We saw the sun on the Fall DeSoto IPT for a total of perhaps five minutes. We did not get to photograph American White Pelican. We did not see a single Roseate Spoonbill. And it rained the first two afternoons. What seemed on the surface to be an absolute disaster, turned out, however, to be a huge success. After suggesting that John Dupps switch from rear button to shutter button focus, rely on the in-viewfinder histogram to expose to the right, and check the JPEGs for blinkies, he began making consistently good images with his Nikon Z8 Mirrorless camera body and the Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens. It took me a while to get first timer Paul Marbourg to realize that he could easily get closer to the very tame birds at DeSoto, that he need to use only Multi Metering with his a-1, and that he needed to expose to the right by raising the ISO for each and every image. I am proud to say that he got those messages and implemented them successfully. It did, however, take some tough love.
Alan Goodwin showed up with his first ever super telephoto lens, a brand new Sony 600mm f/4 GM, and his brand new Sony a-1. We shared an AirBnB. He added a pre-IPT day on Monday. On Sunday night, sitting on the couch at our place, I loaded my settings on his a1 and then taught him AF and exposure my way. The next morning, he began making some very good images right off the bat. I will be sharing many of the fine images he created on the IPT in a video here soon, along with the rest of the amazing tale of his early bird photography success. When I asked him at the end of the IPT how difficult it was to use the a-1, he replied, “It was easy.”
On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, with afternoon rain in the forecast, our photo sessions ran four or five hours. After getting cleaned up, we met at the fabulous Neptune Grill in Gulfport, had a great lunch, and then enjoyed a four hour educational session. We shared images and got everyone set up with Photo Mechanic and more. The forecast for Thursday was rain all day. It never rained. We had a great morning session and then met at my (and Alan’s) AirBnb where I prepared a great brunch that was enjoyed by all but Alan who does his own thing eating all organic. Then we created the image optimization screen capture video detailed below. When the skies cleared, we met at East Beach for a short photo session before heading to Pia’s Veranda for an incredible thank you dinner. Everyone loved their meals. My Bone-in Veal Schnitzel with melted gruyere cheese, spaetzel, and braised cabbage with apples and onions was a top-five-ever meal for me. I did, however, finish the whole thing with the expected effect on my blood sugar. My bad, but it sure was good.
Today is Saturday 18 November. With only north and NW winds forecast for the next few days here at ILE, the photography outlook is looking rather bleak for at least a while. Wherever you are a whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
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.
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
Bedfords Amazing 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, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
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. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 14 November on Fall Fort DeSoto IPT #4 by participant Alan Goodwin. Standing at full height he used the no-longer available Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 2000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2000 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead solid perfect. AWB at 12:31:32pm on a cloudy early afternoon.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed just fine in a difficult situation. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2023: Alan Goodwin
Image #1: White Ibis non-breeding smacked by a wave while feeding in surf
Image processing by BIRDS AS ART
My Oft Scoffed At Belief Justified
For the past few years, whenever the talk has turned to bird photography, I have stated often that in flight and action situations, total beginners using one of day’s amazing mirrorless camera bodies with their cameras set up correctly and a modicum of instruction, are capable of creating images equal to or better than images made by experience professionals.
The reaction has consistently been “No way.” Or astonishment.
After I saw Alan photographing this bird, I joined him and created more than 200 images. I deleted every one of them. Alan Goodwin, with a grand total of 1 1/2 days of experience with the Sony a-1 and a super telephoto lens, created a family jewel while I came up empty. With 481 over-exposed pixels in the specular highlights of the breaking wave (out of 51 million pixels), he had created a sharp image with a dead-solid perfect exposure.
QED (quod erat demonstrandum); my overall argument has just been proven. Thanks, Alan!
Image Optimization Sessions
Near the end of every IPT, I grab at least one image from each participant and get them on my Apple 16″ MacBook Pro (M2 Max, Silver), add one of mine, convert each raw file, and optimize each image from soup to nuts. I create a Camtasia screen recording, send a link to the video to the group, and suggest that they purchase the DB III Video Series 🙂
With Alan’s fine ibis image, we cropped it to a square, ran my new two-step noise reduction technique, cooled it down by reducing the color temperature, brightened it, improved the color with the new Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool, and used the new Remove Tool to clean up the bill.
The Digital Basics III Video Series YouTube Promo
The Digital Basics and Digital Basics II PDFs have taught more than 8000 nature photographers to process their raw files optimally, to make them look great. In the new DB III Video Series, I will be doing three image optimizations/video. Each will include the three raw conversions. Keep reading to learn more.
The Digital Basics III Video Series
The Digital Basics III Video Series
I realized about a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing a Digital Basics III. More recently, I have learned and begun working with two great new Photoshop Tools, the Remove Tool and the Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. The former is like a smarter Spot Healing Brush Tool on steroids and the latter is a huge step up from the fabulous Color Mixer Tool. During that same time frame, I came up with a new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.
As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born. Keep reading to learn about Digital Basics III Volume I/#1. As below, you might opt to purchase single videos or to subscribe to Volume I and save $26 by ordering the first five videos in one fell swoop. You can purchase the five videos in Volume I by clicking here.
For folks using the latest version of Photoshop (2024) or Lightroom. Topaz DeNoise AI and Topaz Sharpen AI are a plus.
Digital Basics III Volume I/#1
Digital Basics III Volume I/#1
Nearly an hour in length, DB III/VOL I/#1 has you sitting by my side at my Apple 16″ MacBook Pro (M2 Max, Silver) as I optimize the three images above. You will see that I use and recommend only Photo Mechanic (for both MACs and PCs) for picking my keepers and browsing and that I do my raw conversions using Camera Raw (Version 16.0.0.1677) in Adobe Photoshop 2024 (25.0.0 Release). Note that Camera Raw is identical in Lightroom.
Right off the bat you will learn to customize the panels (sometimes called tabs) and put them in the order you wish to use them. For me, those include Color, Light, Detail, and Color Mixer. Then, for each image, I take you through all the raw conversion sliders including the Color Temperature (White Balance), setting the White and Black points, adjusting the Highlight and Shadow sliders, and rarely, setting the Exposure and Contrast sliders. You will learn to use the new Remove Tool, the new Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool, and my two-step noise reduction strategy. I use all three of those on virtually every image that I process. The second image, the Short-eared Owl, was created at ISO 12800. You will learn why and how I used Topaz Sharpen AI on various images.
After the master .TIF files are saved, you will learn how I size and sharpen the stunning JPEGs that you see on the blog every day.
You can purchase DB III/Volume I/#1 for $25.00 by clicking here in the BAA Online Store. Or, you can opt to purchase the Volume I series, videos #1 to 5, for the bargain rate of $99.00 for the first five videos (as noted above). The plan is to publish about 1 video/week. If the project is well received, there will be future volumes. I have already picked the images for DB III, Volume I/#2!
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Best of love to my dear friend and health and spiritual advisor, Renaissance man and brilliant doctor, Cliff Oliver (HÇQ). He is undergoing nasty skin cancer surgery this morning in San Diego. If you are the praying type, please say a prayer for Cliff. All are asked to shoot him some healing love and energy. Tanks!
Light
Understanding the direction and qualities of light is one of the great keys to being a successful nature photographer. The next step is to study and grasp the relationship between sky conditions and the strength and direction of the wind. A San Diego IPT is a great place to learn about light and wind direction and how it affects bird photography.
What’s Up?
Alan Goodwin and I spent a great long morning together on Monday at Fort DeSoto. He showed up with his brand new Sony 600mm f/4GM lens and his brand new Sony a-1. He had never used a super telephoto lens before. He had never used an a-1 body before. After ten minutes of instruction, he began making great images. I will share some of those with you here in a future blog post.
On Tuesday John Dupps and Paul Marbourg joined us for the first day of the IPT. It was a huge learning experience for everyone. Alan was having a problem hitting buttons on the a1 that were screwing him up so we fixed three troublesome menu items and now he is as happy as a clam. The day began mostly cloudy with a NE wind (good) and brightened up a bit. With the afternoon forecast calling for east winds with rain we photographed until 12:30pm, headed back to our places for a quick shower, met at 1:30 for a great lunch as usual at Neptune Grill in Gulfport, and then review images until 4:15pm!
Today is Wednesday 15 November, 2023. We likely be doing another long, single, morning session as the forecast is the same as it was on Tuesday. Wherever you are a whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
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.
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Clockwise from the upper left back around to center: Osprey gaining altitude after missed strike; school of mullet under attack from below; Wood Stork with Southern Whiting; Osprey with Menhaden; Wood Stork with small lobster; Royal Tern with large baitfish; Osprey with Menhaden; juvenile Osprey directly overhead “t-shot”; Osprey taking flight with freshly caught Mullet.
Sebastian Inlet In-the-Field Sessions
Join me for 3 hours of morning In-the-Field Instruction at Sebastian Inlet for only $300.00/session. The main target will be Ospreys fishing for a variety of migrating saltwater fish that visit the inlet each fall. Back-up subjects include fishing gulls, terns, and Brown Pelicans, Wood Stork, a variety of herons and egrets, sunrise cloud-scapes, and the occasional sea turtle or manatee.
November Dates: 20-25, 2023.
Please get in touch via e-mail to book one or more sessions.
The 2024 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs
San Diego IPT #1: 4 1/2 DAYS: TUES 23 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 27 JAN 2024: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6/Openings 5.
San Diego IPT #2: 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 31 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 3 FEB, 2024: $2149.00. Limit: 6 photographers
Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT morning sessions.
Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.
I discovered some really neat new spots on my 2022/23 visit. As a result, the first and second IPTs may include an afternoon or two of landscape photography.
Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not
Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on exposure along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode so that you can get the right exposure every time (as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant). Or two seconds with SONY zebras … And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.
Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
It Ain’t Just Pelicans
With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning, there is usually some excellent flight photography, at times with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego. Each IPT will include one or two duck sessions.
Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
The San Diego Details
These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon shoot. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.
Deposit Info
A $699 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2024 San Diego IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due three months before the trip.
Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late
On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
Bedfords Amazing 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, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
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. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 22 December 2022 at La Jolla, CA. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial. Multi-metering +1.7 stops in Shutter Priority: 1/40 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AUTO ISO set ISO 1600. AWB at 6:32:33am long before the sun came over the big hill in La Jolla. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be 1/3-stop short of perfect.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Pelagic Cormorant pre-dawn flight blur
Pre-dawn Blurs
Most mornings at La Jolla many hundreds of cormorants head out to sea long before the sun comes up. And on most mornings, the Pacific Ocean shows some sweet colors to those who look to the east. There are very few Pelagic Cormorants in San Diego. I identified this one by it small, sharp bill. The choice of 1/40 second shutter speed and smooth panning resulted in a sharp head and hill and pleasingly blurred wings. The sunrise color was enhanced using the fabulous, new Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. Note that the relatively small maximum aperture of the Sony 200-600 is not problematic when you are doing intentional blurs.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2. Northern Shovelers/group feeding circle
Northern Shoveler Circle of Confusion Feeding
Northern Shovelers employ a crazy group feeding strategy where a dozen to a hundred birds swim slowly in a tight circular formation feeding on whatever ducks feed on. To me, a slow shutter speed seemed the best way to get across what was going on.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AC-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Brown Pelicans on cliff in predawn pink/blue.
Pink/Blue Pre-dawn Skies
On crystal clear mornings, the sky opposite the sunrise will often become bright pink with a layer of blue just above the water. The blue is a result of earth shadow, the portion of the sky that is shaded from the sun by the earth itself. Shorter focal lengths provided by the 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are often the tickets to success.
This image was created on 21 January 2023 at Santee Lakes, CA. I used the ankle-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1250: 1/4000 sec; at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 3:40:13pm on a sunny afternoon.
RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be dead-solid perfect.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Drake Wood Duck excited about something.
Drake Wood Ducks — Beautiful or Ugly?
The late Thomas H. Davis Jr., all 6 feet nine inches, 145 pounds of him, used to say that male Wood Ducks were the ugliest ducks on the planet. Most folks, including me, would disagree vehemently. Wood Duck photography is usually quite easy on a San Diego IPT.
It was Tom who taught me to identify and age the shorebirds at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, NY, and got me interested in bird photography. He used a huge Novaflex lens with pistol grip focus.
Your Call?
Which two of today’s four, colorful, featured images do you like best. Please leave a comment letting us know why you made your choices.
The Digital Basics III Video Series YouTube Promo
The Digital Basics and Digital Basics II PDFs have taught more than 8000 nature photographers to process their raw files optimally, to make them look great. In the new DB III Video Series, I will be doing three image optimizations/video. Each will include the three raw conversions. Keep reading to learn more.
The Digital Basics III Video Series
The Digital Basics III Video Series
I realized about a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing a Digital Basics III. More recently, I have learned and begun working with two great new Photoshop Tools, the Remove Tool and the Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. The former is like a smarter Spot Healing Brush Tool on steroids and the latter is a huge step up from the fabulous Color Mixer Tool. During that same time frame, I came up with a new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.
As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born. Keep reading to learn about Digital Basics III Volume I/#1. As below, you might opt to purchase single videos or to subscribe to Volume I and save $26 by ordering the first five videos in one fell swoop. You can purchase the five videos in Volume I by clicking here.
For folks using the latest version of Photoshop (2024) or Lightroom. Topaz DeNoise AI and Topaz Sharpen AI are a plus.
Digital Basics III Volume I/#1
Digital Basics III Volume I/#1
Nearly an hour in length, DB III/VOL I/#1 has you sitting by my side at my Apple 16″ MacBook Pro (M2 Max, Silver) as I optimize the three images above. You will see that I use and recommend only Photo Mechanic (for both MACs and PCs) for picking my keepers and browsing and that I do my raw conversions using Camera Raw (Version 16.0.0.1677) in Adobe Photoshop 2024 (25.0.0 Release). Note that Camera Raw is identical in Lightroom.
Right off the bat you will learn to customize the panels (sometimes called tabs) and put them in the order you wish to use them. For me, those include Color, Light, Detail, and Color Mixer. Then, for each image, I take you through all the raw conversion sliders including the Color Temperature (White Balance), setting the White and Black points, adjusting the Highlight and Shadow sliders, and rarely, setting the Exposure and Contrast sliders. You will learn to use the new Remove Tool, the new Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool, and my two-step noise reduction strategy. I use all three of those on virtually every image that I process. The second image, the Short-eared Owl, was created at ISO 12800. You will learn why and how I used Topaz Sharpen AI on various images.
After the master .TIF files are saved, you will learn how I size and sharpen the stunning JPEGs that you see on the blog every day.
You can purchase DB III/Volume I/#1 for $25.00 by clicking here in the BAA Online Store. Or, you can opt to purchase the Volume I series, videos #1 to 5, for the bargain rate of $99.00 for the first five videos (as noted above). The plan is to publish about 1 video/week. If the project is well received, there will be future volumes. I have already picked the images for DB III, Volume I/#2!
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I left ILE at 4:32am on Saturday and arrived at Sebastian Inlet State Park at 5:59am, just as Maps predicted. There was no wind, zero. There were no-see-ums. And there were very few Ospreys — I saw only four in more than two hours. There was a decent sunrise. I kept only eight images, including one that I liked of a Sanderling in flight against orange/gold sunrise-lit water. That with the 70-200 II at 1/60 second.
On Sunday morning, I headed down to the lake early with a defrosted road-killed raccoon to put out for the vultures. I tried a new spot but wound up not liking it as much as my regular spot. Next was the drive over to Gulfport to meet newbie Alan Goodwin. Alan came a day early for his first IPT and hired me for an extra day of getting started instruction; he is pretty much starting at ground zero. He recently purchased his first super telephoto lens, the Sony 600mm f/4 and an a-1. He used one of my affiliate links (thank you very much) and earned free entry in the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes Group. On Sunday evening I copied my settings to his a-1 and taught him to use the camera while we both sat on a couch for ten minutes. The a-1 is that simple.
Today is Monday 13 November 2023. Alan and I are heading to DeSoto early to do some bird photography! The morning forecast is for strong NE winds with cloudy skies. Pretty good. At 1pm, newbie Paul Marbourg (who flew from Portland, OR on Saturday) and many multiple IPT veteran John Dupps will be meeting Alan and me for Photo Mechanic lessons. I hope that you too have a great day.
As an aside, if you have been thinking about purchasing a Photo Mechanic license, you are advised to purchase yours here very soon as there may be some changes coming at Camera Bits. Use my link and then shoot me an e-mail with proof of purchase and request a free Getting Started with Photo Mechanic e-mail guide.
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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.
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Unexpected Successes (???) are Rarities
Bird photography can be strange. I often know exactly when I make a great image. Once in a great while I will be shocked when I spot a serious problem with an image that I had been sure was a family jewel when viewing it on the rear monitor. But it does happen.
Every once in a while, I press the shutter button knowing that the image or images will be deleted. Sometimes I am trying to learn something, usually about exposure, and sometimes I press the button for no reason at all. In those situations, it is extremely rare to create an image that I actually like. On the morning of 2 November 2023 I made two such images that I liked a lot. Both came as a big surprise. You can learn about how each image came to be below the images.
This image was created on 2 November 2023 at Fort DeSoto Park. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/15 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:33:42am well before sunrise. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect.
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Brown Pelicans and distant buildings
Getting Distracted
When Bosque was good 20+ years ago (thanks to then-refuge manager Phil Norton), I said often, “You need to be ready; the best blastoff blurs are created in the first 2-3 seconds.” I had walked far to the north to get on a large mixed flock of gulls, tern, and shorebirds (including 500+ Red Knots) roosting on a sandbar. Anticipating a blastoff, I was working in Manual mode at 1/15 second. Once I was in position I waited and waited and waited in vain. When I spotted a group of pelicans on the shore of Outback Key with a distant line of buildings far in the distance, I decided to make a few images of the scene. I wanted to stay in blur mode so I figured, “What the heck?”
A Striving-for-Sharp Blurs
You might classify images like #1 accidental blurs. Striving-for-sharp blurs are not, however, mentioned in A Guide to Pleasing Blurs. So, when I framed the image and pressed the shutter button, I was half-heartedly trying to create a sharp image. But at 600mm handheld at 1/15 second you are not gonna make a whole lot of sharp frames. When I came to the short series of images, I loved the photo for the look of the green Gulf waves and the somewhat painterly, somewhat grungy look.
After making a few frames, I glanced back to my left and noted that I had missed the blastoff by ten seconds. As my late Mom used to say, “Oh well.”
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly.
Image #2: Laughing Gull in flight at sunrise/pano crop image
Another Happy Accident
There was only one other bird photographer that morning. When our paths crossed, I asked him if he had gotten the blastoff and he answered “No.” I explained to him that with the north wind he had been in the wrong spot, that most of the time in bird photography it pays to have the winds at your back. He was using a tripod-mounted super telephoto, I forget if it was Nikon or Canon. He asked me about Sony. I had been set-up for blurs in Shutter Priority mode so I simply raised the shutter speed to 1/2500 sec. With the brightly colored sky I set +1.7 stops. With Tracking Zone set, I held the camera away from my eye so that we could both see the rear monitor. Looking for anything flying near the sunrise, I was happy to spot the gull, acquire focus instantly, and then move the bird to the right side of the frame as I panned and fired off a short series. All I was trying to do was demonstrate Sony AF; I had not been planning on making even a halfway decent image so I was quite surprised when I came across Image #2.
Your Calls?
Do you like one or both of today’s happy accidents? If yes, why? If not, why?
