Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Your Call?

You know the drill by now. Be a mensch and leave a comment letting everyone know which image you think is the strongest and why you made your choice.

Sony Alpha 1 (a-1)

Used Gear Page regular and BAA friend Anthony Ardito is offering a (firmware v2.02) Sony A-1 camera body in like-new condition for a ridiculously low $3,396.00. The sale includes a like-new Sony VG-C4EM Vertical Grip (a $348.00 value), the original product boxes, the owner’s manual, the USA warranty card, the camera strap, one battery and charger, the cords, 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 Anthony via email at e-mail.

Simply put, the a-1 is the best camera body I have ever used. By far. It features a science-fiction-like AF system with Bird Face/Eye tracking that produces stunningly sharp 51- MP raw files with rich colors. I currently own two of them and used them both non-stop on my recent 26-day Sebastian Inlet trip. After a $1,000.00 price drop, they are selling new right now at B&H for $5498.00. Grab Anthony’s pretty much new a-1 with the vertical grip and save a handsome $2,500.00. artie

What’s Up?

Winter came early to central Florida. On Friday morning, we woke to clear skies with a brisk northwest winds. And a rather chilly 44° Fahrenheit! I knew that those conditions would be beyond terrible for morning bird photography with the wind blowing right at the sun. Those conditions, however, are perfect for pre-dawn and sunrise silhouettes. I knew that two spots might work. The four amigos decided on the Northwest Pool. The bright orange glow sunrise was gorgeous but our views were blocked by the bridge. We did OK, and then moved to the SE corner of the small bay. Steve and I opted to get our feet wet and get on sun angle while Elisabeth and Bob opted to stay dry. The in-the-water warriors had some good chances on a Caspian Tern fishing in the early morning light. I will share the single best of those images on the blog with you here at some point. I shot 1200mm the whole morning.

With the wind from the west and sunny skies that same afternoon I knew exactly where we needed to be. We did great with several wading bird species
catching baitfish at fairly close range, lots of cooperative Wood Storks, and tern and pelican flight. I shot 1200mm the whole afternoon.

Our somewhat failed experience that morning led us to the South Jetty on Saturday morning. Conditions were virtually identical, but just a bit colder! We left 15 minutes earlier than the day before and that turned out to be the right move as we were greeted in the pre-dawn by a few dozen pelicans fishing between us and the sunrise. A fisherman fought and landed a 5-foot Black-tipped Reef Shark that (quite amazingly) hit a pencil popper, a lure that splashes as it is pulled along the surface. Elisabeth and Bob could not resist so they headed down the beach to photograph the blessed event and the release of the shark.

Steve Shore and I stayed with the pelicans. I shot 1200mm the whole morning. Everyone including and especially me learned a ton and made some good images. I share my favorites of those with you here in this blog post.

We were back in the AirBnb early on getaway day. After breakfast we all finished packing up and cleaning the joint. Bob and I drove back to Indian Lake Estates while the Shores drove to MCO for their non-stop flight to Dallas.

Incredibly, after 26 straight days of great bird photography at Sebastian, Bob Eastman and I headed down to the lake at ILE for sunset on Saturday night. We were blessed with a Great Egret on The Perch II. Shooting from the car at 840mm, I finally got the better of Bob when the bird took flight into another orange marmalade sky. Photos soon.

Today is Sunday 24 November 2024. I am pretty sure that most will not be shocked to learn that Bob and I headed down to the lake early. It is 8:37am now as I get to finishing this post. When you are hot, you are hot. We began our morning doing backlit fire-in-the-mist vulture tree-scapes followed by Sandhill Crane backlit fire-in-the-mist silhouettes follow by a perch Osprey in early morning light followed by backlit Turkey Vulture wing feather patterns. Breakfast will come after I hit Publish.

Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

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.

Supporting My Efforts Here

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.

Sony a-1 II Pre-order Info Updated

Those who wish to receive my Sony a-1 II settings for free in the form of a CAMSET.DAT file with instructions and an explanatory Buttons and Dials Guide should pre-order from one of my affiliate programs as below.

To pre-order your Sony a-1 II from B&H, you must use this link and only this link at or after 9:30am Eastern time today, 20 November 2024:

Sony a-1 II

Once your camera ships, you must send me your B&H receipt to me via e-mail.

If you were on the B&H please-notify-me list and order using a link that they sent you, I will not receive the credit and you will not receive my camera set-up guide information for free.

Those who prefer more personalized service, a far shorter wait list, enjoy free second day air FedEx, and receive 3% back on their credit card when their a1 II ships should to visit the Bedford website here, at or after 9:30am today, search for the Sony a-1 II, pre-order they camera body, and enter the BIRDSASART discount. There is no need to e-mail Steve Elkins.

Thanks to those who pre-order using one of my affiliate links and for the faith they place in the information provided by BIRDS AS ART.

Fresh caught Alaskan seafood caught sustainably. Save $20 on your first order by clicking here.

Wild Alaska Salmon and Seafood Company

Ever since my two daughters sent me a big box of salmon filets and sea scallops from Wild Alaska Salmon and Seafood Company for my birthday a few years ago, I have been ordering salmon and scallops from them. Now that Junior’s Fish Market in Lake Wales is closing, I will be depending on Wild Alaska every month. I always order Sockeye filets and the Sea Scallops. The stuff comes frozen solid, is easy to prepare, and tastes pretty much as good as the fresh stuff would.

You can save $20 on your first order by clicking here. Eating wild caught seafood is about as healthy as you can go. The scallops are a real treat. When you sear them, be sure to cook them in the liquid that comes in the bag and be sure not to overcook them. I bake or broil the lightly seasoned salmon filets skin side down in olive or coconut oil.

Buy Direct from the Fisherman

Captain Tony has been fishing in Alaska since 1990. Wild Alaska is famous for their wild caught Sockeye and King Salmon! All of our other fish, including Ahi Tuna, Shrimp, Scallops, Cod, etc., are responsibly sourced, caught the right way and closely inspected by Capt. Tony to meet our high standards of quality and freshness. They catch and process all 5 species of wild pacific salmon, and source our other seafood products from high quality sustainable fisheries.

The stuff tastes great and is good for you. Internet orders to the continental United States are shipped from their fulfillment center in the Midwest allowing their seafood products to reach US customers in perfect condition. The flavor and texture of their salmon and other products remain fresher than fresh is because the stuff is frozen the same day it is caught.

Learn more and check out some neat salmon and scallop images in the blog post here.

This image was created on 23 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing at full height on the South Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +2.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 400: 1/30 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 6:31:27am roughly 18 minutes before sunrise on a clear day, just 7 minutes after first light! Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Brown Pelican pre-dawn flight blur

Shutter Priority and 1200mms Rock!

As you learned (or re-learned) in the Shutter Priority — Please Do Not Tell Me That Real Photographers Must Use Manual Mode 100% of the Time blog post here, working in Shutter Priority with AUTO ISO and Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial is usually the most efficient way to work at sunrise and sunset. Another plus is that it is super-simple to vary your shutter speeds when creating pleasingly blurred images in low light. You only have one parameter to change; the camera takes care of everything else.

I will be sharing Bob Eastman’s amazing discovery that makes switching from Manual mode to Shutter Priority with AUTO ISO and Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial with the Sony a-1 with my Sony Info and Updates e-mail group soon. It is a real time saver.

On Friday morning, Friday afternoon, and Saturday morning, I need took the 2X teleconverter off my 600mm lens. And I never took my 1200mm rig off the tripod (except when moving from one spot to another). The results have been beyond outstanding. Strange considering that many folks opt to never add even a 1.4X TC to the mix. More soon on that topic.

This image was created in Photoshop from Image #1 above. Image #2: Brown Pelican pre-dawn flight blur (purple trim version)

Messing Around in Photoshop

Most of this funkiness was created by changing the Color Temperature and moving the sliders in Color Mixer.

This image was also created on 23 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing at full height on the South Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +2.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 640: 1/30 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 6:31:57 am roughly 18 minutes before sunrise on a clear day, just 7 minutes after first light! And 30 seconds after Image #1 was created. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Pterodactyl Brown Pelican pre-dawn flight blur

Pterodactyls

Pterodactyls are rarely seen in flight over the Atlantic Ocean anymore. But when working at slow shutter speeds as a Brown Pelican turns in flight to begin a dive, the resemblance can be eerie.

Note: the primaries of the left wing were replaced by the primaries of the right wing using a flopped Quick Mask that was first rotated and warped and then refined after the addition of a regular layer mask.

This image was also created on 23 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing at full height on the South Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +2.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 320: 1/60 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 6:39:33am roughly 10 minutes before sunrise on a clear day. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Brown Pelican pre-dawn diving flight blur

Diving versus Flapping

You never want to try to create a pleasing blur of a single, gliding pelican. A singe flapping bird can be decent as with Image #1. But making images as they begin to run upside down and dive is the bomb, as in Images #3 and #4. Notice that I increased my blur speed from 1/30 to 1/60 second for this one.

This image was also created on 23 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Still standing at full height on the South Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +2.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 500: 1/500 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 6:48:17am right at the time of sunrise on a dead clear day. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Brown Pelican in orange marmalade sunrise sky

Orange Marmalade Sunrise Sky Color

Sunrise on Sunday reminded me of Bosque deal Apache NWR on a cold clear morning. When it used to be good. Wherever you are, you need to arrive very early in order to enjoy the orange pre-dawn glow that intensifies as sunrise approaches. Note that by working in Shutter Priority with AUTO ISO and Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial that it took only a moment to go from a blur speed (1/30 or 1/60 sec.) to a quasi-sharp (for distant subjects) shutter speed — 1/500 sec.

This image was also created on 23 November 2024 at Sebastian Inlet, FL on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Still standing at full height on the South Jetty, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +1.3 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 2500: 1/4000 sec. at f/8 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:05:07am about 15 minutes after sunrise on a dead clear day. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #6: Brown Pelican in orange marmalade sunrise sky

Discovering Victory at Sea

Once the sun had been up for a while, I advised the group to concentrate on the bright sky below and left or right of the sun and to try to create some breaking wave-scapes. As I explored the ocean through the lens at 1200m, I noticed that there were some distant pelicans fishing just above the waves. For Image #6, I was able to combine a diving pelican with a backlit breaking wave-scape.

The spray being blown of the tops of the breaking waves is properly called spindrift. Any foam on the surface of the water is called spume.

Home Early

We were actually headed back to the AirBnB by 7:30am on Saturday after enjoying some excellent backlit chances including both blurred and sharp opportunities, I had to laugh as we were leaving as we encounter several photographers showing up to photography diving Ospreys in an utterly impossible wind against sun situation,.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

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Sony a-1 II Pre-order Info Updated

Those who wish to receive my Sony a-1 II settings for free in the form of a CAMSET.DAT file with instructions and an explanatory Buttons and Dials Guide should pre-order from one of my affiliate programs as below.

To pre-order your Sony a-1 II from B&H, you must use this link and only this link at or after 9:30am Eastern time today, 20 November 2024:

Sony a-1 II

Once your camera ships, you must send me your B&H receipt to me via e-mail.

If you were on the B&H please-notify-me list and order using a link that they sent you, I will not receive the credit and you will not receive my camera set-up guide information for free.

Those who prefer more personalized service, a far shorter wait list, enjoy free second day air FedEx, and receive 3% back on their credit card when their a1 II ships should to visit the Bedford website here, at or after 9:30am today, search for the Sony a-1 II, pre-order they camera body, and enter the BIRDSASART discount. There is no need to e-mail Steve Elkins.

Thanks to those who pre-order using one of my affiliate links and for the faith they place in the information provided by BIRDS AS ART.

What’s Up?

Monday morning was Day-1 at Sebastian with Steve Shore and his lovely wife Elisabeth (say “eh-LEASE-uh-bet”). We had lots of cooperative subjects down by the gentle surf including Great and Snowy Egrets and lots of Wood Storks. It was a cloudy morning with a bit of a west breeze that turned to the north as the morning wore on. Though conditions were less than ideal for fishing and catching Ospreys, everyone managed a few good flight shots. All in all it was a perfect morning for teaching.

The highlight of our afternoon was the Sabine’s Gull. We all got some nice top shots as it came down to fish and Mr. Eastman got some decent images of one in flight with a Mullet in its bill.

In today’s blog post we will take a look at what you can do with properly exposed to the right raw files made on cloudy days. Yes boys and girls, they should look washed out and over-exposed. There was not however, a single over-exposed pixel in any of today’s featured images. Remember that the histograms on your camera, in Lightroom and Photoshop, and in Photo Mechanic, all mislead photographers as they are based on the embedded JPEGs. Only RawDigger can accurately evaluate the exposure of a raw file. Sorry Charlie; that’s the way it is.

The Ospreys were fishing and catching on Tuesday morning. With the clouds and a south wind Steve and Elisabeth Shore, Bob Eastman, and I did not leave the inlet until after 11:00am. What fun.

Image 1: The Photo Mechanic screen capture for the Brown Pelican ready to dive — pano crop image

Blah

The best word to describe the color and contrast of this properly exposed to the right raw file would be “blah.” With the bird at the bottom of the frame and too much boring sky above, the need for a pano crop was obvious. Bringing such images to life is actually straightforward.

This image was created on 6 November 2024 on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing in the water at the Northwest Pool, This image was also created on 16 November 2024 on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:02:47am on a cloudy morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image 1A: The Brown Pelican ready to dive — pano crop

The Basic Workflow Plus Some Color Mixer Work

I followed my basic workflow as detailed in both Digital Basics II and the the Digital Basics III Video Series Volume I. This improved both the color and the contrast and then some judicious Color Mixer work really popped the pelican. Easy peasy.

Image #2A: The Photo Mechanic screen capture for the Osprey overhead with Yellow-tailed Menhaden

Overhead and Hazy

I was near the end of the South Jetty. I looked up and saw an Osprey right over my head carrying a fish. I raised my lens as fast as possible and fired off a handful of frames. In two out of three keepers, I clipped a wing slightly. Note that all of the data is piled up on the far right side of the histogram.

This image was created on 15 November 2024 on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing near the end of the South Jetty, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 9:45:00am on a cloudy, heavily overcast morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2A: Osprey overhead with Yellow-tailed Menhaden

The Successful Image Optimization

All that I did was set the white point and the black point, adjust a few more sliders, do a bit of Color Mixer work, add my double noise reduction technique, and voila: Photoshop magic!

Image #3A: The Photo Mechanic screen capture for the Sanderling beach-scape image

Washed Out and Boring

Understand that your properly exposed to the right raw files made on cloudy days should look flat and washed out. Doing so produces raw files with little ISO noise that enable you to increase the contrast and reveal clean, rich colors during the image optimization. As below, those steps are simple as can be.

This image was created on 17 November 2024 on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing near the base of the South Jetty, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 223mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority +1.7 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 800: 1/13 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 6:35:06am on a cloudy morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect. Tracking (lower center) Expand Spot AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3A: Sanderling beach-scape

Simple as Can Be

Nearly all of the incredible color and contrast work on today’s three featured images was done during the raw conversion in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). ACR is the conversion engine in both Photoshop and in Lightroom. Learn the steps in either Digital Basics II or the Digital Basics III Video Series/Volume I.

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 my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and 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. 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.

Please note: the Divide and Conquer technique was inadvertently omitted from DB II. It is detailed in a free excerpt in the blog post here.

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: most of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.

You can learn how and why I converted all of 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. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.

You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.

The Digital Basics III Video Series

The Digital Basics III Video Series

I realized more than a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing a Digital Basics III. More recently, I learned and begun working with two great new Photoshop Tools, the Remove Tool and the Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. The former is like a smarter Spot Healing Brush Tool on steroids and the latter is a step up from the fabulous Color Mixer Tool. During that same time frame, I came up with a new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.

As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born.

The videos will be most valuable for folks using the latest version of Photoshop (2024) or Lightroom along with Topaz DeNoise AI and Topaz Sharpen AI.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

What’s Up?

On Saturday, multiple IPT veteran Sandra Calderbank joined Bob Eastman and me for a morning of instruction at Sebastian Inlet. Following the #1 rule for wind against sun conditions, we arrived very early to be in position to work the sunrise. Here is how I helped Sandy set up for Shutter Priority with AUTO ISO with her v 2.02 firmware a-1:

1- Turn the ISO down one click past 50 to AUTO. (We both normally use the Thumb Dial for ISO when shooting in Manual mode.)

2- Move the Command Dial (if that’s what they call it) to “S” for Shutter Priority. Set a slow shutter speed for pre-dawn blurs, something in the neighborhood of 1/10 to 1/60 second.

3- In Custom Key/Dial Set assign Exposure Compensation to the Thumb Wheel. Turn the Thumb Wheel clockwise to add light, usually to between +1 to +2 1/3 stops depending on the tonality of the background.

When the sun comes out, you will want to get back to Manual mode with ISO on the Thumb Dial. Simply reverse the steps:

1- In Custom Key/Dial Set assign ISO to the Thumb Wheel.

2- Move the Command Dial (if that’s what they call it), to “m” for Manual mode.

3- Set the ISO (and the shutter speed and aperture) as usual and as needed.

It should be relatively easy to set up any Canon or Nikon camera to do the same thing:

1- Set the ISO to AUTO.

2- Assign Exposure Compensation to a convenient dial or wheel.

3- Set Shutter Priority.

To get back to manual mode, just reverse the steps.

We had a very nice sunrise. We struggled with the wind against sun conditions for the rest of the morning. While picking my keepers, I was pleasantly astounded by how many good images I had created on a day when conditions were far from ideal. Six of those images are shared with you in today’s post along with more than a few helpful lessons.

On Sunday morning, Bob and I enjoyed a spectacular sunrise. Bob worked almost exclusively on the beach with his 16-35 Sony lens. Working mostly with slow shutter speeds in Shutter Priority with AUTO ISO, I concentrated on the large Sanderling flock that fed along the shore and occasionally blasted off out over the waves. They put on an amazing show.

The morning turned crazy (again) with dozens of pelicans and ospreys diving on baitfish. With the NNE wind in our face, the birds were all flying away from us. We ventured out on the jetty, got drenched by waves, and in short order, left the jetty in fear of the waves breaking over it. Wet and shivering, we headed back to our AirBnB a few minutes after 8:00am!

Today is Monday 18 November 2024. I am looking forward to working with Steve Shore (again) and meeting and working with his wife Elisabeth for the first time. They flew from Dallas to Orlando and arrived at the AirBnB at about 7:30 last night.

Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

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.

Supporting My Efforts Here

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.

This image was created on 16 November 2024 on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing on the beach at high tide, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority -0.3 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 100: 1/10 sec. at f/20 (stopped down 3 2/3 stops). AWB at 6:46:02am on a party cloudy morning just after sunrise. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect. Tracking Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Sunrise sky/Atlantic Ocean abstract

Un-Intentional Camera Movement Images

The term ICM (Intentional Camera Movement) has always bugged me. Why? It is possible to create pleasing blurs when you are (or are attempting to) keep the camera still. And you can create some nice blurs with the lens on a tripod and the subject or subjects moving be they avian or liquid. I was set up in Shutter Priority Mode with AUTO ISO looking to create some flight or wave blurs. When the sun peeked through an opening in the dark clouds, I forget to increase the shutter speed. I made a single frame at 1/10 second and then switched to 1/250 second and created some sharp versions. Note that with a sliver of red sky against an otherwise dark sky I needed a bit of minus Exposure Compensation (rather than my usual +2.0 EC).

The raw file was properly exposed but needed some TLC during the image optimization to bring out the potential I saw. When trying to create pleasingly blurred images, happy accidents are very rare but always welcome.

This image was also created on 16 November 2024 on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Seated on the beach at high tide, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Shutter Priority -1.7 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 100: 1/250 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1 1/3 stops). AWB at 6:50:12am on a party cloudy morning just after sunrise. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect. Tracking Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2: Reddish Egret on berm

Dealing With Wind Against Sun Conditions: Get Up Early!

The first rule of dealing with wind against sun conditions at beaches and lakes is to arrive early to take advantage of possible silhouette/backlit situations. With a west wind in the morning the birds will be flying toward you and away from the rising sun. Minutes after creating Image #1, this Reddish Egret landed on the berm so Sandy and I sat so that we could include the sky. The -1.3 stops EC is due to the fact that the raw file was a vertical that included the sun in the frame. Thus, after cropping this one to a horizontal I needed to open up the dark tones in Photoshop.

This image was also created on 16 November 2024 on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Standing at the base of the South Jetty I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1250. 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 7:19:11am on a then mostly sunny morning. Tracking: lower center Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Sanderling flock backlit blast-off

Dealing With Wind Against Sun Conditions: Use the Strong Backlight

We were at the base of the South Jetty attempting to photograph some low-in-the-sky Royal Terns before they turned left and away from us into the NE wind. I fanned on one good diving chance and then turned around to look south. I adjusted my shutter speed to get a few blinkies on the breaking waves and said to Sandy, “I hope they blast off.” Five seconds later, they did.

The key to the success of this image was moving the zone brackets to the bottom of the frame so that focus would be on the birds at the bottom of the frame that were closest to me.

This image was also created on 16 November 2024 on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 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). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:01:56am on a mostly sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Osprey flying away with pinfish in its talons

Dealing With Wind Against Sun Conditions: Experiment

The sun came out for a while. The Ospreys were kiting on the far side of the inlet, facing away from us, and catching an occasional fish. So, I figured what the heck and put the 2X TC on the 600. With the wind then from the north, the only thing available was the butt shot. Sometimes, they can work well. With the spread tail and the wings symmetrical, I like this particular butt shot. Go figure.

This image was also created on 16 November 2024 on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Again I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 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). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2500. 1/4000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:14:30am on a then partly cloudy morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Osprey kiting

Dealing With Wind Against Sun Conditions: Pray for Clouds

A large cloud covered the sun for a few moments and the wind shifted to the east for just a bit. Long enough for me to increase my exposure and get on an Osprey to my left that was more or less facing me. I was quite amazed by the sharpness at 1200mm.

This image was also created on 16 November 2024 on the Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More Extended IPT. Again I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 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). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 640. 1/2000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:50:48 am on a then cloudy/very bright morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #6: Osprey in flight with fish/silhouette

Dealing With Wind Against Sun Conditions: Think Way Out of the Box

We drove across the bridge to the Northwest Pool in hopes of getting an Osprey flying east with a fish in its talons. No luck there. Still with the 2X on the 600, I thought that I might have a chance of creating a late morning silhouette against the now cloudy very bright skies. The problem was that the entire inlet walkway north of the bridge is closed for nine months for the renovation of the North Jetty. The only option was to set up just north of the bridge and shoot over the chain link fence. As soon as I got set up and adjusted the exposure, an Osprey with a fish flew up to my right. I made three good frames on this pass. I called Bob and Sandy over but that was the last of it.

Some days everything seems to go right, even in lousy conditions.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

Sony a-1 II

If you are thinking of purchasing a Sony a-1 II soon, do not pre-order one. Wait till I can supply a link so that you can earn a free setting guide when and if I purchase one.

Thanks!

Thanks for all the erudite comments on the last blog post. That would be none, to be exact 🙂

What’s Up?

After two pretty good (but too warm for November!) days. Wednesday morning at the inlet was insane not to mention the breezy, cool fall weather. Dozens of pelicans and Ospreys dove for fish almost non-stop for an hour. The photography was so good that I was giddy with excitement. With one huge dark cloud on the eastern horizon, I opted for the 200-600/a-1 combo so that I could do blurs at first and then go for sharp when the sun came out. It was an in and out morning of sun and clouds. Thank the lord for Sony Zebra technology. I still have room for one more at the AirBnB in Sebastian. As the weather has cooled, the Osprey action should continue to heat up. I am looking forward to Steve and Elisabeth Shore’s arrival this coming Sunday.

There is a single opening on the first Homer Bald Eagle IPT (flight photography until you cannot lift your lens any longer) this coming February along with two days of songbird set-up photography at a private home in Anchor Point, AK before the Eagle IPT. The songbird feeder sessions are $500/day. I am offering a substantial discount on the IPT to the person who wishes to do seven great days of photography and learning in a gorgeous winter setting. Scroll down for complete details. Please contact me via e-mail or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up 🙂

Today is Thursday 14 November 2024. As John Johnson headed back to Naples after the thrilling morning session yesterday, Bob Eastman and I will be headed back to the state park for our 17th straight early morning of photography, learning, fun, and friendship.

Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

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.

Supporting My Efforts Here

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.

This image was created on 22 February 2024 at Anchor Point, AK. I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 420mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1600. 1/1000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 10:54:48am on a cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Pine Grosbeaks — male and female on spruce bough with cones

Pine Grosbeak

This species is the star attraction at the feeders. In most years, they are relatively abundant. In 2024, I did not bring my 600mm f/4 to Homer and did 90% of my photography with the Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens. I used the bare lens for most of the eagle flight photography — it was perfect. For eagle head portraits and at the feeders, I added either teleconverter for a fast, lightweight, hand holdable rig that allowed me to get into position quickly and easily.

I’ve been getting some great stuff with the hand held 300mm and the 2X TC in the very difficult wind-against-sun afternoon sessions at Sebastian.

This image was created on 22 February 2024 at Anchor Point, AK. I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1250. 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:33:40am on a partly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Pine Grosbeak female with berries

Bingo

With permission from our host, I stuck a small branch with a cluster of mountain ash berries in the snow and crouched down when a female arrived to chow down. As the sun had popped out for just a minute, I was able to get right on sun angle and create a fine series of images. Folks working on a tripod were D-E-A-D dead!

Those who did not use my link to purchase their Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens, can order their a copy here for $209.93. Click on the image to enlarge and to be able to read the fine print.

The BAA Sony 300mm f/2.8 Lens Guide

Impressed by my Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images? Use either my Bedfords or B&H affiliate link to purchase your Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and shoot me your receipt via e-mail and request a copy of the first-ever BAA Lens Guide. I thought that it would take only minutes to create this guide, but I was dead wrong. In the process of creating it, I learned a ton about the lens. And even better, I discovered a simple yet potentially fatal flaw that was resulting in sporadically unsharp flight images. The set-up fix is simple. Just be sure to use one of my affiliate links and get the guide for free.

If not, you can purchase a copy here for $209.93. Yes, it never hurts to use my links and it never costs you one penny more. And if you contact me via e-mail before you make a major purchase; I can often save you some money.

This image was created on 22 February 2024 at Anchor Point, AK. I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 500. 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 11:06:36am on a cloudy bright morning. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Red-breasted Nuthatch on spruce bough with cones

Both Nuthatches

Both Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches visit the feeders in most years. I still am trying for a good white-breasted image. Image #3 is my only and thus best ever red-breasted photo. They are fast buggers.

This image was created on 22 February 2024 at Anchor Point, AK. I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1250. 1/1600 sec. at f/8 (stopped down 1 stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 2:54:56pm on a cloudy bright morning. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Red Crossbill immature male on spruce cone

Both Crossbills

Both Red and White-winged Crossbills come to see at Steve’s place in Anchor Point. I am hoping that both species are more plentiful in 2025 than they have been in the past. Chances of that are good as the two days are earlier than I’ve ever been.

This image was created on 22 February 2024 at Anchor Point, AK. I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1600. 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 3:33:58pm on a cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Boreal Chickadee

Bringing the 600mm f/4 in 2025

I will be bringing my Sony 600mm f/4 lens just for this species. I plan on concentrating on this little speedster at both 840 and 1200mm.

This image was created on 22 February 2024 at Anchor Point, AK. I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2000. 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 3:43:30pm on a cloudy afternoon. Tracking: (upper right) Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #6: Redpoll male on spruce bough

Redpolls Lumped

From the Cornell All About Birds website here:

Ornithologists and birders across the Northern Hemi­sphere have long grappled with the question of how many species of redpolls —- small, streaky finches with neat red caps —- exist. In its 2024 checklist update, the American Ornithological So­ciety provided a clear answer: the three redpoll species previously recognized by the AOS -— Common, Hoary, and Less­er Redpoll (of Europe) —- are now a single species, known simply as Redpoll.

Hoary Redpoll was formerly the frosty white version. Follow the link above to check out the interesting scientific backstory on the new species, Redpoll.

No Homer IPT Price Increase!

Despite that fact that the hourly boat fee has been increased by 33%, I have decided not to raise the price of the 2025 Homer IPTs. Note that similar trips with 40% less time on the boat cost $5800!

2025 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs

IPT #1: FRI 14 FEB 2025 through the full day on TUES 18 FEB 2025. Five days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings 1.

IPT #2: WED 19 FEB 2025 through the full day on SUN 23 FEB 2025. Five days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Sold Out.

Adding two days of songbird set-up photography ($500/day) at a private home in Anchor Point, AK before the first Bald Eagle IPT will earn you a substantial discount IPT #1 . If you’d like to do seven great days of photography and learning in a gorgeous winter setting, please contact me via e-mail or 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 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 some 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 the 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 and instructor. He 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.

All images from Kachemak Bay in 2022!

What You Will Learn

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.

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 photographs from tens of thousands of images.

You will enjoy working with the best and most creative boat captain on his sturdy, photography-spacious, seaworthy, open-deck watercraft.

There will be only five photographers (not the usual six), plus the leader.

Small group Photoshop, Image Review, and Image Critiquing sessions.
bb

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.

Important Notes

We toss frozen herring chunks to bring the eagles into photographic range. The late Jean Keene, the Eagle Lady, fed the eagles in Homer for many decades and brought the population back from the brink of extinction.

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 the group will share the additional expense at a rate of $300.00/hour. The leader will pay for the bait.

Some folks may wish to rent their own vehicle to take advantage of local photographic opportunities around Homer. In 2024 those included Moose, Sea Otter, a variety of sea ducks in the harbor, and Great Grey and Short-eared Owl.

Deposit Information

A $3000 non-refundable deposit/trip is required. You may pay your deposit with credit card or by personal check (the latter 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.

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 these two trips is to sign up for both of them. If you have any questions, or are good to go for one or both of these great 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.

Huge Thanks!

Huge thanks to Allan Warner of Seattle, WA for his very generous BAA Blog Thank You Gift! Allan, it is greatly appreciated that you appreciate my effort here. Lots of love your way. artie

Still Room at the Inn

If you would like to join Bob Eastman and me at Sebastian Inlet for some great bird photography, please get in touch via e-mail or call or message me on my cell at 863-221-2372.We will be here until the morning of 23 November.

What’s Up?

As Roseane Rosannada intoned weekly on Saturday Night Live, “It’s always something.” On Friday morning, it was cherished top shots of the Sabine’s Gull for David Pugsley and me. On Saturday morning, multiple IPT veteran Sandra Calderbank joined David and Bob Eastman and me for what turned out to be yet another wonderful morning. We had an Osprey grab a summer flounder right in front of us as the sun shone briefly. And when it clouded over, an American Avocet and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull joined the usual cast of low tide characters for more than an hour. Everyone got some great images of the two uncommon species bathing.

Today is Sunday 10 November. All but Sandy will be headed early to Sebastian Inlet to see what the avian photography gods have planned for us. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, we hope that you too choose to have a wonderful day.

Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

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.

Supporting My Efforts Here

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.

Gilda Radner

As a cast member on the original Saturday Night Live, beloved comedienne, the late Gilda Radner, created a compelling character named “Roseanne Rosannadanna” who habitually ended her routine with the line, “It’s always something.” It was her father’s favorite expression about life.

RRS TVC-33 Versa MK2 Tripod Series 3 (3 leg sections)

Used Gear Page regular Stephen Zarate is offering a Really Right Stuff TVC-33 Versa Mark II Series (heavy duty) Tripod in excellent plus condition for a very low $740.00. The sale includes a set of LensCoat leg covers, the hex wrench that came with the tripod, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only.

Please contact Steve via e-mail.

The VERSA MK2 Tripods merge rugged construction with flexibility; they are dependable companions for outdoor photographic adventurists who value versatility in their gear. This one sells new for $1140.00. RRS

Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro

Used Gear Page regular Stephen Zarate is offering a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro tripod head in excellent plus condition for a very low $449.00. The sale includes the original box and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only.

Please contact Steve via e-mail.

The Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro is a ball head that acts like a gimbal. Incredibly counter-balanced, there is no ball head flop. Ever. I use this head pretty much every day with the 600mm f4 lens both for general bird photography and for flight and action. They sell new everywhere for $699.00. Learn more by watching the video here. artie

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8GII ED & Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Package

Used Gear Page regular Dennis Westover is offering a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8GII ED lens in excellent condition and a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G lens, also in excellent condition for a silly low price of $829.00 for the pair. The 70-200 sale includes the front and rear lens cap, the original cordura case, the lens shade, and a RRS tripod foot. The 50mm lens sale includes the front and rear lens cap, the original box, and the lens shade. And the sale includes insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 U.S addresses only. Your items will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Dennis via e-mail or by phone at 1-206-605-0404 (Pacific time).

The two lenses in this package sell new for $2,503.90. Grab Dennis’ package for only $829.00 and save a handsome $1674.90.

The 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are incredibly versatile. They are great for birds and wildlife, frogs and turtles and snakes, people, and scenics. This one does well with any teleconverter. Nikon’s version is a sharp, versatile, and durable telephoto zoom lens with a fast constant maximum aperture, useful in lowlight situations. A workhorse of a lens used by professionals and amateurs alike it is ideal for photojournalism, sports, and wildlife photography and is effective for almost all telephoto applications, including portraiture.

The 50mm pairs a normal field of view with an especially bright design. It is a versatile prime, well-suited for a wide range of subject matter. Characterized by its fast f/1.4 maximum aperture, this lens is adept in difficult lighting conditions and also excels at isolating subjects using selective focus and shallow depth of field techniques. A Super Integrated Coating enhances contrast and color accuracy by reducing flare and ghosting, and the rounded nine-blade diaphragm contributes a smooth, pleasing bokeh quality. Additionally, a Silent Wave Motor provides fast, quiet, and accurate autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus override. artie & B&H

Thanks, Fred!

If you are old enough to remember this one, leave a comment and share any relevant memories. I remember only that it was a very long time ago. “Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat” was written by Bob Hilliard and Lee Pockriss. It was recorded by Paul Evans in 1959 and rose to #9 on the US charts. I was 12 years old. I probably identified with the driver at that time.

This image was created on 4 November 2024 by BAA friend Fred Vaughn at Sebastian Inlet Ospreys. He used the hand held Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera with the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens (at 24mm). ISO 200: 1 second at f/10 in Manual mode. Image #1: Atlantic Ocean — breaking waves and barrier beach Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Fred Vaughn

New Trick Thanks to Fred Vaughn

I first met Fred Vaughn at Stick Marsh a few years back. We’ve always chatted and he has always been quick to share some helpful tips with me. I, of course, have reciprocated whenever possible. In the predawn, on the morning of 4 November, I was trying for Sanderling flock blurs at the base of the North Jetty. Fred was a bit father out on the jetting with a short lens. I wondered what he was doing. When the shorebirds flock flew off to the north, I moseyed out toward Fred and asked him what he was up to. “One second pan blurs,” he said. And showed me a few on the back of his R5. There were some real beauties. I have done lots of wave blurs at shutter speeds as slow as 1/6 second, one second was a whole new ballgame for me. I was very intrigued by the dreamy look of his images and decided to try a few even though I had a much longer zoom lens than he was using, 200-600 as compared to 24-105mm. But one second is one second.

This image was created on 4 November by yours truly on a Sebastian Inlet Extended IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) 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 second at f/10 (stopped down 1 1-3 stops) in Manual Mode. AWB at 6:31:59am, right about the time of sunrise with the usual big dark clouds to the east. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect. Tracking: (lower center) Expand Spot with Bird Face/Eye Detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Atlantic Ocean, breaking waves Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Reaching One Second with the Sony a-1

In Electronic Shutter, the lowest possible shutter speed is 0.5 (one-half) second. To get to slower shutter speeds, you need to switch to Mechanical Shutter button. I did that with a conveniently pre-programmed button, set one second as the shutter speed, and worked on the exposure. I needed to set f/8 as wide open at ISO 50 was showing a big over-exposure. I made about 20 images panning slowly with the braking waves. 19 were immediately sent to the trash bin. I immediately saw the potential with Image #2, above, but with the raw file properly exposed to the right, I knew that I’d be able to bring up that wonderful colors that I had seen during the image conversion and optimization processes.

This image was created on 6 November 2024 by yours truly on a Sebastian Inlet Extended IPT. I used the handheld peashooter rig, the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 98mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 50: 1 second at f/8 (stopped down two stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:38:56am just after the time of sunrise with the usual big dark clouds to the east. Tracking: (lower center) Expand Spot with Bird Face/Eye Detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Atlantic Ocean — breaking wave, barrier beach, and dunes Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A Wider Vision

Two days later, knowing that I wanted a wider image that included some beach and the dunes, I returned early with the peashooter rig that got me to 98 mm at the short end. Again, I worked at ISO 50, set the ISO to expose well to the right, and panned as best as I could with the waves. Same result; all but one of the images were pure trash. Only Image #3 survived the first edit. Huge thanks to Fred Vaughn for opening up this old dog’s eyes to the one second shutter speed pan blur technique.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

What’s Up?

On Tuesday, Bob Eastman and I had another great morning at Sebastian. It was a dreary high ISO session, with a perfect wind from the southeast and as many as 50 Ospreys patrolling the inlet. They were doing lots of diving but not a lot of catching. As we headed home, I told Bob that I was sure that I had at least two really good Osprey images. I was right.

Today is Wednesday 6 November 2024. You guessed it; we will be heading back to the state park in the dark. Whatever you choose to do, we hope that you opt to have a great day too.

Bob Eastman is living proof of what is possible for someone with a Sony 200-600 and an a-1 body, their camera set up properly, and a bit of quality photographic instruction.

Tight Crop of Brown Pelican grabbing menhaden from Osprey Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Bob Eastman

I Got Three Eggs Over Easy

In the last blog post I wrote,

Sunday morning belonged to Bob Eastman. We were ready to give up and head back to our AirBnB for some eggs. Just as Bob started the car, we noticed five Ospreys in the air right in front of us. We hesitated. Two of the birds dove and each emerged with a fish. Bob was first to the rocks. As one of my a-1 bodies had gotten wet, I went to the trunk to grab my second a-1 body. When I could not find it, I grabbed an a9 iii and headed toward the action.

Bob said excitedly, I just got one emerging with a fish!” “Great!” I said, “There is no card in this camera.” I headed back to my SUV and grabbed the card out of my wet a-1.” When I got back to Bob, he was so excited that he could barely speak. An Osprey dove in front of him, just left of sun angle. The bird had caught a large bunker and was struggling to lift it out of the water. Bob fired away. Then an adult Brown Pelican dove on the Osprey and grabbed the fish. Bob kept firing. The two birds battled for the fish. The Osprey flew off fish-less. We reviewed the images. Bob had gotten several great ones. I got three eggs over easy.

The image above is a tight crop of one of Bob’s ten images that will appear in the next blog post, one that tells the whole story. Keep reading to learn about the life of a very special friend.

Bob Eastman in State Park Greeter mode

Bob Eastman and BIRDS AS ART

Bob Eastman began hanging around the blog in 2022. It was obvious to me that he was eager to learn photography. We e-mailed a lot and spoke a few times. Bob’s message was always the same: “I really want to learn from you. I am dreaming of getting to Alaska. I want to attend an IPT. But I do not fly. I am deathly scared of getting on an airplane.”

Skip ahead to February 18, 2023. Carolyn Johnson and I have just gotten off our flight from Seattle to Anchorage. A strange looking guy meets us at the top of the stairs that lead down to bag claim. He has a big smile on his face as he greets us, but his teeth are brown and yellow rotten and misshapen. “Howdy, artie!” he says, his voice very loud and 100% hillbilly, “I’m Bob Eastman.” Carolyn and I were taken aback. We each thought, “What have we gotten ourselves into?” Fortunately, Bob had had us fooled. He removed his fake rubber teeth and gave us each a big hug as we all laughed giddily.

“Bob,” I asked, what are you doing here? I thought that your plane was gonna crash.” “It almost did,” he said. “We were 30 minutes out of Seattle when the plane dropped 700 feet in seconds. Everyone not seated with their seatbelts fastened went flying. So did trays and drinks and everything else that was not tied down. I was sure that I was going to die. Once we resumed stable flight the pilot came on and explained that we had hit a pocket of dead air.”

The next day Bob drove every inch of the way from Anchorage to Homer. He turned out to be a super-nice guy. He was a great roommate. He can be zany. He is funny and laughs easily. He is enthusiastic about everything he does. He was very eager to learn. He did the first and the last Homer IPTs. He asked a thousand questions. I loaned him the SUV during the 2nd IPT, and he was off in search of owls and Moose and anything else he could find to photograph after dropping the group at the dock. And he was always there for us with a warm vehicle as we got off the boat. He drove every inch of the way back to Anchorage even though Monte Brown offered to drive several times. Neither of his return flights crashed. When he got back to Minneapolis, he faced a snowstorm and a six hour drive back to his home in Wisconsin. That wound up taking eight hours. At night. In the dark. Somewhat miraculously, he made it home safely.

A few months ago, I made him an offer he could not refuse. He committed to driving from Wisconsin to Indian Lake Estates, spending a few days at my home, and sharing a large AirBnb in Sebastian for 26 days of Osprey photography. We are a week in to the Sebastian Inlet gig, have been having a great time, and been making some great images. Bob does most of his bird photography with “just” an a-1 and the Sony 200-600. He has developed into an excellent photographer.

As I was giving him a tour of my home just after he arrived, I was complaining that the door of the dryer opened the “wrong” way, toward the wall in the laundry room. When I woke from my nap that day, Bob said, “I tried to do some laundry but had some problems with the dryer.” Bob, always the trickster, had flipped to door of the dryer so that it opened the “right” way. I was amazed and thrilled.

After you read Bob’s biography below, you may be surprised to learn that he is completely devoid of any bitterness despite the bad luck he has had for the past five or so decades. He is a skilled and knowledgeable outdoorsman. He loves life, loves photography, speaks of the time he spends outdoors with reverence, and cherishes every minute of every day. And best of all, he is my friend.

Bob Eastman in Zany Mode disguising himself as a Moose

The Happy Life of Hapless Bob Eastman

As told to Arthur Morris

Robert Allen Eastman was born on February 25, 1957, in Milwaukee, WI. At age five, he was on his bike chasing the ice cream wagon. After purchasing four fudgsicles, he was worried about them melting. He kept checking them out until he drove his bike right at the rear fin of a 1957 Cadillac. He split his head open ,and he arrived home bleeding profusely. He woke up two months later after being placed in a medically induced coma to reduce the swelling in his brain. Reading was a challenge , and he was unable to concentrate long on anything.

His family summered at a cottage on the Wisconsin River. His neighbor was washing out a portable cement mixer. Bob was seven. The neighbor was in his house when Bob spotted a shiny rock that he wanted. He stuck his hand in to grab it but fins inside the machine grabbed his coat and lifted him up and down as it spun. He screamed and the neighbor came out and pulled the plug. His right elbow was wrecked, his arm broken in several places. At the hospital, they put his arm in a cast and sent him home.

His parents threw him out at age 15. He got a job working in a pallet factory but was fired due to his age. By 16, he began using drugs including marijuana, cocaine, and acid. He had stolen a bicycle for transportation. When the cops came asking about the bike, Bob – realizing that his life was on a very bad path, told them that he had stolen the bike, told them about his stash, and told them that he needed help. They arrested him . He was placed in Lincoln Hills Juvenile Detention Center until he was 18.

He credits his stay at the center with turning his life around.

While he was there, a team of state doctors re-broke his cement-mixer damaged right arm and set it properly. The improvement was huge.

When he was released, he rented a cabin and got a job driving a forklift, loading trucks and trains on the docks. While trying to help a driver with his load, the forklift wound up on top of Bob. Six fellow workers lifted the 6,000-pound machine off him. He had fractured his right femur. When he could walk on the leg, he went to work in the shipping office.

Thursday night was taco night at Skyline Ski Resort. He ran into a rival from high school named Jerry. Both of them were drunk. Bob grabbed a girl’s car keys and went for a joyride with Jerry. Long story short, Bob wound up marrying Susan three months later.

They had three sons. Walking home through a park after having a drink with an old friend and turning down a ride, he was mugged and severely beaten by to men to the tune of three broken ribs and a bloodied face and head after he refused to give them his wallet with seven dollars in it. Bob got to his feet, broke the arm of one of his attackers, and spent several days in the hospital.

While camping with his wife in Tomahawk, WI, Bob began running a high fever and became delusional. They borrowed a car, got lost, and knocked on a farmer’s door. He came out with a pistol followed by his wife with a shotgun. They met the ambulance on the road. The EMTs put Bob on a gurney but neglected to strap him down. The lady EMT slipped and dropped the gurney. Bob fell off the gurney 75 feet down a steep slope into a cattail marsh. Bob was waist deep in mud and muck.

By the time the male EMT fished Bob out, he was incoherent and covered with mud and slime. His temperature was 105° F. His appendix –previously misdiagnosed by a family doctor, had ruptured. He underwent emergency surgery the next morning. Bob spent another two weeks in the hospital.

In the winter of 2005 Bob went ice-fishing. Alone. The temperature was 20° F. He broke through the ice and miraculously clawed his way out of the frigid water and tried to make his way back to his car, about 1-½ miles away. He almost made it, but collapsed 100 yards short to die. A passerby had seen Bob from the main road but kept on going. After ten miles, he made a U-turn as he felt that something just did not seem right. He saw that Bob, now covered in ice from head to toe and near death, was in dire need of help. He dragged Bob up to his car, pushed and pulled him into the back seat, and drove him 15 miles to the nearest emergency room at Hartford Memorial Hospital.

Bob was in the hospital for a week. Despite advanced hypothermia, he escaped relatively unscathed. Bob never saw the man again. “An angel,” he says.

When Bob was about 50, he was working at a tool and die machine shop in Flint, MI. On his way back to his apartment in Detroit, he got lost and wound up on the Windsor Bridge into Canada. He followed a small white van with a red cross on it into Canada. The van was pulled over by Canadian customs and so was Bob, It turned out that the guys in the van were carrying two million US dollars’ worth of cocaine. The agents incorrectly assumed that Bob was part of the drug convoy.

He was locked in a room for ten hours without access to a bathroom. He was questioned relentlessly. Bob kept protesting his innocence. He was finally released – without apology, the next day after the Mounties contacted his boss.

He lost that job in 2007 during the recession. Next , he was employed by Benz Metal Industries. He was running a water jet machine that can be used to cut anything. He was loading 55 pound bag of garnet valued at $11.00. When it slipped out of his hand, he grabbed at it. He fell face first onto a pallet of garnet bags. He dislocated his left shoulder and ruptured four spinal vertebrae in his neck. He told the boss who sent him to the doc. They did an MRI of his lower back and incredibly, missed his neck injuries. The MRI showed degenerative discs and a herniated disc in the lumbar region at L4. The doctor suggested physical therapy.

That caused excruciating pain in his neck. The therapist diagnosed a neck injury. Bob went back to see an orthopedic surgeon who recommended an MRI of the head and neck. That done, Bob was told not to move anything and to re-visit the surgeon. They tried cortisone injections and physical therapy. At that point, a Workers’ Compensation nurse become involved in the case. Things got worse and worse. Pain medication was prescribed: Vicodin, Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone, all nasty stuff.

After six months of increasing medication, the pain became worse. His right side began to go numb. He had no feeling in his right hand and could not button a shirt. They put Bob on a Fentanyl patch, 100 mcg every two days. Nothing helped. So, it was back to the surgeon. Bob agreed to anterior cervical neck fusion. Workmen’s Comp cut him off completely stating that his problem was from a pre-existing condition. They would not agree to pay for the surgery.

Bob continued to get worse and worse. His weight had dropped from 185 to 130 pounds. He went to an attorney who arranged Badger Care insurance through the state of Wisconsin. One and one-half years after his accident, the surgery was performed at The Orthopedic Medical Hospital at Milwaukee, WI.

After a tough recovery, Bob was back in physical therapy. Progress was very slow. Seven months after the surgery, he went back to light duty and computer work. No lifting.

Fasten your seatbelt.

Standing next to his boss in the shop, next to the water jet machine, a ten thousand pound steel plate, 5 X 20 feet long was hanging vertically, held by a grab claw and hoist. It was swinging inexorably toward Bob. His boss noticed it and shoved Bob out of the path of the plate. Bob fell backwards onto a pallet of steel plates . He landed on his butt.

He was taken by ambulance to the hospital where injuries to his lower back were diagnosed. After a year of failed physical therapy, three rods were surgically placed in his right hip at the SI joint, an “SI Fusion.” He walked out of the hospital that same day and felt great within a week. “That was my best surgery ever,” he told me recently at the Anchorage Airport after the Homer IPTs.

Another year of physical therapy followed so that Bob could adjust to everyday life while dealing with his neck and SI fusions. He has been out of work ever since his boss had tried to save him.

Bob had been an outdoor person since childhood and loves walking in nature. In 2011, right after the second injury, Bob purchased a Canon Elan 5 and a 70-300mm zoom lens and began carrying it on his walks. Another nature photographer was born.

In 2021, at age 64, while scouting for a good cliffside location from which to photograph the coming Fourth of July fireworks in Wisconsin Dells, Bob slipped and fell 30 feet down the 100-foot cliff until he got wedged between some rocks. Fishermen on the river called rescue, but they did not show up for an hour. Once they located Bob, they rappelled down the cliff, got Bob into a rescue basket, and lowered him down to the river where he was taken by boat to the Wisconsin Dells Dam and then by ambulance to Mauston Hospital. Just bruises and some pain, but no broken bones or serious injuries.

Bob returned a week later to photograph the fireworks display from a safe spot on a folding chair down by the river.

On February 14, 2022, Bob had his left shoulder replaced. It had been injured more than 14 years before when he dropped the $11.00 bag of garnet. The surgery was quite successful; and Bob gets around just fine now without any pain meds.

Bob says, “My life has been a journey, and it’s not over yet. I’m looking forward to the rest of it.”

Postscript: While Bob was in Homer, he often went out on his own looking for owls. He fell on the ice and re-injured his right arm. When he returned home, he had the arm x-rayed: he has an elongated stress fracture of his ulna. When the doctor examined the x-rays of his right arm he was floored; “What the hell happened to your elbow?”

The next blog post will feature ten of Bob’s Osprey/pelican interaction.

Your Calls

Autofocus-wise, which of today’s six featured images do you think is the most amazing? Separate question: which is your favorite image? Why? for both.

What’s Up?

Bob Eastman and I are having fun every day at Sebastian Inlet. On Thursday afternoon we spent lots of time with the very cooperative white morph Reddish Egret along with Wood Storks and a variety of other wading birds. It drizzled on Friday morning so we spent a productive 45 minutes working a flock of about 800 Sanderlings as the flew in formation over the waves, alternating turning to show us their white bellies and an instant later, their flashing white wing stripes. Oh, to be a shorebird.

In the last blog post here, I too loved Bob’s Snowy Egret. But I would not trade it for my Osprey trying to lift off — Image #2. Did you not notice the fish???

Today is Saturday 2 November 2024. We will be headed back to Sebastian early again. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, we hope that you too choose to have a wondrous day.

Be sure to click on each image to enlarge is and check out the amazing autofocus capabilities of the Sony a9 iii, 120 frames per second with 0.5 second pre-capture. Be sure also to check out Karen McCormick’s like new a9 iii below.

Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

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.

Supporting My Efforts Here

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.

Sony a-9 iii Mirrorless Camera Body

Used Gear Page regular Karen McCormick is offering a Sony a9iii Mirrorless camera in like-new condition for a ridiculously low $4,798.00. The sale includes the original product box, the body cap, the battery charger, one battery, the strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only.
Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Your purchase will also include my two a9 iii Set-up e-mails and any future updates.

Please contact Karen via e-mail.

I’ve loved my a9 iii so much for flight and action that I sold two of my a-1 bodies to purchase a second a9 iii. Working at 120fps gives you four times as many wing positions and flight poses as any other mirrorless camera body. Most every single image will be sharp on the eye. And the raw files can stand up to decent crops. A new one sells at B&H for $5,998.00. B&H does not have a single used one in stock. KEHs, is offering a like-new a9iii for $5823.00! If you have been thinking of an a9 iii, grab Karen’s a9 iii right now and save $1,200.00. artie

This image was created on 8 March 2024 at Stick Marsh, Fellsmere, FL Seated on a two pillows, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1200: 1/3200 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:06:24am with some clouds in the low eastern sky. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Roseate Spoonbill braking to land

Made for Stick Marsh

The Sony 300mm f/2.8 is perfect for the incoming spoonbills at Stick Marsh. And for pelican and Brandt’s Cormorant flight at La Jolla. And for the Bald Eagles at Homer. And as I am getting older every single day, I am loving and more often than not using this versatile lens bare or with either teleconverter as my go-to walk-around rig. As you will see with Images #2 and #3 below, the AF is ridiculous even with the 2X at f/5.6.

The a9 iii gave me four perfect frames of this incoming spoonbill, each razor sharp on the eye, and each with a significantly different wing position. Bob Eastman helped me pick this one out as my favorite.

The AirBnB that I rented for mid-late March/early April 2025 is close to being sold out. If you would like to explore the possibility of joining me there next spring, please get in touch via e-mail.

This image was created on 31 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Walking on the pier, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:08:42am on a very cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Boat-tailed Grackle males chasing

My Hand-holdable 600mm f/5.6 Rig With Science-fiction-like Autofocus

The Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera rig is superb for those who like to walk around without a tripod and concentrate on both flight & action and general bird photography.

Again, the incredible frame rate of the a9 iii produced four spectacular, almost identical frames. And again, East Bobman helped me select the cream of the crop.

This image was created on 31 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on a pillow on the beach left of the pier, I used the hand held a href=”https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1746375-REG/sony_fe_300mm_f_2_8_gm.html/BI/6633/KBID/7226/kw/SO30028GM/DFF/d10-v2-t1-xSO30028GM” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 600mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:11:45am on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Black-bellied Whistling Duck braking to land

Hand holding Forever

The 300 f/2.8 is so small and light that most folks can hand hold it comfortably for hours on end. And that includes me at age 78 with a bum right shoulder. In our first three days at Sebastian I used the 300 most often with the 1.4X TC more than 50% of the time. With the dark skies this morning I went to the 400mm f/2.8. Hand held. Also with ease.

This image was created on 8 October 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Walking on the pier, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 420mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 5000: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be 1/6 stop short of perfect. AWB at 9:10:22am on a cloudy morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #4: Boat-tailed Grackle female taking flight

Pre-Capture on This One!

There is no doubt about it, setting and using 0.5 second pre-capture was 100% responsible for creating this image. Humans, especially old ones with slow reflexes, are just not quick enough to press the shutter button soon enough to catch liftoff. I have Pre-capture on My Menu so that I can turn it on when shooting flight and action. As long as you are actively focusing, the camera will save the 30 images prior to your pressing the shutter button (belatedly!)

Those who did not use my link to purchase their Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens, can order their a copy here for $209.93. Click on the image to enlarge and to be able to read the fine print.

The BAA Sony 300mm f/2.8 Lens Guide

Impressed by my Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images? Use either my Bedfords or B&H affiliate link to purchase your Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and shoot me your receipt via e-mail and request a copy of the first-ever BAA Lens Guide. I thought that it would take only minutes to create this guide, but I was dead wrong. In the process of creating it, I learned a ton about the lens. And even better, I discovered a simple yet potentially fatal flaw that was resulting in sporadically unsharp flight images. The set-up fix is simple. Just be sure to use one of my affiliate links and get the guide for free.

If not, you can purchase a copy here for $209.93. Yes, it never hurts to use my links and it never costs you one penny more. And if you contact me via e-mail before you make a major purchase, I can often save you some money.

This image was created on 15 October 2024. Working from the front seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2000. 1/1000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:48:52am early on a sunny morning. Tracking: (upper left) Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Red-shouldered Hawk adult on The Perch II

a9 iii Raw File Color Tip

Huge thanks to Anita North, currently on in the middle of a six-month African safari to multiple countries by herself!. On a rare phone call recently, I mentioned that I was less than thrilled with the somewhat boring color of most a9 iii raw files. She told me to set Adobe Vivid as the Color Profile during the raw conversion in Adobe Camera Raw. Wow! The results are gorgeous. For this one I actually decreased the Vibrance a bit before hitting “Open.”

This image was created on 28 October 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 185mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500: 1/2000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:13:10am on a then very cloudy morning. Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #6: Sandhill Crane adult throwing dried grasses

Cranes Getting Frisky

Before Bob and I headed to Sebastian Inlet, the cranes were beginning their courtship behaviors. Those the grass tossing that almost always results in jumping, dancing, bowing, and running. I’d expect to have a few chances on copulating cranes when we get back to ILE.

BIRDS AS ART SONY A9 iii Images

a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide

For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I did sell two of my three a1 bodies.

If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up), a Buttons and Dials Guide, and an a9 iii Info Sheet.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

What’s Up?

Bob Eastman and I had a great first morning at Sebastian. Aside from a zillion Ospreys fishing the inlet, a cooperative white Morph Reddish Egret on the beach made our day. The afternoon looked like bird photography death with a strong SE wind and sunny blue skies but I scouted around and found a fabulous afternoon spot with lots of tame wading birds, many of them in the shade. I hate to give up even on a single session. There is still lots of room in our lovely AirBbB just 22 minutes from the inlet. Get in touch via e-mail to explore the possibility of joining us.

One of the great advantages of joining me on an IPT or an Extended IPT is that I will get to look at and process your best images while creating a screen capture Camtasia video to share with you and the group. The image optimizations for all seven of todays images were done by yours truly, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.

Geri’s images show just what can be done with “just” the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) If you would like to learn more about switching to Sony, please get in touch via e-mail.

I was glad to learn that Karen McCormick sold her brand new Sony 600mm f/4GM lens for the full asking price within an hour of it being listed. She still has a great a9 iii for sale.

Today is Wednesday 30 October 2024. We will be heading back to the state park well before sunrise. I hope that all of you boys and girls have a wonderful day too. Today’s post featured the work of longtime friend and student Geri Georg of Colorado. She joined me for both the DeSoto IPT last spring and Extended IPT at Nickerson Beach. As with many, many others, I helped Geri transition from Canon to Sony about two years ago.

Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

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.

Supporting My Efforts Here

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.

Save 15%!

If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.

I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.

Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.

Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com

Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM Lens

Mark Harrington is offering a Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM refurbished by Canon to Like-New condition for a very low $850.00. The sale includes the lens with front and rear caps, original product box, manual and software, Lens case LZ1326 and Lens Hood 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 Mark via e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 1-612-308-5776 MST.

The Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is an abomination. Why? Because the lens does not accept either teleconverter. Hard to believe, but true. If you shoot Camon mirrorless you are far better off with this lens and the EF to RF Adapter. Thus, the versatility of this popular lens is wrecked.

The versatile 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses have long been big favorites of many nature photographers. They are great for landscapes especially with fall color peaking in many areas. I have used this lens with Canon and Nikon and SONY. I used my Canon version to photograph granddaughter Maya’s dance recitals and to create bird-scapes and pre-dawn blast-off blurs at Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico. They are fast and sharp and have 1000 uses. The 70-200 f/2.8 lenses are a specialty lens for bird photographers. Like the bad little child, when they are good, they are really, really good! I’ve used mine mostly for flight photography at point blank range where their performance is unmatched, especially in low light. I’ve killed with these lenses on the gannet boat in the UK, in Homer for eagles, for pre-dawn and blizzard blast-offs at Bosque, and at Merritt Island on feeding sprees right next to the road. Lenses in this class are easily hand holdable by just about everyone. artie

ps: To see what the 70-200 zoom lenses can do, see the blog post here.

This image was created on 14 August 2024 on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT by friend and multiple IPT veteran Geri Georg. Standing, she 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 800. 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 6:11:52pm on a sunny afternoon. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect. 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: Black Skimmer adult in flight Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Geri Georg

Shutter Speeds for Flight Photography

From where I sit, 1/4000 second is a great first choice for flight photography. 1/2500 and 1/3200 second are fine for most flying birds. You can often get away with 1/2000, 1/1600 or even 1/1250 second. Anything slower, and you need to pan perfectly with the bird to get the eye sharp. Some folks like 1/8000 second to completely eliminate wing tip blur. I rarely go there as I do not mind blurred wingtips as they convey motion. Remember that with film we shot flight at 1/500 second.

All that said, on rare occasion, it is possible to get the eye of a flying bird sharp at speeds as slow as 1/60 or 1/30 second. But never consistently.

Kudos for Geri to picking my favorite sunny day shutter speed for flight: 1/4000 second.

This image was created on 15 August 2024 on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT by friend and multiple IPT veteran Geri Georg. Standing, she 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. Multi Metering +2/3 stop. AUTO ISO set ISO 400. 1/8 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Shutter Priority mode. AWB at 6:59:25am on a cloudy morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be 1/3 stop under. 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: Black Skimmer flock blastoff blur Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Geri Georg

Getting Out Early

If you are walking down to the beach when it is still dark, blurs are often your only choice until the sun comes up. On IPTs, when blurs are on the table and the backgrounds are consistently light toned, I teach folks to work in Shutter Priority mode with AUTO ISO and Exposure Compensation (EC) on a convenient dial or wheel. Kudos to Geri for being open to new concepts and especially for digging blurs. Not everyone does.

Let’s see what ISO you would have needed to get to a shutter speed of 1/2000 second that early that morning.

1/8 @ ISO 400
1/15 @ ISO 800
1/30 @ ISO 1600
1/60 @ ISO 3200
1/125 @ ISO 6400
1/250 @ ISO 12800
1/500 @ ISO 25600
1/1000 @ ISO 51200
1/2000 @ ISO 102400

Necessity is often the mother of invention when it comes to photographing in extreme low light conditions. Blurs anyone?

This image was created on 16 August 2024 on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT by friend and multiple IPT veteran Geri Georg. Seated on dry sand, right next to me, she used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1250. 1/1600 second at f/9 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 9:23:45am on a barely cloudy very bright morning. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect. 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: Black Skimmer — large chick barking Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Geri Georg

200-600 with the 1.4X TC

As the birds were not letting us get very close, I suggested to Geri that she add the 1.4X to get more pixels on the bird. She did, and she did. Not all students listen to the instructors suggestions 🙂 Good on Geri!

This image was created on 17 August 2024 on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT by friend and multiple IPT veteran Geri Georg. Seated on dry sand, she 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 8000! 1/1250 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:58:39 am on a very cloudy morning. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect. Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Osprey directly overhead staring at photographer Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Geri Georg

You’ve Heard This One Before

When the shot is there, press the shutter button; if you try to change anything, you will wind up with nothing. Above, I suggested that 1/4000 sec. is a great choice for flight photography. When Geri saw the Osprey above looking right down at her, she pressed the shutter button despite the relatively slow of flight shooting shutter speed of 1/1600 sec. Then, she got a bit lucky. The better your hand holding sharpness techniques, the luckier you will get.

This image was also created on 17 August 2024 on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT by friend and multiple IPT veteran Geri Georg. Seated right next to me on damp sand, she 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 5000! 1/2500 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 10:00:52am on a cloudy morning. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect. Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Black Skimmer adult jumping up after bath Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Geri Georg

Wind Direction and Bathing Birds

Bathing birds will almost always jump into the air at the end of their bath; those that do will always jump up and flap while facing into the wind, just as they do when taking flight. We stayed late on a stormy morning and used the NE wind to our advantage while working a receding tidal pool.

This image was created on 18 August 2024 on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT by friend and multiple IPT veteran Geri Georg. Seated on dry sand, she 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 800. 1/1600 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 1:19:30pm on a cloudy day. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect. Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #6: Black Skimmer large chick begging posture Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Geri Georg

Why Were We on the Beach at 2pm?

It was pouring rain when we woke up in our AirBnB on Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. We worked on images for a few hours and when the rain quit and the sky brightened just a bit, I said, “Let’s go. We’ll see if they are letting folks in for free because of the bad weather. They were and we had a great afternoon session.

This image was also created on 18 August 2024 on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT by friend and multiple IPT veteran Geri Georg. Seated on dry sand right nest to me, she 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 250. 1/1600 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 2:10:47pm on a cloudy day. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect. Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #7: Black Skimmer adult feeding large chick Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Geri Georg

The Feeding Shot!

Tern and skimmer chick feeding shots are difficult to impossible for two main reasons:

1- The odds of getting two good head angles is always at least four to one against you.

2- Getting a decent look at the faces of both the adult and the chick is very challenging.

3- Having both the adult and the chick nicely juxtaposed with regards to the imaging sensor might be the biggest challenge of all.

Kudos to Geri on all counts for Image #7. And big time thanks for allowing me to share your work with the boys and girls here on the blog.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors, or to ask a question.

It’s Safe to go in the Water Now

Sony a-1 Firmware Update Update

Last spring, Sony announced firmware update v2.00 for the a-1, its flagship camera body. In short order the firmware story became an embarrassing fiasco. Over time, the announced v2.01 that caused terrible problems with the camera was used with the hugely popular 200-600 G lens. After some time, they released v2.02. About six weeks ago, with some trepidation, I purchased a used a-1 and updated it to v.2.01, and then to 2.02. I am happy to report that it is now possible to go back into the water.

The last update, v2.02, offers some great stuff for bird photographers.

v.2.02 Benefits

Battery life with 2.02 is fine. There are no issues with the 200-600 G lens. Bird Face-Eye AF is significantly improved. Formatting a card takes about two seconds as compared to 10 seconds or more with previous firmware versions. But the very best news is a brand new feature called Focus Recall. Huge thanks to Arash Hazeghi for pointing it out to me as we worked on an update to the Sony a-1 (a9 iii) flight guide. I took what he taught me about programming Preset Focus/Zoom to a single button for flight photography and turned it into what will surely turn out to be a huge game-changer for general bird photography.

I call it “double button focus recall.” I programmed two easy-to-reach (previously unassigned) buttons to PRESET Focus Distance. I can then register a close focusing distance to one button and a far focusing distance to the other. A tap of either button instantly brings me to either as needed.

Here is a practical, real life example. I am walking out on the pier. There are some very tame Turkey Vultures and a Limpkin perched on the railing. As I slowly approach the birds, I focus on the nearest one and then press and hold the near-focus button. Th camera registers the focus distance my current close focus distance. I might or might not create a few images. Before continuing my approach, however, I take a moment to focus on the end of the pier and this time I press and hold the far focus button. That becomes my far focus distance. Then I tap the close focus button for the birds on the railings and go to work.

I glance up and see an Osprey carrying a large Crappie in its talons flying over the end of the pier. I tap the AEL button to get to my pre-registered far focusing distance. The AF system will have a relatively easy time of seeing the subject. And once the bird is framed, initial focusing acquisition will be virtually instantaneous. Had the AF system been left at the close focusing distance (while working the birds on the pier railing), there is a good chance that the system would have been temporarily blind when I attempted to acquire focus on the Osprey in flight.

Understand that neither the close nor the far focusing distances need to be anywhere near precise. As long as the AF system is in the general neighborhood (as far as focusing distance is concerned), it will not struggle to acquire focus. Once the Osprey flies by, Artie simply taps the AF-On button to instantly get back to the approximate focusing distance for the birds on the railing.

Yesterday I sent the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes e-Mail J (23 OCT 2024) Firmware Update Update item to the entire group; it began like this:

Dear a1 Gang,

I hope that all of you are well, having fun, and making some great images. Big time thanks and congrats to the twenty folks in the group who have gotten my v2.02 settings onto their a-1 bodies. Many of them helped by letting me know of typos and other errors in the two instructional e-mails. After ten full days or working every morning with my v2.02 Firmware a-1, the 600mm f/4, and the 300mm f/2.8 (each with either TC), I can wholeheartedly recommend that most everyone with an a-1 would be best to update to Firmware v2.02.

If you are a member of the a-1 group and did not receive an e-Mail yesterday, please e-mail me with your current and correct e-mail address 🙂

a-1 Group members can receive the two e-mails by sending a PayPal for $50.00 (with the words a-1 v2.021/v2.02 Firmware updates in the Subject line) to birdsasart@verizon.net or by calling the office at 863-692-0906 with a credit card to pay the $50.00.

If you are not a member of my a-1 group and would like to update your camera body and get all of my current setting on it, you will need to either send a PayPal for $125.00 (with the words a-1 v2.021/v2.02 Firmware updates in the Subject line) to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 with a credit card to pay the $125.00.

All of the images in today’s blog post were created with my v2.02 a-i mirrorless camera body.

Your Call

The challenge here today is to put today’s six featured images in order with the strongest one first and the weakest image (in your eyes) last. As each of the images is quite strong, you will need to put on your critiquing hat to sort them out. Be sure to click on each one to enlarge it. Don’t be a chump; have some fun and take a shot at the challenge. I will share my list in the next blog post that will feature the work of Geri Georg on the Nickerson IPT.

What’s Up?

After a long but relatively easy three-day drive, BAA friend Bob Eastman arrived from Wisconsin midday yesterday. We will be photographing together for the next five to six weeks. Including 26 days at Sebastian Inlet for diving Ospreys, Wood Storks, and more. Shoot me an e-mail if you would like to learn about joining us. Anyway, we headed down to the lake on Friday afternoon and had some fun and a few good chances. We will of course be heading down to the lake early this morning, Saturday 26 October 2024. We hope that you too choose to have a wonderful day.

Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

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.

Supporting My Efforts Here

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear. From the wrong shop.

Save 15%!

If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.

I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.

Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.

Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com

This image was created on 16 October 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing at full height on the South Peninsula, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 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). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 640. 1/4000 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:47:14am with some clouds on the eastern horizon. Tracking: (upper) Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Bald Eagle on old nest tree at sunrise

Only One Possibility

Most mornings I walk out onto the pool deck 30 minutes before sunrise to check the eastern sky. If there are light clouds or some fog, I know that I need to get down to the lake earlier than on a dead clear morning because there will likely be some color in the eastern sky. That done, there are only two possible shots:

1- the old eagle nest tree lines up nicely with the orange and yellow sunrise colors as long as the sun is somewhat muted

2- the new eagle nest tree is also do-able. Early on Thursday morning, there was some decent color and there were a dozen perched Turkey Vultures near the nest that is being re-built. All the vultures, however, were facing east. Thus, they appeared headless in each of the hundred or so photos that I created. I kept one.

With Image #1 above, one of the eagle pair was perched on the old nest tree facing into the north wind. When he leaned forward slightly, the result was the best shot of the morning.

This image was created on 17 August down by the lake near my home. Working from the front seat of my SUV, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800: 1/1250 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:22:18am on a sunny morning. Tracking Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2: Sandhill Crane — 7-month old colt checking out fly-by Turkey Vulture

ILE Sandhill Strategies I

The ILE cranes are quite tame. Especially those that hang around all year and nest in the early spring in the marshes surrounding the lake. Before Hurricane Milton both fields and the South Peninsula were too wet to drive on. My only chances for making some quality crane images was to find a pair or a family of three near the roadway on sun angle. That was the situation with Image #2.

Though it is not easy to see in this image, the bird’s crown is pinker than the red crown of the adults. That makes the subject a hatch year bird.

This image was created on 22 October 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. S of the pier, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500. 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect (ho hum). AWB at 8:12:29am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Killdeer adult in flight

Thank You Sony

I could never have imagined creating an image like this with any of the Canon to Nikon gear that I previously owned and used for 34 or three years respectively. Heck, I cannot imagine even trying to photograph a medium sized shorebird in flight before Sony. The 300mm f/2.8 with either TC is relatively small and light and is easy for most folks to hand hold for extended periods. A 600mm f/5.6 hand holdable rig with fast, deadly accurate tracking autofocus is a dream come true for aging bird photographers.

This image was also created on 22 October 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Walking on the pier, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 8:47:35am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Cattle Egret adult with dirty feet in flight

Walking the Pier

When I first get down to the lake on sunny mornings at this time of year, there are often dozens of Cattle Egrets either standing on the railings of the pier or on the deck, chowing down on zillions of tiny flying bugs. They are often joined by a Great Blue, Little Blue, Green, or Tricolored Heron, a Great Egret, an Anhinga or three, and an Osprey or a or Bald Eagle. I almost always prefer to stay in my vehicle and drive around to see what’s up. Almost inevitably, a fisherman or two heads out to the end of the pier after Crappies, Bluegills, and the occasional Large-mouthed Bass. And invariably, all of the birds that were on the pier leave. Yikes, I almost forgot: there are often dozens of vultures on the railings at the base of the pier.

Anyhoo, after my vehicular photo search along the lakefront, I will usually return to the parking circle near the pier, park, grab a lens, take off my shirts, and walk the pier. At times, some of the birds have returned to the railings. On the morning of the 22nd there were perhaps a dozen and a half Cattle Egrets on the railings. I stayed to the left side of the pier in hopes of having the birds take off into the northeast wind. All but a few took fight to the south 🙁 Several however, including the beauty in Image #4, took off to the north and then gently turned right 🙂 I came up with this one in full downstroke as it was right down sun angle. Lots of knowledge, the right light with the right wind, great gear, a modicum of skill, and a bit of luck all came together serendipitously. The more I work with the Sony 300mm f/2.8 and the 2X, the more confident I become not only in the gear but in my ability to use it effectively for flight photography, that is, to quickly find the bird in the viewfinder and then keep it in the middle of the frame while panning!

Those who did not use my link to purchase their Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens, can order their a copy here for $209.93. Click on the image to enlarge and to be able to read the fine print.

The BAA Sony 300mm f/2.8 Lens Guide

Impressed by my Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images? Use either my Bedfords or B&H affiliate link to purchase your Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and shoot me your receipt via e-mail and request a copy of the first-ever BAA Lens Guide. I thought that it would take only minutes to create this guide, but I was dead wrong. In the process of creating it, I learned a ton about the lens. And even better, I discovered a simple yet potentially fatal flaw that was resulting in sporadically unsharp flight images. The set-up fix is simple. Just be sure to use one of my affiliate links and get the guide for free.

If not, you can purchase a copy here for $209.93. Yes, it never hurts to use my links and it never costs you one penny more. And if you contact me via e-mail before you make a major purchase, I can often save you some money.

This image was created on 23 October 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 640. 1/4000 sec. at f/10 (stopped down 2/3 stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 6:28:28pm with some light fog on the western horizon. Tracking: (upper) Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Great Egret on The Perch II at sunset

Sunsets

Late afternoons down by the lakeshore at ILE are difficult as when you have the sun at your back, you will often have houses in the background. I had not been down much in the afternoons, but for some reason I headed down for a shirtless pier walk a bit after 6:00pm on Wednesday past. Before I pulled into the circular lot, I spotted a Great Egret on The Perch II, the perch that I erected several years ago with the help of my neighbor Ralph. “Fat chance,” I thought as I headed onto the pier, “that the bird will still be on the perch when I get back to my car in 25 minutes.” But it was.

I drove onto the North Field and picked a spot with some brightly color sky as a background while making sure that the sun was not in the frame. As the sun made its way down and west, it seemed that at some point the sun would have been right behind the bird so I was excited by the possibility of a sun ball shot. Only minutes before the magical moment would have materialized with everything lined up, the bird took flight and headed to its evening roost somewhere to the south.

This image was created on 25 October 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported 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 640. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1250 second at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 8:26:40am on sunny morning with just a bit of haze in front of the sun. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #6: Sandhill Crane adult preening pose

ILE Sandhill Strategies II

Surprisingly, the last storm did not bring much rain at all to Polk County. Since then it has been bone-dry and most of the fields are safely drivable. In the mornings, there are generally several pairs of cranes and the single crane family from last season standing still on the grass preening. When the birds are having a preening party, they will often keep preening for 30 to 45 minutes before they begin walking, usually east, in search of bugs and roots and tubers.

As the fields are all pretty much dry and the birds are exceedingly tame, you can drive right up to them if you wish. You are free to pick your distance. Sometimes I get within twenty feet of them to go for tight preening head shots — yes, in the vehicle, and sometimes I stay back to photograph the whole bird. Adding the 1.4X TC allowed me to work from a distance while reducing the angle of declination to the bird.

Most of the time the bird had its head buried in its feathers, but occasionally it would raise its head and look back over its body. I moved the AF spot so that would cover the eye once it yielded the pose I wanted. Bingo! It always pays to understand bird behavior and to plan for the best case.

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.

Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back-and-forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Below are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide. Please note that Gatorland no longer offers a Photographer’s Pass.

• 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, if you are lucky, 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.

Your Call?

Which of today’s five featured image is your favorite? Why did you make your choice? I love them all but have a clear favorite.

My Call and Reasons

In the Tricolored Heron Second Edit YouTube Video blog post here, my favorite was Image #2, the Tricolored Heron non-breeding adult vertical front-end portrait. Why? I loved the soft light, the perfect image design and head turn, and best of all, the great look at the fluffed up purple ruff on the bottom of the bird’s long neck. The first image had some motion blur on the bill.

What’s Up?

There are just two spots open on the San Diego IPT. Change your life by grabbing one of them. Scroll down for details.

Much to the Morris family’s dismay, the Amazing New York Mets finally ran out of miracles, losing to the Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLDS. that said, they surely had an unexpectedly wonderful year. This year’s World Series will be a rerun of my early childhood: Dodgers versus Yankees. I might actually be rooting for the Yankees.

Today is Monday 21 October. I headed down to the lake early and was glad to see the eagle pair building a new nest in the tree that they used last year. The old nest blew down in Hurricane Milton. Strange that both nests blow down with Milton after surviving Helen and Ian, the latter in late September 2022. As it was rather chilly with a north wind, I took an early sun walk and headed home for breakfast before 8:00am. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a great day.

Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

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.

Supporting My Efforts Here

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.

If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.

In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear. From the wrong shop.

Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM Lens (with Extras)

Used Gear Page regular Stephen Zarate is offering a Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM Lens in like-new condition for a ridiculously low $9,499.00. The sale includes a RSS LCF-53 lens plate, a LensCoat, the original box and everything that came in it including the rear cap, the front lens cover, the lens bag, the lens strap, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only.

Please contact Steve via e-mail.

Whatever system you are using, the 600mm f/4 lenses are the be-all and end-all for bird photography. This super-sharp lens weighs only one ounce more than the Sony 600mm and is nicely balanced for hand holding with most of the weight to the rear. It sells new for $12,999.00 at B&H and there are virtually no used copies available. I did find one listed for $11,149.00! Get in touch with Steve ASAP to purchase his pretty much new lens while saving a handsome $3,500.00. artie

Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera Body (with Extras)

Used Gear Page regular Stephen Zarate is offering a Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera Body in excellent plus condition for $1699.00. The sale includes the original box, the front body cap, six batteries (five extra — a $79.00 @ value), a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R (a $129.00 value), and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Note: the sale does not include the battery charger.

Please contact Steve via e-mail.

I owned and used an R5 (and an RF 100-500) when they first came out so that I was able to write the EOS R5/R6 Camera User’s Guide. I enjoyed using it and made lots of excellent images in short order. If you are looking to get into Canon mirrorless, you’d be smart to grab Stephen’s R5 right now. artie

Canon Extender RF 2X (Teleconverter)

Used Gear Page regular Stephen Zarate is offering a Canon Extender RF 2X (Teleconverter) in like-new condition for the bargain price of $399.00. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear caps, the pouch, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only.

Please contact Steve via e-mail.

Regular readers know that I have been using my Canon and Sony 2X TCs with my 600 lenses with great success for several decades. Save $200.00. artie

This image was created on 24 January 2024 on a San Diego IPT. Crouching a bit, I used the handheld 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 ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1250: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:33:58am on a cloudy morning. Tracking: (upper center) Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly in a difficult situation. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Brown Pelican — Pacific race breeding plumage preening

Peashooter Rig

On cloudy- fairly bright days when I feel like leaving the 600 in my rental car, I will head down the steps with just the 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II lens/a-1 rig — and with both teleconverters in my new fanny pack, the Lowepro Trekker Lite HP 100 Hip Pack (Black).

With either TC, the peashooter rig can be perfect for flight with the incoming pelicans. As the large birds are often silly tame on cloudy days, it is possible — with a low, slow approach, to get close enough to make some tight behavioral portraits like Image #1 above when using the 2X TC.

Your AF system needs to be superb to grab and track the eye with the bird’s raised wing sort of “in the way.”

Where Have You Been All My Life?

For well more than a decade I had been using a cheap fanny pack to hold my TCs and a spare battery. About a year ago the zipper failed. I looked online but it was too difficult to figure out which of 50 or so fanny packs might be best for me. I actually ordered two that seemed right but they weren’t so I returned them. When I went to see Billy Joel’s final show at Madison Square Garden last summer, I drove into the city early for a quick stop at B&H in search of the perfect fanny pack.

The moment I saw the Lowepro Trekker Lite HP 100 Hip Pack (Black) on the shelf, I fell in love with it. It is large enough to fit both TCs, two extra batteries, my car keys, my iPhone 15+, a Vello Remote Release, and some other assorted junk as needed. It is well constructed with tough zippers and fabric.

Sometimes it pays to shop in the store!

This image was created on 20 January 2024 on a San Diego Instructional Photo-Tour at La Jolla, CA. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 194mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial — learn more below. ISO 3200: 1/3200 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:01:11am in the shade of building on a very 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: Brandt’s Cormorant returning to cliff nest

The Right Tool for the Job

The 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses were made to photograph the incoming Brandt’s Cormorants. The birds are nesting on a shelf just below the level of the sidewalk and thus, are flying right at you at close range. As above, you sometimes need to zoom out from 200mm! And the super-fast f/2.8 aperture allows for manageable ISOs in the often extremely low light conditions.

Sign up for the 2025 San Diego IPT and bring your 70-200mm f/2.8 lens; I will teach you how to create some killer images.

Why Turn Off Zebras?

With dark or black subjects and very light-toned backgrounds you need to have the background totally flashing with Zebras in order to get the right exposure for the dark subject. In most cases, there are so many Zebras that you cannot see the subject. The solution? Assign Zebras On & Off to a convenient programmable button. As the light is pretty much constant on cloudy days, figure the correct exposure and then turn off Zebras.

This image was created at La Jolla, CA on 28 January 2024 on a private IPT. While standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5558 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 400. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 10:04:57am on a sunny morning. Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #3: Royal Tern winter plumage in flight set against a braking wave

Oft Overlooked

There are two spots along the coast of La Jolla where many dozen Royal Terns roost on the rocks. When the waves are breaking the flock is constantly flying out and then back to re-land. With the right wind and the right light, the photography can be very productive. Join me on the San Diego 2025 IPT and learn about the complex relationship between sky conditions, wind direction, and flight photography!

Manual Mode

I work in Manual Mode probably 95% of the time. Photographing the incoming Royal Terns at La Jolla I’ll quickly illustrate why Manual mode is a must. The incoming birds might be set against a light blue, dark blue, or white sky. They might be set against the dark face of a cresting wave or the bright white wash of a breaking wave. Or they might be set against wet, black rocks. For each of those, you would need a different exposure compensation if you were working in an automatic mode like Av or Tv. Nobody is capable of doing that as the background often changes in a fraction of a second. As long as the light is constant for at least a bit, you simply figure the correct exposure for the bird, set it manually, and fire away (until the light changes).

Sun Angle Question

How do you know that the sun was coming over my left shoulder rather than over the top of my head?

This image was created at La Jolla, CA on 29 January 2024 on a private IPT. Seated on the edge of a recreational lake, I used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. Shutter Priority +1/3 stop with AUTO ISO. AUTO ISO set ISO 500: 1/3200 sec. at f/4. Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #4: Ring-necked Duck drake braking to land

Shutter Priority Mode?

Incoming ducks often present difficult exposure challenges. Some of the ducks have white bellies, some have middle-toned bellies. Some of the drakes are very dark and some of those have some bright white or silver among the dark feathers. Many of the females have middle-toned upperparts. If the light and the backgrounds are relatively consistent, I do not hesitate to go to Shutter Priority mode with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the Thumb Dial and AUTO ISO. Then I set a fast enough for flight shutter speed. When I see what’s coming, I set the appropriate EC and fire away. In such situations, Shutter Priority is a much better choice than Manual mode.

This image was created on 3 February 2024 in San Diego, CA. Seated on rocks alongside the San Diego River channel, I used the lowered Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/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 5000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/60 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was 1/3 stop too dark. AWB at 5:22:57pm late on a cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #5: Burrowing Owl stretching one wing

The Vello Remote Release

As we stayed after the sun went down, I was working with shutter speeds as slow as 1/8 second. I keep a Vello RS-S2II Wired Remote Switch for Select Cameras with Sony Multi-Terminal Connector in my fanny pack. After tightening the tripod collar and the silver knob on the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro, it is possible to create more than a few sharp images at shutter speeds of between 1/8 and 1/60 second.

Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action. Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)

The .DAT files with my settings for Firmware 2.01 and 2.02 are now available. Please e-mail for details.

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide 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. By June 1, 2022, the group was up to an astounding 124 lucky and blessed folks. (More than a few folks own two or more a1 bodies! 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 everyone in the group receives 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. Your entry into the group includes a consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE. New a1 folks will now receive six e-mails instead of the previous 28! You will receive new e-mails as they are published. Simply put, this e-mail guide is an incredible resource for anyone with an a1.

All who purchased their Alpha 1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link — B&H or Bedfords — will receive a free Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up Guide and free entry into the Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.). Others can purchase their guide here in the BAA Online Store.

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.

The 2025 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and More!) IPT

Price reduced $100.00 from last year!

2025 San Diego IPT: 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 11 JAN 2025 thru the morning session on WED 15 JAN 2024: $2599.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6/Openings 3.

Shared AirBnB lodging is available and maximizes learning as well.

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.

I discovered some really neat new spots on my 2024 visit. We will be visiting all of them early next year.

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 exposure 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 so that you can 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 will be 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, at times 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. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego. Each IPT will include one or two duck sessions.

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

This IPT will include five 3-hour morning photo sessions, four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and four working brunches at my AirBnb. Those 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 shoot. 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.

Deposit Info

A $699 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2025 San Diego IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due two months before the trip.

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.