhere in Kenya by Anita North. She used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 20000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB.
Tracking: Spot S with Animal/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #3: African Lion adult male
Sony’s High ISOs
Kudos to Anita for exposing to the right and not worrying about the ISO settings. The average ISO for today’s seven featured images is just under 6000, yet there is virtually no visible noise in any of the images. That is due in part to the quality of the a1’s sensor, in part due to exposing properly to the right, and in part due to the beyond remarkable plug-in, Topaz DeNoise.
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 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.
This image was created on 9 September 2021 somewhere in Kenya by Anita North. She used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 8000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB.
Tracking: Zone with Animal/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #4: Cheetah cubs playing
Sony Tracking: Zone AF
Shooting flight with Sony Tracking: Zone AF is a remarkable experience. And with Animal/Face-eye detection enabled the AF performance when tracking running cats is equally amazing.
This image was created on 22 November 2021 somewhere in Kenya by Anita North. She used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 4000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1600 sec. at f/8 (stopped down two stops) in Manual mode. AWB.
Tracking: Zone with Animal/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #5: Cheetah cubs playing
On Working Hard
Anita North works harder than any photographer I know. Including and especially me. She is relentless. She has worked very hard for the past six years to improve her skills both in-the-field and at the computer. I’d say that she has done quite well.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Animal-Eye/Face Detection performed very well. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #6: Cheetah — adult running
November 22
22 November is a significant date in American history. Considering that three of today’s seven featured images were created on that date in 2021, I am quite sure that Anita will remember the date fondly for many years to come.
If you see any evidence of significant Photoshop clean-up work, please leave a comment and state your case clearly. All are invited to share their thoughts on today’s featured image, be they good or bad.
What’s Up?
Keep reading to learn about my Gatorland morning. On Saturday afternoon, Peter Dominowski returned to ILE for some Sony A1 lessons. He recently purchased two a1 bodies, the 200-600, the 70-200 f/2.8 II, and the 1.4X TC — all from Bedfords — God bless him, and wants to learn to use his new gear before heading to Africa this summer. I taught him the basics that afternoon even though we did not have any really good situations. Sunday morning dawned cloudy with a breeze from the NW and the sun came out at about 8:15am. We did well with the crane colts and Peter quickly got the hang of my super-simple a1 AF set-up, the hang of getting the right exposure (even in changing light) using Zebra technology, and the hang of working with a 200-600 zoom lens.
When we got back to my house at about 9:15am, I noticed that my glasses were missing. For a change. I searched the whole car using the light from my cell phone. No luck. We took a ride back to our last location — we had been sitting while photographing two adult cranes in a field of yellow tickseed blossoms. I thought that I had dropped them very close to the road, so we parked so as to avoid running over the glasses. We walked slowly north for two or three minutes. I gave up. Peter said, “I am gonna go on for just a bit.” A moment later he said, “I got em!”
That was a great moment, but not as great as seeing the young eagle fly around for the first time, that in the low light of early morning. First it flew from the nest tree to the next tree just to the south. I felt like a proud poppa. I marveled as it flew around the nest tree in the wind and landed safely. And when it flew across the canal and landed atop a small palm, I kvelled. I said to Peter, “I feel like a dad watching their child ride a bike for the first time without falling.”
Kvell (verb): to experience pride and satisfaction from seeing others (particularly one’s children and grandchildren) excel. From Yiddish, and most often used by American Jews.
Today is Sunday 20 March 2022. I will be doing some more work on my first GNPA keynote and watching first and second round Men’s March Madness (NCAA basketball) games on TIVO. I have already watched nine first round games and have seven more of those to watch along with the eight second round games from Saturday. Eight more second round games are set to record today. In addition, I am taping all the Women’s NCAA tournament games as well!
The highlight so far has been the incredible 15th-seeded St. Peter’s stunning upset of number-2 ranked Kentucky. To give you an idea of the immensity of this upset, consider these two facts: St. Peter’s men’s basketball coach Shaheen Holloway made $266,344 in 2019; Kentucky head coach John Calipari’s base salary is $8.5 million. St. Peter’s basketball revenue was $1.6 million in 2019-20, while Kentucky’s was $29.3 million. I give Calipari credit for being a gracious loser; he gave lots of credit to the scrappy St. Peter’s team.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes ten days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on most blog pages and always in the right column or to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
This image was created on 19 March 2022 at Gatorland. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 456mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500: 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 8:20:22Am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Great Egret — Male passing twig to female
Sony 200-600 Gatorland Versatility
As it is on the cliffs of La Jolla, the Sony 200-600mm G lens is very effective at Gatorland. It is great for flight on sunny mornings, and its less than 8-foot MFD (minimum Focusing Distance) makes it deadly on nests that are close to the boardwalk, all the while yielding plenty of much-needed magnification. As the gate opened promptly at 7am, as sunrise was not until 7:29, and as the day began completely overcast and foggy, I spent the first half hour trying to create some nice pleasing blurs with the 200-600. I failed. There was lots of action, mostly with Great Egrets, and I created more than 200 images. But only two — of a Snowy Egret flying right at me with a green background were kept. And neither of those is very good … Creating excellent pleasing blurs is a lot like playing the lottery!
Gatorland Update
There are probably ten times as many Great Egret nests this year as there were last season. As always, photographing from boardwalks at the gator rookeries is extremely challenging and difficult. Here is an excerpt from The BAA Middle of Florida Site Guide:
Many photographers who know anything about Gatorland would say, “Who needs a guide or photographic instruction at an alligator farm tourist zoo rookery? The birds are right there; all you need to do is push the button. “My answer – based on many, many visits – would be, “Just about everybody.” Rookeries are great places to make hundreds of really lousy images in short order. They are busy places with zillions of branches, cluttered backgrounds, other nests, other birds, whitewash, and blocking vegetation, all of which make it difficult to create artistically pleasing images. To get you on the right track I will start by commenting on the various locations along and above the boardwalk and then offering some general tips …
My Gatorland visit yesterday was no exception. At about 9am, I counted more than 60 photographers. There was a busload of folks (about 35) from The Villages, a large active adult retirement community located in Lake and Marion counties northwest of Orlando. They were 100% beginners. Of the other 30 or so folks, most had zero clue as to how to photograph birds. None, zero, nada. There were perhaps half a dozen folks with decent gear, and I doubt that any of them made a decent image. At least not while I was looking.
Though there are more than a half dozen Great Egret nests close to the boardwalk, there was exactly one decent situation. The male in today’s featured image was very active, bringing in sticks every minute or so — sounds like a piece of cake, no? Actually “No.” When the bird landed, its head was in the shade. When he leaned down to pass the twig to his mate, the heads of both birds were fully lit by the sun, but only for a moment. After it handed off the stick, it would turn to the north, to my left, and take flight almost instantaneously. As I said, not easy. I was the only one who worked that bird. There were lots of folks very close to me trying to make photographs in an impossible situation — there were two tiny Great Egret chicks in a higher nest that was completely blocked by twigs. Despite of that, many folks persisted.
When it clouded over briefly at about 9:15am, I switched to the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 II with the 2X TC to gain even closer focus along with an extra 1/3 stop of light. I kept one image of the female egret tending the eggs and several others of a gator head. All with perfect exposures, thanks to Sony’s Zebra technology.
Folks who own The BAA Middle of Florida Site Guide are invited to e-mail proof-of-purchase and the words “Gatorland 19 March 2022 Short Update Please” cut and pasted into the subject line.
The Lesson
When working the gator wading bird rookeries, do not settle for cluttered shots. Keep searching for at least one good situation. And then hammer it.
Gatorland In-the-Field Sessions
I will be at Gatorland on the next two Photographer’s Pass mornings, Sunday 27 March and Saturday 2 April. If you are interested in learning to make good photographs in difficult situations, please shoot me an e-mail. Remember that you will need — as noted below — to purchase you pass or passes well in advance.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
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.
30 Good Reasons to Visit Gatorland
In this short (3:48) video, you can check out the variety of wading bird species that can be easily photographed at Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL in most years. Keep reading for info on the 2022 Gatorland Photographer’s Pass Program.
2022 Gatorland Photographer’s Pass Program
Though the 2022 Gatorland Photographer’s Pass Program (GPPP) is much improved from last year’s program, it falls well short of the great program that was in effect BC (Before Covid). I am hoping that the program will be restored to its former greatness next year. This year’s program includes ten scheduled days. The first is on 19 March, and the last is 21 May 2022. And it gives photographers the opportunity to get into the park at 7:00 am instead of the normal 10:00 am entry time.
Reservations are required two days before your visit. For example, if you wish to visit on 27 March, you need to make your reservation on March 25th. You can make reservations here on the Gatorland website, or by calling 407-855-5496 ext. 226 during business hours with your credit card in hand. There is no late stay option this year. The price is $25.00 + tax per visit and includes early entry at 7:00 AM at the SOUTH ENTRANCE. All tickets are date specific and non-transferable. You will not be able to leave until 10:00am when Gatorland opens.
Choose from the following 2022 dates:
March 27, 2022
April 2, 2022
April 10, 2022
April 17, 2022
April 22, 2022
April 30, 2022
May 8, 2022
May 13, 2022
May 21, 2022
A far better deal for folks who live in the area is the Birding Seasonal pass for $125.00 per person. That includes visits on all ten dates. And best of all, you can never be shut out. If, like me, you are on the list for the Birding Seasonal pass, you can show up on any of the GPPP days, have your name checked off the list, and enjoy a great morning of photography.
If you have a party of 15 or more folks and would like to book a Private Group early entry, Gatorland is able to offer additional dates of your choice (subject to availability and pending approval). Please contact: JoIndomenico@gatorland.com.
The famous Gatorland Bird Rookery was created in 1991 as an alligator breeding marsh. While the birds lose an occasional chick to the gators, they gain pretty much complete protection from ground predators. This unique habitat has grown into one of the largest and most accessible wading bird rookeries in Florida. Today, this area provides protected nesting, foraging, and roosting area to more than 20 different species of birds, many of which are listed as Endangered or Species of Special Concern. Gatorland’s boardwalks provide birders and photographers with access to these incredible birds, their nests, and their young, allowing people to safely observe them while capturing stunning photographs.
You can learn exactly how to make the best possible photographs at Gatorland in here ; details on that above.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
