Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

Homer has been beyond amazing. Coming earlier than usual the weather has been wild, the eagles have been ravenous, and the photography has been insanely outstanding — far beyond what anyone could have dreamed of. My recovered SONY gear has stood up quite well. On Friday and Saturday, both the 7r iv and the a9 ii were covered with wet snow by the blizzard. Both have kept on ticking after taking a licking. Despite creating as many as 2450 images in a single session with the temps in the teens, I have not once had to change a single camera battery. And a9 ii AF continues to perform in a science-fiction-like manner with virtually 99% of the flight images sharp on the eye. Yesterday, in sunny conditions, I made some super-sharp flight images with the hand held 200-600 and the a7r iv! The latter rig has been deadly for head portraits. The 70-200mm has been my most valuable lens for flight photography with and without the 1.4X TC with both bodies. My SONY 600 GM has been parked on the floor of my room for days and I will not be using it at all. Next year I will do the whole trip with the 70-200mm f/2.8 and the 200-600. Once again my close-focusing SONY 100-400 GM lens is having smooth zooming issues …

I already have several commitments for the 2021 Homer IPTs. If you are interested, please contact me via e-mail.

Catch this: multiple IPT veteran and great friend Donna Bourdon e-mailed me on Monday morning asking if I had room for her on the first IPT. II did. She purchased her flights that morning, headed to the Atlanta Airport late on Monday afternoon, landed at Anchorage at 3am on Tuesday morning, and is waiting to board her Ravn Air flight to Homer as I type at 4:57am Alaska time on 25 FEB. Good on Donna for living life now!

Coming Soon: More on the Canon 1D X Mark II

The next blog post up will be several more great Clemens Van der Werf 1D X III images along with Clemens’s comments on the new Canon body.

Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in full breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull landing on head of Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull in flight, Reddish Egret sunrise silhouette, Great Blue Heron with needlefish, Yellow-crowned Night Heron with ghost crab, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling in breeding plumage, and white morph Reddish Egret in glorious breeding plumage.

The 2020 Fort DeSoto Spring Sandbar Secrets IPT/April 22 through the morning session on April 25, 2020. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1499.00. Limit: 8 photographers

An inexpensive add-on day is available.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for breeding terns and gulls and wading birds in spring. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography.

Again, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull in flight, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandwich Terns copulating, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret with reflection, breeding plumage Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, white morph Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret in marsh.

We will also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, most especially, Red Knot with many individuals in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures.
With luck, we might get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will almost surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.

Yes, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, Laughing Gull vertical front-end portrait, Laughing Gull with prey item, landing on head of Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Royal Tern displaying, Royal Terns — pre-copulatory stance, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a rare treat, a breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.

On the IPT you will learn:

• 1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure.
• 2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
• 3- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 4- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
• 5- To age and identify many species of shorebirds including sandpipers, plovers, dowitchers, and possibly yellowlegs.
• 6- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
• 7- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
• 8- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 9- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
• 10- How and when to access the magical sandbar safely.
• 11- More than you could ever imagine.

You got it by now! Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Roseate Spoonbill, immature Brown Pelican in flight, the heron/egret hybrid, American Oystercatcher feeding, immature Royal Tern on railing, Great Egret morning silhouette, Black Skimmer in surf, and underside head portrait of Great Blue Heron.

Morning sessions will run at least three to 3 1/2 hours, afternoon sessions 2 1/2 to 3 hours. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodiing information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area (rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away).

Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors; this is pretty much a staple on almost all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours. Doing so will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest and those who need to get home for a proper dinner. I really love it when I am leaving the beach at 9:30am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We will be getting wet.

Payment in full is due now. Credit cards are OK for your $500 deposit. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. If you leave a deposit you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your check out to BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, and clothing and gear advice in mid-August. Please remember that we will meet early on Saturday morning. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together are urged to e-mail for discount information.

This image was created on February 12, 2020 at Fort DeSoto. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 840mm), and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/1000 sec. at f/11. AWB at 4:30pm on a sunny aftenroon. Tracking Flexible Spot M Continous (C) AF performed beautifully. Image #1: Molting adult Laughing Gull resting behind a tree! Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Situation

After our first great afternoon and an even better first morning, pickings were a bit slim for Larry Master and me on our second afternoon. At a seldom-visited beach, there were some interestingly handsome Laughing Gulls beginning to molt into breeding plumage. I had attempted to get some good photographs of the molting gulls that morning but pretty much failed. When we attempted to get really close to the birds that afternoon, we could not get anywhere close enough for head portraits. So I added my 1.4X TC to the mix and utilized and old strategy to get the deed done.

This image was also created on February 12, 2020 at Fort DeSoto. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 840mm), and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/800 sec. at f/11. AWB at 4:32pm on a sunny aftenroon. Tracking Flexible Spot M Continous (C) AF performed beautifully. Image #2: Molting adult Laughing Gull yawningbehind a tree! Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Old Strategy

Though I have used this exact strategy many times over the years, I have never described it in detail in writing. Anyhoo, with my rig on a Black Rapid Curve Breathe Strap, I approached a small flock of the gulls to about 20 feet where they were still quite comfortable with my presence. Then I sat carefully. Next, I put my rig on my lap, placed my hands a bit in front of me, and propelled myself to my right to get on sun angle and then forward a bit to get closer. The effort was well rewarded. I guess you could call it ‘butt-crawling with your gear on your lap.” Once I was in position I cleaned the sand off of my hands before touching my gear (for obvious reasons). All in all, it worked quite well.

This image was also created on February 12, 2020 at Fort DeSoto. Again I used the hand heldSony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 840mm), and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/1250 sec. at f/9. AWB at 4:35pm on a sunny aftenroon. Tracking Flexible Spot M Continous (C) AF performed beautifully. Image #3: Molting adult Laughing Gull head portraitbehind a tree! Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Hand Held SONY 200-600/1.4XTC/a9 ii Combination

The hand held SONY 200-600 with the 1.4XTC is obviously a deadly combination. Yes, if you use it on cloudy days you will need to up the ISO and possibly work on a tripod. But with good technique, your images will be tack sharp. The ability to be mobile in the field while having 840mm of hand held reach at your disposal when needed is simply incredible. And once you learn to master Tracking Flexible Spot, the combination becomes even more powerful. Still to come: flight photography with this same rig and the 200-600 with the 1.4X TC and the 7r iv, the latter still in the works.

This image was also created on February 12, 2020 at Fort DeSoto. Again I used the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 840mm), and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/1250 sec. at f/9. AWB at 4:39pm on a sunny aftenroon. Tracking Flexible Spot M Continous (C) AF performed beautifully. Image #4: Molting adult Laughing Gull yawning widebehind a tree! Click on the image to see a larger version.

Your Favorite?

Please leave a comment and let us know which of the four Laughing Gull head portraits is your favorite. And why you made your choice.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links 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 regularly visit 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 Got My Attention!

It may have been that I had forgotten that you were forced to check your photo rollers or large backpacks on the planes for the short flight to Homer. Or it is possible that either they used to allow regulation roll-aboards like my large and sturdy ThinkTank Airport SecurityTM V2.0, or that they flew larger planes. But that is no longer the case. I was forced to check my roller bag for the short hop flight. And that privilege only cost me $75 as that was my third “checked” bag. They do not allow you gate-check your photo stuff.

The Ravn Air flight was delayed about 35 minutes. We flew on a Penn Air plane. When we got to Homer, it took about ten minutes for the bags to come out. My two Samsonite Spinners came right out. In a jiffy, all the bags were claimed. All but my Think Tank bag, the one with well more than $30,000 worth of SONY gear in it. We eventually found a baggage guy who said something to this effect: “that should never happen.” Duh!

Steve, who was being helpful, said “I will have your bag here tomorrow, hopefully on the first flight. BTW, I am off tomorrow.”

Before the IPTs I am doing four days of Bald Eagles with good friends and former students — they are both too talented now — Clemens Van der Werf and Greg Gulbransen. Clemens got to Homer on Thursday morning. Greg was delayed en route from NYC to Seattle and he missed the last flight to Homer, the one that I was on. He got to spend the night in Anchorage. Clemens kindly picked me up last night. We meet at 6:40am this morning to meet Greg’s early flight. Either my rolling bag will be on the plane or not. Time will tell.

Am I upset? No, not at all. Will I be upset if the bag does not arrive on the first flight? No, not at all. What would the point be? If worse comes to worst, I will deal with that when it happens. And again, I will not be upset. You gotta love The Work of Byron Katie.

And BTW, if you wish to learn more about the origins of the worse comes to worst idiom, click here.

These Just In

5:15am Alaska time: Greg Gulbransen is working with the folks at Ravn Air to try and find my missing Think Tank bag. It is not in their baggage area and the manifest shows that it was on the plane to Homer last night. So as of now, the $30K plus bag with my SONY gear has apparently disappeared into thin air. According to Greg, the folks at Ravn Air are currently panic mode. You gotta love it.

5:54am Alaska Time: Just got off the phone with Steve Elkins at Bedford. He is holding a contingency stop-gap order for me: two a9 ii bodies, a 200-600 G, a 70-200 f/2.8 GM, and a 1.4X TC.

6:22am Alaska time: no word on the missing bag. My. resting pulse standing is 68.

7:35am Alaska time: my missing bag was located in Kodiak, AK and should be in Homer at some point today.

7:40am: The bag will be arriving in Homer today at 4:12pm if all goes well.

I was blessed to have attended the 2017 School for the Work and to have me Byron Katie.

The Work: A Simple Yet Powerful Practice

As we do The Work of Byron Katie, not only do we remain alert to our stressful thoughts—the ones that cause all the anger, sadness, and frustration in our world — but we question them, and through that questioning, the thoughts lose their power over us. Great spiritual texts describe the what — what it means to be free. The Work is the how. It shows you exactly how to identify and question any thought that would keep you from that freedom.

What’s Up?

I am packing like a fiend today, WED 19 FEB 2020. Jim will be taking me to an Orlando Airport motel late this afternoon. I fly to Homer on Delta via Seattle and Anchorage. It is a little bit of a challenge to make Homer by plane in a single day but if I make my (legal) 62-minute connection in Seattle it will be a piece of cake. But it will be a very long travel day as I have a 4-hour 29-minute layover in Anchorage … Wish me luck.

I was glad to learn that the sale of Steeve Leimberg’s Canon 600 II is pending.

SONY 600 GM in Stock at Bedfords

Good friend Steve Elkins of Bedford Camera asked me to let you know that he has a SONY 600mm f/4 OSS GM lens in stock. Please contact him immediately if it has your name on it. Please remember that if you purchase a SONY 600 GM using one of my affiliate links that the new soon-to-be-released SONY Video and e-Guide will be yours for free. (The free offer gets you one of the foud camera-specific video and the complete e-Guide.) Details soon. Remember to use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout too secure the $50 discount on your online order. Steve’s contact info is immediately below.

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.

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%. Please understand that e-Bay prices are bogus. And the same is true of the prices of used gear including my dear friends at B&H and the other mega-outfits. They offer you pennies and then try to sell the stuff to ignorant folks for ridiculously high prices. With their huge international exposure, they occasionally find someone …

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 many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the 5Ds and 5Ds R, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, the Canon 200-400 with internal extender, 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. The prices garnered for used Canon gear has tanked completely as demand has dropped tremendously. It is ironic that for decades Canon gear had very strong resale value …

Note: all BAA Used Gear sales include insured ground shipping via UPS to lower 48 US addresses only. Others who live elsewhere are invited to e-mail the seller for shipping surcharge info. Sellers should charge you only the difference between shipping to the farthest US location from their home and the charge to a non-lower-48 address.

Very Recent Sales

Bob Lester sold his Sony A7r iii Mirrorless camera body in Very Good Plus condition (shutter count < 14,000) for only $1698.00 in mid-FEB 2020. Jim Lewis sold his Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital camera body in-near mint condition for an incredibly low $449.00 (was $699.00) in early FEB 2020. I learned in FEB 2020 that Joe Randle sold his EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens in excellent condition for $149.00 in mid-JAN 2020. Multiple IPT participant Sheldon Goldstein sold his Sigma Contemporary 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG Lens for Canon in like-new condition for $675.00 (was $725.00) in early FEB 2020. IPT veteran Richard Russ sold his Nikkor 105mm Micro f/2.8G AF-VR lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $496.95 and 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. Barry McKenzie sold his Canon 2X III TC in excellent plus condition for a very low $219.00 and a Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens for Canon EF in like-new condition for a very low $449.00, both in early FEB, 2020. Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EOS 5DS R dSLR in very good condition for only $799.00 (was $999.00), a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in good plus condition for an amazingly low $1,099.00 (was $1,499.00), and a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II dSLR in very good condition with 95,000 actuations for the very low price of $2499.00 (was $2,899.00), all on 9 FEB 2020. Barry McKenzie sold a Canon 1.4X III TC in very good condition with a single “ding” for a very low $160.00 in early February 2020. Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in good plus condition for an amazingly low $1,099.00 and his Canon EF Extenders (teleconverters) 1.4X III and 2X III in excellent condition for $200 each on 6 FEB 2020. Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II USM Zoom lens in very good plus condition for $999.00 on 5 FEB 2020.

New Listings

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto Lens

Sale Pending first day of listing

Tim McCreary is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto lens in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $2399.00. The sale includes the lens hood, a drop-in polarizing filter, a LensCoat, the lens trunk, a. replacement foot, the front and rear lens caps, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 PDT.

The 500mm f/4 lenses have been the world’s most popular telephoto lenses for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. I owned and used and loved my “old five” for many years. If you use Canon and don’t have the cash for a 500 II and can handle the additional 1 1/2 pounds, then this is your best super-telephoto option. Most everyone can produce sharp images with this lens and a 1.4X TC. Folks with good to excellent sharpness techniques can do the same with a 2X TC. A new 500 II sells right now for $8,999.00 so you can save a big bundle by grabbing Tim’s lens right now. artie

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II Lens w/1.4X II TC

Tim McCreary is also offering a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $1099. The sale includes the lens hood, the original box, the carrying case, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x II, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 (Pacifc time zone).

This incredibly versatile zoom lens — with its .98 meter close focus — was my favorite Canon telephoto zoom lens. By far. artie

Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens

Sale Pending first day of listing

Tim McCreary is also offering a Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in near-mint condition for $399.00. The sale includes the lens hood, the front and rear lens caps, the original lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 (Pacifc time zone).

The 24-105 was my nerver-leave-home-without-it all purpose mid-range zoom lens. I made a zillion sale-able images with miine. artie

Canon EOS 7D dSLR

Tim McCreary is also offering a Canon EOS 7D dSLR in near-mint condition for an incredibly low $199.00. The sale includes the body cap, the strap, the original box, manual, a third-party battery grip, 2 batteries, the charger, a memory card, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim McCreary via via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 (Pacifc time zone).

This is a great body for anyone looking to get started with digital photography, nature or not. Paired with Tim’s 100-400 II, it would make a great starter kit. artie

Canon EOS 7D Mark II dSLR

BIRDS AS ART Record-low Price!

Tim McCreary is also offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II dSLR in near-mint condition for BAA record-low by far price of $599.00. The sale includes the body cap, the strap, the original box, the manual, a Meike battery grip with remote release, 2 batteries, the charger, a memory card and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim via via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 (Pacifc time zone).

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about four years ago when we both committed to using full-frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. One thing is for sure: the 7D Mark II is the greatest value ever in a digital camera body. artie

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Lens for Canon EF

Tim McCreary is also offering a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Lens for Canon EF in near-mint condition for $229.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the original box, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim via via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 (Pacifc time zone).

The Canon EF-mount atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF from Tokina is a versatile ultra-wide zoom well-suited for landscape, architecture, and interior shooting. Characterized by its bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture, consistent brightness is afforded throughout the zoom range and benefits working in available lighting conditions. The optical design incorporates a series of aspherical and low dispersion elements, which suppress a variety of aberrations for improved sharpness and clarity. Individual elements are also multi-coated to resist flare and ghosting for greater contrast and color accuracy when working in bright or backlit conditions. Complementing the optics, this lens features a One-Touch Focus Clutch Mechanism for fast changing between AF and MF settings, and an internal focusing design is used for responsive focusing performance. B&H

This lens sells new for $449.00. artie

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 the Cozad Ranch in Lynn, TX on April 18, 2005. I used the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens and the long-defunct Canon EOS-1D Mark II. ISO 640: 1/1000 sec. at f/4. At 11:02am on a cloudy morning. Click on the image to see a larger version. The redone optimized file for Crested Caracara landing

The Backstory

After I did the program at ILE two weeks ago a lady named Sally, who works in the office there, e-mailed asking if I have any images of caracaras. She wanted a 4X6 inch print for her husband’s birthday. I sent her a few screen-captures and she liked today’s featured image. We agreed on a price and Jim kindly found the optimized file. He copied it to our PC > MAC > PC hard drive. I opened it in Photoshop and was amazed to see how noisy the underwings were. I asked Jim to find the matching RAW file and he did that quickly. (Note: Be sure to save all of your RAW files. Be sure to save them with the file number and the location. And be sure that the file number and the location remain part of the file name for your optimized file. With those steps in your workflow, it is always easy to locate various versions of a given image. The magic file name here was _H2D2400 Cozad Ranch, Lynn, TX.)

The RAW file was originally processed in DDP 3, the predecessor of DPP 4. Purely out of curiosity, I decided to re-convert the RAW file in Capture One. I upped the exposure a bit, adjusted the white and black points, and used only the default noise reduction values. I was astounded to note that the horrific color noise (along with a bit of luminance noise) had been completely eliminated by the Capture One RAW conversion.

400% View of the old Crested Caracara landing file

Noise in Old File

As you can see, the color noise in the original image was really bad despite the fact that the RAW file was only about 1/2-stop under-exposed.

400% View of the redone Crested Caracara landing file

Noise in New File

As you can see, the noise in the new file was pretty much eliminated completely during the Capture One RAW Conversion, again, using only the default noise reductions (on an image created with a 25-year old camera body. To me, the difference is quite remarkable. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here.

Photoshop Improvements

Note that after the RAW conversion in C-1, I brought the TIF file into Photoshop and eliminated the YELLOW cast in the WHITEs and cleaned up the WHITEs as well. For the former, I created a new layer, reduced the YELLOW saturation, and painted the bill and the legs back in via a Regular Layer Mask. Removing the YELLOW from the orange bill and legs had made the image far too dull. Again working on a new layer, I cleaned up the WHITEs by taking BLACK out of the WHITEs in Selective Color …

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.

To purchase Capture One, please use this link. Then you can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here.

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.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links 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 regularly visit 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 :).

What’s Up?

As planned, I tried for pre-dawn blurs on Saturday at Circle Bar B preserve and had lots of good chances. A GBH flew right up to me and posed for about ten minutes on the dark, cloudy, morning. Then I headed to Lakeland for the white pelicans and did just fine keeping 39 images. Then I headed to the Fields Auto Group showroom about 15 minutes to the east, arranged to trade in my Sequoia, and ordered a brand-new 2020 SUV. On Sunday I worked for 11 hours on the new SONY guide and will be doing the same today. I was fortunate to have lots of help from co-author Patrick Sparkman and old friend and skilled photographer Ellen Anon. Today, Monday 17 FEB 2020, will be more of the same.

I fly to Homer, AK on Thursday. If anyone out there is interested in making the first Homer IPT, please know that no reasonable offer will be refused.

I was glad to learn on Sunday that the sale of Cris Hamilton’s Canon 600 III is pending.

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 in Lakeland on the morning of Saturday 15 FEB 2020. I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera body. ISO 400. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISOO on the rear dial: 1/500 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. AWB at 7:51am before the sun hit the lake. AF: Tracking: Flexible Spot M. American White Pelican horizontal head and shoulders portrait

First, and Simple …

It is very rare that the first image you create during a given shooting session is anything special, but for me, today’s featured image was just that. The image design is quite simple and I just love the aqua water background. The light is soft and the head-angle spot-on with the bill perfectly parallel to the imaging sensor. I created only two frames of this bird. In this image, the first, the nictitating membrane covered the eye. In frame two, the eye was clean and green but the bird had turned its head a bit toward me. So after converting both RAW files in Capture One, I grabbed only the pupil from frame two and — using techniques from APTATS I & II — moved it into place on frame one using the Move Tool (V). That chore took about 30 seconds.

The more that I practice with Tracking: Flexible Spot M, the more proficient I become with creating the exact composition that I want …

I spent most of the rest of the morning working with the 600 GM, the 2X TC, and the a7r iv before leaving the lake to go car shopping. I learn more about my SONY gear every time I am out photographing and wind up loving it more and more. There are still two major things that tick me off about the SONY system. I will share them both with you here soon.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide

126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.

Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back and forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:

• Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts in late winter and spring, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
• Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
• The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
• Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
• Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
• Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
• West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
• Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.

Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.

You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links 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 regularly visit 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 :).

What’s Up?

Me, early. As good as Fort DeSoto was on Wednesday, I am heading to do the American White Pelicans in Lakeland. I will be on the road from Gulfport before 5:30am.

A $1399 Discount Offer

I am offering a phenomenal $1399 late registration discount on the first Homer IPT. $1399 is not a typo. 2 slots are open.

The Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPT

IPT #1: FEB 25 through the full day on MAR 1, 2020. Six full days: $4799.00 Limit 5 photographers/Openings:2.

Please e-mail if you would like to cross off Doing the Homer Bald Eagles from your bucket list.

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%. Please understand that e-Bay prices are bogus. And the same is true of the prices of used gear including my dear friends at B&H and the other mega-outfits. They offer you pennies and then try to sell the stuff to ignorant folks for ridiculously high prices. With their huge international exposure, they occasionally find someone …

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 many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the 5Ds and 5Ds R, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, the Canon 200-400 with internal extender, 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. The prices garnered for used Canon gear has tanked completely as demand has dropped tremendously. It is ironic that for decades Canon gear had very strong resale value …

Note: all BAA Used Gear sales include insured ground shipping via UPS to lower 48 US addresses only. Others who live elsewhere are invited to e-mail the seller for shipping surcharge info. Sellers should charge you only the difference between shipping to the farthest US location from their home and the charge to a non-lower-48 address.

Very Recent Sales

Multiple IPT participant Sheldon Goldstein sold his Sigma Contemporary 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG Lens for Canon in like-new condition for $675.00 (was $725.00) in early FEB 2020.
IPT veteran Richard Russ sold his Nikkor 105mm Micro f/2.8G AF-VR lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $496.95 and 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.
Barry McKenzie sold his Canon 2X III TC in excellent plus condition for a very low $219.00 and a Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens for Canon EF in like-new condition for a very low $449.00, both in early FEB, 2020.
Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EOS 5DS R dSLR in very good condition for only $799.00 (was $999.00), a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in good plus condition for an amazingly low $1,099.00 (was $1,499.00), and a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II dSLR in very good condition with 95,000 actuations for the very low price of $2499.00 (was $2,899.00), all on 9 FEB 2020.
Barry McKenzie sold a Canon 1.4X III TC in very good condition with a single “ding” for a very low $160.00 in early February 2020.
Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in good plus condition for an amazingly low $1,099.00 and his Canon EF Extenders (teleconverters) 1.4X III and 2X III in excellent condition for $200 each on 6 FEB 2020.
Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II USM Zoom lens in very good plus condition for $999.00 on 5 FEB 2020.

Price Drops

Canon EF Extender 1.4X II

Price Reduced 50.00 on 13 FEB 2020

BPN friend Ravi Hirekatur is also offering a Canon EF Extender 1.4X II (the 1.4X II teleconverter) in excellent condition for the very low price of $120.00 (was $179.00). The sale includes the front and rear caps, the lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Ravi via e-mail or by phone at 1-608-217-9593 central time.

The 1.4X II TC is every bit as sharp when used with older lenses such as the original 100-400 above and the original 500 and 600mm f/4 lenses. The series III TCs provide advantages only when paired with the series II and III lenses. I used this item more than quite often when I was using Canon, often with great success. artie

Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 DG HSM Lens for Canon

Price Reduced 101.00 on 13 FEB 2020

Multiple IPT participant Sheldon Goldstein is offering a Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 DG HSM lens for Canon in like-new condition for $749.00 (was $850.00). The sale includes the lens cover, the rear cap, the protective carrying case, and insured Fed-Ex Ground shipping to lower 48 US addresses. Your lens will ship after your check clears unless another payment method is used.

Please contact Shelly via e-mail or by phone at 1-646-423-0392 (Eastern time).

This lens is designed for use with full-frame Canon digital cameras; it offers a dramatically ultra-wide coverage with field-of-views ranging from 122° to 84.1° making it ideal for dramatic landscape photography. It is a superb architectural lens that is great for creating images of the tightest of interiors. Using Canon bodies with APS-C sensors (like the 7D Mark II) will give you an effective zoom range of 17-35mm. B&H

An Incredible Buy!

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens

Price dropped $600 on 11 FEB 2020!

Paul Mckenzie is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens in mint condition (but for a very few minor blemishes on the lens hood) for the BAA record-low-by-far price of 10,399.00 (was $10,999.00). The sale includes the lens hood, the front lens cover, the rear cap, the original product box, the instruction manual, the warranty card, the strap, and insured shipping via FedEx. The sale does not include the LS600 soft case. Your item will ship upon receipt of your wire transfer. All sales are subject to the restrictions noted above.

Please contact Paul via e-mail.

The 600 III is the latest Canon version of my favorite weapon of mass destruction for bird photography. With its super balance, light weight, incredible sharpness, and a five-stop Image Stabilization system, the 600 III is a technological marvel. The lens tips the scale at a relatively svelte 6.71 lb — about one ounce heavier than the SONY 600mm f/4GM OSS lens. It is a fraction under two pounds lighter than the Canon 600 II. Thus, it is eminently hand-holdable for many folks. As this lens sells new for $12,999.00, you can save a neat $2600.00 by being the one to grab Paul’s pretty much new lens. This lens is super-sharp with either TC, one of the great advantages of Canon over Nikon … 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.

This image was created 11 FEB at Fort DeSoto, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the 61-MP monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 4:36pm on a sunny afternoon. Flexible Spot (M) Tracking — Continuous (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click to enlarge and enjoy a larger version. Great Egret — face detail of young bird

Should Have Been a Vertical!

Thanks to multiple IPT-veteran Larry Master for suggesting during our working brunch that I should have cropped yesterday’s featured image to a vertical … With 61 million pixels in the RAW file, he was right, but only 100%.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links 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 regularly visit 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 :).

What’s Up?

I am headed over to St Pete later this morning to meet up with multiple IPT veteran Larry Master at Fort DeSoto this afternoon for 1 1/2 days of pretty much private SONY In-the-Field Instruction. I will do my swim at 8:30am today and then have the bloodwork for my next check-up done on the way over. A nice crowd of non-photographers was present at my program last night at ILE. Thanks to Jim Litzenberg for his assistance.

Thanks to those who left comments at yesterday’s An Absolute Pleasure blog post here.

I spoke by phone and e-mail with John LeClair. He said that Tricia had been nervous about coming to Gatorland thinking that she might be in over her head. He continued by saying that his wife felt 100% comfortable and appreciated my gentle approach to teaching. And, she learned a ton!

A $1399 Discount Offer

I am offering a phenomenal $1399 late registration discount on the first Homer IPT. $1399 is not a typo. 2 slots are open.

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.

Please e-mail if you would like to cross off Doing the Homer Bald Eagles from your bucket list.

Florida Learning Opportunity

Morning In-the-Field Session: Thursday FEB 13, 2020

Join me at DeSoto or in Lakeland to photograph tame American White Pelicans and lots more; right now the location is your call. Morning session (6:30-9:30am) plus a working brunch: $250.00.

San Diego II Picking Your Keepers Instructional Video

San Diego II Picking Your Keepers Instructional Video

$20 via electronic download. Order your copy from the BAA Online Store by clicking here.

Today’s featured image was a keeper in the San Diego II folder. In this one hour, sixteen-minute Capture One screen capture video, sit beside me as I pick my keepers from an almost 800-image folder entitled San Diego II. Learn what makes one image better than other very similar ones. Learn the minutiae of head angle and light angle and the compositional fine points (including the importance of using diagonal lines to your images) that make one image a keeper and others in the series insta-deletes. Learn more about wing positions and flight poses and tons more. In the video, I comment on my image optimization plans for many images and throw in some in-the-field and capture tips as well. With today’s digital camera bodies offering superb autofocus accuracy, fast frame rates, and often ridiculously large image files, learning to edit (pick your keepers) tightly is an important skill to develop.

The editing teaser was done in Photo Mechanic, the main video in Capture One. But it does not matter whether you use one of those programs or Bridge in Photoshop or Lightroom to pick your keepers; it is the principles that are involved in making each keep-or-reject decision that will prove to be invaluable.

During IPTs, editing sessions like the one in the video are extremely popular; everyone always learns a ton — why didn’t I see that? — and folks often clamor for more.

$20 via electronic download. Order your copy from the BAA Online Store by clicking here.

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%. Please understand that e-Bay prices are bogus. And the same is true of the prices of used gear including my dear friends at B&H and the other mega-outfits. They offer you pennies and then try to sell the stuff to ignorant folks for ridiculously high prices. With their huge international exposure, they occasionally find someone …

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 many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the 5Ds and 5Ds R, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, the Canon 200-400 with internal extender, 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. The prices garnered for used Canon gear has tanked completely as demand has dropped tremendously. It is ironic that for decades Canon gear had very strong resale value …

Note: all BAA Used Gear sales include insured ground shipping via UPS to lower 48 US addresses only. Others who live elsewhere are invited to e-mail the seller for shipping surcharge info. Sellers should charge you only the difference between shipping to the farthest US location from their home and the charge to a non-lower-48 address.

New Listing

Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens (with extras!)

Barry McKenzie is offering a Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in excellent plus condition for a very low $3,399.00. The sale includes the hood, the rear cap, the lens trunk, a LensCoat, the CD, two front lens covers, the Canon PL-C52 polarizer, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Photos available on request. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Barry via e-mail.

The 300mm f/2.8 lenses have long been the favorites of the world’s best hawks-in-flight photographers. And since they perform superbly with both teleconverters, they make a great workhorse lens for bird photographers who wish to hand hold, especially those with crop factor bodies like the 7D Mark II or those with some of the newer Canon bodies likee the very popular Canon EOS 90D… artie

An All-Time Bargain!

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens

Price dropped $600 on 6 FEB 2020!

Paul Mckenzie is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens in mint condition (but for a very few minor blemishes on the lens hood) for the BAA record-low-by-far price of 10,399.00 (was $10,999.00). The sale includes the lens hood, the front lens cover, the rear cap, the original product box, the instruction manual, the warranty card, the strap, and insured shipping via FedEx. The sale does not include the LS600 soft case. Your item will ship upon receipt of your wire transfer. All sales are subject to the restrictions noted above.

Please contact Paul via e-mail.

The 600 III is the latest Canon version of my favorite weapon of mass destruction for bird photography. With its super balance, light weight, incredible sharpness, and a five-stop Image Stabilization system, the 600 III is a technological marvel. The lens tips the scale at a relatively svelte 6.71 lb — about one ounce heavier than the SONY 600mm f/4GM OSS lens. It is a fraction under two pounds lighter than the Canon 600 II. Thus, it is eminently hand-holdable for many folks. As this lens sells new for $12,999.00, you can save a neat $2600.00 by being the one to grab Paul’s pretty much new lens. This lens is super-sharp with either TC, one of the great advantages of Canon over Nikon … 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.

This image was created on January 10, 2020 at La Jolla, CA. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 397mm) 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: 1/320 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 10:55am on a cloudy morning. Upper Right Zone Continuous (C) AF got the job done. Click to enlarge and enjoy a slightly larger version. Brown Pelican start of wing stretch

The Correct Answer Was E

In the Image-Difficulty Multiple Choice Quiz blog post here, I posted the following:

What Factors Made Creating This Image Quite Difficult?

• A- Getting the framing right
• B- Getting the right exposure
• C- Getting both eyes visible and relatively sharp
• D- A & B
• E- A & C
• F- A, B, & C

So why was E the only correct answer?

A- is correct because getting the framing right when the bird does something unexpected is very difficult. Here II zoomed out quickly and hoped for the best.

B- is incorrect as getting the right exposure with SONY using Zebras in Manual mode with ISO on the rear dial is child’s play once you learn how to do it.

C- is correct because getting both eyes visible and relatively sharp is extremely difficult (often bordering on the impossible). Getting both eyes visible was actually the pelican’s doing. I got lucky with that, and with getting the eyes relatively sharp. by following my own oft-given advice: when unexpected action occurs press the shutter button. If you try to adjust the AF Area Mode or the location of an AF point, you will surely miss the action. That would surely have been the case here as the action lasted two seconds at most. The red X on the image shows the area of sharpest focus which very closely approximates the location of the active AF point. I was very lucky in that the plane of focus (at the red X) was only slightly in front of the plane of the bird’s left eye … Very lucky!

Both eyes sharpened up nicely with a Contrast Mask as detailed in Digital Basics II.

One of the two great faults with the SONY system is that no SONY software exists and tell the photographer either which AF Area was used or the location of the active AF point. You might say that this is both a crying shame and a huge embarrassment. It is possible to do both of these things in RAW digger. The AF area can be found in the EXIF. Determining the approximate focus location is both difficult and cumbersome. But it can be done. If anyone would like a short tutorial on how to determine the focus location in Raw Digger, please send a PayPal for $10 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure that the words Raw Digger Focus Location are somewhere in the e-mail. It will take a day or two to get the tutorial together. If any income derived is derived here, it will be shared with Patrick Sparkman who taught me everything I know aboout Raw Digger. He is not planning on retiring with the proceeds …

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links 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 regularly visit 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 :).

What’s Up?

I was glad to learn on Friday afternoon that the second Homer Bald Eagle IPT is now sold out. There are two slots open on the first IPT. If you are at all interested in making this IPT please get in touch asap via e-mail or by cell phone: 863-221-2372; you might be shocked at the size of the late-registration discount that I am offering.

It was a lot cooler here on Friday than it had been on Thursday. The pool was down only a single degree from yesterday but the air temperature was down about 15 degrees. I swam my 50 lengths without my neoprene vest and was shivering when I got out.

Long-time BAA friend and supporter John LeClair and his wife Tricia will be joining me at Gatorland for an In-the-Field session and working brunch on Sunday as the updated weather forecast for Sunday (ENE winds at 16 rather than NE at 8) looked a bit better. Wish us luck 🙂

On Friday, I spent a lot of time working on the big SONY Camera User’s Guides. Patrick has sent me links for the last 3 camera videos so that I can review them. This will be the best User’s Guide I have ever produced, in part, because the SONY cameras are so complex and offer so many options.

Homer Bald Eagle Photography Lessons

Click on the play triangle to learn about getting the right exposure for black and white subjects in sunny conditions 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!

Florida Learning Opportunities

DeSoto Last-second 2-DAY IPT. Afternoon session on TUES FEB 11th through the morning session on Thursday FEB 13, 2020. 2 DAYS (2 half and one full): $1099.00. Limit 3/Openings 2.

On the last morning, there might be an option to do the super-tame American White Pelicans in Lakeland. Working brunch (included) with image review on WED and THURS. The tides are perfect and the long-range weather forecast looks pretty good FWIW 🙂

If you would like to join us, please get in touch immediately either via e-mail or by cell phone: 863-221-2372.

Morning In-the-Field Session: Thursday FEB 13, 2020

Join me at DeSoto or in Lakeland to photograph tame American White Pelicans and lots more; right now the location is your call. Morning session (6:30-9:30am) plus a working brunch: $250.00.

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 (Please e-mail for late-registration discount info). 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/Sold out.
• 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/Sold out
• 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: 6.

San Diego II Picking Your Keepers Instructional Video

San Diego II Picking Your Keepers Instructional Video

$20 via electronic download. Order your copy from the BAA Online Store by clicking here.

Today’s featured image was a keeper in the San Diego II folder. In this one hour, sixteen-minute Capture One screen capture video, sit beside me as I pick my keepers from an almost 800-image folder entitled San Diego II. Learn what makes one image better than other very similar ones. Learn the minutiae of head angle and light angle and the compositional fine points (including the importance of using diagonal lines to your images) that make one image a keeper and others in the series insta-deletes. Learn more about wing positions and flight poses and tons more. In the video, I comment on my image optimization plans for many images and throw in some in-the-field and capture tips as well. With today’s digital camera bodies offering superb autofocus accuracy, fast frame rates, and often ridiculously large image files, learning to edit (pick your keepers) tightly is an important skill to develop.

The editing teaser was done in Photo Mechanic, the main video in Capture One. But it does not matter whether you use one of those programs or Bridge in Photoshop or Lightroom to pick your keepers; it is the principles that are involved in making each keep-or-reject decision that will prove to be invaluable.

During IPTs, editing sessions like the one in the video are extremely popular; everyone always learns a ton — why didn’t I see that? — and folks often clamor for more.

$20 via electronic download. Order your copy from the BAA Online Store by clicking here.

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%. Please understand that e-Bay prices are bogus. And the same is true of the prices of used gear including my dear friends at B&H and the other mega-outfits. They offer you pennies and then try to sell the stuff to ignorant folks for ridiculously high prices. With their huge international exposure, they occasionally find someone …

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 many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the 5Ds and 5Ds R, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, the Canon 200-400 with internal extender, 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. The prices garnered for used Canon gear has tanked completely as demand has dropped tremendously. It is ironic that for decades Canon gear had very strong resale value …

Note: all BAA Used Gear sales include insured ground shipping via UPS to lower 48 US addresses only. Others who live elsewhere are invited to e-mail the seller for shipping surcharge info. Sellers should charge you only the difference between shipping to the farthest US location from their home and the charge to a non-lower-48 address.

New Listings

Canon EOS 7D Mark II dSLR

Kenneth Fraser is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $647.00. The sale includes one battery, the charger, the front lens cap, the strap, the original product box,, and insured ground shipping via Fed-Ex or UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Kenneth via e-mail or by phone at 336-288-9025 (Eastern time zone).

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about four years ago when we both committed to using full-frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. One thing is for sure: the 7D Mark II is the greatest value ever in a digital camera body. artie

Canon 100-400 L IS II Lens

Kenneth Fraser is also offering a Canon 100-400 L IS II lens in near-mint condition for $1099.00. The sale includes the front lens cap, the tough fabric carrying case, the hood, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via Fed-Ex or UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Kenneth via e-mail or by phone at 336-288-9025 (Eastern time zone).

This incredibly versatile lens with its .98 meter close focus, was my favorite Canon lens. artie

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Karl Schneck is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens in excellent plus condition for a very low $5399.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, a LensCoat, 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.

Please contact Karl via e-mail.

The 600 II has been the state of the art super-telephoto for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many years. When I was using Canon and could get it to my location, it was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new one going for $11,499, you can save an incredible $6100 by grabbing Karl’s lens today. artie

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Lens

Karl Schneck is also offering a Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II in excellent plus condition for a very low $3799.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, a LensCoat, 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.

Please contact Karl via e-mail.

I owned and used and loved the 400 DO II when I shot with Canon and found a way to take it on most trips. I took it to Scotland and Nickerson Beach and San Diego. It served me well as my (lighter!) big gun several Galapagos and Southern Ocean (the Falklands and South Georgia) trips. It is a killer for flight photography with or without the 1.4X III TC. It is razor-sharp with the 2X on static subjects and skilled folks have had amazing success hand holding it with the 2X III TC for flight and for action. artie

Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (teleconverter)

Sold on the first day of listing

Barry McKenzie is offering a Canon 1.4X III TC in very good condition with a single “ding” for a very low $160.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, 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 Barry via e-mail.

As regular readers know, I depended so much on TCs when I shot Canon that I always traveled with two spare 1.4Xes and one spare 2X TC. artie

Canon Extender EF 2X III (teleconverter)

Barry McKenzie is also offering a Canon 2X III TC in excellent plus condition for a very low $219.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens pouch, the original 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 Barry via e-mail.

As regular readers know, I depended so much on TCs when I shot Canon that I always traveled with two spare 1.4Xes and one spare 2X TC. artie

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens for Canon EF)

Barry McKenzie is also offering a Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens for Canon E in like-new condition for a very low $449.00. The sale includes the hood, the rear cap, the front lens cap, the original, the soft case, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Photos available on request. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Barry via e-mail.

As part of the Art line within Sigma’s Global Vision series, this lens is designed to achieve truly notable optical performance and is ideally suited for creative and artistic applications. Wide-to-normal zoom is designed for APS-C-format Canon EF-mount cameras likee the 7D Mark II and provides a 28.8-56mm equivalent focal length range. The impressively bright constant f/1.8 maximum aperture is well-suited for working in low-light conditions and also provides greater control over the focus position when using shallow depth of field techniques. Five Special Low Dispersion (SLD) elements are featured in the optical design and help to reduce color fringing and chromatic aberrations for improved clarity and color accuracy.Four aspherical elements are used to help limit distortion and spherical aberrations and also contribute to greater overall sharpness and accurate rendering. A Super Multi-Layer Coating has been applied to lens elements in order to minimize lens flare and ghosting and contribute to producing contrast-rich and color-neutral imagery, even in backlit conditions. Integrated HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), along with an internal focusing system, realizes quick and quiet autofocus, which is further complemented by an optimized AF algorithm to produce smoother focusing performance. The HSM also permits full-time manual focus control simply by rotating the focus ring at any time.The rounded nine-blade diaphragm contributes to a smooth and pleasing bokeh quality. Constructed using a Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) material for greater precision and use in wide temperature variations. Additionally, a brass bayonet affords improved mounting accuracy and rigidity.. B&H

This high-quality landscape lens sells for $639.00; you can save a handsome $190.00 by grabbing Barry’s lens ASAP. artie

Canon EOS 7D Mark II dSLR

Paul Abravaya is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera in like-new condition for a very low $650.00. The camera has < 20,000 actuations (rated at 200,000 actuations). It recently underwent a clean and check at CPS. The sale includes the original product box and evereything that came in it: one battery, the charger, the front lens cap, the strap, the user manuals and sooftwre, and insured ground shipping via Fed-Ex or UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Paul via e-mail.

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about four years ago when we both committed to using full-frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. One thing is for sure: the 7D Mark II is the greatest value ever in a digital camera body. artie

An All-Time Bargain!

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens

Price dropped $600 on 6 FEB 2020!

Paul Mckenzie is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens in mint condition (but for a very few minor blemishes on the lens hood) for the BAA record-low-by-far price of 10,399.00 (was $10,999.00). The sale includes the lens hood, the front lens cover, the rear cap, the original product box, the instruction manual, the warranty card, the strap, and insured shipping via FedEx. The sale does not include the LS600 soft case. Your item will ship upon receipt of your wire transfer. All sales are subject to the restrictions noted above.

Please contact Paul via e-mail.

The 600 III is the latest Canon version of my favorite weapon of mass destruction for bird photography. With its super balance, light weight, incredible sharpness, and a five-stop Image Stabilization system, the 600 III is a technological marvel. The lens tips the scale at a relatively svelte 6.71 lb — about one ounce heavier than the SONY 600mm f/4GM OSS lens. It is a fraction under two pounds lighter than the Canon 600 II. Thus, it is eminently hand-holdable for many folks. As this lens sells new for $12,999.00, you can save a neat $2600.00 by being the one to grab Paul’s pretty much new lens. This lens is super-sharp with either TC, one of the great advantages of Canon over Nikon … 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.

This image was created on yet another “flying circus” afternoon, January 15, 2020. I used the Induro GIT 304L/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) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 2000. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/2000 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. AWB at 4:33pm on a cloudy afternooon. Center Zone Continuous (C) AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper version. Image #1: Brown Pelican flying low over rocks

What’s Not to Love?

There are many things that I like about this image.

• 1- The painterly look.
• 2- The soft light and the color palette.
• 3- The dorsal view of the pelican (aka, “top shot.”)
• 4- The way the crop framed the seaweed-covered rocks (especially in the upper right corner).
• 5- The two different tones of green seaweed.
• 6- The mixture of aqua water and the breaking waves.

Did I leave anything out? Are there any negatives?

SONY Flight AF Against Backgrounds Other Than Sky

Shooting birds in flight against backgrounds other than skies with Canon and to a lesser degree with Nikon is often problematic as the AF point drops off the subject and grabs the background. Nikon does a lot better than Canon when birds are flying against backgrounds or trees or tall grasses or the ocean or rocks as in Image #1 above. SONY is 100% totally amazing. Once you have locked focus and the system is tracking, it never lets go, it never goes for the background. Keep reading for an astounding example of SONY flight AF in action.

This image was created on January 12, 2020. I used the Induro GIT 404/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. AUTO ISO: 1600. Shutter Priority +1.7 stops/correct compensation determined by Zebras: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 in Shutter Priority mode with exposure compensation on the rear wheel. AWB at 7:14am on a mostly clear morning with the sun behind some thin clouds on the eastern horizon. Image #2: Double-crested Cormorant pre-dawn flight behind a tree! Click on the image to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version.

Bird Flying Behind a Tree!

This one stunned me. I was shooting flight in pre-dawn light at 1200mm when this cormorant flew directly behind a tree. Yes. At 1200mm. And yes, directly on the other side of the tree. The result? THe flying cormorant was sharp as the system continued to track it accurately even though it flew behind the tree. I know that this is hard to believe but I had seen it before.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links 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 regularly visit 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 :).

What’s Up?

I am proud to announce the release of the San Diego II Picking Your Keepers Instructional Video. Play the video above (created in Photo Mechanic) to view the free teaser. Scroll down for complete details.

The pool was up to 73 degrees on Tuesday afternoon. The technician from Pool Works visited and quickly determined that the problem with the heater/chiller was with a faulty circuit breaker; that was the best possible outcome.

Please e-mail for Homer IPT late registration discount information.

DeSoto Last-second 2-DAY IPT

Afternoon session on TUES FEB 11th through the morning session on Thursday FEB 13, 2010. 2 DAYS (2 half and one full): $1099.00. Limit 3/Openings 2.

On the last morning, there might be an option to do the super-tame American White Pelicans in Lakeland. Working brunch (included) with image review on WED and THURS. The tides are perfect and the long-range weather forecast looks pretty good FWIW 🙂

If you would like to join us, please get in touch immediately either via e-mail or by cell phone: 863-221-2372.

Canon 600mm f/4L IS USM III Lens

IPT veteran Cris Hamilton is offering a Canon EF 600 f/4L IS III USM Lens in mint condition for $11,499.00. The sale includes the original shipping box and everything that came with the lens: the lens hood, the rear cap, the front lens cover, the soft case, the instruction manual, the warranty card, the lens strap, a Realtree LensCoat, 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 Cris via e-mail or by phone at 1-724-746-1954 (Eastern time zone).

The 600 III is the latest Canon version of my favorite weapon of mass destruction for bird photography. With its super balance, light weight, incredible sharpness, and a five-stop Image Stabilization system, the 600 III is a technological marvel. The lens tips the scale at a relatively svelte 6.71 lb — about one ounce heavier than the SONY 600mm f/4GM OSS lens. It is a fraction under two pounds lighter than the 600 II. Thus, it is eminently hand-holdable for many folks. As this lens sells new for $12,999.00, you can save a neat $1500.00 by being the one to grab Cris’s pretty much new lens right now. This lens is super-sharp with either TC, one of the great advantages of Canon over Nikon … artie

This image was created on January 10, 2020 on the San Diego IPT. I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the 61 megapixel monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:24am on a clear morning. Image #1:Brown Pelican against dramatic BLACK-Ground

Creating Dramatic BLACK-Grounds

To create dramatic images like this, look for situations where the subject is in full sun with a dark background that is completely shaded. In most places, this is a difficult assignment. At La Jolla, it is easy to do on most sunny mornings if you know what to look for and where to look for them. The lower portions cliffs across the small bay are shaded for about 30 minutes after the sun hits the pelicans that are up top. At times, you may need to be 10-20 degrees off sun angle to make things work. Getting taller (often by getting closer) may be necessary to come up with a pleasing BLACK-Ground.

San Diego II Picking Your Keepers Instructional Video

San Diego II Picking Your Keepers Instructional Video

$20 via electronic download. Order your copy from the BAA Online Store by clicking here.

In this one hour, sixteen-minute Capture One screen capture video, sit beside me as I pick my keepers from an almost 800-image folder entitled San Diego II. Learn what makes one image better than other very similar ones. Learn the minutiae of head angle and light angle and the compositional fine points (including the importance of using diagonal lines to your images) that make one image a keeper and others in the series insta-deletes. Learn more about wing positions and flight poses and tons more. In the video, I comment on my image optimization plans for many images and throw in some in-the-field and capture tips as well. With today’s digital camera bodies offering superb autofocus accuracy, fast frame rates, and often ridiculously large image files, learning to edit (pick your keepers) tightly is an important skill to develop.

The editing teaser is done in Photo Mechanic, the main video in Capture One. But it does not matter whether you use one of those programs or Bridge in Photoshop or Lightroom to pick your keepers; it is the principles that are involved in making each keep-or-reject decision that will prove to be invaluable.

During IPTs, editing sessions like the one in the video are extremely popular; everyone always learns a ton — why didn’t I see that? — and folks often clamor for more.

$20 via electronic download. Order your copy from the BAA Online Store by clicking here.

The Homer Bald Eagle IPTs

Please e-mail for Homer IPT late registration discount information.

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: 1.

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: 1.
• 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/Sold out
• 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: 6.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links 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 :).

What’s Up?

By the time the game began, I realized that I wanted the Chiefs to win. With just over 7 minutes left in the game Kansas City’s chance of winning was 4%. I had just about given up hope when the Mahomes’ magic began. The final score of Chiefs: 31, 49ers: 20 did not indicate that San Francisco outplayed KC for much of the game. Patrick Mahomes was named MVP of the Super Bowl LIV and I went to bed happy.

The pool was up to a balmy 71 degrees on Sunday afternoon for my slow 50-length swim; 88 lengths to the mile. On Monday morning steam was rising from the pool as the sun came up. This afternoon’s swim will be a very cold one …

Please get in touch via e-mail or cell (863-221-2372) if a trip to Homer to photograph Bald Eagles at point-blank range is on your bucket list.

Coming Soon

We will be releasing a one hour, sixteen-minute screen capture video in Wednesday’s blog post. Watch me pick my keepers from an almost 800-image folder entitled San Diego II. Learn what makes one image better than a very similar one. Learn the minutiae of head and light angles, compositional fine points including the importance of adding diagonal lines to your images, more on wing positions and flight poses, my image optimization plans for many images, and tons more. With today’s digital camera bodies offering superb AF accuracy, fast frame rates, and often ridiculously large image files, learning to edit (pick your keepers) tightly is an important skill to develop.

The Homer Bald Eagle IPTs

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: 1.

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: 1.
• 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/Sold out

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: 6.

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.

This image was created on January 10, 2020 at La Jolla, CA. Again, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 397mm) 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: 1/320 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 10:55am on a cloudy morning. Upper Right Zone Continuous (C) AF got the job done. Click to enlarge and enjoy a slightly larger version. Brown Pelican start of wing stretch

What Factors Made Creating This Image Quite Difficult?

• A- Getting the framing right
• B- Getting the right exposure
• C- Getting both eyes visible and relatively sharp
• D- A & B
• E- A & C
• F- A, B, & C

The correct answer, as I see it, will be posted here in a few days at most.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links 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 :).

What’s Up?

It’s been dark here for a few days and it was drizzling this morning when I awoke. That after eleven hours of great sleep with only two pit stops, almost surely a record for the last four decades … I am finished watching all ten NFL playoff games on Tivo — I only knew the results of two of the games — and about 20 episodes of Sports Center at Midnight with Scott Van Pelt. If I can finish 19 episodes of Pardon the Interruption before 6:30pm on Sunday, I will be all ready to watch the Super Bowl tomorrow. Who are you rooting for? Why? My answer soon.

If you have any interest at all in joining one of the Homer Bald Eagle IPTs, please contact me immediately via e-mail or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. There is just one slot left on the second trip, two on the first.

The Homer Bald Eagle IPTs

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: 1.

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: 1.
• 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/Sold out

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: 6.

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.

This image was created on January 21, 2020, our last morning at Morro Bay, CA. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 433mm) with the blazingly fast and almost-always-accurate AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:26am on a partly cloudy morning. Center Zone Continuous/tracking (C) AF. Click to enlarge and enjoy the larger version. Image A, the optimized image for Long-billed Curlew taking flight

The Optimized Image

In the Photoshop Hanky-Panky Question … blog post here, I wrote, If you are sure that you see evidence that I did something fairly major in Photoshop to the image above, please leave a comment and state your case clearly. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t …

This image was also created on January 21, 2020 a fraction of a second before the image that opened this blog post. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (again at 433mm) with the blazingly fast and almost-always-accurate AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:26am on a partly cloudy morning. Center Zone Continuous/tracking (C) AF. Click to enlarge and see the relatively crispy eye-skins and the sharp face. Image B, a Capture One screen capture of Long-billed Curlew crouching before taking flight

The Frame Before …

The wave broke and the bird crouched to take off. I framed the shot, acquired focus, and pressed the shutter button. Note that as the bird had not yet launched when I made this image that the face is sharp and that you can see the crispy eye-skins. Read on to see what happened next.

This is the RAW file for the optimized image that opens this blog post. Center Zone Continuous/tracking (C) AF. Click to see that the face is not sharp. Image C, the Capture One screen capture of the original RAW file of Image A.

The RAW File for the Optimized Image

As the bird took flight I panned right and fired off only a single frame (before the bird left the frame). That brings to mind something I say often on IPTs, universal advice for better flight photography: pan faster! And this one would also have helped: universal advice for better flight and action photography with a zoom lens: zoom wider!

IAC, I was dismayed to see that in the far more dynamic second image, the eye was not sharp.

The eye and face were likely not sharp due to a combination of factors:

• 1- I jerked the lens to try to keep up with the bird. AKA operator-error. Had I been able to pan smoothly, the image would surely have been sharper on the face and eye.
• 2- There was some motion blur involved as the shutter speed was a bit too slow to match the speed of the departing bird.
• 3- It is possible that the AF system of the a9 II was unable to keep up with the bird as it blasted off.

Saving the More Dramatic Image with a Quick Mask

Since I had one sharp face (Image B) and one soft face (Image C) the solution to me was obvious. After converting both images in Capture One, I brought them into Photoshop and painted a Quick Mask of the face of the bird in Image B, placed it on its own layer, and used the Move Tool (V) to bring the image roughly into place atop Image C. By reducing the opacity of the face layer I was able to position it much more accurately. Since the replacement face was slightly smaller than the original face, I needed to use the Transform Tool to resize the new face. While still in Transform mode, I Rotated and Warped the face layer for a pretty much perfect match of the feathers surrounding the eye. All of that as detailed in APTATS I & II. Lastly, I added a Regular Layer Mask to the face layer and feathered the edges with a soft, 50% opacity brush.

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.

To purchase Capture One, please use this link. Then you can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here.

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.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links 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 :).