Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

Today is Tuesday 30 November 2021. This blog post is a story in three pictures. All are invited to figure out what happened and to leave a comment. I am exploring eastern Long Island in search of Snowy Owls and more. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took less an hour to prepare and makes 22 consecutive days with a new one.

Four new folks joined the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group in the past two days. Details below.

Please remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Brand New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, and any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager-to-please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This I-phone image was created on 30 November 2021. Image #1: Sign at beach access point

This image was created on 30 November 2021 at 8:29:20am. Image #2: Woman with dog on beach

This image was created on 30 November 2021 at 8:29:30am. Image #3: Snowy Owl flying away …

SONY Alpha 1 Bodies in Stock at Bedfords!

Bedfords still has a very few SONY Alpha 1 bodies in stock. Order yours, save 3% by using the BIRDS AS ART discount code at checkout, enjoy free second day air Fed-Ex, and earn free entry into the BIRDS AS ART Sony Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes Group. As part of the attraction, the first e-mail that you will receive includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than two hours to prepare.

SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. With another photographer joining yesterday, we are now up to an astounding 98 lucky and blessed folks. Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. More recently, we have been in contact with folks at SONY sharing our thoughts, experiences, and frustrations with the EVF blackout problem.

All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

On Saturday, I drove from eastern Connecticut to Shawangunk Grasslands NWR near Walkill, in New York. I had hoped to photograph Short-eared Owls. Instead, I made some tall grass blurs and some woods at sunset images. Today is Sunday 28 November 2021. I woke early and headed to Nickerson Beach in hopes of finding a Snowy Owl in the snow … My chances are slim at best. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took less than two hours to prepare and makes 21 consecutive days with a new one.

Please remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Brand New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, and any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager-to-please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created on 23 January 2019 at La Jolla, CA. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 300mm) and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. ISO 400: 1/3200 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 2:37pm on a sunny afternoon. Center Group/Shutter Button AF. Click on the image to enjoy a hi-res version. Image #1: Heermann’s Gull in flight

Intermediate Telephoto Lenses Kill in San Diego (& Elsewhere!)

It goes without saying that intermediate telephoto lenses are great on the cliffs of La Jolla for photographing Pacific-race Brown Pelican behaviors. Those include head throws, preening, interacting, flight, and lots more. And they are great for shooting gulls (and terns and ducks) in flight as well. And there are several really handsome gull species in San Diego. Many would agree that Heermann’s is the most elegant. Both of today’s featured images are small crops from below and behind the bird.

I have always traveled with one super-telephoto lens and at least one intermediate telephoto zoom lens. The latter are incredibly versatile at most locations. Several offer an excellent minimum focusing distance. As above, they are great for flight. And most are easily hand held. On my bucket list trip to Snow Hill Island in Antarctica, the Nikon 80-400VR was my most valuable lens. It is super sharp.

It is entirely possible to comfortably do the whole San Diego IPT with lenses like the Canon RF 100-500, the Sony 200-600 G, or the Nikon 200-500. Details below.

Nikon AF-S 80-400mm/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens with Extra

Price Reduced $200.00 on 30 August 2021!
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price

Paul Sher is offering a Nikon AF-S 80-400mm/4.5-5.6G ED VR in like new condition for $1196.95 (was $1396.95). The sale includes a Wimberley P-10 plate (a $52.00 value), the front and rear lens caps, the lens case, the original Nikon box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Paul Sher via e-mail or by phone at 1-503-248-9870 (Pacific time zone).

I owned and loved this super-sharp and very versatile lens when I shot Nikon. It was my go-to lens on my bucket-list Emperor Penguin trip to Snow Hill Island, Antartica. It complements either the 500 PF or the 600 f/4 VR lenses perfectly. As it sells new for $2,296.95, you can save an incredible $1100.00 on Paul’s pretty much new lens. artie

This image was created on 23 January 2019 at La Jolla, CA. Again, I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 400mm) and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. ISO 400: 1/4000 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 2:43pm on a sunny afternoon. Center Group/Shutter Button AF. Click on the image to enjoy a hi-res version. Image #2: Western Gull in flight

Pleasant Nikon D850 Memories

Regular readers will remember that when I used Nikon gear for two years, the D850 was my favorite camera body while the vaunted D5 sat on the shelf in my garage. Its 45.7 MP files were quite excellent.

Image Questions

1- Which background you prefer?
2- Which flight pose do you like best?
3- Which is the prettier gull?
4- Overall, which is the strongest image?

San Diego, California: A Bird Photographer’s Paradise!

I’ve been visiting San Diego, California for more than 50 years, and photographing there for almost four decades. It truly is one of my favorite bird photography locations on the planet. The Pacific race Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches, are indeed the stars of the show, but there are lots of other great birds there that are relatively easy to photograph. Check out this five minute video to see the potential.

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking here.

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 2022 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPT. Monday 17 January thru the morning session on Friday 21 January 2022. Four full and one-half day: $2999.00. Deposit: $899.00. Limit: 8 photographers/Openings: 6

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 with eggs and possibly chicks) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; 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 (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions. And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant. (Or two seconds with SONY zebras…) And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure is one of the great takeaways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well, often with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of all of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.

The San Diego Details

This IPT will include five three hour morning photo sessions, four one and one-half afternoon photo sessions, four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy day occasions, we may — at my discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

An $899 deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due right after you sign up.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

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.

What’s Up?

To learn the meaning and derivation of the title phrase, scroll down at the blog post here.

Today is Friday 26 November. I am going back for seconds today despite the wet forecast. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took less than an hour to prepare and makes 19 consecutive days with a new one.

This image was created on Thanksgiving Day, 25 November 2021. While standing at full height, I used the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod (no longer available)/ 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 (Body Only). ISO 1250. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 sec. at f/8 (wide open). AWB at 3:25pm on cloudy afternoon. Spot AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger higher-res version. Image #1: Snowy Owl — 2- year old probably a female based on size (personal comment: Julian Hough)

Cops Came (Again!)

Indian Lake Estates, FL, 24 November

6:30pm: got into bed and read
8:00pm: fell asleep

25 November

1:30am: awoke refreshed and read
2:30am: got out of bed — the alarm had been set for 3am
3:55am: left for the airport
5:35am: curbside check-in for my Southwest flight to Islip
6:05am: at Gate 101
8:05am: rolling down the runway
10:24am: touched down at ISP
11:03am: drove to the Port Jefferson ferry terminal in my rental car with my two checked bags, the smaller of my two Think Tank rolling bags, and my Urban Disguise laptop bag
11:29am: got on a long line — I had purchased a ticket for the 2:00pm ferry on Wednesday
11:54am: was directed to the small standby lot
12:04pm: was the next-to-last vehicle to get on the ferry
1:15pm: arrived at the Bridgeport, Connecticut ferry dock
1:23pm: drove off the ferry
1:31pm: drove into the lot at Long Beach, dressed warmly, and got my gear together
1:40pm: spoke to a couple walking down the beach — they said that one Snowy Owl was sitting on a log just a five minute walk to the west
1:52pm: met old friend Julian Hough. — gave him a hug and began walking west
1:54pm: arrived at owl — it was only four minutes from the parking lot!
3:25pm: just a bit more than a day after I left home, I pressed the shutter button and created today’s featured image.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Typos

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

What’s Up?

I decided at the last minute to fly up to Islip for Thanksgiving (early on Thanksgiving Day). I will stay a week in hopes of finding some early owls either on Long Island or in and around New York City.

Thanks to Derek Courtney for the insightful comment that he left on yesterday’s blog post. The breadth of knowledge of the readership base of the BAA Blog never fails to amaze me. He wrote:

I think you’ve got it with Gadwall x Mallard, aka Brewer’s Duck. Hybrid ducks can be quite variable in trait expression. Some of these show a darker bill more reminiscent of Gadwall, while give more of the yellowish male Mallard type seen in yours. Other traits like your cheek color/pattern could just be ancestral phenotypes getting displayed. You can see lots of varying expressions of this combo here.

Brewer’s Duck! Who’d a thunk it?

Today is Wednesday 24 November 2021. I will spend all day packing. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes 17 consecutive days with a new one.

Please remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Brand New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, and any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager-to-please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created on 25 April 2021 from Clemens Van der Werf’s flats boat on a lake near my home. I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and the beyond amazing Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:29am on mostly clear morning with a bit of moisture in the air. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection produced a sharp-on-the-eye image Be sure to click on the image to view the beautiful hi-res version. Image 1: Cattle Egret in flight with nesting material

Sweet Light Flight

I love the quality of the sweet early morning light in this image. And I love the evenly lit underwings with barely a shadow. I could easily have eliminated the out-of-focus vegetation along the bottom frame edge and the out-of-focus tree branches on the right frame edge. Would you have preferred this image with a perfect blue sky? Why or why not?

Flight Aperture Lesson

Notice that the bird is perfectly sharp from wingtip to wingtip even though it was created at f/4, the wide open aperture. Why? Because aperture (and this depth-of-field) is a function of distance to the subject. With most images of birds in flight that include the entire subject in the frame, the distance to the subject is great enough so that the depth-of-field will render the whole bird sharp. And with the a1, there are other advantages of shooting flight at the wide open aperture.

Note: This image was cropped a fair amount from below and from the left. The optimized version, Image #1, represents 59% of the original pixels.

Topaz Times Two

If the amazing noise reduction job done by Topaz DeNoise is not blatantly obvious when you are viewing the animated gif above, turn off the lights in the room; you will be floored.

When viewing the magnified image at 300%, it was obvious that the bird’s eye and face were not razor sharp, in part due to motion blur. So I selected the bird’s head and bill with the Quick Selection Tool, placed the selection on a layer, and ran Topaz AI Sharpen on that layer only. As expected, Sharpen AI on AUTO went with the Motion Blur setting. And as usual, the sharpening was overdone; I moved the Reduce Blur slider to the left from 17 to 11 and things looked much better. I applied a Contrast Mask to the same layer. That done, I did some Eye Doctor work on the pupil, and did some Clean-Up work on the lores and the neck.

Everything mentioned in the paragraph above, and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail.

While I use Topaz DeNoise on virtually every image that I process, I rarely use Topaz Sharpen AI. But when you need to improve a motion-blurred image, the results with DeNoise are, as above, often spectacular.

Topaz News!

Topaz is running a huge Black Friday sale from now till 11/29. Click here to check it out, and be sure to use the ARTHUR15 code at checkout for an additional discount. Then, shoot me an e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. Please include a copy of your Topaz receipt that shows the discount. Aside from the basics, the guide explains how to install the plug-ins so that they appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu.

SONY Alpha 1 Bodies in Stock at Bedfords!

I learned yesterday that Bedfords still has a very few SONY Alpha 1 bodies in stock. Order yours, save 3% by using the BIRDS AS ART discount code at checkout, enjoy free second day air Fed-Ex, and earn free entry into the BIRDS AS ART Sony Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes Group. As part of the attraction, the first e-mail that you will receive includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than two hours to prepare.

SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. With another photographer joining yesterday, we are now up to an astounding 94 lucky and blessed folks. Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. More recently, we have been in contact with folks at SONY sharing our thoughts, experiences, and frustrations with the EVF blackout problem.

All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

Despite a slow start, my Sunday morning photo session turned out to be fantastic. Read the whole story below in the A Dreary But Amazingly Wonderful Sunday feature.

A front was supposed to go through last night, but that has been postponed one day. It is supposed to be 15 degrees colder on Tuesday morning than it was today …

IAC, today is Monday 22 November 2021. It rained torrentially for several hours last night. There is a small lake in the North Field that was dry as a bone yesterday. It looked as if the sun would come out early this morning so I headed down to the lake. Things were not looking good with a strong northwest wind. Then within minute, all of ILE and Lake Weohyakapka were enveloped in thick fog. So I headed home.

Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than ninety minutes to prepare. Don’t look now, but this blog post makes 15 consecutive days with a new blog post.

Please remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Brand New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, and any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager-to-please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created on 21 November 2021 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 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 1600. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 1:15pm. Tracking: Upper Center Zone with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by tracking and nailing the bird’s left eye. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Crested Caracara with opossum foot

A Dreary But Amazingly Wonderful Sunday

As it was cloudy with a wind from the north, I set up the tripod low outside of my vehicle that was angled to the southwest so that I could see the vultures coming while working on yesterday’s blog post. I got one nice series of an incoming Turkey Vulture, but when I moved the bait, the four birds took off and did not return. There was no action at all for two and one half hours … I gave up at eleven, and headed home for brunch. I drove back down at noon and there was a pile of black Vultures on the bait. It was darker and drearier but I sat outside the car again and had a very few chances on incoming birds. After 45 minutes, I was about to give up again so I put the tripod in the back of the SUV and the lens on the front passenger seat. As I started the car, I saw that the local pair of caracaras had flown in to the rotting opossum.

I grabbed the BLUBB, put it on the driver’s side window frame, and went to work. It was almost comical to watch the far smaller caracaras bully the much larger vultures. At the least, they held there own. At times, they frightened the vultures with their shrill display call and threatened them with the aggressive head throw display. Then it began to rain hard but with the wind behind me, I was fine and dry. The high point of this wonderful morning occurred when the two smaller raptors played tug of war with the remaining opossum foot. Remember that the eagle grabbed the other foot (still attached to the leg) on Friday.

The Crested Caracara posed proudly with its prize for more than a minute before swallowing it whole. I was so excited that I did not get back home until a half hour after the early NFL games had begun.

Cops Came!

So what’s with the cops came!” reference?

When I was still at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (1969 or so …), my good friend Barry Cohen (the Brahma Bull from our beach football days), helped me get a job at the General Post Office in downtown Brooklyn. Most nights we would be “picked up” for one of the cushiest jobs ever — sweeping. We might have to work five minutes out of every hour going around to collect the sorted mail from a single box, say Indiana/Illinois. The rest of the time was spent playing gin rummy. If your opponent threw a card or you picked one that led to your completing the winning hand, the recipient would call out, Cops came!. There was extra emphasis if that card was the only possible winning card — perhaps filling an inside run or the last of its kind in the deck, say the case ace. I did an online search for the phrase, cops came, but could not find anything, even in the urban dictionary …

So when the caracaras showed up after five hours of nothingness, I thought, Cops came!.

This image was created on 21 November 2021 down by the lake near my hone 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 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 1600. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 1:15pm. Tracking: Upper Center Zone with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by tracking and nailing the bird’s left eye. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1A: Crested Caracara with opossum foot with increased Vibrance

Vibrance Increased

When I compared the optimized image with the raw file, I thought that I might have might have dulled the color a bit too much. So I created a second version, Image #1A above, with the Vibrance increased to +50. Vibrance only increases the saturation of colors that are not fully saturated. This prevents over-saturating an image.

Your Fave?

Do you prefer the Kodachrome 64 version, Image #1, or the Fuji Velvia pushed on stop version, Image #1A?

Image #1C: Sony A1 Bird-Eye/Face Detection accuracy!

Sony A1 Bird-Eye/Face Detection Accuracy!

When I said “Tracking: Upper Center Zone with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly by tracking and nailing the bird’s left eye,” I was not kidding. Can you camera do this?

SONY Alpha 1 Bodies in Stock at Bedfords!

While working on this blog post, I got a text from Steve Elkins letting me know that Bedfords has a good number of SONY Alpha 1 bodies in stock right now. Order yours, save 3% by using the BIRDS AS ART discount code at checkout, enjoy free second day air Fed-Ex, and earn free entry into the BIRDS AS ART Sony Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes Group. As part of the attraction, the first e-mail that you will receive includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than two hours to prepare.

SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. With two folks joining yesterday, we are now up to an astounding 93 lucky and blessed photographers! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. More recently, we have been in contact with folks at SONY sharing our thoughts, experiences, and frustrations with the EVF blackout problem.

All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.

Typos

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

SONY Alpha 1 Bodies in Stock at Bedfords!

While working on this blog post, I got a text from Steve Elkins letting me know that Bedfords has a good number of SONY Alpha 1 bodies in stock right now. Order yours, save 3% by using the BIRDS AS ART discount code at checkout, enjoy free second day air Fed-Ex, and earn free entry into the BIRDS AS ART Sony Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes Group. As part of the attraction, the first e-mail that you will receive includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings and explicit directions on how to Save my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience!

What’s Up?

With my SUV back and a variably cloudy morning with a northeast wind, I am once again down at today’s (very stinky) road-kill cafe. It is 8:15am on Saturday 20 November 2021. If I were a betting man, I’d wager that the vultures will come if I am patient enough.

I published this post at 9:10am. So far, one vulture flew over the bait and then flew off. An immature male Northern Harrier flew by twice over the marsh, but I was in the car. A snipe just flew in front of my windshield. And then harrier did the same and is circling over the bait. Since I’ve been sitting in the car it has rained and the sun has been in and out. But still no vultures, no eagle, and no caracaras. I will give it till ten o’clock.

If you are impressed by today’s amazing image optimization, be sure to scroll down to the Spoonbill Saving the WHITEs Video Offer below. Consider also signing up for one or both of the Stick Marsh IPTs. Details below.

Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than two hours to prepare.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Brand New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, and any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager-to-please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created 24 March 2020 by In-the-Field Workshop (ITF-W) participant and IPT veteran Joe Usewicz. He used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4D IF-ED lens and the Nikon D7500 dSLR camera body. ISO 500. Exposure determined by histogram and blinkies evaluation: 1/3200 sec. at f/ (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:11am on pretty-sunny morning. Group AF-C was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see the hi res version. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020: Joe Usewicz Image #1: Incoming Roseate Spoonbill(s)

Post IPT and ITF-W Image Critiques

Folks who attended either BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours or In-the-Field Workshops are invited to send JPEGs of their best optimized images for a short critique. Joe Usewicz attended a Stick Marsh ITF-W early last spring. Image #1 was one of the ten that he sent. Here is my critique:

The subject is sharp, and I like the inclusion of the 2nd bird and the green vegetation at the top. The green strip could use some clean-up work along with a Gaussian Blur to soften things up. The whites on the neck look either too hot or over-exposed …

Joe wrote back:

The photo of the two birds in flight was a real hot mess. But I liked the bird in the background so much that I gave it a try. I’ll give it another shot. As a side note, I continue to work on the blurs you taught me to do iii the early morning (and in A Guide to Pleasing Blurs. I’ve gotten some good results so far.

I responded:

If you like, send me the raw file via a large file sending service.

He did. I wanted to check in RawDigger to see if the raw was really over-exposed …

Nikon 300mm Note

Many Nikon folks have replaced their older Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4D IF-ED lenses with the much smaller and lighter Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lenses

Click on the image to better read the fine print. Image #1A: The RawDigger screen capture for Joe Usewicz’s Incoming Roseate Spoonbill(s) image

The RawDigger Screen Capture

The RawDigger screen capture for Joe’s spoonbill image showed that it was not over-exposed. In the three color channels there were zero OvExp pixels. And note that the end of the GREEN histogram lies past the 8000 2/3 line but does not reach the 16000 line. In other words, this is a dead-solid perfect exposure.

The RawDigger (pink) Adapted Histogram

In the RawDigger e-Guide, you will learn exactly how to set up the Adapted “pink” RawDigger Histogram and how to use it to quickly and easily evaluate the exposure or raw file brightness of images from all digital cameras currently in use. RawDigger was especially helpful to me when I struggled with R5 exposures and when learned my new camera body, the Sony Alpha a1.

RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos

The RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos

by Arthur Morris with Patrick Sparkman

The RawDigger e-Guide was created only for serious photographers who wish to get the absolute most out of their raw files.

Patrick and I began work on the guide in July 2020. At first we struggled. We asked questions. We learned about Max-G values. We could not figure out why the Max G values varied by camera system. IPT veteran Bart Deamer asked lots of questions that we could not answer. We got help from RawDigger creator Iliah Borg. We learned. In December, Patrick came up with an Adapted Histogram that allows us to evaluate the exposures and raw file brightness for all images created with all digital camera bodies from the last two decades. What we learned each time prompted three complete beginning to end re-writes.

The point of the guide is to teach you to truly expose to the mega-Expose-to-the-Right so that you will minimize noise, maximize image quality, best utilize your camera’s dynamic range, and attain the highest possible level of shadow detail in your RAW files in every situation. In addition, your properly exposed RAW files will contain more tonal information and feature the smoothest possible transitions between tones. And your optimized images will feature rich, accurate color.

We teach you why the GREEN channel is almost always the first to over-expose. We save you money by advising you which version of RawDigger you need. We teach you how to interpret the Max G values for your Canon, Nikon, and SONY camera bodies. It is very likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you. And lastly — thanks to the technical and practical brilliance of Patrick Sparkman — we teach you a simple way to quickly and easily evaluate your exposures and raw file brightness using an Adapted RawDigger histogram.

The flower video takes you through a session where artie edits a folder of images in Capture One while checking the exposures and Max-G values in RawDigger. The Adapted Histogram video examines a series of recent images with the pink histograms and covers lots of fine points including and especially how to deal with specular highlights. The directions for setting up the Adapted Histogram are in the text.

If we priced this guide based on how much effort we put into it, it would sell it for $999.00. But as this guide will be purchased only by a limited number of serious photographers, we have priced it at $51.00. You can order yours here in the BAA Online Store.

Click on the image to better read the fine print. Image #1B: The Photo Mechanic screen capture for Joe Usewicz’s Incoming Roseate Spoonbill(s) image

The Photo Mechanic Screen Capture

I included this to show the original full frame image capture. Compare this one with my final optimized version below by scrolling down.

This image was created 24 March 2020 by In-the-Field Workshop (ITF-W) participant and IPT veteran Joe Usewicz. He used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/4D IF-ED lens and the Nikon D7500 dSLR camera body. ISO 500. Exposure determined by histogram and blinkies evaluation: 1/3200 sec. at f/ (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:11am on pretty-sunny morning. Group AF-C was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see the hi res version. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020: Joe Usewicz. Complete Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART Image #1C: Incoming Roseate Spoonbill(s)

The Image Optimization/Saving the WHITEs

• The raw conversion in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw (ACR)
• Topaz DeNoise AI on Standard/AUTO
• Content-Aware Crop to expand canvas (miraculous!)
• Background clean-up and smoothing with Gaussian Blur and an Inverse (Black, or Hide-all) Layer Mask
• Eye Doctor work; darkened the pupil with Tim Grey Dodge and Burn

Saving the WHITEs

• Selected the brightest WHITEs using Image > Color Range
• Feathered and save the selection as WHITEs
• Put the selection on its own layer and applied a Linear Burn at reduced Opacity
• Turned off that Layer with the Eyeball
• Loaded the selection, put it on its own layer, and ran Color Efex Pro’s Detail Extractor, again at reduced Opacity
• Combined the two save the whites layers and refined those as needed with a Regular Layer Mask
• I was still not happy with the amount of detail in the WHITEs, so I resorted to some rarely used techniques to bring back the detail

Spoonbill Saving the WHITEs Video Offer

If you would like a video of the complete image optimization, please send a PayPal for $37.00 to us at birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words Spoonbill Saving the Whites Video somewhere in the Paypal e-mail.

Nearly everything above is detailed in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. And you can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.

Via e-mail from Morris Herstein

I never thought that I could make in-flight photos of birds successfully. That goal was accomplished during the recent workshop at Stick Marsh only because I listened to your advice and instructions. For the first time I realized how important sun angle was, teachings that you had been communicated for a long time. The result of two days shooting produced the most satisfying images of Roseate Spoonbills I ever could have imagined.

Stay well and safe. Thank you. Morris

Via e-mail from Joe Usewicz

Wow. So many photos to go through. Stick Marsh was a great learning experience. Positioning. Wind impact. Landing zones. Working on backgrounds. I clipped too many incredible reflections. Great fun. Just amazing opportunities.

Warmest Regards, Joe

Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG. Coming soon: An instructional video: Your JPEGs Do Not Have to Suck. Clockwise from upper left back around to the center: spoonbill with mangrove background; spoonbill head and shoulders portrait; spoonbill braking to land; spoonbill dramatic landing pose; adult Black-crowned Night-Heron; spoonbill with nesting material; Great Egret returning to nest; incoming spoonbill; and Limpkin landing.

Do both IPTs back to back and enjoy a $300 discount: protect your travel and time investments against bad weather by signing up for both IPTs for $4698.00.

Stick Marsh, where the living is easy. Photograph incoming Roseate Spoonbills in flight at point blank range with intermediate telephoto zoom lenses. This year I will be trying the new Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, often with the 1.4X TC. Longer lenses either on a tripod or hand held are best for the green background stuff. There will be endless flight photography opportunities with a variety of species; in addition to the spoonbills, we should have some excellent chances on Limpkin, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Double-created Cormorant, Anhinga, Black and Turkey Vultures, and more. Folks with 500 and 600mm f/4 lenses will have lots of opportunities to hone their skills working on a tripod or hand holding.

There will be five morning photo sessions averaging four hours. We start in the pre-dawn. The first four morning sessions will be followed by a working brunch. The cost of brunch is included. There will be two after-brunch photo-sessions on sunny days (averaging about an hour) to try for bathing spoonbills, usually centered around 1:30pm. There will be one after-brunch photo critique session (probably on DAY 3). And there will be one Image Processing session after brunch.

We will be based in or near Vero Beach. The deposit is $799.00. Call Jim at the office any weekday at 863-692-0906 to pay by credit card. Balances must be paid by check.

What You Will Learn on a Stick Marsh IPT

• 1- You will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button..
• 2- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you are scared of it.
• 3- You will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
• 4- You will learn the pro secrets that will help you to become a better flight photographer.
• 5- You will learn to zoom out in advance (because the birds are so close!) 🙂
• 6- You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 7- You will learn to spot the good and the great situations.
• 8- You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior.
• 9- You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 10- You will learn to choose the best perspective.
• 11- You will learn to see and control your backgrounds.
• 12- You will learn to see and understand the light.
• 12- You will learn to see and create pleasing blurs in pre-dawn situations.
• 12- You will learn to be ready for the most likely event at all times.

And the best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever you are and whenever you photograph.

Typos

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

Wing or No Wing?

Do you like the inclusion of the extra wing in the upper right corner of today’s featured image? Why or why not?

What’s Up?

I was just about to head home at 8:45am on Wednesday when the first Black Vulture landed near the road-kill cafe. That bird was followed by three more so I got out of the car and made my way to the tripod-mounted 600mm f/4/a1. Just as I got the the setup a Turkey Vulture landed left to right. The first frame was the best but in actuality, I was about five seconds too late …

Today is Thursday 18 November. Though it is cloudy dark I will be heading down to the lake at about 8am as I really need to get rid of the smelly opossum no matter what … My SUV is being picked up for service at 11:00am and I will not have it back until midday on Friday. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Brand New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, and any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager-to-please.

Wanted to Buy

If you have either of the following items that you would like to sell, please get in touch via e-mail. If you are not familiar with the Items for Sale terms, please click here before responding.

Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens in near-mint or like-new condition.

Canon EF 500 f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent or better condition.

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II (or III) USM lens in excellent or better condition.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created 22 January 2020 on a San Diego IPT. I used the tripod-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and the 61-MP Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1250 sec. at f/5 (stopped down 2/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:46am on cloudy-bright morning. Center Zone Continuous/tracking AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see the spectacular hi res version. Image #1: Pacific Race Brown Pelican adult in flight

a7R IV/600 GM for Flight

With the Amazing SONY Alpha 1 in hand, it is easy to forget that the a7R IV on the 600 GM was a formidable flight photography rig. I used it often in San Diego to create ultra-tight portraits of the gorgeous pelicans, often with either the 1.4X or 2X TCs. 600mm is usually much too long a focal length for La Jolla flight, but when this relatively distant bird flew right toward the cliffs, I kept firing and the AF system tracked the subject perfectly. As I had clipped the wingtips, this image is a small crop all-around. Thus the guideline: it is better to cut than to clip.

Flight Shutter Speed Note …

This image was created at ISO 800 with a shutter speed of 1/1250 second and an aperture of f/5. What would have been better choices for the shutter speed and the aperture if I remained at ISO 800?

A Pre-RawDigger Under-Exposure

This image was created before I began using and learning from RawDigger; it was about one stop too dark. Being able to accurately evaluate the raw file brightness guides me when setting the Exposure slider during the raw conversion.

RawDigger — not for the faint of heart …

Nothing has ever helped me learn to create perfect exposures to the degree that RawDigger has. I think that many folks are reluctant to learn that most of their images are underexposed by one or more full stops and that highlight warnings in Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, and your in-camera histogram are completely bogus as they are based on the embedded JPEGs. Only your raw files tell the truth all the time. Heck, I resisted RawDigger for several years … Once you get over that feeling, RawDigger can become your very best exposure friend no matter what system you are using. On the recent IPTs and In-the-Field sessions, we have demonstrated that fact. Convincingly.

The RawDigger (pink) Adapted Histogram

In the RawDigger e-Guide, you will learn exactly how to set up the Adapted “pink” RawDigger Histogram and how to use it to quickly and easily evaluate the exposure or raw file brightness of images from all digital cameras currently in use. RawDigger was especially helpful to me when I struggled with R5 exposures and when learned my new camera body, the Sony Alpha a1.

RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos

The RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos

by Arthur Morris with Patrick Sparkman

The RawDigger e-Guide was created only for serious photographers who wish to get the absolute most out of their raw files.

Patrick and I began work on the guide in July 2020. At first we struggled. We asked questions. We learned about Max-G values. We could not figure out why the Max G values varied by camera system. IPT veteran Bart Deamer asked lots of questions that we could not answer. We got help from RawDigger creator Iliah Borg. We learned. In December, Patrick came up with an Adapted Histogram that allows us to evaluate the exposures and raw file brightness for all images created with all digital camera bodies from the last two decades. What we learned each time prompted three complete beginning to end re-writes.

The point of the guide is to teach you to truly expose to the mega-Expose-to-the-Right so that you will minimize noise, maximize image quality, best utilize your camera’s dynamic range, and attain the highest possible level of shadow detail in your RAW files in every situation. In addition, your properly exposed RAW files will contain more tonal information and feature the smoothest possible transitions between tones. And your optimized images will feature rich, accurate color.

We teach you why the GREEN channel is almost always the first to over-expose. We save you money by advising you which version of RawDigger you need. We teach you how to interpret the Max G values for your Canon, Nikon, and SONY camera bodies. It is very likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you. And lastly — thanks to the technical and practical brilliance of Patrick Sparkman — we teach you a simple way to quickly and easily evaluate your exposures and raw file brightness using an Adapted RawDigger histogram.

The flower video takes you through a session where artie edits a folder of images in Capture One while checking the exposures and Max-G values in RawDigger. The Adapted Histogram video examines a series of recent images with the pink histograms and covers lots of fine points including and especially how to deal with specular highlights. The directions for setting up the Adapted Histogram are in the text.

If we priced this guide based on how much effort we put into it, it would sell it for $999.00. But as this guide will be purchased only by a limited number of serious photographers, we have priced it at $51.00. You can order yours here in the BAA Online Store.

San Diego, California: A Bird Photographer’s Paradise!

I’ve been visiting San Diego, California for more than 50 years, and photographing there for almost four decades. It truly is one of my favorite bird photography locations on the planet. The Pacific race Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches, are indeed the stars of the show, but there are lots of other great birds there that are relatively easy to photograph. Check out this five minute video to see the potential.

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking here.

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 2022 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPT. Monday 17 January thru the morning session on Friday 21 January 2022. Four full and one-half day: $2999.00. Deposit: $899.00. Limit: 8 photographers/Openings: 6

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 with eggs and possibly chicks) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; 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 (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions. And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant. (Or two seconds with SONY zebras…) And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure is one of the great takeaways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well, often with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of all of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.

The San Diego Details

This IPT will include five three hour morning photo sessions, four one and one-half afternoon photo sessions, four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy day occasions, we may — at my discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

An $899 deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due right after you sign up.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

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.

What’s Up?

I went down to the lake late yesterday afternoon without much success, though I did see a calling Barred Owl in a gorgeous tree with lots of hanging moss. The bird was sitting on an open perch. I would have set up the 600 with the 2X but for a single vine that hung right in front of the owl’s face …

Today is Tuesday 16 November 2021. It is 7:28am and I am sitting in my SUV working on today’s blog post. I am right on sun angle with the most recent road-kill cafe: a defrosted (previously road-killed) opossum carcass and a pile of smoked salmon skins. The sun came over the big cloud on the eastern horizon about ten minutes ago but so far there has not been any action other than a few Fish Crows flying around. It is dead clear now with a nice breeze from the Northeast so conditions are pretty good. The 200-600 is on the passenger seat and the bare 600 f/4 is on the tripod down by the edge of the canal so that if the vultures come in, I will be right at grass level. Aside from both species of vultures both Crested Caracara and Bald Eagle are potential diners. Time will tell. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than two hours to prepare.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% 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.

This Just In …

It is not 8:43am and I am ready to hit Publish on today’s post. Not a single bird flew by my road kill cafe, even for a sniff. I am going to shovel the opossum and the fish skins into a small cooler and let them ripen for another day. Then I will try again tomorrow.

New Bedfords BAA Discount Info

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy free Overnight Fed-Ex Air shipping for orders over $1,000.00 and free Second Day Fed-Ex Air shipping for orders under $1,000.00. Even better news is coming very soon. If you are curious, shoot me an e-mail.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy free Fed-Ex Air shipping as above, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it qualify for the free Fed-Ex Air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager-to-please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created on 7 June 2021 by BAA-friend, IPT veteran, and a1 Group member David Pugsley. Working from a very low perspective, he used the 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. ISO 2500. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: 1/1600 sec. at f/10 (stopped down 1/3 stop) Manual mode. AWB at 9:24am on what looked like a cloudy-bright morning. Image courtesy of and Copyright 2021: David Pugsley Image #1: Marbled Godwit scratching

Clipping the Virtual Feet

While doing the research for this blog post, I came across David’s BPN Scratch That Itch post here. Most everyone who commented felt that the image was too bright and that bird needed more room all around, especially in front of the bird and on the bottom frame edge where David had not left room for the virtual feet, the feet as if we could see them through the water. Scroll down to see how David improved his image with the repost in Pane #11 and to learn more about clipping virtual feet …

Searching for the term “virtual feet” on BPN, turned up exactly 500 links! Most were in the Avian Forum with a few in Wildlife. The first references were to posts from 2009 by Moderator Randy Stout and yours truly. Like me, David Pugsley learns something new with every image he posts. BPN is truly a great place to learn to improve your skills for only $40.00 a year. And we offer a three month free trial.

Image courtesy of and Copyright 2021: David Pugsley Image #1: Marbled Godwit scratching

A Big Improvement

With more room at the bottom of the frame for the virtual feet, and with the brightness pulled down nicely, David’s repost was a big improvement. David had room all around in the original capture; his error was simply in cropping too tightly. That is another very common error. This from a recent e-mail to De Soto IPT participant Pete Myers:

As for not liking tight crops at all, for me, the bird needs room in the frame, room to move, room to see, room to exist. At this point leaving room for an editor’s type no longer plays into the equation. But — for artistic reasons — I will often pick a looser original over a tighter one. with love, artie

In any case, I (crudely) added the virtual feet to give folks a better understanding of the concept. That brings us to …

I created this image on 4 November at Circle B Bar Preserve in Lakeland, FL. While standing, I used the Levered-clamp Flexshooter Pro/Induro GIT 304L tripod-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 467mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/320 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the brightness of the raw file was perfect. AWB at 3:39pm on a cloudy afternoon. Tracking: upper center Zone AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and worked perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the hi-res version. Image #2: Anhinga, female in Pond (or Bald) Cypress

Clipping the Virtual Tail

The discussion above brings us back to the Circle B Bar Reserve Anhingas & Bald Cypress Trees. Sony 200-600 G Lens Plate/Low Foot Options. And Why! blog post here where I wrote:

#2: Which basic compositional rule did I break when I created the second and the fourth images?

Over the course of four days several folks took a shot at my question, but nobody had a clue until BPN Super-moderator Daniel Cadieux posted this comment to a more recent blog post:

Hey artie, Yes, you clipped the virtual tail, the part of the tail that extends beyond the lower frame-edge had it been visible. I just checked the BPN thread and saw that a member there got it right. There is lots of learning on BPN for everyone 😉

But!

With both images 2 and 4, I was aware that I was clipping the virtual tail. I shot slightly wider versions but far preferred the somewhat tighter views with the clipped (not entirely virtual) tail.

When I posted Image #2 here on BPN, long-time member Jim Crosswell commented on the problem right off the bat. An interesting discussion with another long time member Andreas Liebman followed:

Originally Posted by Andreas Liedmann:

Hi Arthur …. who cares about those rules , and more important who is thinking about him/herself to dictate rules for others ????

So …. I cannot see any form of violation, using your term.

My response:

Thanks, Andreas. I agree that rules stifle creativity. I have never been one to blindly follow the “rules,” photographically or otherwise. My photography is often guided by a series of artistic principles that I believe in. Jim, in Pane #6, hit upon what I was looking for, the fact that I clipped the virtual tail (partially obscured by the vegetation). I was aware of that when I pressed the shutter button, and wound up liking it a lot better than the slightly wider shot.

with love, artie

Typos

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

What’s Up?

In the recent blog post here, I asked: Which basic compositional rule did I break when I created the second and the fourth images?. Though several folks took a crack at it, no-one has yet come up with the answer … Be sure to check back on Tuesday for the answer.

Today is Sunday 14 November 2021. It dawned clear and a relatively cold (for Florida) 55 degrees with a NW breeze, so I stayed in to get some more work done. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% 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.

Recent Used Gear Page Sales!

To say that the Used Gear Page has been going crazy lately would be a huge understatement:

Used Gear Page regular William Dummitt sold his Nikkor 600mm AF-S F4 ED VR lens in excellent condition for $4649.95 (was $5199.95) in mid-november 2021.

Alice Garland sold her Nikon Coolscan 5000 ED Slide Scanner in like-new condition for the BIRDS AS ART record-low price of $899.00 soon after it was listed in mid-September 2021.

Roger Williams sold his Canon EF 500 f4/L IS USM super telephoto lens in excellent condition (with several extras) for a very low $2,299.00 and a Canon EF Extender 2X III (teleconverter) in near-mint condition for a very low $249.00, both sold on the first day of listing in mid-September 2021.

Mark Baity sold his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $3500.00 (was $3,798.00) soon after it was listed in early November 2021.

Used Gear Page regular Karen McCormick sold a Nikon D850 in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $1750.00, a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $1349.00, a Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6G M OSS lens in like-new condition for a BAA record-low $1298.00, and a Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera Body in like-new condition for BAA record-low $998.00, all on the first day of listing in early November 2021.

BAA friend Fred Innamorato sold his Nikon D850 dSLR in near-mint condition with a ton of extras including the Nikon MB-D-18 Multi Power Battery Pack (and accessories) for an incredibly, ridiculously low $2096.95, a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens in near-mint condition for a very low $2796.95, a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4E PF ED VR lens in near-mint condition for a very low $1,396.95, and two Nikon AF-S Teleconverters TC-14E III for 249.95, all within hours of listing in early November 2021.

Paul Fortin sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II body in near-mint condition with a brand new battery grip for a silly low $725.00 the day it was listed in early November 2021.

Multiple IPT veteran Jim Dolgin sold his Sony a9 in excellent plus condition for a very low $1848.00 within a day of it being listed in early November 2021.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission on items priced at $1,000 or more. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price is $1000 (or less for a $50 flat-fee). If you are interested, please scroll down here to read the terms. Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice only to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past years, we have sold many hundreds of items. Do know that prices for used gear only go in one direction. Down. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

If you would like to learn about selling your used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page, click here.

New Bedfords BAA Discount Info

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy free Overnight Fed-Ex Air shipping for orders over $1,000.00 and free Second Day Fed-Ex Air shipping for orders under $1,000.00. Even better news is coming very soon. If you are curious, shoot me an e-mail.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy free Fed-Ex Air shipping as above, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it qualify for the free Fed-Ex Air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard to get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager-to-please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created on morning of 17 January 2018 at La Jolla, CA. I used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 286mm) and the (then) blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the sky: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in manual mode. AWB at 8:48am on a very foggy morning. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -4. Center Surround/AI Servo/Shutter button AF. Be sure to click on the image if you would like to read the fine print. Photo Mechanic screen capture for the Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Pacific race in flight image

On Foggy Day Exposures

It is rarely foggy in San Diego. Most mornings are clear and crips with an east wind, perfect conditions for bird photography.

I shot this image at +2 stops off the white sky. Even the Photo Mechanic histogram shows that it is underexposed. While this image seems to be properly exposed to the right at first glance, note that there is room between the edge of the blue channel and the right hand axis of the histogram. RawDigger shows that this raw file was more than a full stop too dark! That means that + 3 stops off the sky would have been a better choice.

Many folks don’t even bother pressing the shutter button on really foggy days. Would you have made this image? If you made it, would you have deleted it as hopeless? Keep reading.

This image was created on morning of 17 January 2018 at La Jolla, CA. I used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 286mm) and the (then) blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the sky: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in manual mode. AWB at 8:48am on a very foggy morning. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: +3. Center Surround/AI Servo/Shutter button AF. Be sure to click on the image to view the rather spectacular hi-res version. Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Pacific race in flight image

The Optimized Image

While converting this image in Adobe Camera Raw, I almost quit on it. But then I remembered two tricks, one made during the conversion and one after it. Those tricks saved the day! If you would like to learn how I affected this pretty much miraculous save, send a Paypal for $10.00 to us at birdsasart@verizon.net with the words Foggy Pelican Save somewhere in the Paypal e-mail. The info will be sent on Tuesday.

Do understand that we do lots of Image Optimizations and Photoshop work on the San Diego IPTs.

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 2022 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPT. Monday 17 January thru the morning session on Friday 21 January 2022. Four full and one-half day: $2999.00. Deposit: $899.00. Limit: 8 photographers/Openings: 6

If you missed the San Diego: A Bird Photographer’s Paradise video on YouTube, be sure to check it out video here.

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 with eggs and possibly chicks) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; 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 (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions. And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or (relatively) healthy bread.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant. (Or two seconds with SONY zebras…) And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure is one of the great takeaways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well, often with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of all of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.

The San Diego Details

This IPT will include five three hour morning photo sessions, four one and one-half afternoon photo sessions, four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy day occasions, we may — at my discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

An $899 deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due right after you sign up.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

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

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

Image Questions

#1: Of the four featured images, which is your favorite. All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice.

#2: Which basic compositional rule did I break when I created the second and the fourth images?

What’s Up?

Today is Friday 12 November 2021. I was out of bed well before 6am. It was pouring when I got up. Just for fun, I checked the Weather.com for ILE: cloudy with no chance of rain. You would at least think that they could look out the window … It is supposed to be cloudy this afternoon so I will be heading back to my new favorite trail at Circle B Bar Preserve. See more on this exciting location below. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took more than four hours to prepare.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to save 3% 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.

I created this image on 4 November at Circle B Bar Preserve in Lakeland, FL. While standing, I used the Levered-clamp Flexshooter Pro/Induro GIT 304L tripod-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/40 sec. at f/16 (stopped down 2 2/3 stops) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the brightness of the raw file was perfect. AWB at 2:55pm on a cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Spot (S) AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and worked perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the hi-res version. Image #1: Bark detail: Pond (or Bald) Cypress

Circle B Bar Preserve Revelation

As previously noted here, I spent last Thursday afternoon walking a previously un-visted-before-by-me trail at the Circle B Bar Preserve in Lakeland, FL. It was a beautiful walk through what seemed like a pristine marsh and an ancient cypress swamp. Best of all, there were lots of Anhingas, Common Gallinules, Ospreys, Great Blue Herons, along with a variety of other wading birds. If you own a copy of the BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide that I did with Joe Przybyla and would like information on this newly discovered trail, shoot me proof of purchase via e-mail with the word’s “Latest Info on Circle B Bar” in the Subject line.

Why Put the Sony 200-600 G Lens on a Tripod?

I take great delight in heading out to the beach with just the hand held Sony 200-600 G lens and an a1. Hand holding allows a tremendous amount of freedom and allows you to get into position and set up a shot much more easily than when working with the tripod-mounted 600mm f/4 GM lens. The 2-6 focuses much closer than the 600 f/4. On sunny days, the f/6.3 maximum aperture (at the longer focal lengths) is not a bother at all. And with good sharpness techniques, you can work with the 1.4X teleconverter as well.

But when working in low light conditions on cloudy days or in the woods, putting the 2-6 on a tripod is pretty much a necessity. The bark detail image above was created at 600mm with a shutter speed of 1/40 second. Most folks would be up the creek without the proverbial paddle with those settings. For me, a tripod was a necessity for Image #1 and for the three Anhinga images below as well.

200-600 owners have two options when they need to mount this very versatile zoom lens on a tripod. They can go with the Wimberley P-35 Lens Plate as I do, or with the Wimberley AP-620 Replacement Low Foot for Sony. Learn why and more in the next two items below.

Figure 1: Wimberley P-35 Plate properly positioned and mounted on the Sony 200-600 G lens

My Choice for the 200-600: the Wimberley P-35 Lens Plate

Because I hand hold this lens most of the time, I want to be able to remove the lens foot with the plate attached to save weight when I am working without a tripod. If there is a chance that I will be using the Panning Ground Pod, I will stick the foot/plate combo into a pocket, my vest, or my fanny pack so that I can grab it when needed.

Mounting the foot/plate combo onto the lens via the quick release mechanism is a snap. Many folks complain that this arrangement is unsafe, unstable, and insecure. I disagree, but only 100%. If you finger-tighten the double-ended lever properly, you are good to go and will never have a problem.

The P-35 lens plate is a 5.0” long, double dovetail, Arca-Swiss style quick- release plate. It is used to connect a camera lens, fitted with both a rotation collar and tripod mounting foot, to a compatible quick-release clamp. Wimberley plates are compatible with most Arca-Swiss style quick-release clamps, such as those made by Wimberley, Really Right Stuff, Kirk Enterprises, Markins, Arca-Swiss, Foba, Graf and others.

When the plate is mounted fully forward as shown in the diagram above, this two-screw lens plate matches up perfectly with the Sony 200-600. The needed bushing is included. The plate remains fully within the jaws of the clamp of the Levered-clamp Flexshooter Pro even when your rig is at maximum back-heaviedness (to coin a phrase). You are at maximum back-heaviedness when you are using an a1 body with the battery grip and the 2X TC. With all other combinations, you will need to move the plate back in the clamp to properly balance your rig. And there is plenty of room on the plate at the front even when you are using only the bare a1 on the 200-600.

You can order your P-35 plate here in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store.

Figure 2: Wimberley AP-620 Replacement Low Foot for Sony

Right for Some: the Wimberley AP-620 Replacement Low Foot for Sony

For folks who use their 200-600s on a tripod all or most of the time, the Wimberley AP-620 Replacement Low Foot for Sony is clearly the best choice. This low foot is very light at only 4.5 ounces and like all the Wimberley stuff, is elegantly designed. It is secured to the lens via a single 1/4-20 screw and thus, is no longer quick-release removable.

The AP-620 Replacement Foot fits the Sony 200-600 f/5.6 lens and serves three main purposes:

1. It is somewhat stiffer than the factory tripod mounting foot connected to a lens plate, thus reducing flex and vibration (or not …)

2. Functions as the Arca-Swiss style lens plate.

3. Creates the ideal geometry for using your lens on the Levered-clamp Flexshooter Pro and, as above, allows you to balance your rig optimally.

Note: Wimberley lens plates are compatible with Arca-Swiss style quick-release clamps such as those made by Wimberley, Kirk Enterprises, Really Right Stuff, Arca-Swiss, Markins, and others. I use the Wimberley P-20 Plate on my Sony 100-400, the Sony 70-200, and my Canon 180mm macro lens and recommend it for most intermediate and zoom telephoto lenses.

You can order your AP-620 Low Foot here in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store.

I created this image on 4 November at Circle B Bar Preserve in Lakeland, FL. While standing, I used the Levered-clamp Flexshooter Pro/Induro GIT 304L tripod-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 467mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/320 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the brightness of the raw file was perfect. AWB at 3:39pm on a cloudy afternoon. Tracking: upper center Zone AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and worked perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the hi-res version. Image #2: Anhinga, female in Pond (or Bald) Cypress

Anhingas and the Cypress Trees

On my new favorite Circle B Bar Reserve Trail, it seemed that there were Anhingas perched everywhere, often in the Bald or Pond Cypresses. Thanks to my friend John Bradford for this:

I am guessing that it is Pond Cypress, but don’t bet the bank on it. Many botanists consider Pond and Bald Cypress to only be varieties of the same species, Taxodium distichum, so it can be hard to tell one from the other.

Image #2 was made from one of two short boardwalks that protrude into the lake that lies just southeast of the trail.

I created this image on 4 November at Circle B Bar Preserve in Lakeland, FL. While standing, I used the Levered-clamp Flexshooter Pro/Induro GIT 304L tripod-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/320 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the brightness of the raw file was perfect. AWB at 3:40pm on a cloudy afternoon. Tracking: upper center Zone AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and worked perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the hi-res version. Image #3: Anhinga, female in Pond (or Bald) Cypress

Cypress Tree Bird-scape

Without moving the tripod, I simply zoomed out to create a lovely bird-scape. Tracking Zone AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF performed remarkably with all three Anhinga image by finding and tracking the bird’s eye no matter how I varied the composition.

I created this image on 4 November at Circle B Bar Preserve in Lakeland, FL. While standing, I used the Levered-clamp Flexshooter Pro/Induro GIT 304L tripod-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the brightness of the raw file was perfect. AWB at 3:47pm on a cloudy afternoon. Tracking: upper center Zone AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and worked perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the hi-res version. Image #4: Anhinga, female in Pond (or Bald) Cypress

The 200-600 on the Tripod!

Again, I need to stress the point that for most of us mortals, the Sony 200-600 needs to be on a tripod when you are photographing birds in low light. There are a few young, hero hand holders who can routinely make sharp images at relatively slow shutter speeds when standing and working at focal lengths in the 200-600 range, but I am not one of them.

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. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:

• Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
• Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
• The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
• Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
• Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
• Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
• West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
• Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.

Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.

You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.

Typos

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