July 20th, 2020 What’s Up?
I left home at 6:15am Sunday morning and drove to Tiger Creek Preserve in search of some new wildflowers to photograph. I hiked a total of two miles with my macro gear. It was hot and still and started off with some fog and clouds but the sun came out at about 8am … There were lots of flowers close to the parking lot but I wanted to do some exploring and since the flowers I was seeing were the same as I have been working with at Indian Lake Estates, I continued on in search of “better subjects.” Not. I did find and photograph one tiny, white, low-growing flower that was new-to-me. I walked through a variety of beautiful habitats, saw a zillion dragonflies and many amazing spider webs, but did not make any images.
Near the end of my long hot walk, I stopped to photograph some orange-colored milkweed flowers. On the way to Publix I stopped at the Ridge Audubon Center near Crooked Lake to do some scouting. I need to return there soon on an early morning before the sun gets too high and the breeze picks up to photograph the blooming Florida Greeneyes, a beautiful species that I have been on the lookout for.
I have struggled getting my swims in between the thunderstorms.
Please Remember
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so will not cost you a single penny and if you use Bedfords, you will save at least $50.00 on all orders greater than $1000.00. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and will be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
SONY e-Guide Discount Program
Purchase a (new) qualifying SONY camera body (a7r iii, a7r iv, a9, a9 ii) from Bedfords or using a BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate link, and you will receive a $40 discount on the SONY e-guide. Purchase a (new) SONY 200-600mm G lens from Bedfords or using a BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate link, and you will receive a $25 discount on the SONY e-guide. Purchase a (new) SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens from Bedfords or using a BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate link, and you will receive a free SONY e-guide with one or two videos.
Please send your Bedford’s or B&H receipts to me via e-mail to receive your discount and your ordering instructions. Folks purchasing from Bedfords and using the BIRDSASART code will save $50. Folks sending their B&H receipts may need to wait a few days to have their purchases confirmed. Folks using Bedfords will have their purchases confirmed immediately.
|
|
|
103 sold to rave reviews.
The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris
|
The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)
Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.
Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.
Click here to learn more about the SONY e-Guide.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
|
|
|
Click on the screen capture to enlarge.
Image #1: 161 images of the same blossom …
|
161 Images of a Single Blossom: Why?
Looking at the Photo Mechanic screen capture above, you would probably think that I was nuts. Is it really necessary to create so many images of the same flower? The answer to that question is an absolute yes! After enlarging the screen cap, you can see that I began with one image design and then moved the tripod a bit to come up with a better one: 35 of the first version, and 126 of the second version.
It is obvious that I varied my exposures usually shooting as many as nine different exposures in a single sequence. I do that for two reasons:
1- to be guaranteed winding up with a perfect exposure as determined by RawDigger.
2- to learn more about RawDigger.
In addition, though I am able to focus incredibly accurately, I am not always sure as to exactly where to focus. So if there are two possible choices, I will shoot an exposure sequence of each. Then comes the main subject of this blog post- depth-of-field. I am pretty sure that I created sequences of this single blossom at f/2.8, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, and f/22. And possibly at f/4 and f/16 as well.
|
|
|
This image was created on the morning of 17 JULY 2020 in our butterfly garden at Indian Lake Estates. I used the Induro GIT 404L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Venus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens for Sony E and the 61MP monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body ISO 400: 1/15 sec. at f/? (probably f/2.8) in Manual mode. The exposure was confirmed as perfect by RawDigger from a series of bracketed images. AWB at 7:20am early on a still, partly cloudy morning.
Manual focus using the combination of Manual Focus Toggle and Focus Magnifier tips from the SONY e-guide along with the 2-second timer. Plamped in place to combat the breeze.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #2: Bloodberry aka Rouge Plant, Pigeon Berry, Turkey Berry, Baby Peppers (Rivina humilis) blossom
Shallow depth-of-field
|
On Depth-of-Field at Very High Magnification (2X) …
The minimum focusing distance of the Venus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens for Sony E is 9.7 inches. Here are the total depth-of-field numbers at 10 inches, just about twice life-size:
At f/2.8: 0.02 inches. In other words, next to nothing.
At f/8 that jumps to 0.05 inches, still pretty close to next to nothing.
At f/22 we get up to 0.13 inches, a bit more than 1/8 inch.
|
|
|
This image was created on the morning of 17 JULY 2020 in our butterfly garden at Indian Lake Estates. I used the Induro GIT 404L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Venus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens for Sony E and the 61MP monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body ISO 800: 1/8 sec. at f/? (probably f/8) in Manual mode. The exposure was confirmed as perfect by RawDigger from a series of bracketed images. AWB at 7:20am early on a still, partly cloudy morning.
Manual focus using the combination of Manual Focus Toggle and Focus Magnifier tips from the SONY e-guide along with the 2-second timer. Plamped in place to combat the breeze.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #3: Bloodberry aka Rouge Plant, Pigeon Berry, Turkey Berry, Baby Peppers (Rivina humilis) blossom — Medium depth-of-field
|
On Depth-of-Field at High Magnification (1X) …
Working at about 14 inches, the magnification is 1X. Note what happens to the total depth-of-field:
At f/2.8: 0.04 inches. In other words, still pretty close to next to nothing.
At f/8 that jumps to 0.11 inches, just a bit less than 1/8 inch.
At f/22 we get up to 0.31 inches, just short of a relatively whopping 1/3 inch.
Thus, if you can keep the flower perfectly still and there is no wind, it seems like a non-brainer to shoot everything at f/22. Or not?
In short, the greater the magnification, the shallower the depth-of-field. And that principle holds true when working with telephoto lenses as well. When photographing flowers, it is difficult to note the effectiveness of your depth-of-field choices on the back of the camera so it is pretty much always best to vary the aperture significantly to give yourself lots of choices once you are viewing the images on your computer.
|
|
|
This image was created on the morning of 17 JULY 2020 in our butterfly garden at Indian Lake Estates. I used the Induro GIT 404L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Venus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens for Sony E and the 61MP monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body ISO 400: 1.3 sec. at f/? (probably f/22) in Manual mode. The exposure was confirmed as perfect by RawDigger from a series of bracketed images. AWB at 7:20am early on a still, partly cloudy morning.
Manual focus using the combination of Manual Focus Toggle and Focus Magnifier tips from the SONY e-guide along with the 2-second timer. Plamped in place to combat the breeze.
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #4: Bloodberry aka Rouge Plant, Pigeon Berry, Turkey Berry, Baby Peppers (Rivina humilis) blossom
Deep depth-of-field
|
Your Call on Depth-of-Field
Please leave a comment ass to which of the three versions of the same blossom you like best. And please let us know why you made your choice.
To sum up, Image #2 was made at the wide open aperture of f/2.8 and thus features the narrowest depth-of-field.
Image #3 was made at a medium aperture, f/8, and thus features what you might call medium depth-of-field.
And Image #4 was made at f/22, the lens’s smallest aperture. It features deep depth-of-field that rendered most of the flower in sharp focus …
As usual, I have a clear favorite and a clear second choice. And I do consider one of the three an artistic failure. I will share my thoughts on these with you here in a few days.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
July 18th, 2020 What’s Up?
On Friday morning, I wound up photographing a single Bloodberry (Rivina-humilis) blossom in our butterfly garden for well-more than 30 minutes before heading down to the lake. On Saturday morning it looked as if it might be cloudy so I decided to head to Tiger Creek Preserve to look for some new wildflowers. But even before I left ILE it became evident that it was gonna be another hot sunny morning so I made a u-turn and headed down to the lake. I started off with a perched Great Egret while practicing my RawDigger-evaluated bright white exposures. Next I spent 30 minutes photographing a picked and Plamped Virgina-Buttonweed-(Diodia-virginiana) flower. At less than 1/2 inch the tripod-mounted Venus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens for Sony E was perfect for the job. For the most part I worked between 1.2X and 1.6X magnification. Photos to come.
What They are Saying About the FlexShooter Pro
Learn more about the ballhead that acts like a gimbal head and see the instructional video here.
Experiencing Weightlessness– Wow!
By Gregory
I own a Canon 500 mm lens, and a while back severely damaged the muscles and nerves in my left arm. With the FlexShooter Pro, I feel like the bionic man. I can use the lens, enjoy it, and try to create some great shots. It has given back to me the ability to enjoy my camera again.
Goodbye Gimbal!
By David
I use the FlexShooter Pro my Nikon 800mm f/5.6 lens, a precision piece of equipment. It is smooth as silk even with the heavy lens, stays and where you point it. There is no need for tightening and loosening knobs! The head weighs next-to-nothing and allows for a comfortable over the shoulder carry with your lens tucked neatly away. It is the best of both worlds: a gimbal head and a ballhead neatly packaged in a single, attractive, lightweight unit.
Much More Versatile Than a Gimbal Head!
By Timothy
While I do not have a lot of experience with a gimbal head, I know that they are big, bulky and heavy. As a mixed shooter of both landscapes and wildlife, the FlexShooter Pro was an interesting choice. After two weeks of solid use, I have found it to be well-built, very functional, and much more versatile than a gimbal head or ball-head alone.
The Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro Head: $679.00 plus shipping only from BIRDS AS ART
Before I began carrying the FlexShooter Pro, I insisted that Csaba Karai, the Hungarian designer, make me a batch with a larger knob. He kindly did and continues to do so. But even with the larger knob, some folks — especially those with relatively weak fingers — prefer a levered clamp to a clamp with a knob ss they are easier to operate. In North America, the Levered FlexShooter Pro Head is now available only from BIRDS AS ART. Over the past month we have had several inquiries. Right now we have five in stock.
Do understand that the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro Head maintains all the great benefits of the FlexShooter Pro, the ballhead that acts like a gimbal and works great with any rig from the longest, heaviest super-telephoto lens to a camera-body-mounted wide angle. The latter is possible because of the bi-directional clamp; it is no longer necessary to travel with a gimbal head for long lens photography and a ballhead for scenic photography …
You can order yours here for $679.00 plus shipping in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store.
|
|
The Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro Head
|
Setting the Tension
The Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro Head ships with the tension knob (A) at the loosest setting, with the knob fully turned router-clockwise. Note: not all “Arca-Swiss compatible” lens plates have identical measurements. You can follow the steps below with the plate or a short lens (or camera body) in your left hand, and the head in your right hand (or resting on a table). If you are setting the tension for a plate that is affixed to a super-telephoto lens, it is recommended that you mount the head to a sturdy tripod before following the steps below.
Here is how to set the tension correctly for your specific lens plate.
1- Begin with the lever open and then close it. It should close very easily.
2- Pull the lever to open, place the lens plate into the jaws of the clamp, and close the lever. Again, it should close very easily. With the lever fully open, tighten the tension knob (A) two turns (clockwise).
3- Now close the lever. If it closes with a decent amount of force needed, you have set the proper tension. Set it and forget it unless you are using a different plate (that might have a slightly different width).
4- If it still closes easily, tighten the tension knob (A) two more turns (clockwise). Repeat until you need a decent amount of force to close the lever. Do not force things. If it is very difficult to close the lever, loosen the tension knob (A) one turn (counter-clockwise).
5- By experimenting, you will learn to set the correct tension quickly and easily. Once you get it right with a decent (but not excessive!) amount of force needed to close the lever, you are good to go. Set it and forget it; the tension knob will stay in place.
If you do some serious macro photography, and do not own and use a focusing rail, I recommend that you use the FlexShooter Pro rather than the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro so that you can move the plate in the jaws as needed when pointing your macro lens downward …
July 17th, 2020 What’s Up?
On Wednesday morning I found a ditch a few blocks from home surrounded for two hundred yards on each side by large (as-yet-identified) blooms. I did some flowers, and as the sun came up, several butterfiles began nectaring on the rather plain-looking blossoms. There were several swallowtails species including Black Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, and the object of my desire, the smaller but spectacular Zebra Swallowtail. One of the Tiger Swallowtails was somewhat sedentary, often landing and drinking from the same blossom for a minute or more, but bird’s had pecked its hindwings and damaged them; what’s a swallowtail without it swallowtails? There were two pristine Zebra Swallowtails just out of their chrysalides.
I tried for almost an hour to create a good Zebra Swallowtail image, traipsing up and down the both sides of the canal in the heat. They would land but only for a second. And when they did, they rarely spread their wings flat. Heck, maybe they never do. Anyway, I give up at about 8:30am and headed home for breakfast. On Thursday morning I did a few flowers and spent a few minutes down by the lake when I created Image #2.
I will be heading out early today — Friday, 17 JULY 2020.
I was glad to learn yesterday that John Buswell sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II within hours of it being listed on the Used Gear Page.
Color or B&W?
In the recent Some Respite From the Heat; this would make a nice jigsaw puzzle. On Not Letting the Old Man In … And a Used Like-New Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR Lens! blog post here, opinions were divided about 50-50. My very great preference is for the color version because I love being at Bosque early in the season when the cottonwoods are still sporting some yellow fall color.
Please Remember
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so will not cost you a single penny and if you use Bedfords, you will save at least $50.00 on all orders greater than $1000.00. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and will be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
SONY e-Guide Discount Program
Purchase a (new) qualifying SONY camera body (a7r iii, a7r iv, a9, a9 ii) from Bedfords or using a BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate link, and you will receive a $40 discount on the SONY e-guide. Purchase a (new) SONY 200-600mm G lens from Bedfords or using a BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate link, and you will receive a $25 discount on the SONY e-guide. Purchase a (new) SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens from Bedfords or using a BIRDS AS ART B&H affiliate link, and you will receive a free SONY e-guide with one or two videos.
Please send your Bedford’s or B&H receipts to me via e-mail to receive your discount and your ordering instructions. Folks purchasing from Bedfords and using the BIRDSASART code will save $50. Folks sending their B&H receipts may need to wait a few days to have their purchases confirmed. Folks using Bedfords will have their purchases confirmed immediately.
|
|
|
103 sold to rave reviews.
The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris
|
The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)
Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.
Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.
Click here to learn more about the SONY e-Guide.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
A Matter of Degree A
In Image #1,the young Great Egret, still at the nest, the bird’s heaad is turned about six degrees toward us. As a result, the bird seems quite engaged with the viewer, but the bill tip — not covered by the shallow depth-of-field while working wide open, is soft.
Would you stop down to get the bill tip as sharp as the eye? Why or why not?
Gatorland
Gatorland re-opened on June 20 with social distancing and masks required (for the humans)! But it does not open until 10am and closes at 5pm. The Photographer’s Pass program ended during the pandemic. Assuming that they continued feeding the gators while the joint was closed, it is likely that there will be some birds around, especially young of the year. With the middle-of-the-day hours, a cloudy day would be best for photography. If you visit, let us know how you do.
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens
With or without the 1.4X teleconverter, the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens is fabulous for close work with tame birds and large flowers, frogs, large insects like butterflies, and lots more.
Before I got some longer SONY lenses I used it with success on a Saan Diego IPT with the 2X teleconverter!
A Matter of Degree B
In Image #2, the young crane’s head is just about parallel to the back of the camera, i.e., the sensor (formerly known as the film plane). Perhaps, the head is angled one-half degree away from us. WDYT? In any case, the eye, the face, and the tip of the bill are in sharp focus, but the bird does not seem engaged with the viewer.
Your Call
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best overall? Why?
Do you prefer the head angle in Image #1, the head angle in Image #2, or somewhere in between.
I like one of these images a lot, the other, not so much. I will share my thoughts with you here in a few days.
The Surviving Mother’s Day Colt
It is hard to believe that the bird in Image #2 is one of the two chicks that hatched on May 9th or 10th of this year. If my math is correct, that makes it right around nine weeks old. How fast they grow! In the next few weeks, I hope to photograph this bird with a nice pink cap.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
|
|
