After enjoying yet another great morning (Wednesday, January 23) with the pelicans on the cliffs at La Jolla, I took my first afternoon off since I arrived in California on January 3rd! Thursday morning was excellent but with not quite as much action as the previous day.
It looks as if there will soon be only single spaces left on both the first and second Homer eagle trips …
Please take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of today’s featured images you feel is the strongest and do let us know why yoou made your choice.
Homer Bald Eagle Photography Lessons
Click on the play triangle to learn about getting the right exposure for black and white subjects in sun or on cloudy or snowy days, the best lenses for eagle photography in Homer, creating pleasing blurs, basic and advanced composition, and tons more in this free video. Click on the little broken white square lower right next to YouTube to view the video full screen. Hit Escape to exit full screen. Enjoy!
This image was made with a Canon 70-200mm lens and the EOS-1D Mark II at 1/800 sec. at f/2.8.
If you missed the Homer IPTs announcement (there are two separate trips), or if you are thinking of attending, be sure to see the complete offering here.
Image #31: Bald Eagles: No Room on the Ice
More On Homer
For the first trip only, I am offering a $500/person discount for those who sign up with a friend or spouse. You can access the complete trip offering here.
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Greg Ferguson:
I attended this IPT in 2011 and can only say it was the most intensive bird photography I have ever experienced. My arms were tired and sore from shooting so many action photos. It is highly recommended! I called Jim today and signed up for a reprise. Greg
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Dick Curtain:
I attended the Homer IPT in the past and can only say it was a great experience. Many eagles, beautiful scenery, great instruction, and many fond memories. Don’t miss it.
IPT Updates
The Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPTs:
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00 (Price reduced to $3999.00!). Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2
The 2020 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — MAR 19 thru the morning session 22 MAR 2020: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 7.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
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 EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
The Used Gear page has been very hot for the past month with the continuing price drops on both Canon and Nikon gear. And there have been some great buys on SONY stuff too. There are still lots of solid bargains right now on the Used Gear Page.
Recent Sales
BIRDS AS ART Used Gear Page Mega-hot!
IPT veteran Steve Leimberg sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II Lens in near-mint condition for a BAA Record-low $5400.00 (was $5,989.00) in mid-January 2020.
Regular Used Gear Page seller John Bowden traded in his Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent-plus condition to a local camera store in early January 2020 and kindly sent me a check for 4% of the original asking price of $598.00.
Jerry Barrack sold his Canon 400mm f/5.6L lens (my old “toy lens”) in very good plus condition with some scuff marks here and there for the BAA crazy record-low price of $549.00 sometime in December.
Jerry Barrack sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Digital Camera Body in near-mint condition for $1599.00 (was $1,999.00) and a Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens for Canon EF in mint condition for $300.00 (was $399.00) in mid-January 2020.
Multiple IPT veteran William Schneider sold his FE Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $9,897.00 (was $10,697.00) in mid-January 2020.
Jerry Barrack sold his Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (zoom) lens in near-mint condition for the you-might-as-well-give-it-away-free price of $99.00 in mid-January 2020.
David Ramirez sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II lens in excellent plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $5299.00 (was $5699.00) in early January.
Jerry Barrack sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Digital Camera Body in near-mint condition for $1399 (was listed at 1,999.00) in December 2019.
Ken Siegel sold his Sony a7r III in mint condition for only $1949.00 (was $2049.00) in early December 2019.
IPT veteran Joe Randle sold his Canon 500mm f4L IS USM Super Telephoto lens (the “old five”) in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $2499.00 in December 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Jake Levin soold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in excellent plus condition for $648.00. in December 2020.
IPT veteran Richard Russ sold his Nikon D850 dSLR in near-mint condition for the very low price of $1996.95 and a Nikon 500mm PF lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $3,096.95 the first day they were listed on January 11, 2020.
Errol Bellon sold his Nikon 80-400 AFS Nikkor f/4.5-5.6 G ED N VR lens in mint condition for a BAA record-low $1096.95 (was $1396.95).
Jim Lewis sold his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in like-new condition for a very low $3,198.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, and a Fujinon XF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS lens is in excellent condition for $899.00 all right after they were listed on December 21, 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Monte Brown sold his used Gitzo GT3530 LSV Tripod in very good condition for the practically giving-it-away-for-free price of $200.00 less than an hour after it was listed on 1/18/20.
IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a Canon EOS-1D X in like-new condition (with a low shutter count of < 7,100) along with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in mint condition for the crazy low price of only $2,399.00 (was 2,599.00), a Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO USM Lens in like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $4,099.00, and a 4th Generation Design Mongoose M3.5 Mongoose Action Head in like-new condition for the crazy low price of only $249.00 all in mid-December.
BPN friend Ravi Hirekatur sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS lens (the original 1-4) in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00 in late December 2019.
Sensibly reducing the prices on the items that did not sell, multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his rarely used Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens in near-mint condition for the new BAA record-low price of $399.00 (was $499.00), a Canon 580 EX II Speedlite in excellent condition for only $99.00 (was $199.00), a rarely-used, refurbished Canon Speedlite 430EX II (flash) in near-mint condition for $49.00 (was $99.00), a Canon Extender EF 1.4X II (teleconverter) in very good condition for $99.00 (was $169.00), and a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM L zoom lens in excellent condition for a BAA record-low $349.00 (was $449.00). All on the first day of the price reductions! By reducing the prices as I suggested Jim now has $1,000 dollars in his pocket rather than having those items collecting dust in his home ...
BAA friend and multiple IPT veteran Paul Reinstein sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in near-mint condition (shutter count 40,054) for the lowest-ever-by-a mile price of $1749.00 (was $1899.00).
Joe Randle sold his Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $899.00 in mid-January 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his rarely used Canon EOS 5DS R in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $1599.00 (was $1799.00) in early January 2010.
Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Sony a7r IV Mirrorless Digital camera body in absolutely like-new condition for only $2898.00 (was $3098.00) in early January 2020.
Top pro-Jim Zuckerman sold his Sony Alpha a7R Mirrorless Digital camera in excellent condition for $1399 in Late-December 2019.
Joe Randle sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II Zoom Lens in excellent plus condition for $999.99 in early January 2020.
Sony A7r iii Mirrorless Camera Body
Bob Lester is offering a Sony A7r iii Mirrorless camera body in Very Good Plus condition (shutter count < 14,000) for only $1698.00. The sale includes the battery, the charger, the strap, the papers, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Photos are available upon request. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail or by phone at 1-503-780-6982 (Pacific time zone).
You’ve seen my great Galapagos images; I made tons of great stuff on the 2019 trip with the 7r III and the SONY 100-400 with and without the 1.4X TC. Simply put, the a7r iii is a great camera body. It sells new right now at B&H for $2498.00 and the newer a7r iv is going for $3,498.00! You can save a very cool $800.00 by grabbing Bob’s a7r iii right now. artie
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
i-Phone 8+ image
Long-billed Curlew Sunrise
The SONY 200-600 with the a9 ii Kills at Long-billed Curlew City (aka Morro Bay) Too!
At La Jolla, the best attribute of the 200-600 is its versatile zoom range. A Morro Bay, the most important attribute of the 200-600 is its light weight which allows you to hand hold while being extremely maneuverable; making good images of the curlews, Whimbrels, and godwits at Morro Bay requires you to move around constantly so that you are properly oriented to the light and are able to maintain correct subject-to-imaging sensor orientation.
This image was created on January 18, 2020 at Morro Bay, CA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 356mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 640. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:12am on a mostly sunny morning.
Center Zone Continuous/tracking (C) AF worked perfectly here.
Click to enlarge and enjoy the larger version.
Long-billed Curlew with wings raised
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Something Extra …
Don’t get me wrong: well-done portraits of Long-billed Curlews just standing are nothing to sneeze at. Especially if they are made in sweet light in pleasing settings. I was able to create dozens and dozens of those. But for today’s blog post I choose to go with three images that have that something special, a bit of pizzazz that makes them pop. Long-billed Curlews have a habit of holding their wings up when they land. At those moments they are indeed spectacular.
This image was also created on January 18, 2020 at Morro Bay, CA. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (this time at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 2000. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 7:56am on a then partly-cloudy morning.
Wide Continuous/tracking (C) AF worked perfectly here.
Click to enlarge and enjoy the larger version.
Long-billed Curlew ruffling
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Ruffling
After preening, shorebirds will often tip forward and ruffle (shake out) their feathers to re-arrange them and get rid of the fluff they create when preening. In such situations, the 15 fps actual frame rate of the a9 ii pays huge dividends. This, the first frame of a 13-frame sequence, was my favorite by far.
This image was created on January 21, 2020 at Morro Bay, CA. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (again at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 2000. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:15am on a then clear and sunny morning.
Upper Center Zone Continuous/tracking (C) AF worked perfectly here.
Click to enlarge and enjoy the larger version.
Long-billed Curlew in breaking wave
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Sometimes You Just Know!
I made this one on our last morning at Morro Bay, the morning that I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging with Jon Pearson. I was really on the move that morning as it was only the second time that we saw the sun at Morro. And the first time was for five whole minutes. I am always moving around more at the beach when it is sunny as I attempt to stay right on sun angle especially when there are multiple subjects. The trick is to decide almost instantly which bird offers the best potential and then go for that one. In this case, I made the right choice!
This bird was foraging for sand crabs when a big wave broke and he stood upright as if to keep from being swept away. As the white water rushed past him I fired off about 15 frames; I was 100% sure that I had come up with something really good. The best news? All of them were eye-skin-crisp and I had a hard time picking the best of the keepers.
From left to right clockwise back to the center: Brown Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill downstroke, Brown Pelican sunrise silhouette, Double-crested Cormorant pre-dawn blur, Roseate Spoonbill flapping after bath, Brown Pelican taking flight, Roseate Spoonbill taking flight, Reddish Egret white morph breeding plumage in flight, and Reddish Egret dark morph breeding plumage in flight.
All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks on the 2018 trip.
You can click on each card to enjoy a larger version.
2020 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — MAR 19 thru the morning session 22 MAR 2020: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
3 1/2 days on the boat including four morning photo sessions and three afternoon sessions via customized pontoon boat.
Price per day Reduced from the 2018 rates! Please e-mail for details on IPT veteran and couples’ discounts. Pro-rated options may be available …
We will be leaving the dock very early for the morning sessions (weather permitting) in hopes of photographing pre-dawn fly-outs and blast-offs. All sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. We might consider other options in the unlikely event of horrific weather. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, both morphs of Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White and Glossy Ibises, and Double-crested Cormorant. We should have some good chances with birds carrying nesting material. This IPT includes all boat and guide fees, in the field instruction, chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit), and three working lunches on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. For the most part, we will be standing in mid-calf to knee-high water behind our tripods. We help you get in and out of the boat with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.
All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks
The Timing and Tides are Perfect!
I recently saw a similar trip advertised two months too late for breeding plumaged spoonbills … The 2020 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT represents an incredible opportunity to photograph Florida’s most wanted species. I do hope that you can join us. There will be a meet and greet at 7:00pm sharp on the evening of WED 18 MAR, 2020. All of the images on the cards were made on the Hooptie Deux from late-February through March, prime time for the spoonies in mega-breeding plumage. Many folks have written expressing interest so please do not tarry.
Please e-mail to hold your spot. Then you may either secure your spot by calling Jim or Jennifer at the office at 863-692-0906 and leaving the $500 deposit on a credit card or sending your check for payment in full to us as follows with the check made out to:
BIRDS AS ART and sent here via US mail:
BIRDS AS ART
PO BOX 7245
Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855
If you call to leave your deposit, you will be asked to mail your check for the balance.
Images courtesy of our guide; copyright 2017 Captain James Shadle (aka Froggie). All of the images here were created at Alafia Banks. Card creation and design by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.
Everybody Loves Spoonbills!
Roseate Spoonbill is one of if not the most sought after avian photographic subjects in Florida. They are generally hard to find and somewhat difficult to approach. They are relatively easy to find at Alafia Banks—heck, you can’t miss seeing them, but even there they can on some days be somewhat difficult to approach. On some days we may be able to get ridiculously close to them. The huge incentive to get out to Alafia Banks in mid-February is the chance to photograph this species at the height of its spectacular breeding plumage…. with long telephoto lenses. A 500 or 600 with a 1.4X TC is perfect for this trip.
Mornings to Alafia Banks for spoonbills and Brown Pelicans (with lots of flight photography often with the birds likely carrying nesting material), Double-crested Cormorants, ibises (both Glossy and White) in breeding plumage. Some of the White Ibises may be sporting their spectacular, distended, red, naked (un-feathered) throat pouches—typically larger in the females. In addition, we may get to photograph egrets including Great and Reddish, both in full breeding plumage, shorebirds, and more. There will be lots of flight photography opportunities. Afternoon trips will most likely be back to Alafia Banks for the spoonbills with an option to visit a more sheltered inland rookery location for a variety of nesting birds. In the event of horrific weather, artie will either take the group to Fort DeSoto or will conduct an extensive image review/Photoshop session. This IPT includes lunches on the full days with small group image sharing and review and some over-the-shoulder Photoshop instruction.
The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video
If you own a high-end SONY camera body, there is absolutely no reason that you should not be getting a perfect or near-perfect exposure every time with every image even in the most difficult situations — white birds, dark backgrounds, dark birds against white skies, simply pick your shutter speed and aperture and then adjust the ISO on the Control Wheel until you see faint Zebras. It’s that simple. Learn how in the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video. To order your copy, please send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net for $30. Please state in the Paypal that the payment is for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video.
Alternatively, you can place a phone order for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 MON to THURS and most FRI mornings.
Folks who have purchased a SONY lens and/or a SONY body using either my B&H affiliate links or from Steve Elkins at Bedfords will enjoy a $20 discount. If you qualify, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
Folks who have purchased the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens using my links will receive the file for free. If you qualify for a free copy, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
After I confirm your discount, you can either call Jim or send us a Paypal (as above).
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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
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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 :).
We met Ed Dow at Morro Bay on Tuesday morning for yet another great session with the Long-billed Curlews and Marbled Godwits. At 9:10am, Luis and I packed up and headed back to San Diego. He did a remarkable job of getting us there in his wreck-of-a Ford Expedition in about five and one-half hours. To say that his SUV is on its last legs is a big understatement. But it did the job. After we photographed at my favorite afternoon spot in La Jolla, we had a quick dinner of Lamb Lollies at the Promiscuous Fork. Then Luis kindly dropped me off at my AirBNB. We meet again today for a morning session with the pelicans. Then brunch at Cafe Vahik. After that, Luis will drop me off at my car rental, transfer all of my photo gear to my vehicle, and head back to Los Angeles. With fingers crossed …
While on the beach, the three of us had the pleasure of meeting and hanging with photojournalist Jon Pearson of Omaha, Nebraska. I am hoping to do a feature on him and his remarkable work here soon.
I am glad that many enjoyed re-reading MLK’s I Have a Dream speech from 1963. It is even more inspiring to hear it on YouTube here.
Homer Bald Eagle Photography Lessons
Click on the play triangle to learn about getting the right exposure for black and white subjects in sun or on cloudy or snowy days, the best lenses for eagle photography in Homer, creating pleasing blurs, basic and advanced composition, and tons more in this free video. Click on the little broken white square lower right next to YouTube to view the video full screen. Hit Escape to exit full screen. Enjoy!
This image was made with the original Canon 100-400mm IS zoom lens and f/4L IS lens and the then MP-King, the EOS-1DS Mark II.
If you missed the Homer IPTs announcement (there are two separate trips), or if you are thinking of attending, be sure to see the complete offering here.
Image #31: Bald Eagle landing
As I was reviewing this blog post before hitting Publish, I noted the big YELLOW cast in the image above: R = 253, G = 239, B = 209 at the brightest WHITEs on the head. To correct the color cast, I brought the image into Photoshop, created a new layer, went Filter > Camera Raw, and clicked the White Balance eyedropper on the brightest WHITEs. Voila! Learn that trick and tons more in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II.
Image #31A: Bald Eagle landing
More On Homer
For the first trip only, I am offering a $500/person discount for those who sign up with a friend or spouse. You can access the complete trip offering here.
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Greg Ferguson:
I attended this IPT in 2011 and can only say it was the most intensive bird photography I have ever experienced. My arms were tired and sore from shooting so many action photos. It is highly recommended! I called Jim today and signed up for a reprise. Greg
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Dick Curtain:
I attended the Homer IPT in the past and can only say it was a great experience. Many eagles, beautiful scenery, great instruction, and many fond memories. Don’t miss it.
IPT Updates
The Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPTs:
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00 (Price reduced to $3999.00!). Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2
The 2020 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — MAR 19 thru the morning session 22 MAR 2020: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 7.
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 EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
The Used Gear page has been very hot for the past month with the continuing price drops on both Canon and Nikon gear. And there have been some great buys on SONY stuff too. There are still lots of solid bargains right now on the Used Gear Page.
Recent Sales
BIRDS AS ART Used Gear Page Mega-hot!
Regular Used Gear Page seller John Bowden traded in his Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent-plus condition to a local camera store in early January 2020 and kindly sent me a check for 4% of the original asking price of $598.00.
Jerry Barrack sold his Canon 400mm f/5.6L lens (my old “toy lens”) in very good plus condition with some scuff marks here and there for the BAA crazy record-low price of $549.00 sometime in December.
Jerry Barrack sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Digital Camera Body in near-mint condition for $1599.00 (was $1,999.00) and a Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens for Canon EF in mint condition for $300.00 (was $399.00) in mid-January 2020.
Multiple IPT veteran William Schneider sold his FE Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $9,897.00 (was $10,697.00) in mid-January 2020.
Jerry Barrack sold his Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (zoom) lens in near-mint condition for the you-might-as-well-give-it-away-free price of $99.00 in mid-January 2020.
David Ramirez sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II lens in excellent plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $5299.00 (was $5699.00) in early January.
Jerry Barrack sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Digital Camera Body in near-mint condition for $1399 (was listed at 1,999.00) in December 2019.
Ken Siegel sold his Sony a7r III in mint condition for only $1949.00 (was $2049.00) in early December 2019.
IPT veteran Joe Randle sold his Canon 500mm f4L IS USM Super Telephoto lens (the “old five”) in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $2499.00 in December 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Jake Levin sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in excellent plus condition for $648.00. in December 2020.
IPT veteran Richard Russ sold his Nikon D850 dSLR in near-mint condition for the very low price of $1996.95 and a Nikon 500mm PF lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $3,096.95 the first day they were listed on January 11, 2020.
Errol Bellon sold his Nikon 80-400 AFS Nikkor f/4.5-5.6 G ED N VR lens in mint condition for a BAA record-low $1096.95 (was $1396.95).
Jim Lewis sold his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in like-new condition for a very low $3,198.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, and a Fujinon XF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS lens is in excellent condition for $899.00 all right after they were listed on December 21, 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Monte Brown sold his used Gitzo GT3530 LSV Tripod in very good condition for the practically giving-it-away-for-free price of $200.00 less than an hour after it was listed on 1/18/20.
IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a Canon EOS-1D X in like-new condition (with a low shutter count of < 7,100) along with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in mint condition for the crazy low price of only $2,399.00 (was 2,599.00), a Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO USM Lens in like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $4,099.00, and a 4th Generation Design Mongoose M3.5 Mongoose Action Head in like-new condition for the crazy low price of only $249.00 all in mid-December.
BPN friend Ravi Hirekatur sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS lens (the original 1-4) in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00 in late December 2019.
Sensibly reducing the prices on the items that did not sell, multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his rarely used Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens in near-mint condition for the new BAA record-low price of $399.00 (was $499.00), a Canon 580 EX II Speedlite in excellent condition for only $99.00 (was $199.00), a rarely-used, refurbished Canon Speedlite 430EX II (flash) in near-mint condition for $49.00 (was $99.00), a Canon Extender EF 1.4X II (teleconverter) in very good condition for $99.00 (was $169.00), and a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM L zoom lens in excellent condition for a BAA record-low $349.00 (was $449.00). All on the first day of the price reductions! By reducing the prices as I suggested Jim now has $1,000 dollars in his pocket rather than having those items collecting dust in his home ...
BAA friend and multiple IPT veteran Paul Reinstein sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in near-mint condition (shutter count 40,054) for the lowest-ever-by-a mile price of $1749.00 (was $1899.00).
Joe Randle sold his Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $899.00 in mid-January 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his rarely used Canon EOS 5DS R in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $1599.00 (was $1799.00) in early January 2010.
Re-listed
Canon EF 70-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 L IS USM (Zoom) Lens
BAA Record-low Price Price reduced $100 on January 2020
Jerry Barrack is also offering a Canon zoom lens EF 70-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 L IS USM (the white version) in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $599.00 (was $699.00). The sale includes the lens hood, the rear cap, the lens bag, 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 Jerry via e-mail or by phone at 1-201-638-3510.
This is a great, versatile travel and Bosque lens. It sells new for $1349.00. It would make a great starter kit for a beginning nature photographer when paired with the (1.6X) crop factor 7D Mark II above. It sells new at B&H for $1349.00. You can save a handsome $650.00 on this one. artie
Sigma APO Macro 180mm 1:3.5 HSM IF Lens (for Canon EF mount)
Price reduced $100 on January 2020
Jerry Barrack is also offering a Sigma APO Macro 180mm 1:3.5 HSM IF lens in near-mint condition for a silly-low $199.00 (was $299.00). The sale includes front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, 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. Photos are available upon request.
Please contact Jerry via e-mail or by phone at 1-201-638-3510.
I loved my super-sharp Sigma 150 macro for Nikon and 180mm was always my favorite focal length for small subjects for the extra reach it affords. artie
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
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Shutter Priority with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the rear wheel …
Kudos to Patrick Sparkman for coming up with this killer exposure system. I use it often in extreme low-light situations to create sharp images (like the two in today’s blog post) and for creating pleasing blurs as well. We simply adjust the EC with the rear wheel aiming for faint Zebras on the highlights. In the upcoming big SONY guide, we will explain in detail exactly when and how to use this system. In many situations, it is, however, 100% useless. I am hoping that Patrick and I can get the video portion of the guide done before I leave San Diego on Monday January 27th.
Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
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Sharp Pre-dawn Flight at 1200mm Should Not Be Possible
I first shared some SONY 1200mm flight images in the SONY Flight Photography at 1200mm! blog post here. Over the last decade, I have seen at most a very few sharp flight images made with either the Canon 500mm f/4 L IS lenses or the Canon 600mm f/4 L IS lenses and a 2X teleconverter. Even with th4e vaunted 1DX II. With the Nikon 600mm f/4 lens, it was difficult to impossible to create sharp images of static subjects with the TC-E20 III. Even attempting flight photography with that combination was totally out of the question.
All of the above makes it completely amazing that AF performance with the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens and the 2X teleconverter is (albeit mostly with the a9 and the a9 II) so remarkably accurate. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Sharp pre-dawn flight photography at 1200mm should not be possible, but with SONY it is a reality.
The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video
If you own a high-end SONY camera body, there is absolutely no reason that you should not be getting a perfect or near-perfect exposure every time with every image even in the most difficult situations — white birds, dark backgrounds, dark birds against white skies, simply pick your shutter speed and aperture and then adjust the ISO on the Control Wheel until you see faint Zebras. It’s that simple. Learn how in the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video. To order your copy, please send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net for $30. Please state in the Paypal that the payment is for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video.
Alternatively, you can place a phone order for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 MON to THURS and most FRI mornings.
Folks who have purchased a SONY lens and/or a SONY body using either my B&H affiliate links or from Steve Elkins at Bedfords will enjoy a $20 discount. If you qualify, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
Folks who have purchased the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens using my links will receive the file for free. If you qualify for a free copy, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
After I confirm your discount, you can either call Jim or send us a Paypal (as above).
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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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 :).
This is surely the most powerful piece of writing in the history of the English language. When I taught elementary school in New York City, one of my sixth-grade classes performed this speech as part of an assembly program.
Comments are welcome.
I Have a Dream. Copyright 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr.
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. 1963 is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: in the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny, and they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating for whites only. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification,” one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning: “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!”
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
Luis and I enjoyed a mega-morning at Morro Bay. We had about 200 tame Long-billed Curlews along with 50 tame Marbled Godwits and a few tame Whimbrels and Willets. I created nearly 2000 images. Surprisingly, more than a few of my tight flight and action images with the a9 ii and the 2-6 were not sharp. Probably due to operator over-excitement. The sunset was decent but one very skilled frisbee-chasing dog scared most of the birds off the beach. Photos soon.
I finally had some time off yesterday to update the Used Gear Page. See the revised list of Recent Sales below.
It looks as is there will be only a single spot left on the second Homer IPT very soon. If you are thinking of joining me, it would be best not to tarry; give Jim a call tomorrow.
Homer Bald Eagle Photography Lessons
Click on the play triangle to learn about getting the right exposure for black and white subjects in sun or on cloudy or snowy days, the best lenses for eagle photography in Homer, creating pleasing blurs, basic and advanced composition, and tons more in this free video. Click on the little broken white square lower right next to YouTube to view the video full screen. Hit Escape to exit full screen. Enjoy!
This image was made with the Canon 600mm f/4L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the then MP-King, the EOS-1DS Mark II.
If you missed the Homer IPTs announcement (there are two separate trips), or if you are thinking of attending, be sure to see the complete offering here.
Image #30: Bald Eagle head portrait/blood on bill
More On Homer
For the first trip only, I am offering a $500/person discount for those who sign up with a friend or spouse. You can access the complete trip offering here.
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Greg Ferguson:
I attended this IPT in 2011 and can only say it was the most intensive bird photography I have ever experienced. My arms were tired and sore from shooting so many action photos. It is highly recommended! I called Jim today and signed up for a reprise. Greg
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Dick Curtain:
I attended the Homer IPT in the past and can only say it was a great experience. Many eagles, beautiful scenery, great instruction, and many fond memories. Don’t miss it.
IPT Updates
Coming soon: one or two Spoonbill Boat IPTs, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
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 EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
The Used Gear page has been very hot for the past month with the continuing price drops on both Canon and Nikon gear. And there have been some great buys on SONY stuff too. There are still lots of solid bargains right now on the Used Gear Page.
Recent Sales
BIRDS AS ART Used Gear Page Mega-hot!
David Ramirez sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II lens in excellent plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $5299.00 (was $5699.00) in early January.
Jerry Barrack sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Digital Camera Body in near-mint condition for $1399 (was listed at 1,999.00) in December 2019.
Ken Siegel sold his Sony a7r III in mint condition for only $1949.00 (was $2049.00) in early December 2019.
IPT veteran Joe Randle sold his Canon 500mm f4L IS USM Super Telephoto lens (the “old five”) in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $2499.00 in December 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Jake Levin soold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in excellent plus condition for $648.00. in December 2020.
IPT veteran Richard Russ sold his Nikon D850 dSLR in near-mint condition for the very low price of $1996.95 and a Nikon 500mm PF lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $3,096.95 the first day they were listed on January 11, 2020.
Errol Bellon sold his Nikon 80-400 AFS Nikkor f/4.5-5.6 G ED N VR lens in mint condition for a BAA record-low $1096.95 (was $1396.95).
Jim Lewis sold his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in like-new condition for a very low $3,198.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, and a Fujinon XF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS lens is in excellent condition for $899.00 all right after they were listed on December 21, 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Monte Brown sold his used Gitzo GT3530 LSV Tripod in very good condition for the practically giving-it-away-for-free price of $200.00 less than an hour after it was listed on 1/18/20.
IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a Canon EOS-1D X in like-new condition (with a low shutter count of < 7,100) along with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in mint condition for the crazy low price of only $2,399.00 (was 2,599.00), a Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO USM Lens in like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $4,099.00, and a 4th Generation Design Mongoose M3.5 Mongoose Action Head in like-new condition for the crazy low price of only $249.00 all in mid-December.
BPN friend Ravi Hirekatur sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS lens (the original 1-4) in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00 in late December 2019.
Sensibly reducing the prices on the items that did not sell, multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his rarely used Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens in near-mint condition for the new BAA record-low price of $399.00 (was $499.00), a Canon 580 EX II Speedlite in excellent condition for only $99.00 (was $199.00), a rarely-used, refurbished Canon Speedlite 430EX II (flash) in near-mint condition for $49.00 (was $99.00), a Canon Extender EF 1.4X II (teleconverter) in very good condition for $99.00 (was $169.00), and a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM L zoom lens in excellent condition for a BAA record-low $349.00 (was $449.00). All on the first day of the price reductions! By reducing the prices as I suggested Jim now has $1,000 dollars in his pocket rather than having those items collecting dust in his home ...
BAA friend and multiple IPT veteran Paul Reinstein sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in near-mint condition (shutter count 40,054) for the lowest-ever-by-a mile price of $1749.00 (was $1899.00).
Joe Randle sold his Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $899.00 in mid-January 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his rarely used Canon EOS 5DS R in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $1599.00 (was $1799.00) in early January 2010.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM telephoto lens (the “old five”) in excellent condition for $2399.00, his Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a very low $5,699.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a BIRDS AS ART record-low $1149.00, his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for only $849.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter) in very good condition for $199.00, his refurbished Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body in excellent condition for a ridiculously low $699.00, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens in excellent condition for $129.00, and a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in excellent condition for the BIRDS AS ART record-low-by-far price of $1549.00 all in December 2019.
Charlie Curry sold his lightly used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 IS II USM lens in like-new condition for only $3299.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, a. Canon Extender EF 2x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, his Canon Speedlight 600EXII-RT in new condition with the soft case for $249.00, a Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM lens in like-new condition for only $749.00, and a WH-200 Wimberley Head (the current version) in excellent condition with the Wimberley CK-100 Side-mount conversion clamp and the F-1 Flash Bracket for only $399.00 in December 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Sony a7r IV Mirrorless Digital camera body in absolutely like-new condition for only $2898.00 (was $3098.00) in early January 2020.
Top pro-Jim Zuckerman sold his Sony Alpha a7R Mirrorless Digital camera in excellent condition for $1399 in Late-December 2019.
Joe Randle sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II Zoom Lens in excellent plus condition for $999.99 in early January 2020.
Canon EOS-1D X Professional Digital Camera Body with Extras!
Jim Lewis is offering a Canon EOS-1D X in near-mint condition with extras for a very low $1,895.00. The sale includes the original box, the CD’s, the strap, the cables, the manual, the front body cap, the charger w/LPE4N battery and an extra Canon LPE4N battery, 2 Lexar 1066X CF cards (one 32GB & one 64GB), a Canon RS-80 N3 remote switch, 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.
Several rugged 1D X bodies served as my workhorse cameras for about four years. I made many hundreds of family jewels images in all types of weather all around the world. artie
Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body with Great Extras!
Jim Lewis is offering a Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital camera body in-near mint condition with some great extras for an incredibly low $699.00. The sale includes the original box, the strap, the manual, the charger and battery, the VPB-XT2 Power Booster with 2 batteries (3 batteries total), the MHG-XT2 hand-grip, the RR-90 remote release, 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.
Offering a more conventional form factor and packing in UHD 4K video recording, FUJIFILM’s X-T2 Mirrorless Digital Camera certainly aims to fill the needs of many working professionals and serious amateurs. Equipped with a 24.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS III image sensor and the X-Processor Pro Engine, users will be able to capture finely detailed imagery quickly and with low noise at sensitivities up to ISO 51200. The powerful combination permits rapid image capture at up to 8 fps with full AF tracking or at up to 14 fps using the silent electronic shutter. In terms of AF, the X-T2 uses an Intelligent Hybrid system with 325 points that assures accurate, fast tracking of subjects in all modes. B&H
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
Zone Continuous/tracking (C) AF worked perfectly here.
Click to enlarge and enjoy the larger version.
Image #1: Brown Pelicans greeting each other
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Miracle Image!
I’ve seen these spectacular greetings dozens of times. And failed dozens of times; why?
1- I did not have enough reach.
2- I had a fixed focal length lens in my hands and could not frame the image properly.
3- The were numerous extraneous gulls, cormorants, and pelicans either in the way or ruining the backgrounds.
4- There were one or more poor head angles.
With the SONY 2-6 and a bit of luck on my side, I was able to overcome the odds against success. And the lightning-fast initial focusing acquisition of the SONY a9 II did not hurt either …
This image was created on January 15, 2020 at La Jolla, CA. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (this time at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:54am on a clear morning. .
Wide Continuous/tracking (C) AF worked perfectly here.
Click to enlarge and enjoy the larger version.
Image #2: Brandt’s Coormorant coming in for a landinig
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tooo
If Ever a Lens was Made for a Location …
If ever a lens was made for a location the SONY 200-600 was made for the cliffs at La Jolla. As seen in Images #1, #3, and #4 the ability to zoom out can often save the day when trying to capture pelican behavior. The 2-6 is just light enough for me to handhold making it easy to move around and quickly get into position (as I did for the magical image, #1). This great zoom lens gives you 600mm (12X magnification) of reach when you need it as you often do for flight photography.
This image was created on January 1, 2020 at La Jolla, CA. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (this time at 493mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 400. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:14am on a clear morning.
Wide Continuous/tracking (C) AF worked perfectly here.
Click to enlarge and enjoy a slightly larger version.
Image #3: Brown Pelican head throw
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The Holy Grail of Pacific-race Brown Pelican Photography
Capturing really good images of Pacific-race Brown Pelican head throws is one of the great challenges when photographing at La Jolla. One of my very best efforts, on Fuji Velvia pushed one stop, was honored in a BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition just after the turn of the last century. For me, you need to be parallel to the head throw with nice light and a clean background. Image #3 fits that bill nicely. It was the best of a six or seven frame sequence. As is usual, some were cliipped …
This image was created on January 13, 2020 at La Jolla, CA. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (this time at 344mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 6400. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on th rear wheel: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:02am on a cloudy dark morning.
Wide Continuous/tracking (C) AF worked perfectly here.
Click to enlarge and enjoy the larger version.
Image #4: Brown Pelican landing in low light
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Zooming Out for Flight
Being able to zoom out when a bird is flying right at you can spell the difference between success and failure as seen in Image #4. I am becoming so comfortable shooting the a9 II at ISOs in the 4,000 to 10,000 range (pushing all of my exposures far to the right of course) that it is downright silly.
This image was created on January 13, 2020 at La Jolla, CA. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (once again at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 640. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:05am on a clear morning. .
Upper center Zone Continuous/tracking (C) AF worked perfectly here.
Click to enlarge and enjoy a slightly larger version.
Image #5: Brown Pelican classic breeding plumage head and shoulders portrait
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The Classic Breeding Plumage Brown Pelican Head and Shoulders Portrait
I often receive e-mails asking if image quality with the 200-600 suffers in terms of sharpness and contrast and color when compared to the 600 GM lens. My first answer is always to say that all top quality lenses are sharper than all photographers, even top quality photographers. I can say that the RAW file for Image #5 is breathtaking. The bird featured in Image #5 landed right in front of me when I was down on the lower shelf. All I needed to do was to schooch two feet to my left to get right on sun angle with a distant Pacific-blue background; so I did just that!
Note the dead-solid-perfect head angle.
The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video
If you own a high-end SONY camera body, there is absolutely no reason that you should not be getting a perfect or near-perfect exposure every time with every image even in the most difficult situations — white birds, dark backgrounds, dark birds against white skies, simply pick your shutter speed and aperture and then adjust the ISO on the Control Wheel until you see faint Zebras. It’s that simple. Learn how in the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video. To order your copy, please send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net for $30. Please state in the Paypal that the payment is for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video.
Alternatively, you can place a phone order for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 MON to THURS and most FRI mornings.
Folks who have purchased a SONY lens and/or a SONY body using either my B&H affiliate links or from Steve Elkins at Bedfords will enjoy a $20 discount. If you qualify, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
Folks who have purchased the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens using my links will receive the file for free. If you qualify for a free copy, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
After I confirm your discount, you can either call Jim or send us a Paypal (as above).
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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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 :).
On the morning of Friday 17 JAN, multiple IPT veterans Luis Gunauer and Ed Dow and I packed up Ed’s 4WD truck and headed to the beach at Oceana/Pismo where driving is permitted. We started with some foggy pink ocean scenics and stopped several times for some un-cooperative Whimbrels as we headed south. After a u-turn, we did the same. I spotted a large dark bird on the shore a good distance up the beach, headed for it, and was rewarded by a beautiful and somewhat out-of-habitat Pacific Brant. The bird turned out to be silly tame and we worked it for more than an hour in nice light. It was flashed several times by huge trucks each carrying perhaps twenty 4-wheel ATVs to be rented out to the dune-buggy-riding public. Luis came up with the shot of the day when he nailed the small handsome goose braking to land with his hand held Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1DX Mark II.
As I type we are headed for the Rancho Guadaloupe Dunes Preserve hoping to find some photographable birds along the beach and near the mouth of the Santa Maria River. Time will tell.
Do consider joining me on the spoonbill boat for some great photography of Florida’s most sought after avian subject, ten tons of flight photography, and lots more.
Gitzo GT3530 LSV Tripod
Sold in one hour
Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Monte Brown is offering a used Gitzo GT3530 LSV Tripod in very good condition for the practically giving-it-away-for-free price of $200.00. The sale includes 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.
I used and depended on the Gitzo GT3530 LSV Tripod for many years. artie
From left to right clockwise back to the center: Brown Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill downstroke, Brown Pelican sunrise silhouette, Double-crested Cormorant pre-dawn blur, Roseate Spoonbill flapping after bath, Brown Pelican taking flight, Roseate Spoonbill taking flight, Reddish Egret white morph breeding plumage in flight, and Reddish Egret dark morph breeding plumage in flight.
All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks on the 2018 trip.
You can click on each card to enjoy a larger version.
2020 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — MAR 19 thru the morning session 22 MAR 2020: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
3 1/2 days on the boat including four morning photo sessions and three afternoon sessions via customized pontoon boat.
Price per day Reduced from the 2018 rates! Please e-mail for details on IPT veteran and couples’ discounts. Pro-rated options may be available …
We will be leaving the dock very early for the morning sessions (weather permitting) in hopes of photographing pre-dawn fly-outs and blast-offs. All sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. We might consider other options in the unlikely event of horrific weather. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, both morphs of Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White and Glossy Ibises, and Double-crested Cormorant. We should have some good chances with birds carrying nesting material. This IPT includes all boat and guide fees, in the field instruction, chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit), and three working lunches on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. For the most part, we will be standing in mid-calf to knee-high water behind our tripods. We help you get in and out of the boat with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.
All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks
The Timing and Tides are Perfect!
I recently saw a similar trip advertised two months too late for breeding plumaged spoonbills … The 2020 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT represents an incredible opportunity to photograph Florida’s most wanted species. I do hope that you can join us. There will be a meet and greet at 7:00pm sharp on the evening of WED 18 MAR, 2020. All of the images on the cards were made on the Hooptie Deux from late-February through March, prime time for the spoonies in mega-breeding plumage. Many folks have written expressing interest so please do not tarry.
Please e-mail to hold your spot. Then you may either secure your spot by calling Jim or Jennifer at the office at 863-692-0906 and leaving the $500 deposit on a credit card or sending your check for payment in full to us as follows with the check made out to:
BIRDS AS ART and sent here via US mail:
BIRDS AS ART
PO BOX 7245
Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855
If you call to leave your deposit, you will be asked to mail your check for the balance.
Images courtesy of our guide; copyright 2017 Captain James Shadle (aka Froggie). All of the images here were created at Alafia Banks. Card creation and design by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.
Everybody Loves Spoonbills!
Roseate Spoonbill is one of if not the most sought after avian photographic subjects in Florida. They are generally hard to find and somewhat difficult to approach. They are relatively easy to find at Alafia Banks—heck, you can’t miss seeing them, but even there they can on some days be somewhat difficult to approach. On some days we may be able to get ridiculously close to them. The huge incentive to get out to Alafia Banks in mid-February is the chance to photograph this species at the height of its spectacular breeding plumage…. with long telephoto lenses. A 500 or 600 with a 1.4X TC is perfect for this trip.
Mornings to Alafia Banks for spoonbills and Brown Pelicans (with lots of flight photography often with the birds likely carrying nesting material), Double-crested Cormorants, ibises (both Glossy and White) in breeding plumage. Some of the White Ibises may be sporting their spectacular, distended, red, naked (un-feathered) throat pouches—typically larger in the females. In addition, we may get to photograph egrets including Great and Reddish, both in full breeding plumage, shorebirds, and more. There will be lots of flight photography opportunities. Afternoon trips will most likely be back to Alafia Banks for the spoonbills with an option to visit a more sheltered inland rookery location for a variety of nesting birds. In the event of horrific weather, artie will either take the group to Fort DeSoto or will conduct an extensive image review/Photoshop session. This IPT includes lunches on the full days with small group image sharing and review and some over-the-shoulder Photoshop instruction.
Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Luis Grunauer and I left San Diego at 4:30am and photographed at Bolsa Chica Lagoon. I had not been there for many years. The good news is that we had two pairs of Surf Scoters and lots of drake Buffleheads at close range. The bad news is that it was cloudy dark the whole time. The fun started after brunch as we headed up toward Morro Bay, a busman’s holiday for me. My computer was about out of juice so we headed to the nearest WalMart so that I could purchase an inverter. They were out of stock so we headed through LA traffic to Fry’s Electronics in Manhattan Beach where I picked one up. That after it took us 30 minutes to find a parking spot. Mercifully, he was successful.
We had hoped to make the mouth of the Santa Maria River for an afternoon session but that is not looking likely as I type at 2:00pm … By 4pm we were in the middle of a nasty rainstorm with strong winds, dropping temps, and power outages.
If you are considering a switch to SONY you might wish to purchase a copy of The Flight Photography Editing and Education Video Part I below to get an idea of the deadly AF accuracy with the a9 II/200-600 combo. Under examination at 100% with the Capture One loupe, all 530 unedited flight images were either sharp, very sharp, or razor-laser sharp …
I was thrilled to learn that two couples and a single had signed up for the 2021 Galapagos trip; just five more folks are needed by 15 June to make that one a go. In addition, multiple IPT vet Warren Robb signed up for the first Homer Bald Eagle IPT. Now, there are just two slots open on each trip. Scroll down for details.
Homer Bald Eagle Photography Lessons
Click on the play triangle to learn about getting the right exposure for black and white subjects in sun or on cloudy or snowy days, the best lenses for eagle photography in Homer, creating pleasing blurs, basic and advanced composition, and tons more in this free video. Click on the little broken white square lower right next to YouTube to view the video full screen. Hit Escape to exit full screen. Enjoy!
This image was made with the handheld Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens rested on the gunnels of the boat.
If you missed the Homer IPTs announcement (there are two separate trips), or if you are thinking of attending, be sure to see the complete offering here.
Image #29: Emperor Goose
Rarities in Homer
Aside from a gadzillion Bald Eagles and virtually non-stop flight photography, we have encountered some of North America’s most highly sought-after avian rarities. Those have included Emperor Goose (above), Slaty-backed Gull, and Yellow-billed Loon. Who knows what we might turn up this year? Heather Forcier discovered this mega-rarity by looking out the restaurant window at Land End just as lunch was being served. We had cold burgers two hours later!
More On Homer
For the first trip only, I am offering a $500/person discount for those who sign up with a friend or spouse. You can access the complete trip offering here.
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Greg Ferguson:
I attended this IPT in 2011 and can only say it was the most intensive bird photography I have ever experienced. My arms were tired and sore from shooting so many action photos. It is highly recommended! I called Jim today and signed up for a reprise. Greg
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Dick Curtain:
I attended the Homer IPT in the past and can only say it was a great experience. Many eagles, beautiful scenery, great instruction, and many fond memories. Don’t miss it.
IPT Updates
Coming very soon: a mid-March Spoonbill Boat IPT, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00. Limit: 12 photographers plus the leader; openings: 7.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
The Flight Photography Editing and Education Video Part I
The Flight Photography Editing and Education Video
In the recent B&H Event Space Photographing Birds in Flight video (here if you missed it) I touched briefly upon the basics of wing positions, poses, and lighting. I realized that there is so much more to cover that I needed to do a few videos that address those topics in detail. With incredibly accurate tracking AF systems and super-fast frame rates, today’s best modern equipment is capable of producing hundreds of sharp flight images in a single session. Just how do you pick the best ones? In this 49-minute video presentation, you can sit beside me as I review 579 flight images on my laptop. All of the images were made on a single day on the San Diego IPT.
In the first section, I review 49 keepers from the morning session pointing out in great detail the positives and negatives of each image. In the next session, I edit (pick my keepers) from 530 flight shots made that afternoon. Keep or delete? What are the nuances that determine the fate of each image? All are covered in this video, the first of a series, I hope … You will learn dozens of flight photography fine points
As stated here previously, I edit (pick my keepers) and convert my SONY images in Capture One after Ingesting them in Photo Mechanic. The SONY images have only small JPEGs embedded while Canon and Nikon bodies have full-sized JPEGs embedded in every RAW file even if you are not capturing RAW + JPEG. Thus, when you attempt to check a SONY image for critical shaprness in Photo Mechanic as it will not enlarge nearly enough to do so. The loupe in Capture One does that brilliantly with images from all three of the aforementioned systems.
Part I deals mostly with birds flying toward the photographer. I am hoping to do a similar video featuring birds flying from side to side. It all depends on the wind.
Today’s three featured images are four of the photos that earned a B (GREEN color tag). I should have given a B to one or two of the Heerman’s Gulls in flight in front of the grey storm cloud … They are near the end of the video.
You can purchase your copy of the Flight Photography Editing and Education Video Part I for $19 from the BIRDS AS ART Online Store by clicking here or by sending a Paypal to e-mail. If the latter, please include the name of the video in your Paypal. A link to the video will be sent via e-mail. The file is 1.2GB so you will need a good internet collection for the download.
My Capture One Editing Keyboard Shortcuts
Click to enlarge.
My Capture One Editing Keyboard Shortcuts
To set up your Capture One for editing the way that I do as described in the video, go to Edit > Edit Keyboard Shortcuts > Adjustments > Color Tag. I used T to tag my keepers (RED), A to untag, and B (GREEN) for “Best” to designate potential family-jewels type images.
This image was created on January 11, 2020 at La Jolla, CA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 400: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/3200 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 10;22am on a clear sunny day.
Wide Continuous tracking (C) AF worked perfectly by getting razor-sharp focus on the bird’s eye.
Click to enlarge and enjoy the spectacular larger version.
Image #1: Western Gull turning in flight
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Be Aggressive
When attempting to photograph birds in flight, be aggressive. Once you acquire focus with the bird in the zone, flying toward or parallel to you, filling 1/3 to 1/2 the frame, and within ten or fifteen degrees of light angle, hold the hammer down. There is simply no way to predict the instant that will produce a stunning pose. Once the bird is past you — its tail is closer to you than its head — let up. Firing off 100 images of a single bird on one pass will not impress anyone; 100% of your too-small-in-the-frame and butt shots will be insta-deletes.
This image was also created on January 11, 2020 at La Jolla, CA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 335mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 400: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 10:56am on a clear sunny day.
Wide Continuous tracking (C) AF worked perfectly by getting razor-sharp focus on the bird’s eye.
Click to enlarge and enjoy the spectacular larger version.
Image #2: Heerman’s Gull taking flight
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Behavioral Knowledge
One of the things explained in the video is that when you see one tern land amongst a group of terns on a beach, the chances are excellent that more terns will be joining the flock. Once I saw a single Royal Tern land, I hustled the group into position with the wind and the light behind us. We were well rewarded with many great chances.
This image was created on January 11, 2020 at Coronado Beach, CA. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 459mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 500: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 4:32pm on a somewhat hazy afternoon.
Wide Continuous tracking (C) AF worked perfectly by getting razor-sharp focus on the bird’s eye.
Click to enlarge and enjoy the spectacular larger version.
Image #3: Royal Tern braking to land
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Sometimes You’ve Just Got to Use Your Noggin
Many gulls were landing on the edge of the low cliff near The Crevice. Every time a big was would hit they would take flight. I counseled the group to acquire focus on any gull on the edge and fire off a few frames just as a wave hit. Lots of us hit bingo.
Patrick and I witnessed something we had never seen before: a young Western Gull was smashed by a wave while floating in the shallow water and tumbled around as if it were in washing machine. Then it flew off.
I’ve been remiss in not mentioning that all of the spots that we visited on recently -concluded IPT (along with many more) are covered in detail in the San Diego Site Guide.
The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video
If you own a high-end SONY camera body, there is absolutely no reason that you should not be getting a perfect or near-perfect exposure every time with every image even in the most difficult situations — white birds, dark backgrounds, dark birds against white skies, simply pick your shutter speed and aperture and then adjust the ISO on the Control Wheel until you see faint Zebras. It’s that simple. Learn how in the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video. To order your copy, please send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net for $30. Please state in the Paypal that the payment is for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video.
Alternatively, you can place a phone order for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 MON to THURS and most FRI mornings.
Folks who have purchased a SONY lens and/or a SONY body using either my B&H affiliate links or from Steve Elkins at Bedfords will enjoy a $20 discount. If you qualify, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
Folks who have purchased the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens using my links will receive the file for free. If you qualify for a free copy, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
After I confirm your discount, you can either call Jim or send us a Paypal (as above).
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Patrick Sparkman. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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FE Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price Price reduced $400 on 5 DEC 2019 Price reduced another $400 on 15 JAN 2020
William Schneider is offering an FE Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $9,897.00 (was $10,697.00). This immaculate lens has seen little use. The sale includes the lens hood, the lens trunk, the front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bill via e-mail e-mail or by phone at 1-(262) 269-8628 (Eastern time zone).
This super-fast lens is amazingly light at 6.4 lbs, the same weight as the Nikon 300mm f/2.8. Patrick made lots of great images at St. Paul in the Pribilof Islands last July with the lens alone and with either the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. He really enjoyed the 8.86 ft close-focusing capability and the beautiful bokeh that the lens produces. As this lens sells new right now for $$11,998.00, you can save a cool $2101.00 by grabbing his virtually new lens asap. artie
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Patrick Sparkman. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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This image was created on October 26, 2018 on the recently concluded Emperor Penguins of Snow Hill Island expedition via icebreaker. I used the hand held (while seated) Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 400mm) with my back-up Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering plus about 1 2/3 stops: 1/1000 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. Auto 1 WB on a cloudy-bright morning
Five AF points up from the center AF point/Single/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the chick’s neck just in front of and well below the eye.
I kept my rig on my shoulder via an RS-7 Curve Breathe Strap so that it was instantly accessible when I was working with the tripod-mounted 500 PF.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Image #1: Emperor Penguin chick resting on snow
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Nikon 80-400 AFS Nikkor f/4.5-5.6 G ED N VR Lens
BAA record-low Price! Price Reduced $200.00 on 5 DEC 2019! Price Reduced Another $100.00 on 15 JAN 2020!
Errol Bellon is offering a Nikon 80-400 AFS Nikkor f/4.5-5.6 G ED N VR lens in mint condition for a BAA record-low $1096.95 (was $1396.95). The sale includes a LensCoat, the rear lens cap, the soft lens case with strap, the front lens cap, a Kirk lens foot NC-80-400GN, the original product box, 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.
As above and below, my Nikon 80-400 was my most-valuable lens on our bucket-list trip to an Emperor Penguin colony in Antarctica. The 80-400 pairs perfectly with the following Nikon VR lenses: the 500 PF, the 500 f/4, and the 600 f/4. Right after I sold mine back in February 2019 I had seller’s remorse. This lens sells new right now for $2,096.95; you can save $1000 by grabbing Errol’s lens now. artie
This image was also created on October 26, 2018 on the recently concluded Emperor Penguins of Snow Hill Island expedition via icebreaker. Again I used the hand held (while seated) Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 80mm) with my back-up Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering plus about 1 1/3 stops: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode on a cloudy-very-bright morning. K 7690 WB by accident from the previous sunset was corrected easily during the RAW conversion.
One AF point below the center AF point/Single/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the base of the chick’s bill right on the same plane as its eye. The high quality of sharp D850 image files allowed for a substantial crop.
I kept my rig on my shoulder via an RS-7 Curve Breathe Strap so that it was instantly accessible when I was working with the tripod-mounted 500 PF.
Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Click on the play triangle to learn about getting the right exposure for black and white subjects in sun or on cloudy or snowy days, the best lenses for eagle photography in Homer, creating pleasing blurs, basic and advanced composition, and tons more in this free video. Click on the little broken white square lower right next to YouTube to view the video full screen. Hit Escape to exit full screen. Enjoy!
This image was made with the handheld Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens rested on the gunnels of the boat.
If you missed the Homer IPTs announcement (there are two separate trips), or if you are thinking of attending, be sure to see the complete offeriings here.
Image #28: Yellow-billed Loon beginning molt into breeding plumage
Rarities in Homer
Aside from a gadzillion Bald Eagles and virtually non-stop flight photography, we have encountered some of North America’s most highly sought-after avian rarities. Those have included Emperor Goose, Slaty-backed Gull, and Yellow-billed Loon (above). Who knows what we might turn up this year?
What’s Up
Monte Brown stayed on after the IPT for one last morning and again we enjoyed a stellar session with the Brown Pelicans and the nesting Brandt’s Cormorants. I was thrilled to sign up several folks for Homer yesterday. First-timer Mukesh Patel and IPT veteran Marvin Falk are joining the first IPT and good friends and multiple IPT veterans Greg Ferguson and avid international birder Kevin Watson will be joining mega-multiple IPT veteran and great friend Anita North and I on the second IPT. As I have several other folks interested, it would behoove you to get in touch very soon.
On Thursday morning multiple IPT-veteran and good friend Luis Alberto Grunauer and I will be taking a busman’s holiday trip up to Morro Bay. I should be back in San Diego in less than a week. I fly home on 27 JAN.
If you have any questions on. the video or if you would like to share your thoughts on today’s twoo featured pelican shots, you can do so by leaving a comment below.
More On Homer
For the first trip only, I am offering a $500/person discount for those who sign up with a friend or spouse. You can access the complete trip offering here.
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Greg Ferguson:
I attended this IPT in 2011 and can only say it was the most intensive bird photography I have ever experienced. My arms were tired and sore from shooting so many action photos. It is highly recommended! I called Jim today and signed up for a reprise. Greg
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Dick Curtain:
I attended the Homer IPT in the past and can only say it was a great experience. Many eagles, beautiful scenery, great instruction, and many fond memories. Don’t miss it.
IPT Updates
Coming soon: one or two Spoonbill Boat IPTs, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
This image was created on January 10, 2020 at La Jolla, CA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 234mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 500: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/2000 sec. at f.6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 4:06pm in cloudy conditions.
Wide Continuous tracking (C) AF worked perfectly by getting sharp focus on the bird’s eye.
Image #1: Brown Pelican braking to land
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Just a Coincidence?
Today’s two featured images are among my all-time favorite La Jolla pelican flight images. Is that just a coincidence or is it related to my having switched to SONY gear?
Consider the following:
1- The a9 II’s 15 frames per second (actual) enabled me to create 9 images of this incoming pelican and increased my chances of getting the perfect incoming breaking position with the underwings evenly lit (as in Image #1).
2- Every one of those images was tack sharp as are 98 to 99% of the flight images I make with this rig.
3- The 200-600 gives my great reach (a max of 12X) while at the same time allowing me to zoom out for flight photography so that I can fit the bird in the frame.
4- The 2-6 is just light enough for me to hand hold for extended flight photography sessions.
5- The Zebra technology enables me to quickly come up with the great exposures before I make an image. There is no need to make a test frame and then check the histogram. See more on that in the section under Image #2.
So from where I sit, this happenstance is not a coincidence at all.
Does Anything Bug You?
Does anything about this image bug you? As much as I like it, two things about it bug me. Go ahead and take a shot: leave a comment.
WIDE Continuous/tracking (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Image #2: Brown Pelican just after near collision
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A Near Midair Collision!
The forecast was for rain starting at 1pm. That did not stop us. With a strong west wind and dozens of pelicans in the air at any one time, conditions for long lens/high ISO flight photography were ideal. We were set up at my favorite afternoon spot for pelican flight photography in stormy conditions. I was tracking the rather handsome bird featured in Image #2 when it just missed colliding with another pelican. It was as if there was a loud warning, Pull up! Pull up! It was right out of Air Disasters. Wide AF performed admirably as I managed three sharp frames despite the almost instantaneous change of course.
Hand Held Flight versus Tripod-mounted Flight
Hand holding for flight is a great technique if and only if you have the strength and stamina to remain effective and comfortable during extended shooting sessions. Shooting flight off a tripod is the only way to go if your rig is too heavy to be hand held. Both techniques require superb hand-eye coordination so that you can keep the bird centered in the viewfinder. Most folks will not be shocked to learn that the more you practice either one the more proficient you will become. Note: the FlexShooter Pro is the best flight photography tripod head I have ever used.
Would You?
If this were your image would you have left the partial wing of the other bird in the frame? Why or why not?
Zebras Rock!
Earlier that afternoon, the sun was going in and out every few minutes. The birds in flight were in the same light as the birds on the cliffs across a small inlet. I had set my shutter speed to 1/2000 second and the aperture to f/6.3 with ISO on the rear wheel. Whenever the light changed, I would frame the distant birds, lower the ISO if I saw lots of Zebras, or raise it until I noted just a smattering of Zebras on the highlights. In The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video you will learn how to set your Zebras correctly so that you too can consistently come up with near-perfect exposures in short order.
The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video
If you own a high-end SONY camera body, there is absolutely no reason that you should not be getting a perfect or near-perfect exposure every time with every image even in the most difficult situations — white birds, dark backgrounds, dark birds against white skies, simply pick your shutter speed and aperture and then adjust the ISO on the Control Wheel until you see faint Zebras. It’s that simple. Learn how in the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video. To order your copy, please send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net for $30. Please state in the Paypal that the payment is for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video.
Alternatively, you can place a phone order for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 MON to THURS and most FRI mornings.
Folks who have purchased a SONY lens and/or a SONY body using either my B&H affiliate links or from Steve Elkins at Bedfords will enjoy a $20 discount. If you qualify, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
Folks who have purchased the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens using my links will receive the file for free. If you qualify for a free copy, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
After I confirm your discount, you can either call Jim or send us a Paypal (as above).
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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 :).
Monte Brown came early to spend a few extra days with me and then attend the San Diego IPT. He was hoping to photograph the usually easy Wood Ducks. We tried and failed three times early on. This normally dependable species was inexplicably missing in action. As we had killed on the pelicans every morning and on two afternoons as well, we decided to try for Wood Ducks for Monte on the last morning of the IPT. I must admit to not being very optimistic about our chances. Well, the usually reliable spot under the big oak tree turned out to be Wood Duck City. We had about six handsome males and several hens in the shade and in soft light with golden yellow and rich green reflections. And for the second time ever for me, we had them leaping out of the water into the oak tree to grab an acorn or two. And for the second time ever, I failed miserably at catching them as takeoff or in flight. Others succeeded beyond belief … Photos to follow.
Monte is reviewing his images as I type. He just said, “There are so many good ones that it is hard to …”
If you are at all interested in joining me in Homer, please get in touch asap via e-mail or call me on my cell at 863-221-2372.
Learn some neat stuff about RAW files and exposure in the comments and my responses in the blog post here.
This image was made with a tripod-mounted Canon 600mm L IS lens wide open at f/4.
If you missed the Homer IPTs announcement (there are two separate trips), or if you are thinking of attending, be sure to see yesterday’s post here.
Image #26: Bald Eagle with ice on bill tip
More On Homer
For the first trip only, I am offering a $500/person discount for those who sign up with a friend or spouse.
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Greg Ferguson:
I attended this IPT in 2011 and can only say it was the most intensive bird photography I have ever experienced. My arms were tired and sore from shooting so many action photos. It is highly recommended! I called Jim today and signed up for a reprise. Greg
This image was made with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. Again, not bad for Canon 🙂
If you missed the Homer IPTs announcement (there are two separate trips), or if you are thinking of attending, be sure to see yesterday’s post here.
Image #25: Bald Eagle top shot silhouette
More On Homer
For the first trip only, I am offering a $500/person discount for those who sign up with a friend or spouse.
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Greg Ferguson:
I attended this IPT in 2011 and can only say it was the most intensive bird photography I have ever experienced. My arms were tired and sore from shooting so many action photos. It is highly recommended! I called Jim today and signed up for a reprise. Greg
What’s Up?
As stated here previously, the flying circus on Thursday afternoon was phenomenal. Friday morning at the cliffs was every bit as good. In the gorgeous early light, we had only small numbers of pelicans but they were all beautiful and well-spaced so that isolating them was easy with any lens. I am glad to say that my left shoulder strain has healed completely. Hand holding the 200-600 with the a9 II is the dream combination at La Jolla … Superb for flight and long enough for head and shoulders portraits. And working without a tripod is always way more fun than lugging one around …
IPT Updates
Coming soon: one or two Spoonbill Boat IPTs, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
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 EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
The Used Gear page has been very hot for the past month with the continuing price drops on both Canon and Nikon gear. And there have been some great buys on SONY stuff too. There are still lots of solid bargains right now on the Used Gear Page. In addition to the recent sales below, there are several pending sales.
Recent Sales
With spate of recent sales and being so busy teaching and photographing on the San Diego IPT I have not had time to update the list. I will do that here sooon.
New Listings
Nikon D850
IPT veteran Richard Russ is offering a Nikon D850 dSLR in near-mint condition for the very low price of $1996.95. The sale includes the front cap, the strap, the manual, the battery, one extra battery, and insured ground shipping via United Parcel Service to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Richard via e-mail or by phone at 1-805 801-2879 (Pacific time zone).
I owned and used two D850 bodies when I shot Nikon. The D850 creates beautiful 45.7MP files and has a superb AF system. Heck, I sold my D5. Nuff’ said. As a new D850 sells for $2,996.95 you can save $1,000 by grabbing Richard’s pretty much new body. artie
Nikon 500mm PF Lens
IPT veteran Richard Russ is also offering a Nikon 500mm PF lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $3,096.95. The sale includes the soft case, the lens. strap, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, the original box, and insured ground shipping via United Parcel Service to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Richard via e-mail or by phone at 1-805 801-2879 (Pacific time zone).
The 500 PF was my favorite Nikon lens by far. I made most of my great Nikon flight shots with it hand held with a D850 body. For folks who cannot carry or afford big glass, it makes a great workhorse lens for bird photography. Put it on an Induro tripod with a FlexShooter Mini and you can get great results when adding the TCE-14. As a new 500 PF sells for $3,596.95, you can save a very nice $500 on this still hard to get lens. artie
Nikkor 105mm Micro f/2.8G AF-VR Lens
IPT veteran Richard Russ is also offering a Nikkor 105mm Micro f/2.8G AF-VR lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $496.95. The sale includes the soft case, the lens strap, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, the original box, and insured ground shipping via United Parcel Service to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Richard via e-mail or by phone at 1-805 801-2879 (Pacific time zone).
I am pretty sure that John Shaw loves the 105mm micro lenses. The 105 micro offers life-sized 1:1 magnification with a minimum focusing distance of just one foot!. A new copy sells for $896.95 you can save a very nice $400 on this great and pretty much new macro lens. artie
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Special Edition Lens
IPT veteran Richard Russ is also offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Special Edition Lens lens in near-mint condition for the silly low price of $106.95. The sale includes the soft case, the lens strap, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, the original box, and insured ground shipping via United Parcel Service to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Richard via e-mail or by phone at 1-805 801-2879 (Pacific time zone).
Distinguishing itself through its classic styling, the AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Special Edition from Nikon is an updated version of this venerable prime featuring a re-envisioned exterior and knurled focusing ring. Corresponding to the natural field of view, the 50mm focal length is well-suited for a wide variety of subjects, including everything from landscape to portraiture. The f/1.8 design suits working in difficult lighting conditions and also enables controlling the focus position for using shallow depth of field techniques. One aspherical element is featured in the optical design to minimize spherical aberrations and distortion for high sharpness and accurate rendering. A Super Integrated Coating also suppress flare and ghosting for improved contrast and color accuracy. Additionally, the Silent Wave Motor affords fast, quiet, and precise autofocus performance as well as full-time manual focus override. B&H
A new copy sells for $276.95 you can save a very cool $170.00 on this great and pretty much new macro lens. artie
This is a Capture One screen capture
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The Original was Somewhat of a Mess …
In the blog post here, I asked if you would keep or delete this image. Folks responded both ways …
Center Zone C (tracking) AF worked perfectly by getting sharp focus on the bird’s eye.
This is a Capture One Screen ACapture
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How Do You Like Me Now?
Once I pulled the Exposure slider down more than 1 1/2 stops in Capture One during the RAW conversion, it was all over but the shouting as far as the “over-exposure” was concerned. First I expanded and filled the canvas on our right. Then I used the Clone Stamp Tool, the Patch Tool, and some Content-Aware Fill to eliminate the extraneous pelicans. The lower-left corner was somewhat of a mess so I created a large Quick Mask of the lower right corner, flopped it, moved it into place, and refined it with a Regular Layer Mask. As the lower part of the frame was still not perfect I ran a 65-pixel Gaussian Blur on the whole image, hid it with a Hide-All (Black, or Inverse) Layer Mask, and painted it back in (B,D) as needed.
Always Learning
As a result of this experience, I raised the Exposure Warning level to 254. It had been 251. Do that under Capture One > Preferences > Exposure.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a Paypal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
Everything mentioned above (except for Capture One RAW conversions) and tons more — including all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — is covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: all of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About two years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One Pro 12 and continue to do so today.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and edited by yours truly. Please use this link to purchase NeatImage.
To introduce folks to our MP.4 videos and the basics involved in applying more NeatImage noise reduction to the background and less on the subject, I’d be glad to send you a free copy of the Free Noise Reduction Basics MP.4 Video. Simply click to shoot me an e-mail to get your free copy.
Nikon D850 Users e-Guide & Video
$50 via download
This great new guide includes 15 pages of text, a 46-image gallery, and a comprehensive camera handling video.
The text covers all of the menu item settings that I used on my two D850 bodies and each gallery image has a legendary BIRDS AS ART educational caption. The emphasis is two-fold:
1- getting your camera set-up so that it is optimized for bird photography.
2- sharing everything that I know about the Nikon AF system so that you can create consistently sharp images of static subjects, and most especially, of birds in flight and in action.
Though this guide is designed for the D850 nearly all of it applies to the D5 and to the D500 as well.
You can purchase your copy in the BAA On-line Store here. Both files are large so you will need a good internet connection to download them.
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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 :).
This image was made with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. Not bad for Canon 🙂
If you missed the Homer IPTs announcement (there are two separate trips), or if you are thinking of attending, be sure to see yesterday’s post here.
Image #25: Bald Eagle top shot silhouette
More On Homer
For the first trip only, I am offering a $500/person discount for those who sign up with a friend or spouse.
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
Via e-mail from Multiple IPT veteran Greg Ferguson:
I attended this IPT in 2011 and can only say it was the most intensive bird photography I have ever experienced. My arms were tired and sore from shooting so many action photos. It is highly recommended! I called Jim today and signed up for a reprise. Greg
An Amazing Day
Yuppers, I never woke up on Thursday, January 9, 2020. Not once. I hit the sack at 7:30pm on Wednesday. I woke at 11:45pm still on Wednesday. Somewhat jet-lagged, I was never — though I tried mightily — able to get back to sleep. While Wednesday morning at the cliffs had been stellar, Thursday morning was just OK. … We had a great brunch at Vahik Cafe, met Dr. Cliff Oliver and Annie, schmoozed for a bit, ate, and reviewed some images. The forecast was for rain in the late afternoon so I was stalling for clouds. The clouds came and wanting to give everyone their money’s worth, we headed back to the cliffs. I knew just the place to be in the afternoon with a stiff wind from the west.
My plan was to nap in the car after we got a parking spot. But when I got out to scout and saw that things were pretty good, I got out the SONY 600 GM and the a9 II. The 1.4X TC was in my pocket. BTW, the FlexShooter Pro is ideal both on the cliffs and the sloping sidewalks. Put the tripod down with the legs spread, center the floating bubble in the scribed bubble, and you are good to go for flight photography on the level no matter where you point your long lens. Though the sun came out for about an hour I kept photographing the flying pelicans and never got a nap.
Light clouds rolled in by about 2pm and for three hours we enjoyed a rare flying circus with the wind behind us and the sky filled with banking and flying and descending pelicans. It rained hard for about five minutes at about 3:45pm. Terry and Stacy called it quits while Monte and I stayed on and enjoyed another hour of truly spectacular flight photography. To celebrate I picked up a small ribeye at Vons in La Jolla.
After dinner, having been up for 18 hours (with no nap!), I decided to do some editing. I was 2 1/2 days behind, about 5,000 images. Picking my keepers in Capture One the Thursday folder of 1832 images took me about an hour. But, tired, I screwed up and wound up deleting all the images from the hard drive. But I still had the two cards so I re-downloaded them and got to bed at 7:30pm on Thursday. My first pit stop was at 12:45pm on Friday so as things turned out, I never woke up on Thursday. But what a great day it ended up being.
I woke at 3:15am, re-edited the 1832 images. After the first edit, I wound up with 175 keepers from Thursday alone. Re-editing a folder from scratch after you have already done it once takes a lot less time as you know what is coming. Buoyed by my success, I worked on three other folders and am proud to say that I am all caught up!
I continue to be astounded by the AF tracking accuracy and high-ISO performance of the SONY a9 II. It has quickly become my all time favorite-ever camera body …
We head out in 23 minutes. Have a great day. With love, artie
I have committed to doing both the 6-day and the 5-day trips. I have my flights and my hotel room. Now, all that I need is you. There has been considerable interest so far and it looks as if both trips will fill quickly.
The Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPTs
IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
IPT #2: MAR 3 through the full day on MAR 7, 2020. Five full days: $3999.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
From Homer, Alaska:
We will do two two-hour or one four hour boat trip to Katchemak Bay each day. Our schedule will be flexible and weather dependent. We will have numerous and varied mind-boggling opportunities to photograph this hugely popular species. We will be feeding the eagles to attract them into photographic range. The trip is costly because chartering the boat is expensive, the fish are very expensive at $1.25/pound (all on me), the costs of in-room breakfasts and one sit-down meal/day are included, hotel to dock transfers are included, as is lodging (double or triple-occupancy). Single supplements may be available. Please inquire.
We will do most of our flight from the boat until you can no longer lift your lens. We will get off the boat on various islands to photograph the birds both perched and in flight. We will hope for snow.
It is best to register right now so that you can secure your flights and I can arrange the lodging. Register for both trips and apply a $500 discount.
A $2000 credit card deposit is required to hold your spot. Call Jim today, Thursday 9 JAN or tomorrow, Friday 10 JAN to leave your deosit. He will be back in the office on Monday 13 JAN. Your balance will be payable immediately thereafter by check or by credit card plus 4%. Please e-mail me immediately or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372 with any questions or to let me know of your plans. First come, first served.
Not included: your round-trip airfare from home to Homer, AK through Anchorage and back. Your second sit-down meal each day. One hotel night if you are doing both trips back-to-back. Alcoholic beverages at our sit down meal.
There is lots more info on the trip in the captions below each image — all were made in Homer, or in Kachemak Bay, AK.
Image #1: Bald Eagle calling
Proximity
We will get close to gorgeous adult eagles; this one was made at only 500mm.
Image #2: Bald Eagle in flat flight looking down
Long Lens Flight Photgraphy
We will get to do tons of flight photography both with hand held short and intermediate telephoto lenses and with long super-telephoto lenses — hand held if you wish, but tripod-mounted for most of us.
Image #3: Immature Bald Eagle: close-up of talons
Learning Point-Blank Techniques That Apply to All Types o Nature Photography
You will learn a ton about bird photography including why and when to use small apertures: f/16 for this image. And exactly where to focus when creating super-tight close-ups.
Image #4: Bald Eagle adult banking vertically
Getting the Right Exposure in Sunny Conditions
You will learn to get the right exposure when working in bright sun. Even when working with starkly black and white subjects. With all three major systems: Canon, Nikon, and SONY. Note: all of the images in this blog post were created with Canon gear.
Image #5: Bald Eagle adult/upside down start of dive
70-200mm Lens are Deadly in Homer
As we are photographing from a boat and baiting the eagles with frozen herring, short and intermediate zoom lens can be just what the doctor ordered. The lighter the lens the better. So while the light gathering ability of the 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses is a plus, the lighter weight of the 70-200mm f/4 lenses have a lot going for them … Image #5 was made with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens at 125mm.
Image #6: Bald Eagle adult/tight flight
The 300mm f/2.8 Lenses in Homer
These lenses combine a fine and usable fixed focal length with superb light gathering ability. Their weight might be problematic for some … The additional lesson here is to keep firing when the bird gets close. It is not always necessary to include the whole bird in the frame when doing flight photography. As long as you can keep the bird pretty much centered in the frame and in focus you have a good chance of coming up with something powerful.
Image #7: Bald Eagle sunset flight silhouette
Flexible Scheduling
The weather in Homer is extremely variable. We do either two 2-hour boat trips or one 4-hour boat trip each day. We plan our sailing times by looking out the window! We often stay out a lot longer than planned. And we often stay out for sunset.
Image #8: Bald Eagle striking fish
Variety
We can choose our backgrounds simply by deciding where to position the boat before we begin feeding.
Image #9: Bald Eagle in falling snow
The Trip Timing
By going earlier than most Homer trips we have an increased chance of getting some snow. If we do have some falling snow, you will learn how to determine the best shutter speed to get the effect that you want.
Image #10: Bald Eagle in falling snow
We Will Walk With the Eagles!
Depending on the wind and the weather, we will — on occasion — get off the boat with our big lenses on a tripod to photograph perched eagles.
Image #11: Bald Eagle and snow-covered mountains
You Will Learn to Create Bird-scapes
I called the group together and suggested that using a 70-200 zoomed out that they might be able to create a powerful bird-scape with a small-in-the-frame eagle in the upper right corner and the snow-covered mountains filling the bottom of the frame. Making one with the perfect wing position was extremely satisfying.
Image #11: Bald Eagle and snow-covered mountains
You Will Learn the Basic Compositional Skills
Among those is placing the bird well back in a horizontal frame with 3-5 times as much room from the tip of the bill to the frame-edge as from the tip of the tail to the frame-edge.
Image #13: Bald Eagle on hillside in snowstorm
You Will Learn to Think and See Creatively
To me, this is a Monet. Can you find the eagle? On all IPTs I share my thoughts with everyone within earshot. And with some who are not!
Image #14: Immature Bald Eagle pan blur
You Will Learn the Secrets of Creating Contest-Winning Pleasing Blurs
In extreme low light conditions creating pleasing blurs is often the best way to go, especially if you do. not like working at ISO 25,800 … On the eagle boat, you will learn exactly how to succeed in creating prize-winning sharply focused blurs that put smiles on folk’s faces. You will learn also that creating a killer-good blur is similar to winning the lottery.
Image #15: Bald Eagle flying in falling snow
You Will Have Your Eyes Opened With Regards to Shutter Speeds for Flight Photography …
This image was created at 1/800 sec (at f/2.8). Click on the image to enjoy a larger inexplicably sharper version.
Image #16: Immature Bald Eagle braking to land
You Will Learn a Huge Ton About Wind Direction and Wing Positions and What They Have to Do With Flight Photography
The braking to land wing position is a very dynamic one. In order to succeed with these, you need the wind from somewhere behind you.
Image #17: Bald Eagle calling
Learning About Bird Behavior
Bird behavior is often repeated. The first time that this bird called, I missed the shot. But I stayed with it and made some great images.
Image #18: Immature Bald perched
You Will Learn to Use Your AF System to Come Up With Pleasing Image Designs
Whether you are using Canon, Nikon, or SONY I can teach you to master your AF system for static subjects and for birds in flight and in action.
Image #19: Sea Otter
It Ain’t Just Eagles!
We may encounter a variety of natural history subjects and will be quick to take advantage of such opportunities.
Image #20: Glaucous-winged Gull in flight
White Sky/White Subject Exposures
You will learn to make perfect exposures in soft light/white sky situations with both light (as here) and dark subjects.
Image #21: Stand of trees dead from salt water intrusion from the big earthquake
Learn to see and think creatively
I will lead by example and teach you how too see and think like a pro.
Image #22: Bald Eagle head portrait silhouette
We Will Be Doing Lots of Small-Group Photoshop Lessons
I am conversant in doing RAW conversions in ACR (Photoshop and Lightroom), in Canon Digital Photo Professional 4 (DPP 4), and in Capture One (my favorite). I am fairly skilled in Photoshop especially with regards to image clean-up. This striking silhouette was created from an image that was exposed for detail on the young eagle’s face.
Image #23: Bald Eagle two-headed blur
You Will Learn to Push the Limits and to Take Risks
I went way out of the box for this one by working at 1/8 second. This image made the final round of judging in several major international contests. We will talk at length about flight photography shooting strategies and techniques …
Image #24: Bald Eagle top shot
We Will Have Lots of Top Shot Opportunities
Images that depict a bird’s dorsal wing surfaces can be quite dramatic. We will have lots of chances to create top shots of both adult and immature Bald Eagles.
I am returning to Homer for the Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPT at the end of February through the beginning of March 2020. My plan is to do a six-day (FEB 25 —26— 27 — 28 — 29 — MAR 1) trip followed by a day off and a five-day trip (MAR 3 — 4 — 5 -6-7). As in the past, folks may wish to do both trips back-to-back. I do expect both trips to fill very quickly. If you are seriously interested, please contact me via e-mail. Complete details very soon. Flight photography until your arms drop, most with a 70-200mm lens. We photograph from a chartered boat and make some landings as well.
See the Bald Eagle gallery here; most of the images are from Homer.
What’s Up?
Tuesday morning was a strange one at La Jolla. There were lots of pelicans before the sun came up over the hill. Just as the sun crested the ridge, every pelican took flight and flew west as if they all had heard a clearly rung dinner bell. Multiple IPT participant and good friend Monte Brown and I hung out for 30 minutes to no avail; not a single pelican returned … We did the nesting Brandt’s Cormorants for a while and had some point-blank chances with a gorgeous bird with long, white breeding plumes about its head. Next, we did some California Sea Lions and then did a bit of exploring and gull photography along the low cliffs and then a great brunch as usual at Cafe Vahik. Monte did a lot better with the sea lions than I did …
We meet the rest of the IPT group tonight at 7:00pm for an introductory Meet and Greet.
This great new guide includes 15 pages of text, a 46-image gallery, and a comprehensive camera handling video.
The text covers all of the menu item settings that I used on my two D850 bodies and each gallery image has a legendary BIRDS AS ART educational caption. The emphasis is two-fold:
1- getting your camera set-up so that it is optimized for bird photography.
2- sharing everything that I know about the Nikon AF system so that you can create consistently sharp images of static subjects, and most especially, of birds in flight and in action.
Though this guide is designed for the D850 nearly all of it applies to the D5 and to the D500 as well.
You can purchase your copy in the BAA On-line Store here. Both files are large so you will need a good internet connection to download them.
IPT Updates
Coming soon: one or two Spoonbill Boat IPTs, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
Center Zone C (tracking) AF worked perfectly by getting sharp focus on the bird’s eye.
This is a Capture One Screen ACapture
Your browser does not support iFrame.
Keep or Delete: How Far to the Right is Too Far to the Right?
I am not sure how I screwed this one up so badly. I only know that I followed my own advice: “When unexpected action happens, acquire focus and push the shutter button. If you try to change the exposure or the AF point or mode, you will wind up with nothing.”
All the RED in the Capture One screen capture above is the over-exposure warning. My Highlight exposure warning value is 251.
You are editing your day folder and come across this image, a mile over-exposed with too, too many extraneous pelicans in the frame. Do you keep it or delete it? Be sure to let us know your reasons.
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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 :).
I am returning to Homer for the Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPT at the end of February through the beginning of March 2020. My plan is to do a six-day (FEB 25 —26— 27 — 28 — 29 — MAR 1) trip followed by a day off and a five-day trip (MAR 3 — 4 — 5 — 6 — 7). As in the past, folks may wish to do both trips back-to-back. I do expect both trips to fill very quickly. If you are seriously interested, please contact me via e-mail. Complete details soon. Flight photography until your arms drop, most with a 70-200mm. We photograph from a chartered boat and make some landings as well.
See the Bald Eagle gallery here; most of the images are from Homer.
What’s Up?
I forgot to mention in the last post that Saturday morning with the pelicans was fantastic. On Sunday, we went to my duck spot morning and afternoon and could barely find a Wood Duck. In the morning I shot lots of drake Northern Shovelers at 1200mm (they are not friendly) using the a7R IV, all at 500mm. Most were not sharp due to motion blur as there are just too many pixels … The static portraits with this combo, however, are breathtakingly sharp. In the afternoon, we had two tame drake Gadwall with their two tame hens. This species is usually quite shy. Monte Brown got some nice stuff of the handsomer of the two drakes preening. On Monday morning Bill Schneider and Monte and I had a ball with dozens of gorgeous pelicans. And a. great brunch as usual at Vahik Cafe.
Not-too Smart
I was so proud of myself for hand holding the 600 for flight. Never again. I did a number on my left shoulder, the one that I damaged badly when I fell in my home about 1. 1/2 years ago. I slipped on a puddle that I created after getting out of the pool …
IPT Updates
Coming soon: one or two Spoonbill Boat IPTs, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.
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 EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
The Used Gear page has been very hot for the past month with the continuing price drops on both Canon and Nikon gear. And there have been some great buys on SONY stuff too. There are still lots of solid bargains right now on the Used Gear Page. In addition to the recent sales below, there are several pending sales.
Recent Sales
In addition to the recent sales noted below, there are many pending sales as well.
Joe Randle sold his Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $899.00 in mid-January 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his rarely used Canon EOS 5DS R in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $1599.00 (was $1799.00) in. early January 2010.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM telephoto lens (the “old five”) in excellent condition for $2399.00, his Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a very low $5,699.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a BIRDS AS ART record-low $1149.00, his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for only $849.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter) in very good condition for $199.00, his refurbished Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body in excellent condition for a ridiculously low $699.00, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens in excellent condition for $129.00, and a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in excellent condition for the BIRDS AS ART record-low-by-far price of $1549.00 all in December 2019.
Charlie Curry sold his lightly used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 IS II USM lens in like-new condition for only $3299.00, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, a. Canon Extender EF 2x III (teleconverter) in like-new condition for only $223.00, his Canon Speedlight 600EXII-RT in new condition with the soft case for $249.00, a Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM lens in like-new condition for only $749.00, and a WH-200 Wimberley Head (the current version) in excellent condition with the Wimberley CK-100 Side-mount conversion clamp and the F-1 Flash Bracket for only $399.00 in December 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Sony a7r IV Mirrorless Digital camera body in absolutely like-new condition for only $2898.00 (was $3098.00) in early January 2020.
Top pro-Jim Zuckerman sold his Sony Alpha a7R Mirrorless Digital camera in excellent condition for $1399 in Late-December 2019.
Insane Price Drops!
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens
BAA record-low Price! Insane Price Drop!
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller is offering a rarely used Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens in near-mint condition for the new BAA record-low price of $399.00 (was $499.00). The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens pouch, the lens hood ET-73, the warranty card, the CD, the Lens Guide, all original packaging including the product box, 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 Jim via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-445-5042 (Eastern time zone).
Denise Ippolito absolutely loves her Canon 100mm macro lens. And I did also. She used it handheld for the most part while I most-often used it on the tripod. (Note: the tripod collar requires a separate purchase.) artie
Canon 580 EX II Speedlite
Insane Price Drop!
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller is offering a Canon 580 EX II Speedlite in excellent condition for only $99.00 (was $199.00). The sale includes the manual, the warranty card, the case, the stand, the original packaging including product box, 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 Jim via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-445-5042 (Eastern time zone).
This is Canon’s second most powerful flash; I owned several of them and used them often when I was using Canon. artie
Canon 430 EX II Speedlite
Beyond-Insane Price Drop!
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller is offering a rarely-used, refurbished Canon Speedlite 430EX II (flash) in near-mint condition for $49.00 (was $99.00). The sale includes the case, the stand, the manual, the original packaging including the generic Canon refurbished product box, 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 Jim via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-445-5042 (Eastern time zone).
A basic Canon flash at a giving-it-away price. artie
Canon Extender EF 1.4X II (teleconverter)
Insane Price Drop!
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller is offering a Canon Extender EF 1.4X II (teleconverter) in very good condition for $99.00 (was $169.00). The sale includes the front lens cap, the rear lens cap, the warranty card, the guide, the LP811 case, the original packing including the product box, 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 Jim via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-445-5042 (Eastern time zone).
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM L Zoom Lens
BAA record-low Price! Insane Price Drop!
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller is offering a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM L zoom lens in excellent condition for a BAA record-low $349.00 (was $449.00). The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the EW-83H lens hood, the lens pouch, 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 Jim via e-mail or by phone at 1-850-445-5042 (Eastern time zone).
The 24-105mm focal length is my all-time favorite for B-roll stuff: bird-scapes, quasi-macros, photographers and people, scenics, and just about everything else on the planet. Whenever I would decide to leave it in the car I would not get far before I was wishing that I had taken it along for the ride. artie
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
This great new guide includes 15 pages of text, a 46-image gallery, and a comprehensive camera handling video.
The text covers all of the menu item settings that I used on my two D850 bodies and each gallery image has a legendary BIRDS AS ART educational caption. The emphasis is two-fold:
1- getting your camera set-up so that it is optimized for bird photography.
2- sharing everything that I know about the Nikon AF system so that you can create consistently sharp images of static subjects, and most especially, of birds in flight and in action.
Though this guide is designed for the D850 nearly all of it applies to the D5 and to the D500 as well.
You can purchase your copy in the BAA On-line Store here. Both files are large so you will need a good internet connection to download them.
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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 :).
San Diego is fantastic. Repeat private-client Bill Schneider and I have been having a great time. I pick up good-friend and multiple IPT veteran Monte Brown at the airport after today’s (SUN 5 JAN) morning session. Afternoons at a somewhat atypical location have been great and Saturday afternoon was astoundingly good, probably the best-ever. I still have about 2500 images from Saturday to edit …
Your Favorite?
Consider taking a moment to leave a comment letting folks know which of today’s four featured images you like best and why. All comments on the images are welcome.
IPT Updates
Coming soon: one or two Spoonbill Boat IPTs, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.
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 EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
The Used Gear page has been very hot for the past month with the continuing price drops on both Canon and Nikon gear. And there have been some great buys on SONY stuff too. There are still lots of solid bargains right now on the Used Gear Page. In addition to the recent sales below, there are several pending sales.
Recent Sales
In addition to the recent sales noted below, there are many pending sales as well.
Jim Lewis sold his Fujinon XF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS lens in excellent condition for $899.00, his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in like-new condition for a very low $3077.00 (was $3,198.00), a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III and a Canon Extender EF 2X III, both in like-new condition for only $223.00, all in mid-December 2019.
IPT veteran Dane Johnson sold his Canon EOS-1D X in like-new condition (with a low shutter count of < 7,100) along with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens in mint condition for the crazy low price of only $2,095.00 (was $2,599.00) in mid-December 2019.
BPN friend Ravi Hirekatur sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS lens (the original 1-4) in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00 in mid-December.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a BIRDS AS ART record-low $1149.00, his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM telephoto lens (the “old five”) in excellent condition for $2399.00, a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens in excellent condition (with some paint scrapes on the bottom of lens foot where it meets mounting plate) for a very low $5,699.00, a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent condition (there are some tiny paint chips here and there) for only $849.00, his refurbished Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body in excellent condition with a few small, faint rubs on the body for a ridiculously low $699.00, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens in excellent condition for $129.00, and a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter) in very good condition for $199.00, all within days of their being listed in mid-December, 2019.
Ken Siegel sold his Sony a7r III in mint condition for only $1949.00 (was $2049.00) in early December 2019.
IPT veteran Joe Randle sold a Canon 500mm f4L IS USM Super Telephoto lens (the "old five") in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $2499.00 and his Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $899.00 both in early December 2019.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
This image was created on January 3, 2020. I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 3200. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:36pm in the shade of the tall buildings.
WIDE Continuous/tracking (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Image #1: Brown Pelican in flight: downstroke<
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My Arrival Afternoon
My MCO to SAN flight landed on time on Friday afternoon and thought that I would get to my AirBNB, take the afternoon off, and unpack slowly. I called Patrick Sparkman expecting him to be at work but he was already at LaJolla. So I dumped my bags and got to LaJolla (through the expected traffic) ASAP. Seeing Patrick hand holding his SONY 600mm f/4 inspired me to try doing the same thing. In 36 years I have hand held one of my 600 f/4 lenses only a handful of times, and never for an extended flight photography session. I did much better than I expected hand holding the big SONY GM lens — the lightest 600mm f/4 lens on the planet BTW, in large part due to its superb balance with most of the weight to the rear. Buoyed by my success on Friday afternoon, I did the same thing on Saturday afternoon and glimpsing at my results, I did even better. What they say about practice is doubly true when it comes to any type of flight photography.
This image was created on January 3, 2020. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 3200. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:38pm in the shade of the cliffs.
WIDE Continuous/tracking (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Image #2: Brown Pelican juvenile in flight: against cliff<
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SONY a9 II AF Performance
Using WIDE or center ZONE AF with Animal Eye AF turned on is the most accurate AF system I have ever used for birds in flight. Of the about 3,000 or so flight images I have created on this trip so far, more than 99% have been razor-sharp on the eye. And once the system is locked it stays locked no matter if you are working against backgrounds-other-than-sky (BOTS). Those include the Pacific Ocean as in Images #1 & 3 and sandstone cliffs as in Image #2. Canon AF has huge problems with BOTS and while Nikon is much better, a9 II AF is science-fiction-like. Not to mention consistently accurate.
A Great SONY AF Tip
Trying to acquire focus on birds in flight at close range in low light/low contrast situations can be problematic with SONY. The solution is to focus on something relatively distant. In. most cases, the system will then acquire quickly even when working incoming birds in flight at close range in low light/low contrast situations.
This image was created on January 3, 2020. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 3200. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:50pm in the shade of the cliffs.
WIDE Continuous/tracking (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Image #3: Brown Pelican in flight: downstroke<
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Top-Shots
This great afternoon location offers lots of chances for creating top shots, images that show the dorsal surfaces of the bird’s wings. I just love creating them and each ocean background is unique. I forgot to mention that the actual 15 frames-per-second frame-rate of the a9 II gives you lots of frames to choose from. Lastly, with no mirror blackout– be sure you are using the Electronic Shutter — your panning skills will improve rapidly as you can see the bird in the viewfinder finder as you track it.
This image was created on January 3, 2020. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 6400. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AWB at 6:00pm in the pink western sky.
WIDE Continuous/tracking (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Image #4: Brandt’s Cormorant at sunset
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Yup!
Yes sir, the sky color in this image is quite accurate. To get there, after exposing well to the right, I used the Color Editor in Capture One during the RAW conversion.
WIDE AF
One of the great advantages of using WIDE AF for birds in flight is that you can position small-in-the-frame subjects anywhere you like.
The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video
If you own a high-end SONY camera body, there is absolutely no reason that you should not be getting a perfect exposure every time with every image even in the most difficult situations — white birds, dark backgrounds, dark birds against white skies, simply pick your shutter speed and aperture and then adjust the ISO on the Control Wheel until you see faint blinkies. It’s that simple. Learn how in the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video. To order your copy, please send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net for $30. Please state in the Paypal that the payment is for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video.
Alternatively, you can place a phone order for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 MON to THURS and most FRI mornings.
Folks who have purchased a SONY lens and/or a SONY body using either my B&H affiliate links or from Steve Elkins at Bedfords will enjoy a $20 discount. If you qualify, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
Folks who have purchased the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens using my links will receive the file for free. If you qualify for a free copy, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
After I confirm your discount, you can either call Jim or send us a Paypal (as above).
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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 :).
I am en route to the airport. It’s hard to believe that in about 26 hours I will be spending the morning with the beautiful Pacific-race Brown Pelicans in La Jolla, CA. It is one of my very favorite bird photography spots on the planet. Private client and friend Bill Schneider will be with me this weekend. I will be staying for an additional six days to do some exploring on the central California coast just south of and including Morro Bay.
IPT Updates
Coming soon: one or two Spoonbill Boat IPTs, a spring Fort DeSoto Sandbar Secrets IPT, and a Nickerson Beach IPT this summer.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.
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 EOS-1DX, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
The Used Gear page has been very hot for the past month with the continuing price drops on both Canon and Nikon gear. And there have been some great buys on SONY stuff too. There are still lots of solid bargains right now on the Used Gear Page. In addition to the recent sales below, there are several pending sales.
Recent Sales
In addition to the recent sales noted below, there are many pending sales as well.
Jim Lewis sold his Fujinon XF100-400mm F/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS lens in excellent condition for $899.00, his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in like-new condition for a very low $3077.00 (was $3,198.00), a Canon Extender EF 1.4x III and a Canon Extender EF 2X III, both in like-new condition for only $223.00, all in mid-December 2019.
IPT veteran Dane Johnson sold his Canon EOS-1D X in like-new condition (with a low shutter count of < 7,100) along with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens in mint condition for the crazy low price of only $2,095.00 (was $2,599.00) in mid-December 2019.
BPN friend Ravi Hirekatur sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS lens (the original 1-4) in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00 in mid-December.
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a BIRDS AS ART record-low $1149.00, his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM telephoto lens (the “old five”) in excellent condition for $2399.00, a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens in excellent condition (with some paint scrapes on the bottom of lens foot where it meets mounting plate) for a very low $5,699.00, a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent condition (there are some tiny paint chips here and there) for only $849.00, his refurbished Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body in excellent condition with a few small, faint rubs on the body for a ridiculously low $699.00, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens in excellent condition for $129.00, and a Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter) in very good condition for $199.00, all within days of their being listed in mid-December, 2019.
Ken Siegel sold his Sony a7r III in mint condition for only $1949.00 (was $2049.00) in early December 2019.
IPT veteran Joe Randle sold a Canon 500mm f4L IS USM Super Telephoto lens (the "old five") in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $2499.00 and his Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $899.00 both in early December 2019.
New Listing
Canon Macro EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro Lens
BAA Record-low Price!
IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L Macro Lens in near-mint condition for the crazy low price of only $649.00. There are no scratches, scuffs, or marks of any kind on the glass, lens or hood. The only sign of age is a slight graying of the rubber on the focusing ring. The sale includes the lens, front and rear lens caps, tripod collar, Lens Hood ET-78II, Canon’s fabric Lens Case, lens case shoulder strap, original user documents, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US lower 48 addresses only. Photos are available upon request. Your lens will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Dane via e-mail or by phone at 1-559-593-0989.
The Canon 180 Macro was my mainstay macro lens for more than a decade. I loved the extra reach that it provides over the various 100mm macro lenses. And, assuming that you will be working on a tripod, the Canon EF Extender 1.4X is perfectly compatible. The lens is great for flowers, bugs, butterflies, frogs, toads, and snakes among lots more. This lens — still in production — sells new for $1,399.00. You can save a smooth $750.00 on Dane’s practically new lens. artie
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
Capture One Screen Capture for today’s featured image: Great Blue Heron braking to land
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Being Lucky is Not Enough …
You’ve Got to Be Prepared and Be Quick!
I spotted this bird flying toward us. Harry was down at the shoreline photographing some White Pelicans resting on the sandbar. I was well up on the beach. When I saw. the bird. coming I called out, “Here comes a great blue right at us.” As I had been set for the very white pelicans in manual mode at ISO 800, 1/2000 second at f/5.6 and knew that the GBH would need more light I simply upped the ISO by turning the Control Wheel clockwise two clicks to raise the ISO to 1250. The exposure was dead-solid perfect; in RAW Digger it showed 0% overexposure and 0%. underexposure! Sometimes you do not have time to check for the Zebras but a good basic understanding of exposure theory will almost always save the day. Remember: WHITEs need less light to be properly exposed than MIDDLE TONEs and BLACKs and. DARK TONEs need more light than MIDDLE TONES.
Learn Exposure Theory in the chapter on Exposure in the original The Art of Bird Photography.. Or save some bucks and enjoy a complete bird photography education by purchasing the two-book bundle here.
I love the underwing detail in this image and I got very lucky with the background and the positioning of the bird’s head against white sand in the background. But the main point of this post is that no matter how lucky you are to be in the right place at the right time, you need to have mastered the fundamentals and the operation of your camera and lens in order to meet success.
WIDE Continuous/tracking (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Great Blue Heron braking to land<
Your browser does not support iFrame.
The SONY 600mm/1.4XTC/a9 II for Flight
I created about 15 images of the incoming heron. All were razor-sharp on the eye. WIDE is simply amazing, even. with the 14X TC in place. As you can see in the screen capture that opened this blog post, I kept only three. At the start of the series, I had been panning a bit too slowly and the bird was too far to my right in the frame. (Universal advice for better flight photography: pan faster!) Even when I am shooting flight off a tripod, my biggest problem is simply keeping the bird centered in the frame. And the situation is worse when I am handholding. Folks scoff when I write that I am not a very good flight photographer but my hand-eye coordination, strength, and stamina (for handholding especially) have never been great.
I am falling more in love with my SONY gear every day that I use it and the a9 II tops the list … Patrick Sparkman and I will be working on a comprehensive SONY Camera User’s Guide while I am in California. It will be the best camera user’s guide that I have ever created in part because the SONY menus are so complex and offer so, so many options, some of them useful. And we have learned by experience that some of the default settings can cause serious problems …For folks who have not used my B&H affiliate links or purchased their gear from Bedfords, this guide will be priced oppressively.
The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video
If you own a high-end SONY camera body, there is absolutely no reason that you should not be getting a perfect exposure every time with every image even in the most difficult situations — white birds, dark backgrounds, dark birds against white skies, simply pick your shutter speed and aperture and then adjust the ISO on the Control Wheel until you see faint blinkies. It’s that simple. Learn how in the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video. To order your copy, please send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net for $30. Please state in the Paypal that the payment is for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video.
Alternatively, you can place a phone order for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 MON to THURS and most FRI mornings.
Folks who have purchased a SONY lens and/or a SONY body using either my B&H affiliate links or from Steve Elkins at Bedfords will enjoy a $20 discount. If you qualify, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
Folks who have purchased the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens using my links will receive the file for free. If you qualify for a free copy, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
After I confirm your discount, you can either call Jim or send us a Paypal (as above).
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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 :).
Right-hand man Jim Litzenberg, daughter/BAA accountant Jennifer Morris, and I wish you and yours a happy, healthy and satisfying 2020 filled with lots of great opportunities and images.
Forewarned is Forearmed …
I will have a comprehensive SONY Camera Body User’s Guide ready by the end of January. It will priced oppressively. That means that it will be outrageously expensive. Folks who purchased their gear using my B&H affiliate links or through Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera will receive a very generous discount. The size of the discount will be dependent on what you bought. As regular readers know, I put a tremendous amount of work into the blog and using the BAA Online Store and/or my affiliate links is the very best way to thank me and is greatly appreciated. In addition, using the links often earns you free guides and videos or substantial discounts.
San Diego IPT Late Registration Discount
I am offering a $400 late registration discount on the San. Diego IPT. Please e-mail if you would like to join us.
IPT Updates
Do check out the San Diego Gallery here and the Galapgos Gallery here.
The 2020 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) WED JAN 8, 2020 thru and including the morning session on SUN JAN 12: 4 1/2 days: $2099.(Limit: 8/Openings: 5)
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
This image was also created on December 28, 2019 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. For this one I used the Induro GIT 304/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/640 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode was about -2/3 stops on the analog scale. AWB at 8:03am on a cloudy morning.
Upper Center Zone Continuous/tracking AF was active at the moment of exposure. I selected an AF point placed precisely on the bird’s eye. With large in the frame subjects like this, Animal Eye Tracking works very well even though it is not supposed to work on birds. But heck, an eye is an eye.
Great Blue Heron in dark mangrove reflections
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Dark, Still, and Green
As mentioned here previously, on my second morning with private client Harry Lerner, we enjoyed some great photography. We had one each of the following wading bird species feeding on shrimp and small baitfish: Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, Little Blue, Heron, and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. Not having a huge feeding spree going on made it easy to isolate single birds. The wind, about 10mph from the northeast, was strong enough to ruffle the water’s surface, but for the fact that we were in the lee of the mangroves. Thus, we were able to utilize the beautiful dark, still, green reflections as nearly perfect backgrounds. All in all, it was pretty close to being a perfect situation.
An In-the-Field Image Design Question …
I had already lengthened the GIT 304L legs to the max to allow for them sinking into the soft mud. Why did I pull the tripod legs in significantly and then re-plant the tripod right when planning the execution of this image?
Riding SONY Zebras to Exposure Success …
There are several steps to setting up your high-end SONY mirrorless camera body so that you can come up with a very-close-to-perfect exposure quickly and easily (with just a little practice). Patrick Sparkman developed this technique and kindly taught it to me. As far as we know, nobody except the few folks I have taught in the field, are using this technique. Among those are multiple IPT veteran Jim Miller and more recently, Harry Lerner.
First, you need to set ISO to the Control Wheel, next change an important setting for the Control Wheel/Right Button, and set turn Zebra Display to On. Last and most importantly you need to set the Zebra level correctly so that once you detect faint Zebras you will be confident that you have set the perfect exposure manually. All of the above assuming Multi metering.
After setting up Harry’s camera on Thursday evening past, here is what I told him in at DeSoto on Friday morning:
1-Choose and set your shutter speed and aperture. When hand holding the 200-600, Harry went with 1/500 second to ensure getting sharp images and with either f/6.7 or f/7.1. With the 600 f/4 on the tripod, Harry opted to stay with 1/500 second and go with an aperture of f/4 or f/4.5. As it got brighter he raised his shutter speed to 1/1000 second. In each case, I went with about half of those shutter speeds. At times, I was too slow to freeze the action when the birds struck …
2-Once you have chosen your shutter speed and aperture you simply raise the ISO by turning the Control Wheel clockwise until you see the Zebras (gently flashing black and white stripes) in the viewfinder. Then dial back the ISO until you see only faint Zebras on the brightest highlights. At times, faint Zebras will create RAW files with some blinkies that are almost always easily recovered during the RAW conversion. If you raise your lens, see Zebras everywhere, and cannot even see the subject simply lower the ISO until the Zebras disappear. At times, you may wish to raise the shutter speed instead.
As you learn and practice this system, you can decide if you want to go with faint Zebras or reduce the ISO one additional click (1/3 stop) and go with no Zebras. You may opt to treat sunny situations a bit differently than low light situations … With today’s GBH image, I raised the ISO until I saw faint Zebras on the white on the top of the bird’s head and went with that exposure. And we actually did the exact same thing with the Great Egrets as the top of their heads always has the brightest WHITEs. Note: there will be situations when you are photographing birds with dark tones against very light backgrounds (like the sky or water) on cloudy days where you will want significant Zebras (and thus blinkies) on the. background (but not on the subject).
The SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video
This morning, I will create a short video showing exactly how to make the needed Menu changes as detailed in #1 and #2 above. The price of this short video will be $30 except as noted below. To order your copy, please send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@verizon.net for $30. Please state that the payment is for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide Short Video.
Alternatively, you can place a phone order for the SONY Zebras Exposure Guide by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 MON to THURS and most FRI mornings.
Folks who have purchased a SONY lens and/or a SONY body using either my B&H affiliate links or from Steve Elkins at Bedfords will enjoy a $20 discount. If you qualify, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
Folks who have purchased the SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens using my links will receive the file for free. If you qualify. for a free copy, please shoot me an e-mail so that I can confirm your discount.
After I confirm your discount, you can either call Jim or send us a Paypal (as above).
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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 :).
I will have a comprehensive SONY Camera Body User’s Guide ready by the end of January. It will be priced oppressively. That means that it will be outrageously expensive. Folks who purchased their gear using my B&H affiliate links or through Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera will receive a very generous discount. The size of the discount will be dependent on what you bought. As regular readers know, I put a tremendous amount of work into the blog and using the BAA Online Store and/or my affiliate links is the very best way to thank me and is greatly appreciated. In addition, using the links often earns you free guides and videos or substantial discounts.
Walt Anderson Gone
I learned last week of the passing of photographer Walt Anderson, a long-time friend. Walt was friendly, soft-spoken, and easy going. He was the inventor/creator of the Visual Echos Flash Extender (aka the Better Beamer). In addition, he created the Panning Ground Pod.
Walt was a former member of Riverwoods Nature Photographic Society. He was well-known throughout CACCA (Chicago Area Camera Clubs Association) and CAPS (Chicago Area Photography School both for the educational programs that he presented and his Better Beamer. He was often seen at various events with his wife Carol at his side. Walt was an award-winning photographer/inventor specializing in wildlife, landscapes and Americana subjects. In addition to being published in both books and calendars by Capstone Press, Compass International, The Creative Company, Everyday Learning, and Chicago Wilderness and Outdoor Photographer magazines, he sold prints at art shows, conducted tours and workshops in North America, and taught photography classes at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL.
Inspired by Larry West at an early 1990s workshop, Walt began exploring the capabilities of the. then-new TTL flash units that were being introduced at the time. He founded Visual Echoes Inc. to produce and market his products including the Flash X-tender™ (also marketed under the name “Better Beamer”). He received widespread recognition for the Better Beamer which is distributed worldwide. (I’m proud to add that BIRDS AS ART was the very first distributor of the Better Beamer.) He has shared tips and techniques on the use of flash with his Sunshine in your Pocket program for many conventions and clubs.
My Favorite Walt Anderson Story
I had a group at Bosque. Things were pretty good in the pre-dawn. Once the sun cracked the horizon I said, “OK, we are out of here” as I was anxious to get to the crane pools (there were two at the time). Walt said, “I am gonna stay for a while longer.” I said, “Once the sun is up, you will not make anything great.”
At lunch that day Walt showed me one of my all-time favorite Bosque images. It featured gorgeous backlit geese in gorgeous backlit yellow grasses with tons of wonderful texture … Live and learn. ps: he did not use flash 🙂
A Clarification
My response to an e-mail from Bill Hill who kindly used my links to purchase a SONY 200-600 and an. a9 II:
BH: What is “Center Zone C (tracking)?
AM: When I write tracking with a lower case “t” I am referring to “C” with the C standing for continuous tracking AF. That as opposed AF-S (for single or One-Shot) AF.
From now on I will try to remember to write stuff like this: Center Zone (C: continuous tracking) AF.
When I start talking about the various Tracking AF Modes, I will always use an upper case “T” to avoid confusion.
ps: thanks for the excellent question as I did not realize that I might be confusing folks …
Private client Harry Lerner and I enjoyed a second great morning session on Saturday past at DeSoto. In the same small bay that we had worked on Friday morning conditions were even better. We had a nice collection of handsome wading birds but this time they were feeding and catching shrimp in lovely, still, dark-green water in the lee of a stand of mangroves. It was a great situation for Harry to practice his newly learn SONY Zebra exposure skills. He was nailing everything.
Best of all Harry taught me something new. At his urging and with his instruction I tried Flexible Spot (L) with tracking and did quite well. Thanks also to. Josh Anon. for pointing me in that direction. I will have a lot more to say about Flexible Spot (L) with tracking in future posts. In addition, I have a lot more to learn about the other AF tracking modes …
I am already thinking about packing for my flight to San Diego on Friday.
Please take a moment to let us know which of today’s featured images is the stronger of the two and why you made your choice. Feel free also to comment on positives and the negatives of each image.
San Diego IPT Late Registration Discount
I am offering a $400 late registration discount on the San. Diego IPT. Please e-mail if you would like to join us.
IPT Updates
Do check out the San Diego Gallery here and the Galapgos Gallery here.
The 2020 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) WED JAN 8, 2020 thru and including the morning session on SUN JAN 12: 4 1/2 days: $2099.(Limit: 8/Openings: 5)
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
This image was created on December 27, 2019 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 2,500. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:43am on a cloudy-bright morning.
Center Zone C (tracking) AF worked perfectly by getting sharp focus on the bird’s eye.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Willet landing
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Cloudy-bright Skies Plus SONY 200-600 Plus SONY a9 II Equals Great Flight Photography: The Good
The SONY 2-6/a9II combination makes a great walk-around lens for bird photography. No tripod, no hassles. Keep the 1.4X TC in your pocket for additional reach if needed. If you encounter some good flight photography situations, you are in the driver’s seat. If I had to choose between the Nikon 500 PF with either a gripped D-850 or a D5, I would choose the SONY rig. Why? More consistently accurate AF and the 100mm of additional reach is a huge advantage. Why on the latter? Because the size of the subject in the frame is proportionate to the square of the focal lengths. In this case, 5 squared is 25 and 6 squared is 36. So the size of the bird in the frame in images made at 600mm will be greater than the size of the bird in the frame made at 500mm (assuming the same distance, of course) by a factor of 36 to 25 (1.44 times larger). The bird will be 44% (11/25) larger in the frame than the 20% that many would think when going from 500 to 600. (100/500 = 20%).
An additional advantage that the 200-600 and all zoom lenses have over all fixed focal length lenses, is that you can zoom out for better framing when needed. This holds true for both static bird photography and flight (and action) photography but is actually more important for the latter applications as human zooming is easy when photographing a static bird but pretty much impossible when you need to make the photo now!
Why Cloudy Bright for Flight?
I have long been a huge fan of cloudy-bright skies for photographing birds in flight as all shadows are eliminated and you can create images that reveal superb underwing detail (as in Image #1). Both are extremely difficult to do in sunny conditions except in the rare instances where you can press the shutter button when the bird in flight is precisely on sun angle. And even then shadows are likely except when the wing position if full upstroke.
This image was also created on December 27, 2019 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 2,500. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:44am on a cloudy-bright morning.
Center Bottom Zone C (tracking) AF worked perfectly by getting sharp focus on the bird’s eye.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Osprey — eye-level fly-by
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The Bad …
After the five-plus-hour morning session with Harry on Friday past, my left shoulder hurt a bit. Remember that that is the shoulder that I damaged when I fell in my home about 2 1/2 years ago. It has healed quite well but at about 6 1/2 pounds with the hood on and lens foot removed, handholding the rig for extended periods of time might cause some joint-stress for some folks (like me). Others might not be able to hand hold this rig for flight even for short sessions.
Working off a tripod will eliminate 100% of stress on the left shoulder and will help you to create sharper images. It is, however, almost always a lot easier to shoot flight with lenses that can comfortably be hand held than with tripod-mounted lenses. And hand holding is a lot more fun than having to drag a tripod around.
If I had had the rig on the tripod while photographing static subjects it is likely that I would not have been prepared for the two great flight photography opportunities that arose quickly less than two minutes apart …
The last negative is that at f/6.3 the 2-6 is a bit slower than we would like. But too make it a constant f/5.6 would have made the lens a bit heavier …
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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 :).
I met AE Pi (Florida State) fraternity brother Harry Lerner early on Thursday evening to set up his a9 and his a7R IV. Our plan was to do two sessions on Friday and then a final session on Saturday morning. But the early weather forecast was on the dire side — showers followed by rain on Friday followed by more rain on Saturday morning. As it turned out Saturday morning dawned overcast with a bit of drizzle. That turned into variably sunny followed by a sunny afternoon. With the east winds early on Friday switching to north, we had a long and great session. In a small bay, we started with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron quickly followed by Great Egret, Green Heron, Little Blue Heron, Great Egret, and some Ring-billed Gulls, and a single Red Knot.
Once we hit the nearby beach we worked a tame Black-bellied Plover catching large worms and then added Snowy Egret. We switched locations and were well rewarded by perched, flying, and diving Brown Pelicans, more Willets (> 300) that I have ever seen in one place, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls, several pairs of tame American Oystercatchers, and a single Red Knot. With wind against sun conditions, the afternoon was not such good (quoting my late-Dad, Robert Morris) but we both learned a lot by trying to make some meaningful images of a tame young pelican facing dead away from us into the wind …
Harry quickly mastered the SONY Zebras exposure technique with ISO on the rear wheel. And he was making sharp images with his SONY 400 f/2.8 GM lens with the 2X TC and the a7R IV. He needs to work on framing a bit looser as he is a big fan of man-cropping …
FE Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price Price reduced $400 on 22 DEC 2019
William Schneider is offering a Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $10,297.00 (was 10,697.00). This immaculate lens has seen little use. The sale includes the lens hood, the lens trunk, the front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bill via e-mail e-mail or by phone at 1-(262) 269-8628 (Eastern time zone).
This super-fast lens is amazingly light at 6.4 lbs, the same weight as the Nikon 300mm f/2.8. Patrick made lots of great images at St. Paul in the Pribilof Islands last July with the lens alone and with either the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. He really enjoyed the 8.86 ft close-focusing capability and the beautiful bokeh that the lens produces. As this lens sells new right now for $12,998.00, you can save a cool $2,701.00 by grabbing this virtually new lens asap. artie
ps: at the time of publication this lens is very hard to get; it is not in stock at B&H or at Bedfords.
San Diego IPT Late Registration Discount
I am offering a $400 late registration discount on the San. Diego IPT. Please e-mail if you would like to join us.
The 2020 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) WED JAN 8, 2020 thru and including the morning session on SUN JAN 12: 4 1/2 days: $2099.(Limit: 8/Openings: 5)
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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 over $1000.00, 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. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is eager to please.
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.
Moderation …
When I was about eleven, my late-Mom often said, This child does not know the meaning of the word “moderation.”. Not a lot has changed since them … The extremes today: ISO 10,000 and 1200mm. Par for the course.
Call me a joker, call me a fool
Right at this moment, I’m totally cool
Clear as a crystal, sharp as a knife
I feel like I’m in the prime of my life
Sometimes it feels like I’m going too fast
I don’t know how long this feeling will last
Maybe it’s only tonight
Darling, I don’t know why I got to extremes
Too high or too low there ain’t no in-betweens
And if I stand or I fall
It’s all or nothing at all
Darling, I don’t know why I got to extremes
Sometimes I’m tired, sometimes I’m shot
Sometimes I don’t know how much more I’ve got
Maybe I’m headed over the hill
Maybe I’ve set myself up for the kill
Tell me how much do you think you can take
Until the heart in you is starting to break?
Sometimes it feels like it will
Darling, I don’t know why I go to extremes
Too high…
This image was created on December 27, 2019 at Fort DeSoto Park, Tierra Verde, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 10,000. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/250 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 7:27am on a cloudy-dark morning.
Upper Center Zone C (tracking) AF worked perfectly by getting sharp focus on the bird’s eye.
Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.
Image #1: Yellow-crowned Night-Heron in no light
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ISO 10,000
I set 1/250 sec. as my just-sharp-enough shutter speed, my usual stopped-down-one-click aperture of f/7.1, and then increased the ISO on the rear dial until I saw faint Zebras on the image. The big trick of course: your exact Zebra settings. I promise to share that in the Advanced Sony Guide before the end of January. Till then you can experiment … In any case, exposing to the right worked just fine at IS) 10,000.
Flexible Spot (S) Continuous/tracking AF was active at the moment of exposure. I selected an AF point placed precisely on the bird’s eye. With large in the frame subjects like this, Animal Eye Tracking works very well even though it is not supposed to work on birds. But heck, an eye is an eye.
Image #2: Great Blue Heron — head portrait of a 2 year old bird
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1200mm
As noted previously here, it is great to be back working at 1200mm and making super-sharp images with SONY. This bird was perched for an hour atop Battery Bigelow and provided a fabulous teaching and learning situation. We worked on sun angle, head angle, and exposure.
That this bird kept its black crest erect all the time made it a very attractive subject.
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.
San Diego IPT Late Registration Discount
I am offering a $400 late registration discount on the San. Diego IPT. Please e-mail if you would like to join us.
The 2020 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) WED JAN 8, 2020 thru and including the morning session on SUN JAN 12: 4 1/2 days: $2099.(Limit: 8/Openings: 5)
Introductory Meet and Greet at 7:00pm on the evening before the IPT begins; WED JAN 7, 2020.
Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting with eggs and possibly chicks) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions; and Bird of Paradise flowers. And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.
Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.
Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not
Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on the exposure situation along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and the subject of blinkies. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode and to get the right exposure every time as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant. 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 as well. And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of all of those opportunities. And depending on the weather and local conditions and tides, there are a variety of fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.
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
This IPT will include five 3 1/2 hour morning photo sessions, four 2 1/2 hour afternoon photo sessions, four lunches, and after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own.
A $599 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “Arthur Morris) to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 3385, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due upon registration. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for both big international trips and US-based IPTs is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality travel insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late
On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.
If In Doubt …
If you are 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 BAA Online Store 🙂
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 or Bedfords 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.
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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 :).