Enjoy Brenda Lee’s screen notes while watching this video with your family and friends this holiday season. It is quite well done and quite touching.
The 78-year-old pop and country music star recorded the iconic holiday nugget at the age of 13. It was always a staple of the seasonal pop, but blew up from its use in 1990’s ‘Home Alone,’ and this month it took over the top position of the Billboard charts for the first time ever. This is the first music video that Lee has ever made, and she invited her Nashville friends, neighbors, and hit-makers Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood to be part of the shoot. “We wanted to make sure the video was timeless, and had a special Christmas feeling of being home with your family,” says Lee. Watch our Footnotes interview to see how she was coaxed into doing that dazzling dance spin in “the new old fashioned way.”
What’s Up?
No snow here in Florida. I have been having a ton of fun with the vultures along with the occasional Bald Eagle or caracara at the Road Kill Cafe. Yesterday I had a fly-by Greater Yellowlegs and the Forster’s Tern flock on the railing of the pier is up to at least 40. It looks as if the female eagle is sitting on eggs at a new nest several hundred yards past the nest that was active for the past two years. That’s a bummer as the old nest was great for photography and the new nest is not as it is far too cluttered.
Today is Monday 25 December 2023. Happy holidays to all. It is way dark here so I will be heading down to the lake at about 8:30am and hopes things bright up. I have only a very few salmon carcasses left, courtesy of Mike at Junior’s Fish Market in Lake Wales. Pass the Haddock and tuna please. Wherever you are and whatever you choose to do, 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.
This image was created on 22 February 2020 on a BAA Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) at Homer, AK. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 120mm) and the Sony a9 II (now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.). The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000: 1/2000 sec. at f/3.2 stopped down 2/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:04:23 on a glorious morning after 8 inches of fresh snow.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Bald Eagle walking in deep snow
I’m Dreaming of a White February (in Homer!)
Fresh snow in Homer is to die for. The more the better. It opens up a great variety of wondrous situations. Best of all it acts like a giant reflector that lights up the bird’s underwings. As in Image #2 immediately below. It’s your lucky day: there is one spot open on the first IPT that offers a greater chance for a big snowfall.
This image was created on 25 February 2020 on a BAA Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) at Homer, AK. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 200mm) and the Sony a9 II (now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.). The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500: 1/3200 sec. at f/3.2 stopped down 2/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 10:57:51 with lots of snow still on the ground.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Bald Eagle braking to land
Snow on the Ground — the Gift That Keeps on Giving
Once you get a good snowfall, you are in for a good week of great photography. You get to photograph the birds with pure white backgrounds and when we land on a spit, the snow, as mentioned above, acts as a huge reflector — your world will be a giant soft box.
This image was created on 1 March 2022 on a BAA Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) at Homer, AK. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 3:10:22am during a snow squall.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Bald Eagle in flight in snow squall
A Really Neat Trick
The snow squall came on suddenly and was over almost as fast. At the peak of intensity, it was impossible for the AF system to see through the wall of fat snowflakes. I thought, “How can I get through the snowflakes?” Aha! I set the zoom to the max, 280mm, and laced my left hand on the focus ring (not the zoom ring where it usually resides). Since the version II of the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 lens offers Direct Manual Focus (the original version did not), I was able to focus manually so that the lens could see the subject. With that bit of help, it acquired focus and tracked the eagle’s eye or face without a problem. Join any IPT to learn to solve new problems on the spot with practical solutions.
This image was created on 7 March 2020 on a BAA Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) at Homer, AK. I used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens (at 433mm) and Sony a9 II (now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera). ISO 1000. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 2:59:14pm on a cloudy afternoon.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Human Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Photographers in the snow with Bald Eagles )
This Could Be You!
Anita North and Greg Ferguson in the snow with friends. It looks as if both are using the now obsolete (for bird photographers) Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens along with an a9 II. As below, there is one spot left on the first Homer IPT.
All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK
2024 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs
IPT #1: WED 21 FEB 2024 through the full day on SUN 25 FEB 2024. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1.
IPT #2: MON 26 FEB 2024 through the full day on FRI 1 MAR 2024. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers. Limit 5 photographers/Sold Out
Register for both trips to maximize your travel dollars and enjoy a $1000 discount while you are at it.
This trip features non-stop flight photography as well as many opportunities to create both environmental and point-blank portraits and head shots of one of North America’s most sought-after avian subjects: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Other reliable subjects will include Sea Otter, Glaucous-winged and Short-billed (formerly Mew) Gulls.
In addition, we should see (and possibly get to photograph) Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, two or three species of loons, and a smattering of ducks including two species of merganser, all three scoters, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Harlequin, and Long-tailed Ducks. Close-range photographic chances for these species will require some luck. Some of these species, especially when in flocks, can, however, often be used effectively when pleasing creating bird-scapes. In most years we have chances for Short-eared and Great Grey Owl, Grey-crowned Rosy Finch, and Moose in and around Homer.
You will enjoy working with the best and most creative boat captain in Homer on his sturdy, photography-spacious, seaworthy, open-deck watercraft.
There will be only five photographers (not the usual six), plus the leader on these trips.
Almost endless small group Photoshop, Image Review, and Image Critiquing sessions.
If we need to be out early, we will be the first boat out. If the conditions are great, we will stay out. And when there is a chance for sunset silhouettes, we will be in the right spot at the right time. And ad we will be traveling through gorgeous wilderness country, landscape and scenic opportunities abound.
Also featured is a professional leader, often referred to as the world’s most knowledgeable bird photography trip leader and instructor. He is conversant in Canon, Nikon, and Sony. You will learn practical and creative solutions to everyday photographic problems. You will learn to see the shot, to create dynamic images by fine-tuning your compositions, to best utilize your camera’s AF system, and how to analyze the wind, the sky conditions, and the direction and quality of the light. This is one of the very few trips Homer trips available where you will not be simply put on the birds and told to have fun. You will learn to be a better photographer.
Homer 2022 Bald Eagle Highlights and Handholding Compositional Tips by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Enjoy and be inspired by just a few Homer Bald Eagle highlight images. Hand holding intermediate telephoto lens will always yield slightly different compositions. Learn more about that topic in this short (3:14) video.
All images from Kachemak Bay in 2022!
What You Will Learn
You will learn practical and creative solutions to everyday photographic problems. You will learn to see the shot, to create dynamic images by fine-tuning your compositions, to best utilize your camera’s AF system, and how to analyze the wind, the sky conditions, and the direction and quality of the light. This is one of the very few trips Homer trips available where you will not be simply put on the birds and told to have fun. You will learn to be a better photographer. But only if that is what you want.
You will learn to get the right exposure when it is sunny, when it cloudy-bright, when it is cloudy, when it is cloudy-dark, or when it is foggy. Not to mention getting the right exposure when creating silhouettes. You will learn to make pleasing blurs and to create silhouettes working in Shutter Priority mode when the situation is right. Most importantly you will learn to pick your best flight images from tens of thousands of images.
All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK
What’s Included
One four hour or two two-hour boat trips every day (weather permitting), all boat fees and boat-related expenses (excluding tips), ground transportation to and from the dock and back to the hotel each day, in-the-field instruction and guidance, pre-trip gear advice, small group post-processing and image review sessions, and a thank you dinner.
What’s Not Included
Your airfare to and from Homer, AK (via Anchorage), the cost of your room at Land’s End Resort, all personal items, all meals and beverages, and a tip for the boat captain.
Please Note
On great days, the group may wish to photograph for more than four hours. If the total time on the boat exceeds 20 hours for the five-day trips the group will share the additional expense at a rate of $225/hour. The leader will pay for the bait.
Some folks may wish to rent their own vehicle to take advantage of local photographic opportunities around Homer. In 2023 those included Moose, Great Grey, and Short-eared Owls.
Deposit Information
A $3000 non-refundable deposit/trip is required. You may pay your deposit with credit card or by personal check (the latter made out to BIRDS AS ART) and sent via US mail only to Arthur Morris. PO Box 7245. Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Your balance, due 60 days before the date of departure, is payable only by check (as above).
In Closing
I have been going to Homer off and on for close to two decades. Every trip has been nothing short of fantastic. Many folks go in mid-March. The earlier you go, the better the chances for snow. The only way to assure that you are on the best of these two trips is to sign up for both of them. Can you keep up with me? If you have any questions, or are good to go for one, or two of these great trips, please let me know via e-mail or give me a call on my cell phone at 863-221-2372.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
The north wind eased up a bit on Thursday morning so I drove down to the lake for an hour and made some nice images of the usual suspects — Cattle Egret, Little Blue Heron, Sandhill Crane, and Turkey Vulture. And, I had some fun when I created two source images for a LBH stitched, skinny vertical, panorama.
On my Vitamin D walk I counted a record high 20 Forster’s Tern on the pier railing, along with a single adult Bald Eagle. I am doing a bit of cold therapy in addition to my daily swims.
Yesterday afternoon, Jim distributed DB III Volume I/#3 to all who purchased the series.
Today is Friday 22 December 2023. The forecast is for cloudy with a breeze from the northeast. I will be heading down to the lakeshore and bringing some salmon skins along. Wherever you are and whatever you choose to do, 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.
I realized about a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was thinking about 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. You can check out Volume I/#1 here and Volume I/#2 here.
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. The videos will be most valuable for folks using the latest version of Photoshop (2024) or Lightroom along with Topaz DeNoise AI and Topaz Sharpen AI. Check out the amazing stuff in Volume I/#3 below.
Digital Basics III Volume I/#3 image
Digital Basics III Volume I/#3
In DB III Volume I/#3 you will sit beside me as I optimize three more images on my no longer available 16″ MacBook Pro (M2 Max, Silver). In each image I will take you through the complete and current BAA Digital Workflow. In Volume I/#3 we will cover the use of the new Remove Tool, the new Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool (L-TAT), my new 2-step noise reduction techniques, and tons of image clean-up including Divide and Conquer. We will be using several Quick Masks and learning to refine them with Regular Layer Masks. You will learn how and when to expand canvas using Content-Aware Crop — a real time saver. As the last step in my workflow, you will learn how to use the three options available under Image > Tone, Contrast, and Color to perfect the look of your image by applying one or more of them and reducing the Opacity to taste.
In #3, you will also learn to replace the head of a bird with the more attractive head of the same bird from another frame. You will learn to create an image that shows the shadow side detail of the bird and a second image processed as a silhouette, both from the same, properly exposed raw file. We evaluate each raw file in RawDiggger, go through every step in the raw conversion in Photoshop 2024, create and save a master file, create a high quality JPEG, and then properly close the image.
As you follow along in this 58+ minute video, you can pause and/or rewind to maximize your learning.
You can purchase DB III/Volume I/#3 alone for $25.00 here, 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. To do that, click here. The plan is to publish about one video per week or ten days. If the project is well received, there will be future volumes. I have already picked images for DB III, Volume I, #’s 4&5.
Retroactive Discount Savings
If you have previously purchased a single video and learned a lot, you can upgrade to the complete DB III Volume I series and save $26.00 by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 weekdays, Monday through Friday at noon.
Apple 16″ MacBook Pros (M3 Max, Space Black)
I was stunned recently to learn that my relatively new, very much beloved, souped-up-to-the-max Apple 16″ MacBook Pro (M2 Max, Silver) is no longer in production. It has been replaced by many versions of the 16″ MacBook Pros (M3 Max) laptops. Huge thanks to both Mike Lavigne and Sarah Lane; last week, after consulting me on their laptop choice, each of them used my B&H affiliate link last week to purchase a new, souped up Apple 16″ MacBook Pros (M3 Max)!
If you go for one of the machines below, be sure to add three years of Apple Care, the world’s greatest customer service.
I prefer silver. If you want the Apple 16″ MacBook Pro (M3 Max, Silver) model, it will be built for you and available in two to four weeks after you place your order.
If your budget will not allow you to go for the top-of-the-line models above (128GB of RAM with an 8TB Solid State Hard Drive), or if you can go with a 4TB SSD, you can begin by checking out the Apple 16″ MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, Space Black) and then upgrading to your specifications as needed. As always, feel free to e-mail me with questions or for advice.
Head Replacement
In the original image, one of the first in the series, the female’s head was totally obstructed by grasses. I saved another image from the series where we could at least see the female’s eye. (In Photo Mechanic, I use a yellow color tag to denote images being saved as source material.) We converted both images using the same settings, then painted a Quick Mask of the head from the source image, moved it roughly into place on the main image, then fine-tuned the placement and refined the Quick Mask with the addition of a Regular Layer mask. Then we removed some of the grasses that were blocking parts of m’lady’s bill.
Going Both Ways
As long as gently backlit images are exposed properly to the right, you have the option of going both ways with the optimizations. First, we aimed to make a fairly natural looking image that revealed detail on the shaded side of the bird. When that image was saved, we re-converted the image and went for the dynamic silhouetted look. Again, both master .TIF files were prepared from the same raw file.
Easy-Peasy
I had planned on processing this Nickerson Beach Black Skimmer blast-off blur for nearly a year. It is the first image on the video and was intended to review the basics of my current workflow.
Clockwise from the upper left: in pink/purple predawn reflections; squabbling over feeding territory; with wings raised; with sand flea; ruffling after bath; on the edge of the surf with one foot raised.
Be sure to click on the composite image to view a larger, sharper high-res version.
Morro Bay Long-billed Curlew Images
2024 Morro Bay 3 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT): WED 7 FEB through the morning session on SAT 10 FEB 2024: $1999 (Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 3).
There will be a short Meet and Greet after dinner on your own at 7:00pm on TUES 6 FEB 2024.
Join me in one of the most beautiful and scenic places on the planet to photograph a large variety of birds of sea and shore. As above, the star of the show will be Long-billed Curlew. There will be lots of Marbled Godwits, Whimbrels, and Willets as well, and lots of the smaller shorebird species like Black and Ruddy Turnstone. Black Oystercatcher is likely and we should get to photograph large flocks of Western Sandpipers in flight over the bay. With any luck we should enjoy some colorful sunrises and sunsets. There are lots of gulls including Western, California, and Mew. There is one location where we may get to photograph Western, Clarke’s, Eared, and Pied-billed Grebe, Lesser Scaup, and Common Loon. We may run into some passerines including Anna’s Hummingbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, and White-crowned Sparrow. And we have a chance for several species of raptors. Yikes, I almost forgot California Poppy, California Ground Squirrel, and Sea Otter.
The Details
This IPT will include four 3-hour morning photo sessions and three 2-hour afternoons (all times are approximate and dependent on conditions, most especially the weather), three working (image review and Photoshop) brunches (included), and of course tons of great in-the-field instruction photographic instruction. Each working brunch will be followed by Instructor Nap Time (INT). On cloudy days with a poor afternoon forecast, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a single long session and skip the afternoon. To ensure very early starts and that you get some sleep, breakfasts and dinners will be your responsibility. This IPT will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone.
Your $699 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours before noon Eastern time at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance and instructions for sending your check two months before the trip begins. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your check out to BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and clothing and gear advice two months before the trip. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information.
Clockwise from the upper left: Great Egret fishing at sunset; pair of Western Gulls; Bird-Sh_t Rock at sunset; pan blur of the beach north of the rock on a foggy morning; shorebird flock over bay at sunset; Wild Turkey tom strutting.
Be sure to click on the composite image to view a larger, sharper high-res version.
Morro Bay Miscellaneous
Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late
Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field as early as possible and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors as is pretty much the case on almost all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours. Doing so will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty sleep and those who need to get home for a proper dinner. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. Or watching folk leave the beach just before the western sky lights up.
What You Will Learn
I short, you will learn more than you could ever have dreamed of. All 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 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. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode. 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 and whenever you photograph.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I will be heading up to Long Island on the Auto Train on 22 July and heading back to Florida on 21 August. I will be announcing two Nickerson Beach IPTs and one Jamaica Bay shorebird IPT soon. It has been sunny, cold, and windy in the mornings here so I have not gotten down to the lake recently.
There is an only one spot left on the first Homer IPT. Please e-mail for late-registration discount e-mail. Homer #2 is sold out.
Today is Wednesday 20 December 2023. Jim will be distributing Digital Basics III/Volume I/#3 this afternoon. Details on Volume I/#3 in the next blog post. Wherever you are and whatever you choose to do, 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
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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 12 December 2022 on a San Diego Instructional Photo-Tour at La Jolla, CA. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 70mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/125 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:42:14am long before the sun came over the hill.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Brown Pelicans and gulls on cliff in pre-dawn light —
The Sony 70-200mm GM II Lens Alone in La Jolla
Somewhat surprisingly, the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens alone (without a teleconverter) is deadly and versatile in San Diego in winter. On the San Diego IPTs, we arrive very early to take advantage of the pink/purple/blue pre-dawn light. In any system, the 70-200mm lenses are hugely popular among nature photographers for creating scenics and bird-scapes. This one was created at the wide end, 70mm.
Image #1A: This is an un-sharpened 100% crop of the Brown Pelicans and gulls on cliff in pre-dawn light image
Sharpness and Depth of Field
Both sharpness and depth of field are incredible in the un-sharpened 100% screen capture above. The sharpness must be credited to the high quality of the lens and good handhlding technique.
Your Call #1
Note that every bird in the frame has been rendered in sharp focus. What two factors resulted in the remarkably deep depth of field at f/2.8?
This image was created on 11 January 2023 on a San Diego Instructional Photo-Tour at La Jolla, CA. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 180mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:08:09am in the shade on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Brown Pelican — in flight — cliff background
70-200mm for Flight?
Imagine having to zoom out from 200mm when photographing a Brown Pelican in flight. Many would ask, How did you happen to have a 70-200mm lens in your hand at just the right time? I did not just happen. When photographing birds, you need to keep your eyes open and moving. Bird behavior is often repetitive. When I saw pelicans flying into the narrow cove and landing, I ran up to my rental car, switched the 400mm f/2.8 for the 70-200mm f/2.8, got into position, and went to work. It was simply a matter of using the right tool for the job. Join me on an IPT to learn to see the shot, to evaluate a great variety of bird photography situations.
This image was created on 5 January 2023 on a San Diego Instructional Photo-Tour at La Jolla, CA. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1250: 1/640 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:22:31am in the shade on a cloudy dark morning.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Brown Pelican — Pacific race resting on shelf
Different Perspectives, Different Backgrounds
By moving around and checking things out, you can offer find new and different perspectives. Find the spot where you are looking down at the rocky beach and you can enjoy creating a great variety of images. When I made Image #3, I was standing at exact same spot as when I made Image #2. It pays to prospect! Join me on a San Diego IPT to learn all of my secret spots.
Your Call?
Which version do you like, the Before or the After? Why?
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 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 4.
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.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
