After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We have been aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Summer On Long Island
Check out the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings here and consider joining us to learn a ton, make lots of great images, and improve your image processing skills.
What’s Up?
I continue to sleep amazingly well since getting back to Florida’s humid, oxygen-rich air. I invested $22K this week in a Generax generator for my home. It will be up and ready to run in 7-8 weeks. I am hoping that there will not be a big hurricane between then and now.
Today is Thursday July 4, 2024. Happy birthday to the USA. From where I sit, it is a pretty wonderful country. I photographed some Coral Honeysuckle flowers this morning as there are very few birds around. Wherever you are an whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III/24-105 Infrared Rig with Many Extras!
Price reduced $100.00 on 29 May 2024 Price reduced another $100.00 on 4 July 2024
Morro Bay IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark III (converted to infrared, as noted below) in near-mint conditions with the BG-E11 battery grip (in like-new condition) and a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens (also in near-mint condition) for a ridiculously low $799.00 (was $999.00). The Super Color Infrared (590nm) conversion was performed by Life Pixel in November 2017 and included a custom lens focus calibration. The shutter count is approximately 12,330. The sale includes everything above, the front body cap, the front and rear lens caps, the EW-83H lens shade, all the items that came in the original boxes (camera strap, battery charger, cables, manuals, etc.), the original product boxes, a Canon RS-80N3 Remote Switch (cable release), two RRS L-plates (for the camera and for the battery grip), three extra LP-E6 batteries, four Delkin 32GB CF 700X UDMA 6 compact flash cards, a Hoodman loupe for checking focus in the rear panel in live-view mode, a Photoshop action for channel switching the color channels (loaded on the CF card in the camera), 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 Dane via e-mail or by phone at 1-559-593-0989 (Pacific time zone).
When I shot Canon, I dabbled in IR for a while — had a ton of fun and made some good images at Bosque and the Palouse. Dane’s offer above has so many extras that you could toss the camera in the trash and still come out ahead! artie
A gorgeous up-to-date photographic collection of all 1,144 bird species in North America (including Hawaii!).
A Great Blue Heron, a Wood Duck, a Baltimore Oriole, an Eastern Bluebird, or a Belted Kingfisher—which North American bird species is your favorite? In Birds of North America: A Photographic Atlas, Bruce M. Beehler provides the information and images you need to identify and enjoy each of the 1,144 amazing and diverse bird species recorded in the United States and Canada, including Hawaii and Alaska. Featuring more than 1,200 full-color photographs and illustrations and more than 700 range maps, this comprehensive reference provides both beginners and seasoned birders with important facts about each bird’s ecology, behavior, seasonal movements, nesting biology, and conservation status.
Birds of North America gives bird-lovers everything they could ask for: The photographs and illustrations, selected and curated by Brian E. Small, one of America’s most talented nature photographers, depict each species in its most beautiful plumage and natural habitat. The largest, most detailed, and most up-to-date range maps available anywhere provide invaluable insider information on the best birding hotspots. And the special sections rounding out the book offer helpful guidance on birding gear, field trip planning, critical resources, and conservation issues. This is the book for aspiring and veteran bird enthusiasts alike.
You can save more than $15.00 by purchasing your copy here.
Manual focus with (RED) focus peaking. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #1: Dune (or Beach) Sunflower blossom
Why a (Canon) 180mm Macro Lens?
Over the past few years you have seen more than a few really fine images made with the rig I used to create today’s two featured images. I love long focal lengths with their narrow angles of view and sweet backgrounds; the no-longer available Canon 180mm Macro lens is the longest macro lens around. You can still find some used ones out there. The are two in stock right now. If you are interested, please click here to start your search here, type in Used Department, and then type in “Canon 180mm Macro lens.” If you are a Sony shooter you will also need a Metabones Canon EF/EF-S Lens to Sony E Mount T Smart Adapter (Fifth Generation).
Canon Mirrorless folks will need a Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R.
Th Sony a1 pairs perfectly with this Canon lens in part because manual focus (with focus peaking) is best for almost all macro photography.
After turning the camera to vertical, I changed my perspective by moving the tripod so as to include the out of focus seeded in the image. For both of today’s photos, the stalk of the flower was stabilized by a Wimberley Plamp attached to a second tripod. A Plamp (or two) is a flower photographer’s most valuable accessory. On breezy mornings they are pretty much mandatory unless you are trying to create wind blurs!
Your Call?
Which of today’s flower images is the strongest. All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice.
Image #3: close-up of petals of Dune (or Beach) Sunflower blossom
Petal Imperfections
As you can see above, there will almost always be some imperfections, even when a blossom looks pristine to the naked eye. Working at 300% with the Remove Tool enabled me to remove dozens of blemishes from the petals in both of today’s images.
You can find detailed instructions for using this relatively new tool (and tons more) in the Digital Basic III Video Series.
The Digital Basics III Video Series
The Digital Basics III Video Series
I realized about a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing a Digital Basics III. More recently, I have learned and begun working with two great new Photoshop Tools, the Remove Tool and the Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. The former is like a smarter Spot Healing Brush Tool on steroids and the latter is a huge step up from the fabulous Color Mixer Tool. During that same time frame, I came up with a new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.
As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born. You can check out Volume I/#1 here.
You might opt to purchase single videos or to subscribe to Volume I and save $26 by ordering the first five videos in one fell swoop. You can purchase the five videos in Volume I by clicking here. The videos will be most valuable for folks using the latest version of Photoshop (2024) or Lightroom along with Topaz DeNoise AI and Topaz Sharpen AI.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We have been aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Summer On Long Island
Check out the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings here and consider joining us to learn a ton, make lots of great images, and improve your image processing skills.
What’s Up?
I am still recovering from my high altitude Colorado trip. Starved for oxygen at 8500 feet, I twice slept less than three hours; last night I slept an incredible 9 hours 15 minutes with just one pit stop. I have not been down to the lake for photography but plan on shooting some small sunflowers in our butterfly garden soon.
Today is Tuesday 2 July and I have lots of work to do. I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful day.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Save 15%!
If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.
I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.
Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.
Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com
B&H
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often stave you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face-eye AF enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Violet-green Swallow male on perch near nest box
First Blood
I headed to Colorado hoping to photography Violet-green Swallow. My first chance came at a feeder set-up. This handsome male was perched near its nest box well above a hillside feeder set-up. The bird was a mile away but pretty much on sun angle (thought there was not a lot of sun). The black background was created by completely shaded portion of the lower level of the house on the hill. Getting the right exposure using Sony Zebra’s was child’s play. I picked my shutter speed and aperture and dialed up the ISO until I saw a few Zebras on the bird’s white face and throat. With the Zebra settings on your Sony camera set properly, there is never a need to make a test image, even in the most difficult exposure situations.
This image is perhaps 30 percent of the original frame. Sony a9 iii images stand up to large crops much better than folks think.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face-eye AF enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Violet-green Swallow male at nest hole
Nest Tree Bird-scape
For this image I went wide and vertical to show off the beauty of the nest tree. None-the-less the male swallow with its white face and green back is quite beautiful. As is the dead aspen. A pair of House Wrens nested in a hole on the opposite side of the same tree.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face-eye AF enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Violet-green Swallow female at nest hole
The Lady of the House
Female violet-greens are similar to the males but with dirtier gray faces and brown rather than green caps. For this image, I added the 1.4X TC and set up closer to the nest tree. The birds took no notice of my presence. This female was strange in that she exited the nest hole tail first showing off the patch of violet on her rump. The males also have violet rump patches.
Typos
All questions and comments are welcome. With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We have been aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
What’s Up?
Today is Sunday 30 June. After nine great days of songbird photography, I am heading home two days early to get some air that is richer in oxygen. I hope to get a swim in late in the day. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to enjoy the day.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Summer On Long Island
Take a peek at the previous blog post and check out the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings on the IPT page here and consider joining us to learn a ton, make lots of great images, and improve your image processing skills.
This image was created on 13 August 2007 at Silver Salmon Creek Lodge in Alaska. I used the tripod/Mongoose mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS lens with the 2X teleconverter and the EOS-1D Mark III dSLR. ISO 800. 1/1000 second at f/8. The exposure was determined by histogram evaluation and experience.
Image #1: Coastal Brown Bear (Grizzly) running with salmon, chased by a younger, blonde bear.
No More Bears?
I organized and led more than a dozen Coastal Brown Bear trips after the turn of the last century. It is highly doubtful that I will be returning to Katmai National Park again. They were great fun, and even better than that when the salmon were running. In addition to the bears I enjoyed fishing for (almost always, catching) halibut, eating fresh-caught salmon and fresh Tanner Crabs (right from the bay to a huge pot of boiling water), and, on occasion, photographing the odd bird or two.
Good Photos
Good photos, even those made with relatively ancient gear, often stand up well to the test of time. Note that the shutter speed, 1/1000 second was fast enough to stop both bears in their tracks.
This image was created on 16 October 2004 at Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas county FL. I used the tripod/Mongoose mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4 L IS lens with the 1.4X teleconverter and the EOS-1D Mark II dSLR. ISO 800. 1/125 second at f/18. The exposure was determined by histogram evaluation and experience.
Image #2: The Smiling Scallop
Another Oldie but Goodie
After locking up the tripod head as firmly as possible, I went with f/18 and a relatively slow shutter speed to ensure lots of depth of field (because the subject was right at the minimum focusing distance). At a given aperture, the closer you are to the subject, the less the depth of field will be. Depth of field increases as the distance to the subject increases.
Tip
If possible, stop down when working subjects at close range.
Fresh caught Alaskan seafood caught sustainably. Save $20 on your first order by clicking here.
Wild Alaska Salmon and Seafood Company
Ever since my two daughter sent me a big box of salmon filets and sea scallops from Wild Alaska Salmon and Seafood Company for my birthday a few years ago, I have been ordering salmon and scallops from them. Now that Junior’s Fish Market in Lake Wales is closing, I will be depending on Wild Alaska every month. I always order Sockeye filets and the Sea Scallops. The stuff comes frozen solid, is easy to prepare, and tastes pretty much as good as the fresh stuff would.
You can save $20 on your first order by clicking here. Eating wild caught seafood is about as healthy as you can go. The scallops are a real treat. When you sear them, be sure to cook them in the liquid that comes in the bag and be sure not to overcook them. I bake or broil the lightly seasoned salmon filets skin side down in olive or coconut oil.
Buy Direct from the Fisherman
Captain Tony has been fishing in Alaska since 1990. Wild Alaska is famous for their wild caught Sockeye and King Salmon! All of our other fish, including Ahi Tuna, Shrimp, Scallops, Cod, etc., are responsibly sourced, caught the right way and closely inspected by Capt. Tony to meet our high standards of quality and freshness. They catch and process all 5 species of wild pacific salmon, and source our other seafood products from high quality sustainable fisheries.
The stuff tastes great and is good for you. Internet orders to the continental United States are shipped from their fulfillment center in the Midwest allowing their seafood products to reach US customers in perfect condition. The flavor and texture of their salmon and other products remain fresher than fresh is because the stuff is frozen the same day it is caught.
Note
Nutritionally, if you are eating farm-raised salmon, you might as well be eating pop tarts. Sockeye salmon has the highest amount of Omega 3 of any fish with approximately 2.7 grams per 100-gram portion. Therefore, just one serving of Alaska salmon per week can help to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Scallops are widely considered one of the healthiest seafoods. Made up of 80% protein and sporting a low fat content, they can help you feel fuller longer and are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are also a great source of antioxidants. Dr. Morris 🙂
Typos
All questions and comments are welcome. With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We have been aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars.
I am in Colorado for two more days. I fly back to Orlando this coming Sunday morning. I am tired and a bit jet-lagged, and I have been battling a mild case of altitude sickness as our condo is at 8500 feet. But I am still plugging away. We waited for several hours for some clouds to cover the sun this afternoon before finally creating some decent Violet-crowned Swallow images at 6:00pm.
Today is Friday 28 June 2024; we will try for some more songbird flight and action. I hope that you too have a great day.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Summer On Long Island
Take a peek at the previous blog post and check out the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings on the IPT page here and consider joining us to learn a ton, make lots of great images, and improve your image processing skills.
Tracking: Wide AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed quite well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #1: Stellers Jay — adult scolding juvenile
Spray and Pray Confidence with the Sony a9 iii
The outstanding AF system of the Sony a9 iii encourages me to try the impossible. This amazing camera body allows me to succeed fairly often in such situations as long as I am shooting aggressively and utilizing 1.0 second pre-capture. While my keeper rate when shooting songbirds in flight and action is ridiculously low, less than 1/2 percent, the occasional family jewel makes up for the effort required photographing in extremely difficult situations.
As far as shooting more aggressively, I must be getting better in this area as when I saw today’s featured image on the laptop for the first time, it came as a complete surprise. I had no recollection of pushing the shutter button!
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I recently sold the second of my three a1 bodies.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up), a Buttons and Dials Guide, and an a9 iii Info Sheet.
Typos
All questions and comments are welcome. With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Photography has been so good in Colorado that I need to hit the sack early. We are heading to Red Rocks very early. Enjoy today’s 18 minute video featuring some really great photography. And leave a comment letting us know which three of Anita’s images you like best. It will not be easy
The World Class Nature Photography of Anita North. With Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
For the past ten years, Anita North has been traveling the globe striving to create a portfolio of stunning natural history images. She has visited many of the world’s top wildlife locations and enjoys re-visiting them as well. And while she loves creating beautiful photographs, she has a strong conservation ethic. And on many occasions, she has put her heart and her money where her mouth is. And she wishes that photographers and eco-tourists around the world would do more to support conservation efforts to preserve habitat and wildlife.
For the past three years, she has been away a lot more than she has been home!
Anita North is a retired neurosurgeon living in Toronto, Ontario Canada. In the summer of 2012 she came across an eagle with a broken left wing on the lake at her fishing camp in Northern Ontario, Basket Lake. She caught Walleye and Northern Pike every day and fed the bird she named Eddie for nearly five months. In 2013 she purchased a Canon 100-400 and an EOS 7D and was determined to create some good images of Eddie, the bird who changed her life.
By chance, we were on the same ship, the Ortelius, on a triple-header Southern Ocean photography cruise. I was leading a group. Curious as to who was the guy teaching photography to a small group — she had never heard of Arthur Morris or BIRDS AS ART, she joined the group on the spot. On our zodiac landings at various locations in Antarctica, South Georgia, and The Falklands, she stuck to me like glue and asked a zillion questions every day. And she attended each and every shipboard session. She really wanted to learn.
To continue her photographic education, she joined more than 25 BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours IPTs) and in short order she was consistently producing world class images of birds and other wildlife. Anita is one of my very best-ever students. I am incredibly proud of how hard she has worked, how much she has learned, and most of all of her wonderful portfolio. Do understand that she has thousands of images just as good as those in the video.
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We have been aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Summer On Long Island
Take a peek at the previous blog post and check out the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings below and consider joining us to learn a ton, make lots of great images, and improve your image processing skills.
What’s Up?
Photography around eastern Colorado has been great. Today is Monday 24 June 2024. We are up early and headed to Rocky Mountain Grasslands NWR to check it out. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Save 15%!
If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.
I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.
Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.
Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com
B&H
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often stave you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
Upper Right Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-eye AF enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: American Three-toed Woodpecker leaving nest hole
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Though neither threatened nor endangered, American Three-toed Woodpecker, is a fairly rare bird in North America. Finding any woodpeckers nest usually requires lots of hard work and a bit of luck.
The Situation
We were on a steep hillside checking out the nest of an American Three-toed Woodpecker. Neither bird showed up for more than an hour so we worked a pair of Olive-sided Flycatchers using audio. Our understanding was that when the parent birds left the nest hole, they always flew down. As I moved around checking the backgrounds before putting my tripod in place, I dreamed of an image with the nest hole in the upper right of the frame. Then, I altered the side-to-side placement of the tripod so that there was a tree trunk on the left frame-edge. Though the chances of getting the shot I was dreaming of was 10,000 to one against, I chose my perspective carefully with my dream image in mind.
I knew that I needed a very fast shutter speed, so I chose 1/6400 second. Note the super-high ISO of 12,800. I knew that my two-step noise reduction, detailed in the Digital Basics III Video Series would enable me to create a clean image. As we were try8ing for flight shots, going with the a9 iii over the a-1 was a no brainer. The birds come to the nest hole and peek out for a while before bolting from the nest so I turned on Pre-capture at one full second. As my reflexes are slow, this image is surely one of the pre-capture images.
Always set up for the perfect image and see what develops. Sometimes dreams come true.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which of today’s four featured images do you like best? Why? Which of today’s four featured images do you like least? Why?
Important Notice
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We have been aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Summer On Long Island
Take a peek at the previous blog post and check out the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings below and consider joining us to learn a ton, make lots of great images, and improve your image processing skills.
What’s Up?
We’ve done really well since we got to Denver. With overcast weather, conditions have been very good. We’ve been creating between 5000 and 10000 mages each session but for Friday afternoon. The forecast called for cloudy with rain and instead we have sunny with blue skies and nary a cloud 🙁
Today is Saturday 22 June 2024. We are heading back to the location with Tree Swallows and Mountain Bluebirds, and hopefully, some Mountain Bluebirds.
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Lazuli Bunting, singing male
Why a Marginal Shutter Speed?
Most folks who photograph songbirds reccommend using a shutter speed of at least 1/800 or 1/1000 second when shooting singing birds. As 1/400 second had me at ISO 4000, I opted to gamble on making an occasional sharp image without any motion blur on the bill. To get to the reccomended 1/800 second, I would have needed ISO 8000 …
My Cropping Option
I cropped this one from the left and above to eliminate lighter portion of the background. The placed the bird nicely near the upper left Rule of Thirds spot.
Tracking: Wide AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #2: Tree Swallow — on final approach screaming in flight
a9 iii for Flight
We were working at a Tree Swallow nest box set-up. Though it was very cloudy, we opted for super-fast shutter speeds that come, of course, with high ISOs. Because the swallows are such erratic fliers, I went into My Menu and checked the box for Tracking: Wide. Bingo. Conditions were perfect with a nice breeze coming over our left shoulders. But still, it was very challenging photography. When a bird hovered for a moment, it was possible to get on it, acquire focus, and hold the shutter button down. This and several dozen other images from the afternoon session were razor sharp on the eye and face.
Tracking: Wide AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Image #3: Tree Swallow — male in flight — full downstroke
More Square Crops
The square crops worked especially well with the swallow flight shots in part because the bird were flying toward us (because of the wind) and in part because the birds are relatively mall. With this image I went square to eliminate the nest box on the left side of the original frame.
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Mountain Bluebird male
Sony a1 versus Sony a9 iii
As you have seen here recently, for perched birds, I will usually go with the a1 for better image quality with the accompanying crop-ability. For flight and action, the a9 iii is the clear choice for its amazing Bird Face-Eye tracking AF and the 120 fps frame rate.
Typos
All questions and comments are welcome. With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We have been aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Summer On Long Island
Take a peek at the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings below and consider joining us to learn a ton, make lots of great images, and improve your image processing skills.
What’s Up?
My flight from Orlando to Denver was blessedly uneventful. Today is Thursday 20 June 2024. I am settled into my mountain-side AirBnB above Evergreen, CO ready to photograph a slew of western songbirds. I hope that you too have a great day.
This image was created on 17 August 2018. Standing at full height, I used the tripod/Mongoose M3.6 Action Head- mounted Nikon 600mm f/4 VR lens, the 1.4X teleconverter, and the Nikon D850. ISO 400: 1/640 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 10:20:08am on partly sunny morning.
Be sure to click on the image to see the larger, sharper higher-res version.
Image #1: Common Eider — hen in heavy molt flapping wings after preening
Not Unexpected
It is not unusual to see molting sea ducks on northeastern US beaches in late spring and early summer. One look at Image #1 reveals why these heavy, large-bodied ducks are not flying around much. They are not capable of flight until the new primary feathers grow in. I remember walking the beach at Provincetown, MA on a summer vacation with my family and coming across a group of roosting hen eiders at about noon on a sunny day. I was excited and tried to photograph them with film and my manual focus Canon FD 400mm f/4.5 lens; I think that I actually made a 4X6″ print of one of those images.
There are 21 species of sea ducks in the world and 15 of those can be found regularly in North America.
From an interesting well-written article (by Rosalie Wetzel) on the US F&WS website here:
These birds are divided into several subgroups, including eiders, scoters, goldeneyes, mergansers, the Harlequin and Long-tailed Ducks, and Bufflehead. With specialized salt glands, they have become uniquely adapted to thrive in diverse habitats, from glacial lakes and estuaries to tree cavities in boreal forests. Most winter along the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and breed further inland across the Arctic tundra and taiga regions. Their beauty and unique behaviors captivate bird enthusiasts and hunters around the world and, for centuries, they have played an important role in the culture and food resources of many Indigenous communities.
Be sure check out the article for information on sea duck conservation along long with several nice photos.
The Crop
As I barely got the duck’s head in the frame as it raised up to flap, I went with a square crop as the best action; Content-Awre Crop fill in the added canvas above’s the bird’s head perfectly.
This image was created on 24 May 2023. Crouching, I used the handheld the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens
the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1250. 1/1000 sec. at f/4.5 (stopped down 1 1/3 steps) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:49:09pam on a partly sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Desiccated head and neck of sea duck
Very Dead Duck
This duck died of unknown causes during the previous winter. I walked by it the first time I saw it on a windblown dune near a snow fence, but decided to photograph it the next day. The relatively short Minimum Focusing Distance of the 400mm f/2.8 GM lens was helpful. I made some images of the duck’s head only and then moved back a bit so that I could include the black feathers on the back of the neck. Folks forget at times when they are using a fixed focal length lens they need to resort to human zoomin’, moving closer or farther from the bird as needed.
Any Guesses?
If you would like to take a guess as to what species of sea duck this is, feel free to leave a comment.
Join me to photograph Black Skimmers, Common Terns, American Oystercatchers, and more!
The Summer 2024 Nickerson Beach 3 1/2 day Terns, Skimmers, & Oystercatchers IPTs
Nickerson Beach IPT #1: July 29 – August 1, 2024. 3 1/2 days: Afternoon session on MON 29 July through the full day on THURS 1 August, 2024: $2099.00. Limit: 6. Openings: 5
Nickerson Beach IPT #2: August 5-8 2024. 3 1/2 days: Afternoon session on MON 5 August through the full day on THURS 8 August, 2024: $2099.00. Limit: 6. Openings: 5.
Join me at Nickerson Beach Park this summer to photograph Black Skimmers, Common Terns, and American Oystercatchers. The trip is timed so that we should get to photograph tiny chicks as well as fledglings. There will be lots of flight photography including adults flying with baitfish and mole crabs. Creating great images of the chicks being fed is a challenge but I will do my best to help you toward that end. We will get to photograph a variety of breeding behaviors including courtship, sitting on (incubating) eggs, chick feeding, and more. We may get to photograph pre-dawn and early evening blastoffs. There is generally great afternoon skimmer flight photography that includes frequent midair battles sunny days. And with luck, we might even see a few tiny chicks in addition to fledged and flying young. We will also get to photograph the life cycle of American Oystercatcher. This will likely include nests with eggs and small chicks, young being fed, and surely a few fledglings.
Nesting Piping Plover is also possibly. There will be lots of gulls to photograph; most years I am able to find a few lesser black-backeds of varying ages in addition to the Herring, Ring-billed, and Great Black-backed Gulls. You will learn to identify and age the various gull species. There will likely be some Willets feeding along the surf and with luck we might get to photograph a handsome juvenile or two. In addition to the locally breeding shorebirds, we will likely get to see some southbound migrant arctic-and sub-arctic breeding shorebird species such as Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, and maybe even Red Knot.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Black Skimmer pair with chick; Black Skimmer fledgling skimming; Black Skimmer with large needlefish; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer fledgling taking flight; Black Skimmer adult with killifish; Black Skimmer adult landing near nest; Black Skimmer in midair chase; and Black Skimmers at dawn in the red light district.
Activities
Morning sessions will run from pre-dawn till about 9:00 or 9:30am, roughly 3 1/2 hours. Afternoon sessions will run from 5:30 till sunset (assuming that entry policies are as they were in 2023.
Many folks head home feeling that while our time in the field was fabulous and productive, that the working brunch sessions were even more valuable. During image review you will learn to select the best images from several thousand made with your 20- and 30 fps (or 120 fps!) camera bodies. And we will process a few images and distribute the screen capture videos for you to learn from after the trip. And all IPTs offer follow-up image critiques.
Change your life: sign up for this IPT today. Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to explore the possibility of renting some Sony gear (including an a1) from me.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Adult American Oystercatcher foraging at sunrise; Adult American Oystercatcher posing on clean sand; predawn skimmer flock blur; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer landing at nest on cloudy day; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer sunrise group blur; Black Skimmer adult with Atlantic Silversides; juvenile Semipalmated Plover, and photographer with oystercatcher family.
Some of What You Will Learn on a Nickerson Beach IPT
1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
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.
6- To spot the good and great 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. You will learn where and when to be (and why).
10- More than you could ever imagine.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Black Skimmer pair with chick; Common Tern landing at nest with small baitfish; large Common Tern chick on pristine beach; American Oystercatchers courtship flight; Common Tern with pipefish; Common Tern fledgling; American Oystercatcher on eggs in high wind; American Oystercatcher nest with three eggs; and Black Skimmer midair battle.
The Details
We will be on the beach very early to enjoy sunrise. The morning sessions will run about 3 1/2 hours. Afternoon sessions will begin at 5:30 and run till sunset. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. On cloudy mornings with the right wind, we may opt to photograph till 11:30am or so and skip the afternoon session. That especially when the afternoon weather is looking iffy.
There will be a Photoshop/Image Review session before and after brunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. Each of these IPTs will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone. The best airports are JFK or Islip (if you have lots of Southwest points). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging 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 ridiculously early and stay out 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 9:00am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We may be getting our feet wet on occasion, especially in the mornings, but those who wish to keep their feet 100% dry can do so.
Your $699 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. Those who wish to pay for the trip in one fell swoop via check may do so by making the check out to BIRDS AS ART and then mailing it to 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 right after you register. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information.
Join me on the COMBO IPT this coming August to photograph adult and juvenile shorebirds at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY.
Clockwise starting from the upper left back to center: juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs; adult Semipalmated Plover; fresh juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper; fresh juvenile Least Sandpiper; fresh juvenile Stilt Sandpiper; fresh juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher; worn, molting adult Semipalmated Sandpiper; worn, molting adult White-rumped Sandpiper; and juvenile (left) and worn, molting adult Greater Yellowlegs.
The Combo IPT — East Pond, JBWR/Nickerson Beach: August 17 – 20, 2024. SAT August 17 through the morning session on TUES 20 August 2024. 3 1/2 days: $2199.00. Limit: 6. Openings: 5.
Join me for four mornings at the famed East Pond, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY (conditions permitting) to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds and for three afternoons to photograph beach nesting birds. The window for photographing juvenile shorebirds in fresh plumage is very narrow and this trip will of course get you to the right spot at the exact right time. You will learn to identify and age the shorebirds and to photograph them (at ground level). I will gladly share everything that I have learned during the 46 years I have been visiting the pond. Heck, I started late. After too many years of mismanagement, the gate valve at the north end of the East Pond has finally been repaired properly; water levels should be perfect this summer. If it is not, we will spend our mornings at Nickerson.
Afternoons (and mornings as well) at Nickerson Beach Park are superb in mid-August for photographing Black Skimmers, Common Terns, and American Oystercatchers with young of all ages. There will be lots of fledged chicks by mid-August, lots of flight including adults flying with baitfish and mole crabs, and excellent chances to photograph both chick feeding and predation by gulls. The Great Black-backed Gulls see the young skimmers as potato chips. We should get to photograph the evening skimmer blastoffs. On hot sunny days, there is still great afternoon skimmer flight photography that includes frequent midair battles.
There will be lots of terns (mostly Common Terns) and gulls to photograph; most years I am able to find a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls of varying ages in addition to the Herring, Ring-billed, and Great Black-backed Gulls. You will learn to identify and age the various gull species. There will likely be some Willets feeding along the surf and with luck we might get to photograph a handsome juvenile or two. In addition to the locally breeding shorebirds, we will likely get to see some southbound migrant arctic-and sub-arctic breeding shorebird species such as Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and maybe even Red Knot. And we might encounter large, swirling flocks of Sanderling in flight over the ocean.
Join me this August to photograph at the East Pond at JBWR in the mornings (conditions permitting) and at Nickerson Beach in the afternoons.
Clockwise starting from the upper left back to center: Marbled Godwit (likely in juvenal plumage); Wilson’s Phalarope in first winter plumage; Black Skimmer adult in flight over the Atlantic; juvenile American Oystercatcher foraging surf; adult Lesser Black-backed Gull; Black Skimmer attacking tiny chick; Killdeer in fresh juvenal plumage; Least Sandpiper in fresh juvenal plumage ruffling; and juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs and mixed shorebird flock.
Morning sessions at the East Pond will run from just before dawn till about 9:00 or 9:30am. If the afternoon weather forecast is looking ominous, we may decide to photograph until after 11:00am and cancel the afternoon session. Afternoon sessions at Nick will run from 5:30 till sunset (assuming that entry policies are as they were in 2023).
Many folks head home feeling that while our time in the field was fabulous and productive, that the working brunch sessions were even more valuable. During image review you will learn to select the best images from several thousand made with your 20- and 30 fps (or 120 fps!) camera bodies. In addition, we will process some participant images and distribute the screen-capture videos for you to learn from after the trip. All IPTs offer follow-up image critiques.
Change your life: sign up for this IPT today. Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to explore the possibility of renting some Sony gear (including an a1) from me.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Adult American Oystercatcher foraging at sunrise; Adult American Oystercatcher posing on clean sand; predawn skimmer flock blur; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer landing at nest on cloudy day; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer sunrise group blur; Black Skimmer adult with Atlantic Silversides; juvenile Semipalmated Plover, and photographer with oystercatcher family.
Some of What You Will Learn on the COMBO IPT
1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before you make even a single image if you are using SONY gear).
2-How to get low and super low
3- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
4- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
5- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
6- To spot the good and great 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. You will learn where and when to be (and why).
10- To identify and age a variety of shorebird, tern, and gull species.
11- More than you could ever imagine.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/Image Review session during and after brunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone. The best airports are JFK or Islip (if you have lots of Southwest points). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging 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 ridiculously early and stay out 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 9:00am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We may be getting our feet wet on occasion, especially in the mornings, but those who wish to keep their feet 100% dry can do so.
Your $699 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. Those who wish to pay for the trip in one fell swoop via check may do so by making the check out to BIRDS AS ART and then mailing it to 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 right after you register. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information.
Typos
All questions and comments are welcome. With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We have been aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Summer On Long Island
Take a peek at the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings below and consider joining us to learn a ton, make lots of great images, and improve your image processing skills.
Saturday’s White Wading Bird
The comments at the last blog post pretty much covered all the bases. The bird was a young Little Blue Heron. Cliff Beittel noted: pale green-yellow legs, two-toned bill, base of bill relatively thick.
In addition, this bird is much stockier than a similarly aged Snowy Egret that would have a somewhat longer, slimmer bill that changes from yellow to black with some yellow as it gets ready to leave the nest. And young Cattle Egrets have black bills and black legs and are stockier still with block-shaped heads. A close look reveals that either the primary or tail tips have a bit of slate blue.
I am pretty sure that the bird in the photo is just about six weeks old (give or take a day or two). From The Birds of North America:
DAY 35 — Capable of sustained flight. Observed to perform Greeting Ceremony with siblings when returning to nest.
DAY 42 — Regularly leaves the colony in morning to forage in nearby wetlands.
Note that the changes as young little blues go from nearly all white to white mottled with patches of slate blue are the result of normal aging and development. At six months to a year, most first year Little Blue Herons have a splotchy, pied plumage. Thus, they are not “morphs.” Birds like Reddish Egrets and Snow Geese that have different forms that are the result of genetics are properly called morphs.
What’s Up?
Despite a brisk east wind on a sunny Monday morning, I had too much packing to do to get ready for my Colorado trip.
Today is Tuesday 18 June 2024 and I still have a ton to do as Jim will be driving me to the airport tomorrow a o-dark hundred. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have a great day.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
This image was created on 19 August 2018. Crouching just a bit, I used the tripod/Mongoose M3.6 Action Head- supported Nikon 600mm f/4 VR lens, the 1.4X teleconverter, and the Nikon D850. ISO 800: 1/100 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:33:08am on cloudy morning.
Be sure to click on the image to see the larger, sharper higher-res version.
American Oystercatcher feeding young
Oystercatchers at Nickerson Beach
There is surely no better place on the planet to photograph American Oystercatcher than Nickerson Beach, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. Many dozens of pairs nest on the white sands at Lido and Long Beach. Their nesting is staggered so that in early August you might see an adult on eggs, small chicks, medium-sized chicks, large chicks, and fledged young like the bird on our left in the image above. Be sure not to stress the chicks so that when the researchers chase them up and down the beach with long handled crab nets they will have the energy to survive this ordeal. Mid-August and beyond afternoons finds flocks of as many as several hundred adult and young oystercatchers roosting on the sand as they get ready to fly south as the season progresses.
Notice the juvie’s dark eye and the dark tip of its bill. The neatly edged feathers typical of all young shorebirds are quite worn on this bird; it might have hatched as early as April. Most mornings find more than a few oystercatcher families foraging at the edge of the surf for mole crabs and other morsels.
Your Call?
What single thing could I have done in the field that would have drastically improved today’s featured image. What would the main improvement have been?
What else might I have done to improve the image?
I came across this very old image in a Nickerson 2018 image folder. I liked the raw file but was aghast when I looked at my first optimized version. It was horrible. So, I deleted that and re-did the image starting from scratch using my current workflow as detailed in the Digital Basics III Video Series. Much, much better!
Join me to photograph Black Skimmers, Common Terns, American Oystercatchers, and more!
The Summer 2024 Nickerson Beach 3 1/2 day Terns, Skimmers, & Oystercatchers IPTs
Nickerson Beach IPT #1: July 29 – August 1, 2024. 3 1/2 days: Afternoon session on MON 29 July through the full day on THURS 1 August, 2024: $2099.00. Limit: 6. Openings: 5
Nickerson Beach IPT #2: August 5-8 2024. 3 1/2 days: Afternoon session on MON 5 August through the full day on THURS 8 August, 2024: $2099.00. Limit: 6. Openings: 5.
Join me at Nickerson Beach Park this summer to photograph Black Skimmers, Common Terns, and American Oystercatchers. The trip is timed so that we should get to photograph tiny chicks as well as fledglings. There will be lots of flight photography including adults flying with baitfish and mole crabs. Creating great images of the chicks being fed is a challenge but I will do my best to help you toward that end. We will get to photograph a variety of breeding behaviors including courtship, sitting on (incubating) eggs, chick feeding, and more. We may get to photograph pre-dawn and early evening blastoffs. There is generally great afternoon skimmer flight photography that includes frequent midair battles sunny days. And with luck, we might even see a few tiny chicks in addition to fledged and flying young. We will also get to photograph the life cycle of American Oystercatcher. This will likely include nests with eggs and small chicks, young being fed, and surely a few fledglings.
Nesting Piping Plover is also possibly. There will be lots of gulls to photograph; most years I am able to find a few lesser black-backeds of varying ages in addition to the Herring, Ring-billed, and Great Black-backed Gulls. You will learn to identify and age the various gull species. There will likely be some Willets feeding along the surf and with luck we might get to photograph a handsome juvenile or two. In addition to the locally breeding shorebirds, we will likely get to see some southbound migrant arctic-and sub-arctic breeding shorebird species such as Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, and maybe even Red Knot.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Black Skimmer pair with chick; Black Skimmer fledgling skimming; Black Skimmer with large needlefish; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer fledgling taking flight; Black Skimmer adult with killifish; Black Skimmer adult landing near nest; Black Skimmer in midair chase; and Black Skimmers at dawn in the red light district.
Activities
Morning sessions will run from pre-dawn till about 9:00 or 9:30am, roughly 3 1/2 hours. Afternoon sessions will run from 5:30 till sunset (assuming that entry policies are as they were in 2023.
Many folks head home feeling that while our time in the field was fabulous and productive, that the working brunch sessions were even more valuable. During image review you will learn to select the best images from several thousand made with your 20- and 30 fps (or 120 fps!) camera bodies. And we will process a few images and distribute the screen capture videos for you to learn from after the trip. And all IPTs offer follow-up image critiques.
Change your life: sign up for this IPT today. Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to explore the possibility of renting some Sony gear (including an a1) from me.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Adult American Oystercatcher foraging at sunrise; Adult American Oystercatcher posing on clean sand; predawn skimmer flock blur; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer landing at nest on cloudy day; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer sunrise group blur; Black Skimmer adult with Atlantic Silversides; juvenile Semipalmated Plover, and photographer with oystercatcher family.
Some of What You Will Learn on a Nickerson Beach IPT
1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
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.
6- To spot the good and great 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. You will learn where and when to be (and why).
10- More than you could ever imagine.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Black Skimmer pair with chick; Common Tern landing at nest with small baitfish; large Common Tern chick on pristine beach; American Oystercatchers courtship flight; Common Tern with pipefish; Common Tern fledgling; American Oystercatcher on eggs in high wind; American Oystercatcher nest with three eggs; and Black Skimmer midair battle.
The Details
We will be on the beach very early to enjoy sunrise. The morning sessions will run about 3 1/2 hours. Afternoon sessions will begin at 5:30 and run till sunset. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. On cloudy mornings with the right wind, we may opt to photograph till 11:30am or so and skip the afternoon session. That especially when the afternoon weather is looking iffy.
There will be a Photoshop/Image Review session before and after brunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. Each of these IPTs will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone. The best airports are JFK or Islip (if you have lots of Southwest points). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging 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 ridiculously early and stay out 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 9:00am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We may be getting our feet wet on occasion, especially in the mornings, but those who wish to keep their feet 100% dry can do so.
Your $699 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. Those who wish to pay for the trip in one fell swoop via check may do so by making the check out to BIRDS AS ART and then mailing it to 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 right after you register. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information.
Join me on the COMBO IPT this coming August to photograph adult and juvenile shorebirds at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY.
Clockwise starting from the upper left back to center: juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs; adult Semipalmated Plover; fresh juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper; fresh juvenile Least Sandpiper; fresh juvenile Stilt Sandpiper; fresh juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher; worn, molting adult Semipalmated Sandpiper; worn, molting adult White-rumped Sandpiper; and juvenile (left) and worn, molting adult Greater Yellowlegs.
The Combo IPT — East Pond, JBWR/Nickerson Beach: August 17 – 20, 2024. SAT August 17 through the morning session on TUES 20 August 2024. 3 1/2 days: $2199.00. Limit: 6. Openings: 5.
Join me for four mornings at the famed East Pond, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY (conditions permitting) to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds and for three afternoons to photograph beach nesting birds. The window for photographing juvenile shorebirds in fresh plumage is very narrow and this trip will of course get you to the right spot at the exact right time. You will learn to identify and age the shorebirds and to photograph them (at ground level). I will gladly share everything that I have learned during the 46 years I have been visiting the pond. Heck, I started late. After too many years of mismanagement, the gate valve at the north end of the East Pond has finally been repaired properly; water levels should be perfect this summer. If it is not, we will spend our mornings at Nickerson.
Afternoons (and mornings as well) at Nickerson Beach Park are superb in mid-August for photographing Black Skimmers, Common Terns, and American Oystercatchers with young of all ages. There will be lots of fledged chicks by mid-August, lots of flight including adults flying with baitfish and mole crabs, and excellent chances to photograph both chick feeding and predation by gulls. The Great Black-backed Gulls see the young skimmers as potato chips. We should get to photograph the evening skimmer blastoffs. On hot sunny days, there is still great afternoon skimmer flight photography that includes frequent midair battles.
There will be lots of terns (mostly Common Terns) and gulls to photograph; most years I am able to find a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls of varying ages in addition to the Herring, Ring-billed, and Great Black-backed Gulls. You will learn to identify and age the various gull species. There will likely be some Willets feeding along the surf and with luck we might get to photograph a handsome juvenile or two. In addition to the locally breeding shorebirds, we will likely get to see some southbound migrant arctic-and sub-arctic breeding shorebird species such as Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and maybe even Red Knot. And we might encounter large, swirling flocks of Sanderling in flight over the ocean.
Join me this August to photograph at the East Pond at JBWR in the mornings (conditions permitting) and at Nickerson Beach in the afternoons.
Clockwise starting from the upper left back to center: Marbled Godwit (likely in juvenal plumage); Wilson’s Phalarope in first winter plumage; Black Skimmer adult in flight over the Atlantic; juvenile American Oystercatcher foraging surf; adult Lesser Black-backed Gull; Black Skimmer attacking tiny chick; Killdeer in fresh juvenal plumage; Least Sandpiper in fresh juvenal plumage ruffling; and juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs and mixed shorebird flock.
Morning sessions at the East Pond will run from just before dawn till about 9:00 or 9:30am. If the afternoon weather forecast is looking ominous, we may decide to photograph until after 11:00am and cancel the afternoon session. Afternoon sessions at Nick will run from 5:30 till sunset (assuming that entry policies are as they were in 2023).
Many folks head home feeling that while our time in the field was fabulous and productive, that the working brunch sessions were even more valuable. During image review you will learn to select the best images from several thousand made with your 20- and 30 fps (or 120 fps!) camera bodies. In addition, we will process some participant images and distribute the screen-capture videos for you to learn from after the trip. All IPTs offer follow-up image critiques.
Change your life: sign up for this IPT today. Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to explore the possibility of renting some Sony gear (including an a1) from me.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Adult American Oystercatcher foraging at sunrise; Adult American Oystercatcher posing on clean sand; predawn skimmer flock blur; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer landing at nest on cloudy day; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer sunrise group blur; Black Skimmer adult with Atlantic Silversides; juvenile Semipalmated Plover, and photographer with oystercatcher family.
Some of What You Will Learn on the COMBO IPT
1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before you make even a single image if you are using SONY gear).
2-How to get low and super low
3- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
4- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
5- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
6- To spot the good and great 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. You will learn where and when to be (and why).
10- To identify and age a variety of shorebird, tern, and gull species.
11- More than you could ever imagine.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/Image Review session during and after brunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone. The best airports are JFK or Islip (if you have lots of Southwest points). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging 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 ridiculously early and stay out 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 9:00am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We may be getting our feet wet on occasion, especially in the mornings, but those who wish to keep their feet 100% dry can do so.
Your $699 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. Those who wish to pay for the trip in one fell swoop via check may do so by making the check out to BIRDS AS ART and then mailing it to 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 right after you register. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We have been aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Summer On Long Island
Take a peek at the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings below and consider joining us to learn a ton, make lots of great images, and improve your image processing skills.
What’s Up?
After spending more than a dozen hours on the phone, many of those on my birthday, I actually had hopes that post notifications would be up and running soon. But that was not to be the case. Things are now pretty much back to square one.
On the good news front, the Jacksonville IPT is now sold out and I have one photographer/friend signed up for each of the three Long Island IPT, and each will be sharing the AirBnB with me. There is still room for you on each of these workshops.
After several weeks of clear skies and NE winds in the mornings, a SW flow has brought lots of rain to central Florida. As a result, morning bird photography has tanked. I head to Denver this coming Wednesday for two weeks of bird photography so I must start packing today. Today is Sunday 16 June 2024. Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you have fun too.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Save 15%!
If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.
I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.
Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.
Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com
B&H
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often stave you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 13 June 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working off the BLUBB from the front seat of my SUV, I used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 2000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 second at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop in error — should have been f/5.6, wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was perfect. AWB at 7:33:08am on very cloudy morning.
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Heron or egret?
The Subject?
Can you identify the bird in Image #1? What species is it? How old is it? How do you know?
The Situation
There is a low quadrant in the southeast corner of the North Field where shallow ponds form each year after heavy rains. The whistling ducks have abandoned the small bay to the south of the pier for the new wet area. On some mornings, a few cranes, grackles, herons, and egrets Jon the party. The trick for me when photographing from my X5 is to avoid having to call a tow truck.
Join me to photograph Black Skimmers, Common Terns, American Oystercatchers, and more!
The Summer 2024 Nickerson Beach 3 1/2 day Terns, Skimmers, & Oystercatchers IPTs
Nickerson Beach IPT #1: July 29 – August 1, 2024. 3 1/2 days: Afternoon session on MON 29 July through the full day on THURS 1 August, 2024: $2099.00. Limit: 6. Openings: 5
Nickerson Beach IPT #2: August 5-8 2024. 3 1/2 days: Afternoon session on MON 5 August through the full day on THURS 8 August, 2024: $2099.00. Limit: 6. Openings: 5.
Join me at Nickerson Beach Park this summer to photograph Black Skimmers, Common Terns, and American Oystercatchers. The trip is timed so that we should get to photograph tiny chicks as well as fledglings. There will be lots of flight photography including adults flying with baitfish and mole crabs. Creating great images of the chicks being fed is a challenge but I will do my best to help you toward that end. We will get to photograph a variety of breeding behaviors including courtship, sitting on (incubating) eggs, chick feeding, and more. We may get to photograph pre-dawn and early evening blastoffs. There is generally great afternoon skimmer flight photography that includes frequent midair battles sunny days. And with luck, we might even see a few tiny chicks in addition to fledged and flying young. We will also get to photograph the life cycle of American Oystercatcher. This will likely include nests with eggs and small chicks, young being fed, and surely a few fledglings.
Nesting Piping Plover is also possibly. There will be lots of gulls to photograph; most years I am able to find a few lesser black-backeds of varying ages in addition to the Herring, Ring-billed, and Great Black-backed Gulls. You will learn to identify and age the various gull species. There will likely be some Willets feeding along the surf and with luck we might get to photograph a handsome juvenile or two. In addition to the locally breeding shorebirds, we will likely get to see some southbound migrant arctic-and sub-arctic breeding shorebird species such as Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, and maybe even Red Knot.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Black Skimmer pair with chick; Black Skimmer fledgling skimming; Black Skimmer with large needlefish; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer fledgling taking flight; Black Skimmer adult with killifish; Black Skimmer adult landing near nest; Black Skimmer in midair chase; and Black Skimmers at dawn in the red light district.
Activities
Morning sessions will run from pre-dawn till about 9:00 or 9:30am, roughly 3 1/2 hours. Afternoon sessions will run from 5:30 till sunset (assuming that entry policies are as they were in 2023.
Many folks head home feeling that while our time in the field was fabulous and productive, that the working brunch sessions were even more valuable. During image review you will learn to select the best images from several thousand made with your 20- and 30 fps (or 120 fps!) camera bodies. And we will process a few images and distribute the screen capture videos for you to learn from after the trip. And all IPTs offer follow-up image critiques.
Change your life: sign up for this IPT today. Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to explore the possibility of renting some Sony gear (including an a1) from me.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Adult American Oystercatcher foraging at sunrise; Adult American Oystercatcher posing on clean sand; predawn skimmer flock blur; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer landing at nest on cloudy day; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer sunrise group blur; Black Skimmer adult with Atlantic Silversides; juvenile Semipalmated Plover, and photographer with oystercatcher family.
Some of What You Will Learn on a Nickerson Beach IPT
1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
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.
6- To spot the good and great 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. You will learn where and when to be (and why).
10- More than you could ever imagine.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Black Skimmer pair with chick; Common Tern landing at nest with small baitfish; large Common Tern chick on pristine beach; American Oystercatchers courtship flight; Common Tern with pipefish; Common Tern fledgling; American Oystercatcher on eggs in high wind; American Oystercatcher nest with three eggs; and Black Skimmer midair battle.
The Details
We will be on the beach very early to enjoy sunrise. The morning sessions will run about 3 1/2 hours. Afternoon sessions will begin at 5:30 and run till sunset. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. On cloudy mornings with the right wind, we may opt to photograph till 11:30am or so and skip the afternoon session. That especially when the afternoon weather is looking iffy.
There will be a Photoshop/Image Review session before and after brunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. Each of these IPTs will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone. The best airports are JFK or Islip (if you have lots of Southwest points). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging 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 ridiculously early and stay out 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 9:00am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We may be getting our feet wet on occasion, especially in the mornings, but those who wish to keep their feet 100% dry can do so.
Your $699 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. Those who wish to pay for the trip in one fell swoop via check may do so by making the check out to BIRDS AS ART and then mailing it to 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 right after you register. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information.
Join me on the COMBO IPT this coming August to photograph adult and juvenile shorebirds at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY.
Clockwise starting from the upper left back to center: juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs; adult Semipalmated Plover; fresh juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper; fresh juvenile Least Sandpiper; fresh juvenile Stilt Sandpiper; fresh juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher; worn, molting adult Semipalmated Sandpiper; worn, molting adult White-rumped Sandpiper; and juvenile (left) and worn, molting adult Greater Yellowlegs.
The Combo IPT — East Pond, JBWR/Nickerson Beach: August 17 – 20, 2024. SAT August 17 through the morning session on TUES 20 August 2024. 3 1/2 days: $2199.00. Limit: 6. Openings: 5.
Join me for four mornings at the famed East Pond, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY (conditions permitting) to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds and for three afternoons to photograph beach nesting birds. The window for photographing juvenile shorebirds in fresh plumage is very narrow and this trip will of course get you to the right spot at the exact right time. You will learn to identify and age the shorebirds and to photograph them (at ground level). I will gladly share everything that I have learned during the 46 years I have been visiting the pond. Heck, I started late. After too many years of mismanagement, the gate valve at the north end of the East Pond has finally been repaired properly; water levels should be perfect this summer. If it is not, we will spend our mornings at Nickerson.
Afternoons (and mornings as well) at Nickerson Beach Park are superb in mid-August for photographing Black Skimmers, Common Terns, and American Oystercatchers with young of all ages. There will be lots of fledged chicks by mid-August, lots of flight including adults flying with baitfish and mole crabs, and excellent chances to photograph both chick feeding and predation by gulls. The Great Black-backed Gulls see the young skimmers as potato chips. We should get to photograph the evening skimmer blastoffs. On hot sunny days, there is still great afternoon skimmer flight photography that includes frequent midair battles.
There will be lots of terns (mostly Common Terns) and gulls to photograph; most years I am able to find a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls of varying ages in addition to the Herring, Ring-billed, and Great Black-backed Gulls. You will learn to identify and age the various gull species. There will likely be some Willets feeding along the surf and with luck we might get to photograph a handsome juvenile or two. In addition to the locally breeding shorebirds, we will likely get to see some southbound migrant arctic-and sub-arctic breeding shorebird species such as Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and maybe even Red Knot. And we might encounter large, swirling flocks of Sanderling in flight over the ocean.
Join me this August to photograph at the East Pond at JBWR in the mornings (conditions permitting) and at Nickerson Beach in the afternoons.
Clockwise starting from the upper left back to center: Marbled Godwit (likely in juvenal plumage); Wilson’s Phalarope in first winter plumage; Black Skimmer adult in flight over the Atlantic; juvenile American Oystercatcher foraging surf; adult Lesser Black-backed Gull; Black Skimmer attacking tiny chick; Killdeer in fresh juvenal plumage; Least Sandpiper in fresh juvenal plumage ruffling; and juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs and mixed shorebird flock.
Morning sessions at the East Pond will run from just before dawn till about 9:00 or 9:30am. If the afternoon weather forecast is looking ominous, we may decide to photograph until after 11:00am and cancel the afternoon session. Afternoon sessions at Nick will run from 5:30 till sunset (assuming that entry policies are as they were in 2023).
Many folks head home feeling that while our time in the field was fabulous and productive, that the working brunch sessions were even more valuable. During image review you will learn to select the best images from several thousand made with your 20- and 30 fps (or 120 fps!) camera bodies. In addition, we will process some participant images and distribute the screen-capture videos for you to learn from after the trip. All IPTs offer follow-up image critiques.
Change your life: sign up for this IPT today. Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to explore the possibility of renting some Sony gear (including an a1) from me.
Clockwise from upper left around and back to center: Adult American Oystercatcher foraging at sunrise; Adult American Oystercatcher posing on clean sand; predawn skimmer flock blur; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer landing at nest on cloudy day; Black Skimmer large chick; Black Skimmer sunrise group blur; Black Skimmer adult with Atlantic Silversides; juvenile Semipalmated Plover, and photographer with oystercatcher family.
Some of What You Will Learn on the COMBO IPT
1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before you make even a single image if you are using SONY gear).
2-How to get low and super low
3- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
4- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
5- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
6- To spot the good and great 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. You will learn where and when to be (and why).
10- To identify and age a variety of shorebird, tern, and gull species.
11- More than you could ever imagine.
The Details
There will be a Photoshop/Image Review session during and after brunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone. The best airports are JFK or Islip (if you have lots of Southwest points). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging 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 ridiculously early and stay out 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 9:00am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We may be getting our feet wet on occasion, especially in the mornings, but those who wish to keep their feet 100% dry can do so.
Your $699 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. Those who wish to pay for the trip in one fell swoop via check may do so by making the check out to BIRDS AS ART and then mailing it to 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 right after you register. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Yes, today is June 14, 2024. Early this morning I turned seventy-eight. And happy Flag Day to you.
Everything here is just ducky. I have much to be thankful for. I am relatively healthy and am working hard to stay that way. I can get up and down off the ground to photograph my beloved shorebirds. I can photograph most every day that I want to. And travel anywhere I’d like, always to photograph birds (like Colorado, this Wednesday for two weeks). My home and car are paid off and I have no financial worries at all. I love everything about my job (if you can call it a job). And I have lots of friends. And best of all, I am relatively at peace. Technical malfunctions and corporate/governmental/health-medical BS still pisses me off off too much.
In lieu of sending an birthday expensive gift, consider joining a BIRDS AS ART IPT 🙂
Used Gear Price Drops
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (with Battery Grip)
Price reduced $100.00 on 12 June 2024
Mark Harrington is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (57,314 shutter actuations) in excellent plus condition for $949.00 (was $1049.00). The sale includes the front cap, the original product box, the manual and software, the Canon BG-E20 battery grip (a $299.00 value), one battery, the battery charger, the cable, 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 Mark via e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 1-612-308-5776 MST.
What can I say? The 5D IV was my favorite-ever Canon digital dSLR. I owned and used three of them while my 1DX II and a 1DX III sat on the shelf in my garage. A new 5D Mark IV, with its 30.4MP full-frame CMOS sensor, is still in productions and sells new for $$2,299 at B&H. If you have been dreaming of a 5D IV, grab this one save $1,250.00. artie
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Price reduced $100.00 on 12 June 2024
Mark Harrington is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (30269 shutter actuations ) in excellent plus condition for $899.00 (was $999.00). The sale includes the front cap, the strap, one battery, the battery charger, the cable, the manual, the original box and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mark via e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 1-612-308-5776 MST.
What can I say? The 5D IV was my favorite-ever Canon digital dSLR. I owned and used three of them while my 1DX II and a 1DX III sat on the shelf in my garage. A new 5D Mark IV, with its 30.4MP full-frame CMOS sensor, is still in productions and sells new for $$2,299 at B&H. If you have been dreaming of a 5D IV, grab this one save $1,250.00. artie
Nikon D800
Price reduced $100.00 on 12 June 2024
Mark Harrington is offering a Nikon D800 (7043 shutter actuations) camera body in excellent + condition for a BAA record low $349.00 (was $449.00). The sale includes the front cap, the manual, &software, one battery, the battery charger, the cable, 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 Mark via e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 1-612-308-5776 MST.
The D800 is a 36.3MP Full Frame FX-Format entry level dSLR that performs amazingly well with any of the Nikon PF lenses.
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 LUSM Lens
Price reduced $100.00 on 12 June 2024
Mark Harrington is offering a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 LUSM lens in excellent plus condition for a BAA record low $423.00 ( was $523.00). The glass is perfect. The sale includes the front and rear caps, the instructions, the soft case (worn and soiled from use), 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 Mark via e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 1-612-308-5776 MST.
One of the very first Canon autofocus lenses, I put this lens on the map more than three decades ago. It was and still is a great flight lens and would be ideal when paired with any Canon mirrorless body today by way of an EF/RF adapter. artie
Mark Harrington is offering a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for a BAA record low $949.00. The glass is perfect. The sale includes the front and rear caps, the soft case (LZ1326), the lens hood (ET-83D), 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 Mark via e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 1-612-308-5776 MST.
This incredibly versatile zoom lens — with its amazing .98-meter close focus — was my favorite Canon telephoto zoom lens ever. By far. It is easy to hand hold, great for tight portraits, for birds in flight, for quasi-macro stuff, and lots more. For flight, it is deadly with an EOS R, R3, R5, R6, or R7! This lens sells new for $2099.00 so you can save a handsome $1150.00 by grabbing Mark’s lens right now. artie
Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-eye AF enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Mottled Duck drake stretching near wing
The Situation
The forecast for Tuesday morning was for 100% rain. I glanced out back at about 7:15am and saw that it had quit raining and that the eastern sky was brightening. So you guessed it, I headed down to the lake and had a pretty darned good morning.
What I’ve Learned About the ILE Ducks
For years I stayed in my vehicle and always used the 600 with the 2X on the BLUBB. Doing flight and action was a huge challenge. With so many ducks this year, I tried getting out of my vehicle and working off the tripod. As the days went by, the ducks in the water became more comfortable with my presence so I began approaching them slowly by walking into the shallow water, holding my tripod as low as possible, and trying not to get stuck (or fall down!) as I traversed the soft muck.
Much to my surprise, I was able to get fairly close to the birds so I was able to drop down to the 1.4X teleconverter and shoot at 840mm (rather than 1200mm with the 2X). At times, I’ve wished that I had the 300mm f/2.8 lens(with the 1.4X TC and my second a9 iii) on a shoulder strap.
Early summer bird photography here has been unexpectedly productive.
This is a simply different version of Image #1. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Mottled Duck drake stretching near wing
Spot the Difference
Image #1 and Image #2 are the same photograph. There are a few small differences. In what way or ways is Image #2 different from Image #1? Which one do you like best? Why?
Tracking Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-eye AF enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: A7 INFO screen capture for the Mottled Duck drake stretching near wing image
a9iii AF versus a1 AF
Sony a9 iii autofocus is significantly better than a1 AF. In what ways? Initial focusing acquisition is faster and eye tracking is far stickier. And with the few settings changes that I made significantly improved the autofocus system for flying birds. Why? In large part because of the improved stacked CMOS sensor.
Anyhoo, on Thursday morning, working from my SUV at 840mm on the BLUBB with my a1, I was working a very wet adult killdeer, one of the three now fledged chick’s parents. I framed the perfect shot with the bird square to the imaging sensor and a lovely, all-green background. I half-pressed the shutter but the AF system missed. I could not help but think that the a9 iii would have nailed the focus instantly.
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I sold the second of my three a1 bodies last week. And on June 5th, I purchased a second a9 iii body! Lots more on the switch coming soon.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up), a Buttons and Dials Guide, and my a9 iii INFO Sheet, all for free.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best? Why? Should I have replaced the head of the female? Why or why not?
Important Notice
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
One Reason that the Sony a9 iii is Best for Me
Lots of folks feel that 120 fps is overkill for bird photography. I do not. With so many frames to choose from, folks need to learn to distinguish among very similar photos, often many dozens of them. As always, the very best images jump out, but only if you know what to look for. I recently sold two of my a1 bodies and purchased a second a9 iii. Perhaps the world’s best flight photographer, Arash Hazeghi, believes that the Sony a1 is best for him. Could we both be right? More on that soon here on the BAA blog.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-eye AF enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Black-necked Stilts — pre-copulatory stand
The Pre-copulatory Stand
During the pre-copulatory stand, the male jumps atop the female and practices maintaining his balance. It can be tough on windy days. This behavior is commonly seen in other bird families, especially the gulls and terns. I have seen male Royal Terns stand atop the females for several minutes at a time without ever copulating. Anita North has an image of a Royal Tern triple header — it is hard to figure out what is going on there. I will try to get that image from her and share it here with you.
After most BNST and American Avocet copulations there is usually a short dance and a wing over ceremony, but this guy simply flew away to the north.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-eye AF enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Black-necked Stilts copulating — the cloacal kiss
Three Seconds Later
Images that show the cloacal kiss are rare because the action takes only a second.
Image Optimization Question
Should I have replaced the head of the female? Why or why not?
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I sold the second of my three a1 bodies last week. And on June 5th, I purchased a second a9 iii body! Lots more on the switch coming soon.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up), a Buttons and Dials Guide, and my a9 iii INFO Sheet, all for free.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Summer On Long Island
Take a peek at the July and August Nickerson Beach (& JBWR) IPT offerings here.
What’s Up?
I have not been down to the lake for several days as the northeast winds and clear skies were replaced by winds from the S, SW & W. I will be e-mailing a new and improved a9 iii .DAT file, a revised Buttons and Dials Guide, and the complete INFO sheet this afternoon.
Today is Monday 10 June 2024. Whatever the heck that you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have fun.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Save 15%!
If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.
I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.
Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.
Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com
B&H
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often stave you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
Manual Focus. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Aurora Borealis
Image courtesy and copyright 2024 Robert Eastman
Hapless But Happy and Loving It! The Life of Bob Eastman
If you missed the Hapless But Happy and Loving It! The Life of Bob Eastman blog post two years ago, click here; be sure to fasten your seatbelt.
Historic Geomagnetic Storm Dazzles – NASA Earth Observatory
The strongest geomagnetic storm in more than two decades dazzled scientists and sky-watchers alike in May 2024. The G5 storm culminated in a remarkable display of the aurora borealis overnight on May 10–11, visible from many areas worldwide, including latitudes where sightings of auroras are uncommon.May 15, 2024
Though “hapless” describes Bob Eastman in part, you would be remiss not to use hardworking and determined. In Homer in FEB 2023, I slept peacefully in my bed at Land End Resort while he made some great Northern Lights images. When he heard of the solar storm in May, he was Bobby on the spot! For Image #1, it was a balmy 39°.
Suport System
Bob used a Robus 5558 tripod topped by a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro with a Wimberley P-5 Plate on the bottom of his a7R IV body. What many folks do not realize is that the FlexShooter Pro heads feature a bi-directional clamp so that you can mount your camera body on them crossways as well as your long super telephoto lenses with the pate oriented the long way (of course). Long lens folks no longer need to travel with a ballhead for scenics and a gimbal head for super telephotos.
Manual Focus. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Aurora Borealis
Image courtesy and copyright 2024 Anita North
Amazing Creativity!
I loved this image from the moment I saw it in a text message. I did not realize that it was in fact a double exposure. The second row of trees is actually the front row of trees! So how do you create a double exposure with a camera that does not offer that feature?
Anita framed the image and left the shutter open for 15 seconds. Then, she loosened the silver knob, tilted the camera up a bit, locked the silver knob, and let the exposure run for the rest of the 30 seconds. The result? An ethereal image. How’s that for quick and creative thinking and going for different?
Almost forgot to mention, the low temperatures that evening were in the negative mid forties, i.e., -45° Fahrenheit!
You can see more of Anita’s excellent work on her Instagram page here. Be sure to scroll down and see some of her world class Polar Bear and African Wildlife stuff.
Image Question
Why don’t we see any clear evidence of the movement of the camera in Image #2?
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
What’s Up?
As the northeast winds of the past two weeks have swung around to the southwest, the quality of the bird photography at ILE has dropped to next to nothing.
I continue working on revising the Sony a9 iii Info Sheet and should be e-mailing it to the group no later than Sunday afternoon.
Today is Saturday 8 June. I went down to the lake early. Conditions were not bad, but I pretty much struck out. Sitting on my milk crate, I practiced acquiring focus on small birds at 1200mm. For the most part, there was a gentle breeze from the southeast, not nearly as bad as was predicted. I did have one very good chance with an Osprey carrying a Bluegill and flying right at me right down sun angle.
Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful day.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
A gorgeous up-to-date photographic collection of all 1,144 bird species in North America (including Hawaii!).
A Great Blue Heron, a Wood Duck, a Baltimore Oriole, an Eastern Bluebird, or a Belted Kingfisher—which North American bird species is your favorite? In Birds of North America: A Photographic Atlas, Bruce M. Beehler provides the information and images you need to identify and enjoy each of the 1,144 amazing and diverse bird species recorded in the United States and Canada, including Hawaii and Alaska. Featuring more than 1,200 full-color photographs and illustrations and more than 700 range maps, this comprehensive reference provides both beginners and seasoned birders with important facts about each bird’s ecology, behavior, seasonal movements, nesting biology, and conservation status.
Birds of North America gives bird-lovers everything they could ask for: The photographs and illustrations, selected and curated by Brian E. Small, one of America’s most talented nature photographers, depict each species in its most beautiful plumage and natural habitat. The largest, most detailed, and most up-to-date range maps available anywhere provide invaluable insider information on the best birding hotspots. And the special sections rounding out the book offer helpful guidance on birding gear, field trip planning, critical resources, and conservation issues. This is the book for aspiring and veteran bird enthusiasts alike.
You can save more than $15.00 by purchasing your copy here.
This image was created on 1 June down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 640. 1/250 sec. at f/16 (stopped down 5 stops!) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:21:39am on variably cloudy morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Head portrait — adult Turkey vulture
A Precarious Perch for Perspective
My vehicle was on an angle halfway up the steep hill just south of the rest room building by the pier. I made a few images with a sky background but I wanted a bit of grass and a bit of lake so I backed down the hill, repositioned my vehicle so that I would stay on sun angle, raised the window with the BLUBB- on it, folded the right edge of the big beanbag in a bit to gain another inch of height, and very slowly, drove a bit higher up the hill to get the background I wanted. I made one image and the vulture took flight.
I Have Not Forsaken the Sony a1
I still use the a1 most of the time when photographing static subjects. It is hard to beat 51 million pixels with 24 million pixels.
Why f/16?
Being close to the bird I wanted to stop down to ensure enough d-o-f to cover the entire head and breast. I may have overdid it a bit by stopping down five full stops from f/4 to f/16, but the image is surely sharp; 1/250 second was more than fast enough to create a very sharp image.
Depth of Field Question
Why is the background in this image so soft, smooth, and defocused at f/16?
Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-eye AF enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Incoming Black-bellied Whistling Duck braking to land
1200mm Flight Shooting with the Sony a9 iii
What can I say other than “I need to do lots more flight photography at 1200mm with the a9 iii”? The speed of initial focusing acquisition and AF accuracy continues to amaze me.
With the butt ugly marsh grasses transformed into a sweet green blur, the compression at 1200mm is to die for.
Huge News!
Arash Hazeghi, perhaps the most skilled and productive handheld avian flight photographer in the world, finally decided to try flight photography on a tripod with the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro. He texted me this yesterday: The FlexShooter head is very good. I can use it with the 600mm f/4 with either TC! And I can also use it to shoot videos.
Click on the composite to view a larger version and be even more impressed.
First of all, if you use Nikon or Canon (or Olympus or Fuji) gear, or a Sony a9 iii, do not be put off by the title. While a portion of the guide deals specifically with the Sony α-1, there is a ton of priceless information, tips, and techniques that can help you become a better flight photographer. No matter what system you are using. If you don not use an α-1, be sure to read down to the bottom to save a few bucks.
Arash Hazeghi and Arthur Morris have created the definitive and most comprehensive ever treatise on photographing birds in flight. With more than sixty years of experience photographing birds, they know what you need to know but have not figured out yet! You will be astounded by the depth of their knowledge and the tips they have to offer. More than six months in the making, the guide contains 229 pages, 24,321 words,97 exceptional and inspirational flight images — each with a legendary, enlightening BIRDS AS ART caption, and 22 screen captures. The guide contains a wealth of useful, practical, and for the most part — never-before-available information.
We will teach you the basic concepts that you need to master to become a great flight photographer along with the techniques used by the world’s best flight photographers.
You will learn that most any telephoto lens can be perfect for flight photography in a given situation; focal lengths for the images in the book range from 200mm to 1200mm and everywhere in between.
We discuss the merits of various lenses in depth, including and especially comparing the 400mm f/2.8 lenses with the 600mm f/4s.
We guide you in getting your hands on the flight photography lens that will best meet your needs. We offer a variety of handholding and rest position tips and include tips on working with a big lens on a tripod when working with a flight lens that is otherwise too heavy for you.
Both authors offer their thoughts on getting the right exposure when photographing birds in flight. You will learn to get the right exposure on foggy days and even when photographing black birds in white sky conditions.
You will learn the tremendous importance of pre-focusing, of finding the bird in the viewfinder quickly, acquiring focus almost instantly (with tips on doing all three).
You will learn the role of image stabilization in flight photography and the best settings.
Both authors share their thoughts on using the focus range limiter switch. In the same vein, you will learn to use Direct Manual Focus to make your flight photography life easier.
All will learn about the best wing positions and the importance of the background with images of birds in flight. With lots of examples.
You will learn about the best shutter speeds (and the best aperture) to use when photographing flying birds.
You will learn to photograph flight while seated and the many advantages of doing so.
You will learn the best methods of controlling high ISO noise.
All will learn to properly and safely format their flash cards.
You will learn what to do when your AF system is temporarily blinded.
All will learn the huge effect that wind strength and direction has on flight photography and to evaluate the quality and direction of the light on both sunny and cloudy days.
You will learn why it is vitally important to shoot aggressively when photographing birds in flight.
You will learn to carefully observe and evaluate a variety of bird behaviors that may shine light on some excellent opportunities for photographing birds in flight. And about getting into the best position from which to photograph.
You will learn to be a much better flight photographer.
What Sony Folks Will Learn
Exactly how Artie uses Zebras to come up with perfect exposure after perfect exposure.
The fine points and recommended settings for Optical Steady Shot (OSS).
The concept of Auto-Focus (AF) tracking in the α-1.
Everything there is to know about the complex Sony autofocus system.
About all the AF patterns, how to quickly switch them, and about those favored by each author. And why.
The Tracking and Non-tracking AF patterns. When and why Arash uses Non-Tracking Zone. And why Artie uses only two AF patterns.
How to set and use Bird Face-Eye detection for flight photography.
How and why to assign various custom functions to the various programmable buttons on the α-1 body.
The perfect settings for the many, many Menu items that are vitally related to flight photography.
How and why the Sony α-1 uses both contrast and phase detection AF to determine focus (and the benefits thereof).
Which are the best memory cards for the Sony α-1.
To quickly access frequently used menu items.
Non-Sony α-1 Discount
Using the honor system, folks who do not use a Sony α-1 body are invited to click here to save $25.00 on the purchase price of the guide.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
What’s Up?
Yesterday I ordered a second Sony a9 iii from Steve Elkins at Bedfords. While I still use my remaining a1 to photograph static avian subjects, the Bird-eye autofocus with the a9 iii is so much faster and far more reliable than the a1 that I wanted a second a9 iii for those times when I am working two different lenses and the possibility of flight or action exists.
After months with zero interest, three folks inquired about the Jacksonville IPT yesterday. Two have already signed up, IPT vet Joe Barranco for the 3 1/2 day IPT, and IPT vet Steve Shore, another recent convert to Sony, will be sharing my AirBnB and photographing with me for six full days. Hooray.
It has been an expensive week here in hot, sunny, central Florida. Several panels of screen fell off the pool cage last week. As my beloved lap pool is 13 years old, I decided to have all the screening replaced to the tune of $6,266.00!
Today is Thursday 6 June 2024. This blog post took five hours to prepare. I went down to the lake early on this sunny, smokey morning — there was a big wildfire near ILE yesterday afternoon. Many folks say that a south wind is great for bird photography. But in summer, with the sun rising well to the northeast, a south wind finds the birds flying, facing, and landing away from the light. So, I turned around and was home by 7:15am. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful day.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Pat and Stokes Fishburne’s (formal) wedding ceremony
A Strikingly Beautiful Image From 67 Years Ago
I think that even if you have never met Stokes and Pat, this image would touch you deeply. So much tradition. So much beauty. They eloped on Dec. 31, 1956, but when Stokes graduated in June 1957, they had a formal wedding at the Citadel Chapel. The Citadel — The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a military college in Charleston, South Carolina.
Learn lots more about Pat and Stokes and their family in the Ordinary People; Extraordinary Lives blog post here.
Pat and Stokes enjoyed a wonderful marriage for 66 years, from 1956 until Stoke’s peaceful, somewhat merciful death in 2022. In the In Memoriam: Stokes Fishburne, a kind and gentle man blog post here, I wrote,
When Stokes went into work on the morning after the Apollo 13 problem occurred, NASA called to say they had three hours to help figure out how to bring the astronauts back to earth. Stokes and his partner, Dick Oman, used slide rulers (not computers!) to do the needed calculations.
Extraordinary indeed.
With the handheld Sony 300mm f/2.8 and the a9 iii with Human Face-Eye enabled at f/8.
Pat at 86, always smiling still
Pat at 86
Pat did not photograph for some time after Stoke’s death. A few months ago, she e-mailed telling me that she was beginning to do some bird photography again. I had previously suggested that she consider either a Canon mirrorless body or better yet, switching to Sony. I told her that a Sony a1 and a 200-600 would change her life and that I could teach her to use the Sony gear in five minutes. Pat was concerned about the large a1 file sizes. And about learning to use a new system.
Anyhoo, Pat came by on Tuesday past for an afternoon of Sony instruction, a pool deck dinner, a bit of photography, and a morning of photo instruction.
After familiarizing her with getting the right exposure with Sony Zebras, the AF system, and camera controls and handing, we headed down to the lake. It was then that I learned that despite having been on more than 10 IPTs she was still using Aperture Priority mode :-(. Stokes has listened to me all those years ago and switched to Manual mode. But Pat was stubborn. That made my job much harder There were zero cranes around and sunset was a washout when a big cloud spoiled our potential fun. Pat asked if she could take my a1 and my 70-200 to her hotel in Lake Wales and practice with the camera buttons and dials. I answered in the affirmative.
She got back to ILE at 6:45am as planned on Wednesday, now completely familiar with the button and dials. After hearing that the a9 iii files were half the size of a1 raw files and that the AF was much better, Pat wanted to try my a9 iii. I had already mentioned the 300mm f/2.8 to Pat so I let her use that with a 2X TC. That gave her a hand-holdable 600mm f/5.6 lens. Did I mention that Pat, after decades of water aerobics, is strong and fit. We got in position on our milk crates. I talked her through getting the right exposure for subjects of different tonalities. It was not a great morning as far as action but we did have a few good chances. And Pat cashed in on those very nicely.
I would be remiss not to mention that more than a few tears were shed by both us during our sessions as we discussed beloved lost spouses. The tears were both sad and happy at the same time.
When Pat got home, she placed this order with Bedfords using the BIRDSASART discount code:
Sony a9 III
Sony 70-200mm f.2.8 II lens
Sony 300mm f/2.8
Two Sony batteries
One Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter
One Sony FE 2X Teleconverter
She is looking forward to practicing with her new Sony gear for her trip to Iceland this June.
This image was created by Pat Fishburne on 5 June 2024 down by the lake near my home in Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on a pillow on a milk crate, Pat used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000: 1/4000 sec. at f/7.1 (stopped down 2/3 stop in error) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:59:59am on a clear sunny morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Juvenile Osprey calling in purposeful flight
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Patricia Fishburne
Learning Sony
The word on the street is that Sony Alpha is a difficult system to learn because the Menus are so complex. For folks who have my settings on their Sony cameras and a bit of instruction, nothing could be further from the truth. By Wednesday morning, Pat was good to go. Hand-holding the 300 f/2.8 lens as a 600mm f/5.6 rig she created two images that I would be very proud of. Kudos to Pat for trusting me and for being such a good student. I was photographing birds for more than 35 years before I made a flight image as good as either of these. Yes, the gear is better but without having your camera set up correctly and a bit of instruction, you will be dead in the water.
While I had taught at least two folks over 80 years old to use a Sony a-1in “five minutes,” Pat shattered that record by eight years by learning to use her a9 iii in a short afternoon. Thanks, Pat!
This image was also created by Pat Fishburne on 5 June 2024 down by the lake near my home in Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on a pillow atop a milk crate, Pat again used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1250: 1/4000 sec. at f/7.1 (stopped down 2/3 stop in error) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:04:47am on a clear sunny morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #2: Black-bellied Whistling Duck braking to land pano
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Patricia Fishburne
Flight Photography at Any Age
Flight photography at any age is a challenging endeavor. At 86, using a relatively heavy rig, a new exposure mode (Manual), and a completely new system, Pat’s two images presented in this blog post represent some sort of miracle.
Your Call?
Which of Pat’s two featured images is your favorite? Why?
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I sold the second of my three a1 bodies last week. And on June 5th, I purchased a second a9 iii body! Lots more on the switch coming soon.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide (and an INFO Sheet — white paper — is going soon.
For those who did not use my link to purchase their Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens, you can order your a copy here for $209.93.
Click on the image to enlarge and to be able to read the fine print.
The BAA Sony 300mm f/2.8 Lens Guide
Impressed by my (or Pat’s) Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images? Use either my Bedfords or B&H affiliate link to purchase your Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and shoot me your receipt via e-mail and request a copy of the first-ever BAA Lens Guide. I thought that it would take only minutes to create this guide, but I was dead wrong. In the process of creating it, I learned a ton about the lens. And even better, I discovered a simple yet potentially fatal flaw that was resulting in sporadically unsharp flight images. The set-up fix is simple. Just be sure to use one of my affiliate links and get the guide for free.
If not, you can purchase a copy here for $209.93. Yes, it never hurts to use my links and it never costs you one penny more. And if you contact me via e-mail before you make a major purchase, I can often save you some money.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
If you would like to learn about joining me east of Jacksonville, FL for a week of great photography and instruction this July — for next to nothing, please shoot me an e-mail. Share and AirBnB and ride to, on, and from the beach with me. Airport pickup possible.
Your Call?
Which image do you like best? Why?
Important Notice
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
What’s Up?
Photography down by the lake in the morning and just before sunset down by the lake continues to be excellent as does the weather: clear in the mornings with breezes from the northeast; hazy or foggy with light clouds in the west in the afternoon with the northeast wind continuing.
Today is Tuesday 4 June 2024. I’ll be heading down to the lake soon. I hope that you too have a great day. Old friend, multiple IPT veteran Pat Fishburne is driving up from Fort Myers this afternoon for a pool deck dinner and to try out some Sony gear. We will do two sessions, one this afternoon and another tomorrow morning.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Save 15%!
If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.
I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.
Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.
Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com
B&H
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often stave you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on 2 June 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial and AUTO ISO. Multi-metering -0.3 stops set ISO 500. 1/4000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined barely over-exposed on the specular highlight, just where it should be. AWB at 7:58:24pm on variably sunny afternoon.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Strongly backlit Sandhill Crane displaying
Audubon-like Miracle at 1200mm
When John James Audubon painted large, tall birds for his elephant folio, he painted them life-size. In order to fit the largest of them on a page, he had to draw them in contorted poses. As the pair of cranes walked into the lake on Sunday night, I thought, I’ve got way too much lens. Out of habit, I pointed the lens at the birds cutting off the head and the feet of whichever bird I was on. But I kept paying attention. After all, you never know what might happen.
I’ve been meaning to mention that when I am using my SUV as a blind, I am very, very often moving the vehicle forward or backward to get into perfect position. This is especially true when doing sunset silhouettes because the backgrounds vary tremendously. I may have to move my X5 from one end of the small beach to the other, perhaps 50 yards or so, or sometimes by as little as an inch or two. Not to mention having to work around the grasses that clutter the backgrounds.
Anyhoo, I moved my vehicle back a few yards to line the birds walking away from me up with the brightest reflections. Then, several miracles occurred:
1- The two cranes stopped walking, faced each other, and began to dance.
2- The crane on my right crouched down as its mate jumped into the air.
3- As luck would have it, I had the lens pointed at the crouching bird which then miraculously fit perfectly into the frame.
Then I pushed the button. In most of the frames the main subject was clipped.
Why Shutter Priority Mode & AUTO ISO for Silhouettes
With the sun muted and all sorts of reds, pinks, yellows, oranges, and purples either creating a dramatically colorful the sky or reflecting off the surface of smooth water, you usually need to add 2 or 2 1/3 stops or more of light. That is not a typo. When the sun or its very bright reflection is in the frame or close to the edge of the frame you need to go the other way by subtracting light to limit the brightness of the specular highlights. At times, you might need to go as dark as -2 stops while at the same time lowering the ISO and increasing the shutter speed, both dramatically.
Having to do all of those things ASAP would often require dozens and dozens of clicks. With Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial I am never more than 12 or 13 clicks from a perfect exposure, i.e., from +2.3 to – 2.0. And as those are pretty much the extremes, several fewer clicks will have you covered. Sony Zebras of course make the photographer’s life a lot easier. With todays’ featured image I reduced the underexposure 1/3 stop so that I was seeing only a few Zebras on the brightest areas of water.
Sony a9 iii AF Kills Blasting Highlights Situations
You face many challenges when shooting into blasting, super-bright reflections. Not the least o those is achieving accurate focus. I have been saying for years that most camera systems fail miserably in those super high contrasts situations — the AF systems are blinded. I have previously discussed focusing manually in such situation; that is easily done when you are working on a tripod but for many reasons is pretty much impossible when using a big lens on a BLUBB-
Frustrated with a1 AF that night, I switched to the a9 iii and was not surprised that it failed far less frequently. Having sold two of my three a1 bodies in the last month, I am thisclose to buying a second a9 111.
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I sold the second of my three a1 bodies last week. Lots more on the switch coming soon.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.
Flight Photography at Jacksonville Till You Can’t Lift Your Lens!
Join me on the beach at Huguenot Memorial Park to learn about photographing terns in flight. 8,000 pairs of Royal Terns nest there and there are birds in the air all the time, often carrying all kinds of fish and crabs and other invertebrates for their young. Learn about how the relationship between the wind and the sun impacts flight photography and about the best gear for shooting birds in flight. Note that all the images in the video were created with the Sony a1 (and a variety of lenses). Join me on a workshop at Jacksonville this summer. See the details below.
Clockwise from upper left corner around to center: ink-stained Royal Tern with squid for chicks; fluffy white Royal Tern Chick about two weeks old; Royal Tern with shrimp for chicks; 3-4 week old Royal Tern chick; incoming adult Royal Tern with greenback; Royal Tern in flight with juvenile mahi-mahi; large Brown Pelican chick preening; field guide portrait of fresh juvenile Laughing Gull; Royal Tern chick begging for fish from incoming adult.
Join me at Huguenot Memorial Park this July
Join Me
I have an AirBnB checking in on the late afternoon of Saturday 13 July and checking out on Thursday 19 July 2024. If you are looking to improve your bird photography by leaps and bounds while sharing the place with me, please shoot me an e-mail. ASAP.
Clockwise from upper left corner around to center: Royal Tern chick feeding frenzy; Royal Tern nearly fledged chick; ink-stained Royal Tern with squid for chicks; Royal Tern chick begging; Brown Pelican immature tight flight; Royal Tern adult screaming — tight flight; Laughing Gulls mobbing Royal Tern to steal fish; Royal Tern with fish for chicks.
Join me at Huguenot Memorial Park this July
Huguenot Memorial Park in Early Summer
Driving on the beach at Huguenot Memorial Park in early summer is a bird photographer’s delight. You park this side of the last rope on the beach and you are within 100 yards of the Royal Tern colony atop the dunes. There are also many thousand Laughing Gulls and a few Sandwich Terns breeding as well. In some years, there are some Brown Pelican nests on the ground! .
In early July, the tern chicks begin to make their way down to the flats to bathe and drink and get fed by the parents. On the way, they spend a lot of time on the face of the dune where they are easy to photograph at eye level. They may also gather in fairly large groups at the base of the dunes.
Flight photography both in the mornings and the afternoons can be quite excellent as the terns are carrying all manner of marine life to sustain the rapidly growing chicks: the adults are often seen flying around in search of their chicks with all sorts of small baitfish as well as immature fish, large shrimps, baby crabs, and even squid in their bills. The squid will squirt ink on the terns in protest. So if you see an adult Royal Tern flying around with a black necklace you can understand why.
2024 Jacksonville IPT: 4 1/2 DAY option Monday 15 July 2024 through the morning session on FRI 19 JULY — $2299.00 (Limit 4 photographers)
2024 Jacksonville IPT 3 1/2 DAY option: Monday 15 July 2024 through the morning session on THUR 18 July: $1799.00. (Limit 4 photographers)
I do not like to disappoint: each trip will run with only a single participant. If necessary.
I first visited the beach nesting bird colony at Jacksonville in late June 2021. I was astounded. There were many thousands of pairs of Royal Terns nesting along with about 10,000 pairs of Laughing Gulls. In addition to the royals, there were some Sandwich Terns nesting. And there are several dozen pairs of Brown Pelicans nesting on the ground. Flight photography was non-stop astounding. And photographing the tern chicks was relatively easy. Folks could do the whole trip with the Sony 200-600, the Canon 100-500 RF, or the Nikon 500 PF or one of the many nw Z lenses. With a TC in your pocket for use on sunny days. Most of the action is within 100 yards of where we park (on the beach). As with all bird photography, there are times when a super-telephoto lens with either TC is the best tool for the job.
Morning sessions will average about three hours, afternoon sessions at least 1 1/2. On cloudy mornings with favorable winds, we may opt to stay out for one long session and skip the afternoon, especially when the afternoon weather forecast is poor. Lunch is included on all but the last day of each IPT and will be served at my AirBnB. After lunch, we will do image review and Photoshop sessions. My AirBnB is the closest lodging to the park.
The deposit is $599.00. Call Jim at the office any weekday at 863-692-0906 to pay by credit card. Balances must be paid by check.
What You Will Learn on a Jacksonville IPT
1- First and foremast you will learn to become a better flight photographer. Much better.
2-You will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button.
3- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you fear it.
4- You will learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography, especially the photography of birds in flight.
5- You will learn several pro secrets (for each system) that will help you to become a better flight photographer.
6- You will learn to zoom out in advance (because the birds are so close!) 🙂
7- You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
8- You will learn to spot the good and the great situations.
9- You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior.
10- You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
11- You will learn to choose the best perspective.
12- You will learn to see and control your backgrounds.
13- You will learn to see and understand the light.
14- You will learn to see and create pleasing blurs in pre-dawn situations.
15- You will learn to be ready for the most likely event.
And the best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever you are and whenever you photograph.
Flight Photography at Jax
There is a ton of great flight photography at Huguenot. You can use a handheld intermediate telephoto lens or a faster, longer fixed focal length lens mounted on a tripod with a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro. We will get to photograph the Royal and Sandwich Terns, Laughing and other gulls, and Brown Pelicans, all in flight on most days.
Lenses for Flight Photography at Jax
While a handheld or tripod mounted 500 or 600mm f/4 lens can be quite useful for flight photography on the beach, handhold-able intermediate and zoom telephoto lenses like the Sony 200-600mm G lens, the Canon RF 100-500, and any one of the Nikon intermediate telephotos are often the ticket to success when flight shooting. I did quite well on my last visit handholding the Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM lens usually with the 1.4X teleconverter. This year I will be shooting often with my new Sony 300mm f/2.8 lens with either the 1.4X or 2x TC. And my a9 iii will be there as well.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
If you would like to learn about joining me east of Jacksonville, FL for a week of great photography and instruction this July — for next to nothing, please shoot me an e-mail. Share and AirBnB and ride to, on, and from the beach with me. Airport pickup possible.
Your Call?
Which image do you like best? Why?
Important Notice
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
What’s Up?
Today is Sunday 2 June 2024. This blog post took about more than five hours to prepare — a labor of love. Have a great day.
Manual focus with focus peaking. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #1: 1-day old at most Killdeer chicks in scrape nest
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024 Clemens Van der Werf
So Much For Being Mister Nice Guy
I had suspected for several weeks that there was a killdeer nest on the ornamental rock garden by the bathroom down by the pier at ILE. But I did not find it until the afternoon of 30 April of this year. After staring at the same spot for several minutes, I finally was able to make out one tiny, perfectly camouflaged chick and two eggs in a small scrape nest. The nest morning I photographed three chicks in the nest with my 600mm lens. You are not seeing it here for a reason; it is not very good.
Clemens, visiting his adopted state from The Netherlands, came by for dinner on May 1st asa we had made a reservation to photograph on a pontoon boat at Lek Blue Cypress the next morning. After we ate, we headed down to the lake to check things out. There were two tiny chicks in the nest and no eggs or eggshells. The first hatched chick must have gone for a walkabout. Shorebird chicks are precocial. Pretty darn soon, sometimes within hours of hatching, they fluff out their feathers and wander away from the nest, picking at bits of food as they go.
Anyhoo, I crabbed my Canon 180 Macro lens, the Metabones adapter, and an a-1 and went to work. Clemens kindly shaded the nest from the late after sun with his body. The two chicks laid there with their eyes close. Clemens mounted his Canon R3 to my favorite macro lens via the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R. As luck would have it both chicks opened their eyes as one of them raised its head. Bingo for Clemens, bummer for me 🙂
Note that the chick on our right has the egg tooth on the tip of its bill. That helps them chip away at the eggshell so that it can escape and hatch. It has disappeared from the bill of the chick on our left so that one is likely older by a day (or two at most).
This image was created on 6 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1600. 1/320 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:39:41am on variably cloudy morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Killdeer — 7-day old chick
Image copyright 2024: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Seven Days Old
This chick is almost surely seven days old, eight at the very most. On the morning of 6 May, I was thrilled to find all three chicks in the far southwest corner of the ILE “beach.” I posted a shot of one of the three chicks from that morning: Image #2 in the blog post here.
I love the two tone background and the chicks cyan colored ankles. Yes, what you think are a bird’s knees actually correspond to a human’s ankles.
This image was created on 7 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1600. 1/320 sec. at f/.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:14:14am on variably cloudy morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Killdeer — adult calling chicks on 7 May
Image copyright 2024: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Good Parent
At the exact same spot the next morning, one of the adults was calling the chicks. All three responded and disappeared under momma or poppa in a few moments. Though in prefect position, I never got to press the shutter button.
This image was created on 25 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 3200. 1/400 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:00:18am on variably cloudy morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Killdeer — juvenal plumage, 26-days old
Image copyright 2024: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Success!
Two weeks later, in the same spot, I was thrilled to see all three of the young Killdeer along the shore of the lake adjacent to the beach. They were fledged and almost fully grown, except for their long scraggly tails. Note the handsome feather edgings that distinguish the juvies from the adults.
This image was created on 30 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2500. 1/400 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:00:18am on variably cloudy morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #5: Killdeer — juvenal plumage, 32-days old, stretching far wing
Image copyright 2024: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
The Far Wingstretch
If a shorebird is stretching a wing and the head angle is decent, I will almost always hold the shutter button down. Picking this one as best from a long series was easy as it offered the best look at the far foot.
ps: The next day I saw one of the young take flight.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
When dying of cancer, basketball coach Jim Valvaono was often asked how he found the strength to carry on. Speaking quite emotionally, he would answer: “To me, there are three things we all should do every day every day of our lives. We should find the time to laugh, to think, and to cry.”
I pretty much do all three every day without even trying. Honest. If you are lacking in the laugh department, watch the The Seinfeld ROUNDTABLE video above. The Seinfeld cast and Larry David reminisce on the best Seinfeld moments. Even if you are not a huge fan, you will LYAO (laugh your ass off).
Important Notice
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Live Life to the Fullest
Join an Instructional Photo-Tour. For nearly a week of private instruction and great flight photography, check out the Jacksonville IPT.
What’s Up?
Photography down by the lake at ILE has been fabulous, the best May ever. Right now I have 2762 images from yesterday to get through, most with the Sony a-1! Sunset last night was good but without the fog, the swath of sunlight reflecting off the water was super-bright. That made the photograph even more challenging than it had been on Wednesday night.
Today is Friday 31 May 2024. I will, of course, be heading down to the pier in fifteen minutes. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have a great day.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
This image was created on 29 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 640. 1/640 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:07:14am five minutes before sunset.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck sunset silhouette
The Situation
Though the wind was supposed to be from the northeast on Wednesday afternoon — bad for front-lit flight photography on a sunny afternoon, I opted to head down to the lake to check on the two recently fledged and barely flying young Ospreys. The wind was from the north by slightly west when I arrived so I had hope. But when an adult with a fish landed on the nest tower it angled to the northeast so I gave up. Within a few minutes the wind turned to the northeast. To keep busy until sunset, I created 796 tight head portraits of some cooperative Turkey Vultures with the a1 at 1200mm on the BLUBB.
The Sunset
With some light fog in the western sky the chances for great color were great. And that is exactly what unfolded. The “bad” wind for traditional front-lit flight photography was perfect for silhouettes, but the challenges were large. Isolating a single duck was nearly impossible, even at 1200mm. Finding some clean water was equally difficult as the birds were standing in patches of grass. Throw in the fact that nearly all of the ducks are paired off. I stuck with it till I hurt and never gave up. The very best images were made five minutes before the sun touched the western horizon.
Photographic Cliches?
Lots of folks state that they do not like silhouettes because they are all cliches.
Surfing a bit, I found this a blog post by a landscape/travel photographer named Mitchell Kanashkevich:
So, a cliché in photography is anything that’s overly obvious, lacks originality of idea and has been seen in a similar shape or form countless times.
I checked out his images and quickly saw that he is a talented and accomplished photographer. So I kept reading. You can read the whole post here. Be sure to learn about Mitchell here and follow a few of the links to check out some of his incredible images.
The Question
Do you consider today’s featured image to be a cliché? Why or why not?
RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
Ho Hum, Another Perfect Exposure
What can I say? The combination of Zebras live in the viewfinder (with your camera set up properly) and post-capture study of the raw files in RawDigger makes it pretty much child’s play to come up with perfect exposure after perfect exposure. Not o worry. Canon, Nikon and others can still learn a ton by evaluating their raw files in RawDigger.
It would be impossible to overstate how much I have learned by studying RawDigger and how much better my exposures have become since I started with the program almost four years ago. With the G channel approaching the 16000 line, the raw file brightness for today’s featured image is dead solid perfect.
RawDigger — not for the faint of heart …
Nothing has ever helped me learn to create perfect exposures to the degree that RawDigger has. I think that many folks are reluctant to learn that most of their images are underexposed by one or more full stops and that highlight warnings in Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, and your in-camera histogram are bogus as they are based on the embedded JPEGs. Only your raw files tell the truth all the time. Heck, I resisted RawDigger for several years … Once you get over that feeling, RawDigger can become your very best exposure friend no matter what system you are using. On the recent IPTs and In-the-Field sessions, we have demonstrated that fact over and over again. Convincingly.
RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
The RawDigger Adapted (pink) Histogram
In the RawDigger e-Guide, you will learn exactly how to set up the Adapted “pink” RawDigger Histogram and how to use it to quickly and easily evaluate the exposure or raw file brightness of images from all digital cameras currently in use. RawDigger was especially helpful to me when I struggled with R5 exposures and learned my new camera body, the Sony Alpha a1.
The RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos
by Arthur Morris with Patrick Sparkman
The RawDigger e-Guide was created only for serious photographers who wish to get the absolute most out of their raw files including those like today’s featured image, that were made in extremely difficult situations.
Patrick and I began work on the guide in July 2020. At first, we struggled. We asked questions. We learned about Max-G values. We puzzled as to why the Max G values for different cameras were different. IPT veteran Bart Deamer asked lots of questions that we could not answer. We got help from RawDigger creator Iliah Borg. We learned. In December, Patrick came up with an Adapted Histogram that allows us to evaluate the exposures and raw file brightness for all images created with any digital camera bodies from the last two decades. What we learned each time prompted three complete beginning to end re-writes.
The point of the guide is to teach you to truly expose to the mega-Expose-to-the-Right so that you will minimize noise, maximize image quality, best utilize your camera’s dynamic range, and attain the highest possible level of shadow detail in your RAW files in every situation. In addition, your properly exposed RAW files will contain more tonal information and feature the smoothest possible transitions between tones. And your optimized images will feature rich, accurate color.
We teach you why the GREEN channel is almost always the first to over-expose. We save you money by advising you which version of RawDigger you need. We teach you how to interpret the Max G values for your Canon, Nikon, and SONY camera bodies. It is very likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you. And lastly — thanks to the technical and practical brilliance of Patrick Sparkman — we teach you a simple way to evaluate your exposures and the raw file brightness quickly and easily the Adapted RawDigger histogram.
The flower video takes you through a session where artie edits a folder of images in Capture One while checking the exposures and Max-G values in RawDigger. The Adapted Histogram Video examines a series of recent images with the pink histograms and covers lots of fine points including and especially how to deal with specular highlights. The directions for setting up the Adapted Histogram are in the text.
If we priced this guide based on how much effort we put into it, it would sell it for $999.00. But as this guide will be purchased only by a limited number of serious photographers, we have priced it at $51.00. You can order yours here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III/24-105 Infrared Rig with Many Extras!
Price reduced $100.00 on 29 May 2024
Morro Bay IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark III (converted to infrared, as noted below) in near-mint conditions with the BG-E11 battery grip (in like-new condition) and a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens (also in near-mint condition) for a ridiculously low $899.00 (was $999.00). The Super Color Infrared (590nm) conversion was performed by Life Pixel in November 2017 and included a custom lens focus calibration. The shutter count is approximately 12,330. The sale includes everything above, the front body cap, the front and rear lens caps, the EW-83H lens shade, all the items that came in the original boxes (camera strap, battery charger, cables, manuals, etc.), the original product boxes, a Canon RS-80N3 Remote Switch (cable release), two RRS L-plates (for the camera and for the battery grip), three extra LP-E6 batteries, four Delkin 32GB CF 700X UDMA 6 compact flash cards, a Hoodman loupe for checking focus in the rear panel in live-view mode, a Photoshop action for channel switching the color channels (loaded on the CF card in the camera), 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 Dane via e-mail or by phone at 1-559-593-0989 (Pacific time zone).
When I shot Canon, I dabbled in IR for a while — had a ton of fun and made some good images at Bosque and the Palouse. Dane’s offer above has so many extras that you could toss the camera in the trash and still come out ahead! artie
Important Notice
After an update on 4 May, WordPress stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear.
Live Life to the Fullest
Join an Instructional Photo-Tour. For nearly a week of private instruction and great flight photography, check out the Jacksonville IPT.
Your Call?
Which of today’s two featured images is the strongest? Anyone who sees this blog post is invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice.
What’s Up?
I spent five 1/2 hours on the phone yesterday afternoon sharing my laptop screen with a senior tech guy name Mario from HomePage Security. He is a brilliant guy and was worked like a dog fixing many errors on both BPN and the BAA Blog. He has not yet fixed the blog post notification problem. But we are not giving up yet.
The early morning whistling duck flight photography continues to be excellent. By using different lenses and lens/TC combinations with the a9 iii, I have been able to create some strikingly different images. Today is Wednesday 29 May 2024. I will be headed down very soon to look for more different duck stuff. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have a great day.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.
Please remember to use the B&H links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Save 15%!
If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.
I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.
Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.
Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com
B&H
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. When I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often stave you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
This image was created on Thursday 26 May 2024 down by the lake near my home. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 420mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800: 1/4000 sec. at f/4.5 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:17:52 am on a variably sunny morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Blacked-bellied Whistling Duck flock on final approach
Still Great!
The Whistling Duck action continues to be excellent every morning to the left of the pier down by the lake as the clear sunrises continue. You can see with today’s two, totally different flight images, I am always driving for something new. Before I walked into the lake to get a bit closer to any incoming birds, I grabbed the 300mm f/2.8/1.4X TC rig. In this, the first frame of about a twenty-frame sequence, I got really, really lucky: the birds were arranged perfectly — I could not have painted this one any better. In addition, the six ducks were very close to being on the exact same plane.
Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper version.
Image #2: Black-bellied Whistling Duck — braking to land
Pano Crop to Maximize the Marsh Grass Background
I expanded canvas right just a bit using Content-Aware Crop. The trick to doing that successfully is to work in small increments. The top of the original frame was mostly clear green while the lower left area had the lovely, mottled colors. Thus, a small crop from above to create the pano crop. In this one I also love the warm early morning light and the neat braking pose.
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I sold the second of my three a1 bodies last week. Lots more on the switch coming soon.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Image #1: “Left of the pier down by the lake near my home”
Left of the Pier
As many as three dozen whistling ducks along with two families of Limpkins and several other species have been providing excellent morning photography action in the tiny bay to the left of the pier. Each day, I have been trying something new. And the best news is that everything has been working. On Saturday past, I put the BLUBB right down on the ground and shot the 1200mm/a1 rig off of that. I made sure to turn off Direct Manual Focus (to prevent throwing off the focus) and was surprised to see how easy it was to frame the shots and follow slowly moving birds. When working off the rear screen, be sure to bring your reading glasses 🙂
For the Limpkin shots in the video below, I did work off a lowered tripod topped by a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro. The levered-clamp makes it beyond easy to switch back and forth.
The biggest problem at this spot is that emerging grasses often obstruct the subjects.
Note the big lens balanced nicely on the BLUBB, the two pillows for me to sit on, and the 300mm f/2.8/1.4X TC/a9 iii rig on an extra pillow where it can be grabbed quickly as a duck flies in to join the party.
Picking My Keepers From an Exciting Morning Down By the Lake
Sit besid me as I pick my keepers from last Saturday morning. Learn why which images are best and why. Learn to see, evaluate, and use the light, and to choose the best perspective. And learn how to avoid or at least minimize the grasses!
Which of the 58 surviving images do you think are best? Which is your fave? Note: Well more than half of those will be deleted after the second edit.
As most of you know, blog post notifications quit working on 4 May. Best is to favorite www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com and visit every other day to avoid missing lots of great lessons.
This image was created on 25 May 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on damp sand, my rig was supported by the BLUBB that I had placed on the ground. I was using the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 2000. 1/1000 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:30:00am on sunny morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Black-bellied Whistling Duck between the grasses
Bingo!
This one off the BLUBB features an ultra-low perspective. I like it best because the duck is perfectly framed by the usually distracting grasses.
If you would like to see more “Picking Your Keepers” video, please leave a comment.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
