Which of today’s three featured images is the strongest? Do let us know why you made your choice. I have a clear winner that I will share with you in the next post.
Bird Photographers.Net Sold
You can read the entire thread here. A nice discussion on nitpicking developed when I responded to Dan’s comment.
Bird Photographers.Net was conceived in my living room at Indian Lake Estates, FL sometime in mid 2007. James Shadle (AKA Captain Froggie) was there along with probably four or five other others, one recently deceased. I put up all the start-up money and have kept the site going till now. Jim Neiger was there as well. James, Jim, and I are still friends though we don’t see each other much anymore, we talk once in a while.
The first post was on 27 December 2007.
Scrolling through the first few weeks of posts from 17 years ago, I came across many familiar names. Many friends, some clients, too many now dead, many who went on to succeed professionally — too many in fact to name. Special thanks to Dan Cadieux for his BPN help in recent years, to all the members over the years, and especially, to all the moderators. Without them, no forum would ever amount to anything. I’d be remiss not to mention Avian Moderator Arash Hazeghi; he too has been a good friend for many years and we have done more than a few guides together. Both Dan and Arash developed into incredibly talented photographers as a result of the countless hours they spent on BPN.
I could not find my first post or my first comment, but I went on to write 32,593 of those. As many of you know, I have basically been an absentee owner for the most part for several years. As I am sure that the active folks have figured out by now that BPN changed owners very recently. When Group Builder offered to purchase BPN, I jumped at the chance. I believe the forum is in excellent hands now as they are a group of nice, competent folks.
I will still be around on occasion.
Much love, artie
Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
PS: The baby Tricolored Heron was photographed at Gatorland in 2017 with a 105mm with the Canon 100-400 lens and the EOS 5D Mark IV.
Reply by Daniel Cadieux
Hey Artie, you gave it a great run! BPN has been such a great help now for 16 years (!!). I too have made many friends, and it was a pleasure to help you out behind the scenes for the last few years.
I still remember a critique I did on one of your images very, very early on (January 2008 or so). It was a Brown Pelican. There was a colored stripe in the background that I thought distracting so I gently but honestly pointed it out. I got teased quite a bit by some friends up here saying to me “Who are you to critique Arthur Morris’ image and point out what you think is a flaw lol”. Well, two months later I was asked if I was interested in becoming a moderator. Ha! Who had the last laugh eh!:)
Glad to see the site will keep on going….but it is the founders that you speak of that gave it its charm and “raison d’être”. Here’s to the next chapter…
Dan
What’s Up?
Today is Friday 27 September.
After traveling up the west coast of Florida yesterday afternoon and doing quite a bit of damage, Tropical Storm Helene — after becoming a category 3 hurricane, is tracking inland over the Southeastern USA this morning with life-threatening flash flooding, potential record river flooding, damaging winds and tornadoes.
Special prayers go out to Pat Fishburne of Ft. Myers, and to my accountant Chip, who evacuated his home in Clearwater on Wednesday evening.
We had some wind here at ILE and short bursts of heavy rain at times but I am as yet not aware of any local damage.
The forecast for this morning is for cloudy and dark with showers and a SW wind. Though not good, I will head down to the lakefront to see what’s up
Wherever you are I hope that you are well and safe.
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.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift 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.
This image was created on 16 September 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV and resting the lens hood on the door frame, I used Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:47:41am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Black Vulture ruffling after bath/eye replaced
The Eye Replacement
The only two folks — Pat Fishburne and David Peake, of New Zealand — who commented on the last blog post felt that the image would have been much better had the eye been replaced. Image #1 is for them.
Replacing the eye was much more difficult than I thought it would be. First I grabbed the eye from Image #1 in the last post here. As the eye was quite contorted as the bird raised its head and ruffled, that did not work at all. After struggling with it for 15 minutes, I simply deleted the layer and went back to the drawing board. I grabbed the eye from a frame that was created in the same second, 14 frames after the original. In that source frame, the nictitating membrane was only 1/4 closed. After placing and warping the replacement eye, I had to use the clone stamp to reconstruct the forward quarter of the iris. In addition, I darkened and enlarged the pupil. Working very large, I realized that I should have cleaned up the really distracting specular highlights on the head. So I did, and I was happy with the new version.
This image was created on 26 September 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing at the parking circle by the base of the pier, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 12500. 1/250 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 8:14:16am on a dark, stormy morning.
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: Sandhill Crane adult doing nothing
A Dark and Stormy Morning
With the storm passing well to the west of ILE, Thursday dawned dark and dreary. The forecast called for strong SW winds. Had those materialized, they would have been the kiss of death for bird photography. But, when I got down to the lake, the wind was shifting east/southeast so all was not lost. With pretty much no light, grabbing the 300mm f/2.8 and working wide open without a teleconverter was the obvious choice. I was glad to find a pair of cranes feeding just below the hill to the north of the parking circle at the base of the pier. Note the relatively low shutter speed, the soft, lovely f/2.8 background bokeh, and the fact that the entire crane is more than sharp enough even though the image was created at the wide open aperture.
Though Image #2 is surely not a Wow! image, my point (again), is that you cannot make any photographs while sitting a storm out in your living room.
This image was also created on 26 September 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing on the “beach” left of the pier, I used the hand held Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens 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. 1/2000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect (ho hum). AWB at 9:01:58am on a dark, stormy morning.
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 #3: Turkey Vulture adult in flight — incoming
Universal Advice for Better Flight Photography
Pan faster!
The square crop here was necessary because I did not pan fast enough to keep the bird back in the frame. Note that with a relatively slow flying bird on a windy morning, I skimped a bit on shutter speed to save a bit on ISO. (I now prefer and recommend 1/3200 or 1/4000 second for flight photography).
Head Replacement
In the original frame here, the bird’s head was turned away and its nictitating membrane covered the eye. I grabbed the head of the same bird from the previous frame. Replacing the head using a warped Quick Mask refined by a regular Layer Mask took perhaps two minutes.
The Torrential Rain Came
The water in the upper part of the frame (the lake) in Image #3 reflected the dark, indigo blue-black storm clouds above. It was quite obvious that it was going to rain very hard very soon. Rather than head home, I hung around for the brief but torrential rains. With the wind howling from the southeast, I was looking for some cranes just northwest of the roadways. In such conditions, you can angle your car perpendicular to the direction of the wind and photograph out of the driver’s side window with impunity. As you and your gear will be in the lee, neither will get wet. The goal: create some nice rain-streaked images by working at intermediate shutter speeds in the range of from 1/60 to 1/640 second. The length of the streaks will vary depending not only on the shutter speed but on how hard it is raining and the distance to the subject (among others). Darker backgrounds are better than light backgrounds else the rain streaks may not be visible.
The only problem was that the only pair of cranes I found were feeding on a lawn on the wrong side of the road.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Please note: the Divide and Conquer technique was inadvertently omitted from DB II. It is detailed in a free excerpt in the blog post here.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: most of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
The Digital Basics III Video Series
The Digital Basics III Video Series
I realized more than 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 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 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 order 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.
Which two of today’s six featured images are your favorites? Please let us know why you made your choices.
My Call
In the last blog post, Longs Lens Lessons From the Worst Morning in Two Weeks, here, my favorite by a mile was the Black-bellied Whistling Duck. Why? The reddish-brown feathers and the pink bill (with a touch of yellow) were set off beautifully by the background — light blue water lit by early morning sun. I had not had a good chance on one and in addition, I loved the leaning-forward pose.
What’s Up?
I sent my tax stuff to Chip the accountant on Monday. 2023 was the worst year ever for BIRDS AS ART. By far. As we used to say in AEPi, ICCL –I could care less.
The weather in the mornings has been great. The bird photography? Fair to good.
Today is Tuesday 24 September 2024. The forecast is for partly cloudy with an east wind so I will grab the gar from the extra fridge, put it out for the vultures, and try for some flight. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have fun and to enjoy life.
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.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift 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.
A Rare Chance: Photographing Bathing Black Vultures
It was sunny, hot, and very still on the morning of September 16, perfect I thought, for bathing vultures. Despite the fact that in 25 years at Indian Lake Estates, I had never gotten to photograph a vulture bathing. Why not? They are very, very shy. But that morning was bingo! Sit next to me as I evaluate and comment on the 69 images that I kept. My six favorites follow. Be sure to check out the image optimizations by comparing the exposed to the right raw files in the video with the optimized images below.
The biggest take-away from the video? Photographing bathing Black Vultures on a sunny morning is a difficult challenge.
This image was created on 16 September 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV and resting the lens hood on the door frame, I used Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 559mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:38:50am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Black Vulture after bath with bill open
Why The Open Bill?
After bathing while leaving the water, most of the Black Vultures would open their bills. They were not drinking, and they were not making any of their grunting or hissing sounds. Why were they consistently opening their bills? I have no idea and my research turned up nothing.
This image was created on 16 September 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV and resting the lens hood on the door frame, I used Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 437mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:38:59am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Black Vulture bathing
The Bath
From The Birds of North America No. 411
Black Vulture will bathe in shallow water. (Rea 1983) described the bathing behavior or cathartic vultures: The birds enter the water and “drop the carpal end of one wing at a time as far as possible into the water, lower and dunk the head forward, then splash themselves vigorously with a sideways roll of the body while ruffling the body feathers.” The plumage, particularly head, neck, breast, and belly — may become quite wet. (Neil J. Buckley.)
Image #2A: A tight crop of the Black Vulture bathing image immediately above
What’s What?
Is that the left eye of the vulture just right of the letter A or the tip of the bill just to the right of letter B? I am pretty sure that it cannot be both …
This image was also created on 16 September 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV and resting the lens hood on the door frame, I used Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 553mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:39:02am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Black Vulture mid-bath
Eye Replaced
With the nictitating membrane covering 2/3 of the vulture’s eye, I opted to grab the perfect eye from a frame further on in the series. Eye replacements are easy if you know Quick Masking, especially warping the selection to attain the perfect size, shape, and match.
Nictitating Membrane
Adapted from Wikipedia
The nictitating membrane (from Latin nictare, to blink) is a transparent or translucent third eyelid present in some animals that can be drawn across the eye to protect and moisten it while maintaining vision.
Birds can actively control their nictitating membrane. In birds of prey (and many other bird families as well), the membrane serves to protect the parents’ eyes from their chicks while they are feeding them> When a Peregrine goes into their 200-mile-per-hour (320 km/h) dives, they will blink repeatedly with their nictitating membranes to clear debris and spread moisture across the eyes. Woodpeckers tighten their nictitating membrane a millisecond prior to their beak impacting the trunk of a tree to prevent shaking-induced retinal injury.
Note: Unlike an eyelid that travels from the top of the eye to the bottom, the nictitating membrane travels sideways from the front of the eye to the back.
This image was created on 16 September 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV and resting the lens hood on the door frame, I used Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 553mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:38:59am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Black Vulture flapping after bath
The Key to This Image Optimization
I did some Eye Doctor work on the bird’s right eye, enhancing the highlight along the edge of the iris while darkening the pupil and lightening the iris. Then, again using Tim Grey Dodge and Burn, I lightened the entire right half of the vulture’s face with a (very high) 50% opacity brush.
In combination, the improvement over the raw file was vast.
This image was created on 16 September 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV and resting the lens hood on the door frame, I used Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 385mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:47:06am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #5: Black Vulture flapping after bath
Why Not Get Lower For All of These Images?
When the vultures are bathing, they are very sensitive to any movement at all. Though the bird in Image #3 about 25 feet to the right of sun angle, I did not want to risk moving the car forward as the bird would likely have quit mid-bath.
The thought of getting out of my vehicle and onto the ground for a more intimate perspective never even entered my mind.
Once the vultures began bathing I put the 600 with the 2X on the pillows on the passenger seat, took the BLUBB off the door frame, and grabbed the 200-600 with a a9 iii. I raised the window about 5 inches and placed the lens hood on the window. With the very fast shutter speeds, I did not have to worry about stability. Most importantly, it was much easier to zoom in and out as needed. I shot the a9 iii at half speed, 60 frames per second. In retrospect, 120 fps would have been a better choice.
This image was created on 16 September 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV and resting the lens hood on the door frame, I used Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:47:41am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #6: Black Vulture ruffling after bath
Should I Have Replaced the Eye?
With the light blue nictitating membrane completely covering the bird’s visible eye, should I have replaced the eye with an open one from the same series? Why or why not?
It does not seem possible to me that the Black Vultures can “maintain vision” when the light blue, seemingly opaque nictitating membrane covers the eye completely. What do you think?
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Please note: the Divide and Conquer technique was inadvertently omitted from DB II. It is detailed in a free excerpt in the blog post here.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: most of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
The Digital Basics III Video Series
The Digital Basics III Video Series
I realized more than 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 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 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 save $26 by ordering the first 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.
Once I get my taxes to my accountant, I will be announcing several trips. Note that there is still a single opening on the first Homer Bald Eagle IPT. Click here for details.
Wanted to Buy
If you have a Canon EF 180mm Lens sitting on a shelf doing nothing and would like to get a good price for it, please get in touch via e-mail.
Your Call?
Which of today’s two featured images is your favorite? Why? I have a very clear winner that I will share with you in the next post.
My Calls
Thanks to those who chimed in with their three (or five!) top images in the last post. The winner was the iPhone clouds pano. I liked that one and the flower as well, but my top tree were all birds, here in no particular order:
Image #9: Great Egret juvenile with bill open.
Image #3: Least Sandpiper adult in basic (winter) plumage.
Image #5: White-winged Dove on sand beach!
Right on their heels were Image #4: Sandhill Crane adult calling and Image #10: Stretched wing of Anhinga.
What’s Up?
First off, thanks to Marc Wortsman and Robert Sabine (both of Long Island, NY) for their generous BAA Blog Thank You Gifts.
As noted in the Indian Lake Estates Late Summer Potpourri blog post here, I’ve been enjoying some unexpected fabulous bird photography recently at ILE. In that post, I did not even mention the fabulous morning that I had with bathing Black Vultures on Monday past, 16 September. Three days later, on Thursday the 19th, I had a handsome young Great Egret preening for an hour on The Perch II, finally got some sweet stuff on the young Tricolored Heron that had been avoiding me for two weeks, and was blessed by a bathing Great Blue Heron. Though I fanned on two of the three best chances, it was still a fantastic morning.
Yesterday, on Friday morning, despite seemingly perfect conditions — clear with a NE breeze, I had a comparatively lousy morning. But still was able to create today’s two featured images.
Today is Saturday 21 September 2021. I’ve just about finished my 2023 taxes and am awaiting the return of Chip the accountant from vacation. He should be back in Clearwater any minute. It is dead clear with a gentle breeze from the north so I will, of course, be heading down to the lake at about 7:15am. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have fun and to enjoy life.
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.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift 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.
Apple M3 Max 16-Core Chip
128GB Unified RAM | 8TB SSD
16″ 3456 x 2234 Liquid Retina XDR Screen
40-Core GPU | 16-Core Neural Engine
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Bluetooth 5.3
Thunderbolt 4 | HDMI | MagSafe 3
SDXC Slot | FaceTime HD 1080p Camera
Backlit Magic Keyboard
Force Touch Trackpad | Touch ID Sensor
macOS
In other words, the bomb. Looking to spend a bit less? Click here and search for Apple MacBook Pro M3. Feel free to e-mail or call (863-221-23720 for laptop advice.
Why Not Buy Your MacBook Pro From Apple?
If you purchase a laptop from Apple and have a problem right off the bat they will fix it for you in a few days or a week after you send it to them. They will not replace it. If you purchase a laptop from B&H and have a problem right out of the box, they will send you a new one no questions asked.
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 20 September 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 1000. 1/500 sec. at f/11 (stopped down one full stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:02:16am on sunny morning.
Tracking: (upper left) 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.
Image #1: Bald Eagle perched above old nest tree
Hopeful…
Recently, I’d seen a single eagle once at last year’s (lousy for bird photography) eagle nest, and twice seen a single bird at the old nest tree (above, and great for bird photography). One afternoon I had the two adults on the ground near last year’s nest. But, as usual, they were impossible to approach successfully in my vehicle. I love the Red-bellied Woodpecker nest hole and the inclusion of the pine needles in Image #1. And the early light.
Image #1 Lessons
When Using Your Car as a Blind
1- When you are a good distance from the subject, it is easy to get right on sun angle by moving the car slightly forward or back. I am not sure if it would have been possible to have had the woodpecker nest hole perfectly illuminated (without even the tiny shadow).
2- When working a subject well above you, it is almost always best to stay well back and get to your maximum focal length, 1200mm in this case. That to reduce the angle of inclination, the degree to which you need to point the lens up to get on the subject.
3- Toward that same end, roll the driver’s side window with the BLUBB up as high as possible while still allowing you to get the lens on it.
4- If you have a subject that is not going anywhere, try experimenting with apertures smaller than wide open and see if you can learn anything.
5- In the it-almost-goes-without-saying category:
a- If your long telephoto lens has a Direct Manual Focus (DMF) switch, be sure that it is set to OFF so that you do not accidentally wreck the focus.
b- Turn off the engine.
This image was also created on 20 September 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. 1/2500 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:02:16am on sunny morning.
Tracking: (upper left) 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 after bath
Image #2 Lessons
When Using Your Car as a Blind
1- When you are a good distance from the subject, it is easy to get right on sun angle by moving the car slightly forward or back.
2- When working a subject on the ground, it is almost always best to stay well back and get to your maximum focal length, 1200mm in this case. That to reduce the angle of declination, the degree to which you need to point the lens down to get on the subject.
3- Toward that same end, be sure to roll the driver’s side window down all the way so that the BLUBB rests on the door frame. Simply put, you want to be as low as possible assuming that you could not get out of the vehicle without flushing the bird.
4- Again, in the it-almost-goes-without-saying category:
a- If your long telephoto lens has a Direct Manual Focus (DMF) switch, be sure that it is set to OFF so that you do not accidentally wreck the focus.
b- Turn off the engine.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
