June 11th, 2018 Stuff
One Sunday we drove up to the high arctic by first heading west and then turning north onto the 890 to get to Gednje and then on to BÃ¥tsfjord (where the three of us shared two orders of really yummy French fries. On the way, at Anita North’s suggestion, we turned down a side road to get to the Tana River mudflats. As we drove by a small pool, I commented, “There should be some shorebirds in that.” What happened after that will be the subject of the next blog post 🙂 We found some photographable birds around Gednje as well.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. 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 here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
Seven D850s Available Right Now!
Contact Steve below to get yours.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!
Booking.Com
Several folks on the DeSoto IPT used the Booking.Com link below, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created at Vadso, Norway with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens and the Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering + 1 1/3 stops off the gray sky: 1/2500 sec. at f/4.5. CLOUDY WB at 7:57:38pm on a cloudy evening.
Center Group (grp)/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon)/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was centered on the bird’s inner right wing; one AF point was on the bird’s face. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Image #1: Incoming Common Gull screaming/wings up
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The Situation
With a west wind in the late afternoon I decided to take a walk with the 600 to the eastern end of the island. There were about 40 Common Gulls loafing in the grass just before the rocks and the shoreline. Though there were no nests, several birds kept flying right at me screaming. With the dark clouds, dark gray water, and the distant mountains, there were some interesting backgrounds available. I concentrated on the gulls in flight and most especially on the birds that were landing. I stood in the same spot barely moving for close to two hours.
Screamin’ in Love With Nikon AF!
With apologies to all of my beloved Canon-using friends and clients, I must say that in 25 years of using Canon EF lenses and 17 of those years with Canon digital camera bodies, I was never once able to create super-sharp images of birds flying right at me at high speed. Today’s featured images were frames two and three of a three-frame burst, all razor sharp on the bird’s eye.
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This image, the third in a three-frame sequence, was also created at Vadso, Norway with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens and the Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering + 1 1/3 stops off the gray sky: 1/2500 sec. at f/4.5. CLOUDY WB at 7:57:38pm on a cloudy evening.
Center Group (grp)/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon)/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was centered on the bird’s inner right wing; one AF point was on the bird’s face. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Image #2: Incoming Common Gull screaming/flat flight
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MB-D18 Multi-Power Battery Pack for the D850
I have been remiss here for several months worth of blog posts by not mentioning that my main D850 camera body (identified as MAI) is outfitted with the Nikon MB-D18 Multi-Power Battery Pack ($396.95) and the Nikon EN-EL18b Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (10.8V, 2500mAh) (149.00). But amazingly, that will not get the job done; Nikon rips you off for another $24.95 for the Nikon BL-5 Battery Chamber Cover for MB-D12 Battery Pack. Not to worry, the Battery Chamber Cover works with the MB-D12, the MB-D17, and the MB-D18 Battery Packs. Just so you understand correctly, they charge you $396.95 for the MB-D18 Battery Pack that is cannot be used without the Battery Chamber Cover; you gotta love that.
Though an over-priced ripoff, these three items enable you to get from seven to nine frames per second. At the cost of the additional weight of course. I renamed the image files from my back-up D850 as BUP. Out of the box all Nikon digital cameras affix DSC as the identifier …
Renaming Your Nikon Camera Body Image Files
To change the three letter identifier on your Nikon body go to the Photo Shooting Menu and scroll down to the fourth item, File naming. Then hit the right arrow, select your new three letter code, and hit OK. This makes a lot of sense if you own more than one body, a must if you do any serious photo trips. Canon names the image files with a camera-specific code right out of the box. As mentioned here previously, that makes a lot more sense to me. One of my 5D Matk IV bodies was _W5A, the other was _P3A. With both Canon and Nikon the underscore before the file number indicates that you are properly set up to capture in Adobe RGB (not in sRGB).
Your Favorite?
Which of today’s two featured images is your favorite, wings up or wings flat? Be sure to let us know why you made your choice.
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An Unsharpened 100% crop of the master TIFF file for Image #2
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In Case You Thought That I Was Exaggerating On the Sharpness …
The JPEG above is a 100% crop of the optimized image file. Today’s two featured images were healthy crops to begin with. Thus, the tight crop above is a testament to both the Nikon autofocus system and the amazing quality of a sharp D850 image file.
Help Support the Blog
Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie
If In Doubt …
If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.
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 :).
June 9th, 2018 Stuff
After a great Thursday, Friday was a bust until late in the day. We went out behind the hotel at about 7pm. Amy and Anita found the black Ruff that has been regular at the pond along with the Red-necked Phalaropes and a few pairs of Tufted Ducks. I walked to the eastern end of the island and concentrated on Common Gulls n flight with the 600 alone and one of my two D850s. I got a few killers …
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. 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 here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
Seven D850s Available Right Now!
Contact Steve below to get yours.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!
Booking.Com
Several folks on the DeSoto IPT used the Booking.Com link below, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was also created on June 7 at Vardo, Norway. I rested my rig on the lowered window of the van: the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 1000. Matrix metering +2/3 stop as framed: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3. CLOUDY WB at 5:36PM on a cloudy afternoon.
One below the center, Group (grp)/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the right flank of the Ruff in the middle.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5.
Image #1: Six Ruffs: The Ruffians
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Amy Runs to the Ruffs!
Amy Novotny runs pretty much every day. I do not know her complete running history but I do know that she has run in and completed four Boston Marathons. So she is not just running around the block. She set out on a run from our hotel in Vadso on Thursday and returned with news: she had found lots of Ruffs.
An Exception to the Rule …
When photographing groups of birds, I have long advised that folks focus on the closest bird. Here, I chose to focus on the second closest bird and it worked out perfectly. I thought of switching to a lower left AF point, but when the arrangement presented itself momentarily, I had no choice but to push the shutter button. I guess that all rules are made to be broken when the opportunity presents itself.
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This image was created on June 7 at Vardo, Norway. I rested my rig on the lowered window of the van: the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering plus 1/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/6.3. CLOUDY WB at 4:06pam on a cloudy afternoon.
Center Group (grp) AF point/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the bird’s front end. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5.
Image #2: Victorian Royalty Ruff
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Brushane
Brushane is the Norwegian name for Ruff. The correct pronunciation is quite baffling to Americans: say “bruce-HON-uh.
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This image also was created on June 7 at Vardo, Norway. I rested my rig on the lowered window of the van: the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II, and the Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering minus about 1/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/7.1. CLOUDY WB at 5:00PM on a cloudy afternoon.
One to the right of the center Group (grp)/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the bird’s face. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +1.
Image #3: Rusty-headed, black-chested Ruff feeding
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When to Be Wary of Group AF …
While Group (grp) AF is superb for flight photography, it can hurt you when using it for photographing single birds. If the bird is large in the frame as with Image #3, you are OK if you can place the array on the bird’s face. But with subject that are not so large in the frame, the array is often confused (for lack of a better term), and may focus on the bird’s breast (or somewhere else) that is in front of the plane of the face and the eye. It is much, much better to go with single point or d-9 (at most) with birds that are filling about half the frame. For me, lesson learned.
I made many unsharp images on Thursday, in part due to using Group AF when I shouldn’t have, in part because long effective focal lengths and relatively slow shutter speeds are not a good mix, and in part because I do not have a BLUBB with me. Resting the 600 on the lowered van window is a problematic strategy at best. And using pillow or a rolled up sweatshirt simply does not offer the stability of a BLUBB with its concave top that allows the bag to solidly cradle your long lens.
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This image was also created on June 7 at Vardo, Norway. I rested my rig on the lowered window of the van: the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 1000. Matrix metering plus about 2/3 stop: as framed: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3. CLOUDY WB at 5:20pm on a cloudy afternoon.
Center Group (grp) AF point/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the bird’s ruff; this image is cropped from the horizontal original.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5.
Image #4: Queen Victoria Ruff
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Ruffs and Reeves
The male of the species bears the English name, Ruff. The females are called reeves. In breeding plumage, the males feature spectacular ear tufts and ruffs or boas of shaggy, colorful feathers. Color-wise there is so much variation — as you can see with today’s images — that it is difficult to find two that are even pretty much the same. The females are quite plain and resemble a stock Pectoral Sandpiper. I have yet to make a good image of a reeve. Thanks to Amy, we had a banner days with Ruffs (and also with Eurasian Golden Plover).
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This image was also created on June 7 at Vardo, Norway. I rested my rig on the lowered window of the van: the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering +1 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3. CLOUDY WB at 5:20Pm on a cloudy afternoon.
Center Group (grp) AF point/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the bird’s chest. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +4.
Image #5: Rough and Ready Ruff
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The Image Optimizations
Because I was fighting to keep a relatively low ISO while maintaining a halfway decent shutter speed, most of Thursday’s images were about one-third stop underexposed. I began each conversion in ACR by increasing moving the Exposure slider to the right. Once I finished working all the sliders and got the TIFF into Photoshop a healthy dose of one of my NIK Color Efex Pro Detail Extractor/Tonal Contrast recipes was applied. Having use CLOUDY WB I moved the color temperature slider to the left a few hundred degrees with each RAW conversion. But the GREENs of the grass were still too intense so I put the whole thing on a layer, hit Command + U (Hue/Saturation), picked the YELLOW channel from the dropdown menu, and reduced the Saturation about 15-20 points to tone down the color of the grass. Then I applied a Regular Layer Mask, hit B, D, X, and erased the effect from the bird.
If anything above does not make sense to you, consider getting a copy of my BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Click on the link to learn more about this comprehensive e-Guide.
Your Favorite Ruff?
Which Ruff do you like best? Do let us know why.
Help Support the Blog
Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie
If In Doubt …
If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.
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 :).
June 7th, 2018 Stuff
Wednesday was another cold day with fierce winds. In the morning, we headed down the coast to Nesseby to look for Little Stint. On the way, we saw several Rough-legged Hawks (Rough-legged Buzzards on this side of the Atlantic). Right off the bat I spotted a Little Stint, the first one I had seen since the one I saw at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York in July 1983. This species is an extreme rarity in North America. But alas, it was — though we split up and tried for two hours — impossible to get anywhere near the birds. In the afternoon we headed back to the kittiwake colony at Ekkeroy.
The weather has been borderline brutal with gale force winds as strong as 9 kilometers per second (if I am understanding correctly). Where oh where is the arctic summer?
That’s Two
I was pleased to learn yesterday that Lyle Bown signed up for the 2019 San Diego IPT. That makes two.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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. 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 here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
Seven D850s Available Right Now!
Contact Steve below to get yours.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!
Booking.Com
Several folks on the DeSoto IPT used the Booking.Com link below, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created at Nesseby, Norway on June 6, 2018. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens (at 120mm) and the Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering minus 1 1/3 stops: 1/400 sec. at f/8. CLOUDY WB at 10:00am on a cloudy morning.
One to the right of the center AF point/D-9/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon)/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the gill plate just behind the fishes eye. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
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Blackdrops I
I found this well preserved fish carcass (ID welcome) on a photo walk behind our hotel in Vadso. I picked it up and put it in the pocket of the red parka I got on my first trip to the Southern Ocean in 2006. Could it be that long ago? Then I tossed it under the back seat of the van in hopes of remembering it when I spotted a pleasing background. That happened at Nesseby after two hours of bird photography during which time I created zero images. 🙂 That Amy had mentioned that she was getting tired of smelling the dead fish helped to motivate me. When I saw some patches of clean sand on the beach I walked to the van and grabbed the 24-120 and the fish carcass, placed the fish on the sand, figured the exposure, and created some images. All were pretty blah. On the way back to the van I noted the dark, mahogany-colored seaweed, placed the fish on that, and made some more images. The looked amazing on the back of the camera and pretty neat on the laptop as well.
The key to the success of this image was a result of the really, really dark background.
It was so windy as I was making the images that it was hard to get a solid stance, and when I looked down to try to frame the image, my eyes watered so badly that the fish looked totally out-of-focus. That forced me to rely completely on the AF system. This worked out quite well though the framing was a challenge. With images like these I always struggle with how much if at all to angle the subject in the frame …
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This image was created at Ekkeroy, Norway on June 6, 2018. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 400mm) with the Nikon D850. ISO 1000. Matrix metering plus 1 2/3 stops off the grey sky was about -1 stop as framed: 1250 sec. at f/6.3. CLOUDY WB at 10:00am on a cloudy morning.
Center Group (grp)/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon)/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on bird’s back just behind and to the left of it’s head.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
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Blackdrops II
With the west wind and a faint sun in the western sky, I thought that we might do well at Ekkeroy by taking the high road at the top of the cliff so that we would be looking down on the kittiwake colony and on the birds in flight. On our first visit we photographed from the beach. Things worked out quite well and we did not get blown off the cliff.
The dramatic black background here was a conscious choice. I’d follow the birds as they turned and glided in the wind until they were set against a single large, dark, seaweed covered rock shelf. You had to be quick because as they angled in toward the cliff they would soon disappear behind the top of the cliff. Understandably, we did not want to get too close to the edge.
Surprisingly both Amy (D500 and 200-500 with back button focus) and Anita (D850 and 200-500 and shutter button AF) were having trouble acquiring and maintaining focus. I had little trouble doing that with the 80-400 VR/D850 combo. If the birds are close, I much prefer the 80-400 over the 200-500 as it is much lighter (3.45 lbs. for the 80-400 vs. 4.6 lbs. for the 2-5). Conditions were extremely tough because of the high winds and the birds’ erratic flight. It is hard to believe how much lighter the 80-400 seems to be considering that the difference in weight is only a bit more than one pound. But in addition to the lighter weight of the 80-400, its smaller size and bulk makes it easier to handle in the wind. To that end I removed the lens hood that can act like a sail in the wind. I also recommend removing the tripod collar from the 80-400 and the 200-500 when you know you will be hand holding to minimize the weight. For me, every ounce matters.
Summing Up
Black backgrounds can offer work quite well for nature photographers so be on the lookout for them!
Help Support the Blog
Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie
If In Doubt …
If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.
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 :).
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