Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

Yesterday Jim sent DB III, Volume I/#2 to all who purchased the Digital Basic III Video series. If you wish to purchase the series at this point, you will receive the first two videos as soon as we process your order and the next three about one every week or so. I will share details on DB III, Volume I/#2 in the next blog post when it will be available for purchase as a single video.

I was glad to learn yesterday that good friend and many multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown will be joining me on the first San Diego IPT.

I took a walk with the peashooter rig yesterday when it clouded over. I created 376 images and kept three.

Today is Wednesday 29 November 2023. It is the coldest morning of the season. The temperature in the house was 71° when I awoke and the pool was down to 72.7°; the low overnight temps overwhelmed the heater. It will be another cold half-mile swim today. Wherever you are and 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.

This image was created on 21 November 2023. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5558 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 500: 1/400 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:51:30am, right after sunrise on a partly cloudy morning. Tracking Zone/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger, sharper, high-res version. Image #1: Osprey carrying fish

Coming or Going?

Is the bird in Image #1 flying toward me or away from me? How do you know?

Why So Slow?

Looking at the EXIF above, many would ask, “Why 1/400 second shutter speed? You recommend at least 1/2500 or 1/3200 second as a minimum shutter speed?”

I had been doing blurs in Manual mode. When I visualized a possible decent image, I raised the shutter speed a bunch of clicks and lowered the ISO a bunch of clicks. I got the exposure right but was way short on shutter speed. But with the bird a good distance away, it was rendered sharp. I had gotten lucky. I did fail to mention one important principle yesterday: at a given shutter speed, the degree of blurring increases as the distance to the subject decreases.

Had I been working in Shutter Priority as detailed in yesterday’s blog post, I would have only needed to change one parameter instead of two and could have easily gotten to a much faster shutter speed.

On the morning of 21 November 2023 there were lots of Ospreys in the air but not many diving and even fewer catching. Otherwise, it was a great morning with 92 keepers; Royal and Caspian Terns, Laughing, Ring-billed, immature Herring, and adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Great and Reddish Egret, Brown Pelican, Ruddy Turnstone and Willet (among others!) Not to mention dozens of Wood Storks.

Sebastian Inlet — It Ain’t Just Osprey

Most photographers visit Sebastian Inlet with eyes only for Osprey. When the Osprey action is lacking, there are lots of other great avian subjects to shoot. The fact is, however, that most photographers ignore the other birds. And if on occasion, they get so bored by the lack of action that they point there lenses at the gulls, terns, shorebirds, and wading birds, they carelessly work well off sun angle with total disregard for the wind.

As mentioned previously, the key to making superb photographs at Sebastian (or anywhere else), is to understand the relationship of the wind strength and direction, the sky conditions, and the direction and quality of the light. Learn to do just that by joining me on this coming Friday or Saturday at Sebastian. The morning forecasts are again dead-said perfect as was the case on 21 NOV. In addition, the tide is perfect as well.

If you would like to join me for one or both mornings, please call my cell at 863-221-2372 ASAP. Please shoot me a text if I do not pick up. I need to know no later than today at 7:00pm — earlier is of course better. If you want to do the two mornings, we can share an AirBnB.

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 or afternoon In-the-Field Instruction at Sebastian Inlet for only $300.00/session (or $500 for a full day with two sessions). The main target will be fishing Ospreys hunting 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, shorebirds, sunrise cloud-scapes, and the occasional sea turtle or manatee.

Best Current Dates: Friday 1 and Saturday 2 December 2023.

Please get in touch via e-mail or call my cell at 863-221-2372 ASAP to book one or more sessions. Please shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

Click on the composite to view a larger version and be even more impressed. The Art & Science of Photographing Birds in Flight with the Sony α-1 e-Book/PDF link sent via e-mail: $150.00

The Art & Science of Photographing Birds in Flight with the Sony α-1

by Arash Hazeghi and Arthur Morris

First of all, if you use Nikon or Canon (or Olympus or Fuji) gear, do not be put off by the title. While a portion of the guide deals with the Sony α-1, there is a ton of priceless information, tips, and techniques that can help you become a better flight photographer. No matter what system you are using. If you do not use an α-1, be sure to read down to the bottom to save a few bucks.

Arash Hazeghi and Arthur Morris have created the definitive and most comprehensive ever treatise on photographing birds in flight. With more than sixty years of experience photographing birds, they know what you need to know but have not figured out yet! You will be astounded by the depth of their knowledge and the tips they have to offer. More than six months in the making, the guide contains 229 pages, 24,321 words,97 exceptional and inspirational flight images — each with a legendary, enlightening BIRDS AS ART caption, and 22 screen captures. The guide contains a wealth of useful, practical, and for the most part — never-before-available information.

Purchase

Click here to purchase your copy in the BAA Online Store.

What Everyone Will Learn

We will teach you the basic concepts that you need to master to become a great flight photographer along with the techniques used by the world’s best flight photographers.

You will learn that most any telephoto lens can be perfect for flight photography in a given situation; focal lengths for the images in the book range from 200mm to 1200mm and everywhere in between.

We discuss the merits of various lenses in depth, including and especially comparing the 400mm f/2.8 lenses with the 600mm f/4s.

We guide you in getting your hands on the flight photography lens that will best meet your needs. We offer a variety of handholding and rest position tips and include tips on working with a big lens on a tripod when working with a flight lens that is otherwise too heavy for you.

Both authors offer their thoughts on getting the right exposure when photographing birds in flight. You will learn to get the right exposure on foggy days and even when photographing black birds in white sky conditions.

You will learn the tremendous importance of pre-focusing, of finding the bird in the viewfinder quickly, acquiring focus almost instantly (with tips on doing all three).

You will learn the role of image stabilization in flight photography and the best settings.

Both authors share their thoughts on using the focus range limiter switch. In the same vein, you will learn to use Direct Manual Focus to make your flight photography life easier.

All will learn about the best wing positions and the importance of the background with images of birds in flight. With lots of examples.

You will learn about the best shutter speeds (and the best aperture) to use when photographing flying birds.

You will learn to photograph flight while seated and the many advantages of doing so.

You will learn the best methods of controlling high ISO noise.

All will learn to format their flash cards properly and safely.

You will learn what to do when your AF system is temporarily blinded.

All will learn the huge effect that wind strength and direction has on flight photography and to evaluate the quality and direction of the light on both sunny and cloudy days.

You will learn why it is vitally important to shoot aggressively when photographing birds in flight.

You will learn to carefully observe and evaluate a variety of bird behaviors that may shine light on some excellent opportunities for photographing birds in flight. And about getting into the best position from which to photograph.

You will learn to be a much better flight photographer.

What Sony Folks Will Learn

Exactly how Artie uses Zebras to come up with perfect exposure after perfect exposure.

The fine points and recommended settings for Optical Steady Shot (OSS).

The concept of Auto-Focus (AF) tracking in the α-1.

Everything there is to know about the complex Sony autofocus system.

About all the AF patterns, how to quickly switch them, and about those favored by each author. And why.

The Tracking and Non-tracking AF patterns. When and why Arash uses Non-Tracking Zone. And why Artie uses only two AF patterns.

How to set and use Bird Face-Eye detection for flight photography.

How and why to assign various custom functions to the various programmable buttons on the α-1 body.

The perfect settings for the many, many Menu items that are vitally related to flight photography.

How and why the Sony α-1 uses both contrast and phase detection AF to determine focus (and the benefits thereof).

Which are the best memory cards for the Sony α-1.

To quickly access frequently used menu items.

Non-Sony α-1 Discount

Using the honor system, folks who do not use a Sony α-1 body are invited to click here to save $25.00 on the purchase price of the guide.

Typos

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

My Sony 600mm f/4 Repair Story

In mid-August of this year, I discovered that I could not remove the drop-in filter on my Sony 600mm f/4. It needs to be cleaned every few weeks. So, with some trepidation, I sent the lens to Sony repair in LA in late August. Other than the stuck filter, the lens had been working perfectly. I was pleased to note that Sony picked up the round-trip, overnight Fed Ex shipping charges as part of my Sony Pro Support membership ($100.00/year).

In early September they told me that the filter was stuck because “of sand getting into the unit.” Understandable. They stated that they had cleaned the entire lens as it was “full of sand.” Again understandable. Two weeks later I received another e-mail: they had discovered a problem with the AF system and needed a part that was out of stock. Several weeks after that, they told me that the part had come in, but when they began the repair, they discovered that they needed another part that was of course out of stock. At that point I decided to grab a loaner. While I love the 400mm f/2.8, there are times when I need and depend on the 600, especially at Sebastian Inlet.

On October 23, I got an e-mail stating that the lens would be returned to me in perfect working condition. The first time that I attached an a-1 to the lens it was obvious that the lens was inoperable. The camera could not read the lens; all I saw in the EVF was “f-” instead of the aperture. Unfortunately, I had returned the loaner before checking the lens.

I returned the lens to Sony and grabbed another loaner. I immediately got an e-mail asking if I had taken the lens to the beach as it was again “full of sand.” I wrote back stating that I had not taken the lens into the field and that sand they had found must have been leftover from the first “cleaning.”

The next e-mail said that the unit needed a new motherboard that was, of course, out of stock. On November 22, just about three months to the day that I sent it in, I got my lens back.

The first thing that I did when when testing the lens was shoot it with the 2X. Checking out today’s featured images you will see that the sharpness at 1200mm is spot on; I am very happy with the repairs.

Used Gear Updates

Canon EOS 7D Mark II with Extras

Good friend and many multiple IPT veteran Indranil Sircar is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II in excellent plus condition with several extras for a very low $449.00. The shutter count is 31001. The sale includes the Canon Battery Grip BG-E16 (a roughly $69.00 value), two Canon batteries, the original box, the cables and software and manuals, the battery charger, the front body cap, Canon Remote Release RS-80N3 (a roughly $50.00 value) and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only.

Please contact Indranil via e-mail.

If you are looking to get started with a Canon dSLR, Indranil’s 7DII is perfect for you. Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II bodies until about ten years ago when we both committed to using full-frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. The 7D Mark II remains one of the greatest-ever values in a digital camera body. artie

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with Extras

Good friend and many multiple IPT veteran Indranil Sircar is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in excellent plus condition with several extras for a very low $999.00. The sale includes the Canon Battery Grip BG-E20 (a roughly $229.00 value), two Canon batteries, the original box, the cables and software and manuals, the battery charger, the front body cap, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only.

Please contact Indranil via e-mail.

What can I say? The 5D IV was my favorite-ever Canon digital dSLR. I owned and used three of them while my 1DX II and a 1DX III sat on the shelf in my garage. A new 5D Mark IV, with its 30.4MP full-frame CMOS sensor, sells new for $$2,699. If you have been dreaming of a 5D IV, grab Indranil’s 5D IV right now and save an astounding $1,700.00. artie

Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L USM Autofocus Telephoto Lens

BAA Record-low Price!

John Nelson is offering a Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L USM autofocus telephoto lens in excellent condition for a BIRDS AS ART record-low $599.00. The sale includes the soft pouch, the hood, the front and rear lens caps, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact John via e-mail.

Ideal for portraiture, the EF 135mm f/2L USM is a medium telephoto prime and a member of Canon’s L-series of lenses. The long focal length coupled with the f/2 maximum aperture afford a great deal of control over depth of field for isolating subject matter and using selective focus, and the bright aperture also benefits shooting handheld in low-light conditions. In regard to the optical design, the lens uses two ultra-low dispersion elements to control chromatic aberrations and color fringing for high clarity, and a Super Spectra coating has also been applied to suppress flare and ghosting for increased contrast and color accuracy. Complementing the imaging attributes, a ring-type USM is employed to deliver quick and quiet autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus. It is compatible with both the EF 1.4X and EF 2X teleconverters. B&H and Canon.

Canon EOS-1DX Mark II Digital SLR Camera with Extras!

BAA Record-low Price!
Price reduced $200.00 on 25 November 2023

John Nelson is offering a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II dSLR camera in excellent condition for a BIRDS AS ART record low $1399.00 (was $1599.00). The sale includes the original box, one battery, the charger, the front body cap, four (4) 128 128GB CFast memory cards, cfast cards, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact John via e-mail.

The 1DX Mark II is a rugged, fast Canon professional digital camera body. It features an excellent AF system and high quality image files with great dynamic range. When he used Canon, it was the first choice of Arash Hazeghi, the world’s premier photographer of birds in flight.Two iDX II served as my workhorse bodies for several years. And I loved them. artie

This image was created on 24 November 2023 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2000. 1/500 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:31:59am in the shade, gently backlit on a sunny morning. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Crested Caracara adult head and neck portrait

The ILE Caracara Situation

A pair of Crested Caracaras is building a nest in the same tree that they used last year. For the past few mornings, the pair has been feeding on the lawn in front of a home on Palmetto Drive along with a dozen or so Cattle Egrets.

Remember that if your super-telephoto lens has a Direct Manual Focus (DMF) switch, you need to set it to Off when you are working on a beanbag so that you do not inadvertently throw off the focus when framing or re-composing. Then you need to remember to turn it back on when you go back to normal use.

The Color Work and the Bill Clean-up

Using the new Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool (L-TAT) makes it child’s play to adjust the Luminance and Saturation of the colors in each and every image. For the extensive bill clean-up, I used a variety of Photoshop tools, but the new Remove Tool was the most valuable. I will include this image in a future Volume I video. The Volume 1/#2 video will be distributed this coming Tuesday.

Be sure also to check out the Eye Doctor work.

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 (L-TAT). 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 or at the bottom of this blog post.

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. If you are a new subscriber to the series you will receive Volume I/#1 no later than tomorrow and Volume I/#2 on Tuesday.

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.

This image was created on 9 November 2023 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000. 1/500 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:56:14am on bright sunny morning. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Black Vulture adult portrait

Looking Quite Regal

This handsome adult Black Vulture posed for a 1200mm head portrait against the white sand of the Indian Lake Estates Beach. The “beach” is actually a sand pit to the left of the pier. Though it cost a pretty penny to build, the birds are the only creatures I have seen using it.

The New Remove Tool

There were about a zillion specks of whitewash on this handsome vulture’s face and several more on its feathers. For the extensive clean-up, I used a special technique with new Remove Tool. I will be including that technique in a future Volume I video. The Volume 1/#2 video will be distributed this coming Tuesday.

This image was created on 24 November 2023 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000. 1/1250 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:51:12am on sunny morning. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Turkey Vulture adult and Black Vulture juvenile head portrait juxtaposition

A Comparative Juxtaposition

Tight head shots of both species of vultures when working at 1200mm at ILE are easy peasy. When I saw a TV and a BV perfectly aligned atop a small rise adjacent to the parking circle near the pier, I placed the lens on the BLUBB before I began my approach. Then I slowly and carefully drove my vehicle into just the right spot.

The birds remained nicely juxtaposed for about two minutes. I created about two dozen images, kept two slightly different ones, and optimized just the one above.

Car-As-Blind Technique Question

When working from a vehicle, why do you need to place the lens on the BLUBB before making a close approach?

Typos

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