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 has been getting better every day. The good news is that the area to the left of the pier is attracting lots of birds. The bad news is that there is lots of emerging and dying vegetation that adds clutter to the backgrounds. Keep reading to learn one way of dealing with the dead grasses.
Today is Saturday May 25 2024. And yes, I will be heading down to the lake early again today. 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 23 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 with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1250 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was very close to being dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:36:54am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/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 #1: Photo Mechanic screen capture for the Mottled Duck — drake floating image
Things to Note
1- The Photo Mechanic histogram shows that the image was properly exposed well to the right. RawDigger showed that I might have been able to go 1/3 stop lighter without getting in trouble.
2- Most importantly, note that when I pressed the shutter button that even though the subject was surrounded by dead grasses, none of those skewered its body. Thus, eliminating the dead grasses would be relatively simple.
3- Notice that with the long focal length (1200mm), it looks as if I were a lot lower than I actually was, as if I were seated on the ground rather than in the driver’s seat of my SUV. With the subject size constant, the longer the focal length, the lower the angle of declination.
This image was created on 23 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 with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1250 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:36:54am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
The (relatively new) Remove Tool (my personalized keyboard shortcut J), made this repair child’s play. It is a combination of the old Spot Healing Brush on steroids and a artist’s brush. After cleaning up the lower right corner, I used the Remove Tool to paint in the highlights on the blue water. The more I use this new tool, the more I am amazed by it. You can learn how to use this tool (along with the new Luminance – Targeted Adjustment Tool) in the now completed Digital Basics III Video Series.
Your Call
If you are one of the very few reading this blog post, do you like the original version with the bird surrounded by dead grasses or the cleaned up version? Why? To me it is a no-brainer.
Image #2A: This is an unsharpened 100 percent crop of the optimized .TIF file for the Mottled Duck — drake floating image
Sony a9 iii Sharpness and Fine Feather Detail at 1200mm
As stated here recently and often, I have no idea why the optimized 24MP a9 iii files look as sharp and as detailed as the 50mp a1 files. Note the sharpness of the tiny feather on the top of the duck’s head just behind its eye.
Combine the above with the a9 iii’s vastly improved ergonomics and its far superior autofocus system and it is hard to understand why most Sony bird photographers are still using the a1.
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.
Is larger in the frame always better? Why or why not?
Which two of today’s featured images is the stringer image? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice?
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. Consider sharing a great AirBnB with me on the Jacksonville IPT.
This image was created on 22 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 with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. ISO 2500. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was perfect. AWB at 7:49:28am on a sunny morning with just a hint of a cloud in the eastern sky.
Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.
Shooting flight off the BLUBB at 1200mm is nearly impossible. When I saw the incoming duck, I struggled getting the bird in the middle of the frame. I saw that I was clipping the wings with most of the images. So I released the shutter button, re-gripped the lens, re-acquire focus, and got a few decent images. Image #1 above was the best of the lost.
Image #1 Flight Shooting Statistics for 1200mm off the BLUBB
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 — wings fully down flight
Plan B
As there have been about 30 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flying in to the left of the pier each morning, I decided to get out of the car and set up the tripod with the 600mm f/4 and the 1.4X TC with the a9 iii. I took off my shirt to catch some vitamin D and took off my socks while standing on the “beach” sand to do some grounding.
I set the shutter speed to 1/3200 second early on and went to 1/4000 sec. I started at ISO 1600 early on and wound up at ISO 1000. Most of the images were made at +2 off the low blue sky. I set the Limit Range Switch to Not Full for faster initial focusing acquisition and moved the Direct Manual Focusing switch to ON so that I could pre-focus manually. I had only a few good chances on the whistling ducks in flight.
Degree of Difficulty: 6 out of 10 for relatively unskilled folks like me: 6 out of 10.
Degree of Difficulty for skilled folks on a tripod with the same gear: 3 out of ten.
Degree of Difficulty for skilled folks handholding at 840mm: 1 out of ten.
Chance of Sharpness Success with the a9 iii: 98%
Chance of Sharpness Success with the a1: 60%
By 8am, the flight action petered out, so I drove around looking for different subjects — best was an osprey with a whole fish perched by its nest (851 images).
At 8:30am I headed back to the sand beach. As expected, at least another two dozen whistling ducks had flown in while I was gone.
High Level Question
Why?
Plan C
Stay tuned to learn of my new strategy (provided that the east wind and sunny skies continue).
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.
My flights home from Arkansas were delightfully short (as compared to the trip to Little Rock!) I have a ton of sports on TIVO to get through; no spoilers please. I headed down to the lake on Monday morning and was glad to see that the three tiny Killdeer chicks that Clemens and I saw the day they hatched in early all fledged successfully; they should be flying in a few days at most. I was glad also to see one handsome crane colt from this year, possibly, the only survivor of the eight eggs that hatched this year. There might be another as there were two single colts not long ago. With a brisk wind from the west and clear skies, I did not do much photography.
Today is Tuesday 21 May 2024. I will head down to the lake and need for a bit. I need get back to work on 2023 taxes. I hope that you have fun too!
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 7 May 2024 at Fort DeSoto Park. Crouching a bit, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2.0x 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: 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). 7:06:22pm on a sunny afternoon.
Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even with the 2X TC. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Better Than a Poke in the Eye With a Sharp Stick …
When all three participants on the recently concluded DeSoto IPT showed up early at the AirBnB in Gulfport on May 7, I asked, “Is anyone up for a free photo session this afternoon?” They all were and I was too. The extremely low tide at my go-to afternoon location and almost no birds made things challenging at best. There were a few Black-bellied Plovers about along with a smattering of shorebirds including. But the muck made getting into photographic range nearly impossible.
For the first hour I checked on Jim and Geri and helped Steve Shore get set up with the Sony 600mm f/4 that he rented from me and his new a9 iii. Only then, when a handsome Laughing Gull landed in front of us, did I head back to the my SUV and set up the 400mm f/2.8 with the 2X and my a9 iii to handhold. I got lucky with the take-off shot.
On the way home, we stopped under the big bridge and made hay with a handsome young Great Blue Heron (as detailed in the Right Place. Right Time. No Light. Right Lens, Again! blog post here).
Another Square Crop Saves the Day
As I had not panned quickly enough when the bird took off to the north, the gull was position too far forward in the frame. My best option in many of these cases is a square crop; it turned out to be perfect for this image.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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.
After a recent update, Word Press 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.
What’s Up?
Both of my programs were well received at the 2024 Bedfords Little Rock Photo Expo. Huge thanks to John Rose and Steve Elkins for the invite. The hotel was great as was the food. And the folks. On Saturday afternoon, I walked a bit more than a mile up the hill (and back) to the Arkansas State House to visit the statues of the Little Rock Nine, the high school students who, in 1957, were at first prevented from attending the school of their choice (Little Rock Central High School) when then-Governor Faubus called out the National Guard to stop them. However, President Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10730, which federalized the Arkansas National Guard and ordered them to support the integration on September 23 of that year, after which they protected the nine African American students.
Check out the Wikipedia entry here and follow the various links to learn more about the Little Rock Crisis, an important part of the Civil Rights Movement. I did and learned a ton. As I am about six years younger then them, I was surprised to learn that eight of them were still alive and have been doing great since then.
Today, on the surface at least to a visitor, race relations appear to be very fine. Folks of both races greeted me and each other with a friendly smile. Just the way things should be.
Today is Sunday 19 May 2024. I have an early morning flight to Dallas. Jim will be picking me up at Orlando mid-afternoon today. Wherever you are, please choose to have a wondrous day.
This image was also created on 11 May 2024 on the Spring 2024 Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the toe-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500: 1/3200 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. AWB at 7:55:46am on a partly cloudy, variably sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: This Photo Mechanic screen capture represents the raw file for the Snowy Egret foraging image
Exposed to the Right
Check out the histogram above and note how far to the right this image was exposed. Note also that a properly exposed raw file will usually look bland without my color. See the two optimized versions below to see how they might be processed.
As the bird was fishing under a pier, it was in shadow. The Gulf background, while not in the sun, was many stops brighter. Therefore, I needed to add a ton of light to the exposure in order to render the egret white. The distant water was totally Zebra-ed when I pressed the shutter button. See what RawDigger had to say about this one immediately below and then check out the two optimized versions below that.
This is the RawDigger screen capture for today’s featured e-Guide for today’s featured image.
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. I was surprised that there were no Ov-Exp warnings on the bright Gulf water. That meant that I could have pushed the exposure even a bit farther to the right.
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.
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 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.
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.
This image was also created on 11 May 2024 on the Spring 2024 Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the toe-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500: 1/3200 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. AWB at 7:55:46am on a partly cloudy, variably sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: This JPEG represents the first optimized version of the Snowy Egret foraging image.
Why Birds Fish Under and Around Piers
Why do birds hang around piers? Because fish like hanging around piers. Why? Because piers provide shade and some degree of shelter. And food. Changes in the current and invertebrates that live on or around the pilings and other support structures attract small baitfish that in turn attract both larger predatory fish and hungry birds.
The Situation
On the last IPT morning, we went straight to my back-up location as both remaining clients had afternoon flights home from TPA. In addition, we had done well there the previous day. We had a second great morning photographing foraging Sanderlings on a clean, wave-washed beach. Then we killed on Ruddy Turnstones. Last was a cooperative Great Blue Heron that we photographed both front-lit and back lit. Images here soon.
Image #2, the First Version
Image #2 is the first version of today’s featured image that I optimized as usual with my current workflow. I set the White Balance and the Black and White points, moved the Highlight slider well to the left and the shadow slider a bit to the right, set the Clarity and Dehaze sliders by rote, opened the Color Mixer tab, clicked on the icon for the Luminance Targted Adjustment Tool, adjusted the Saturation and Luminance of the GREENS, AQUAS, and BLUES, ran Step 1 of my new 2-step Noise Reduction technique, and finally hit Open.
This image was created on 11 May 2024 on the Spring 2024 Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the toe-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500: 1/3200 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. AWB at 7:55:46am on a partly cloudy, variably sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: This JPEG represents the second version of the Snowy Egret foraging image
Image #3: More CYAN
After viewing Image #1, I realized that the image might look even better if I juiced up the color a bit more. To do that, I re-opened the image in Photoshop, created a new layer (Command > J), and hit Command > U) to add Hue Saturation adjustment on the new layer. I selected CYAN from the drop-down menu, and boosted the CYAN to +40.
Your Call?
Do you prefer the color in the first version, Image #2, or in the juiced up version, Image #3? Why?
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 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 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.
As far as the blog post notification problem, the harder I try, the more hopeless the situation seems to be. Best to bookmark the BAA Blog and visit every other day.
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 woke at 4:00am on Thursday morning to pack for my trip to Little Rock, AR. Because of very bad weather at Dallas’s Love Field, we sat on the plane in Orlando for an hour. We landed safely at about noon. The flight to Little Rock was delayed several times by a few minutes, but then we sat on the plane at the gate of an hour and then and then on the runway for another hour. The total delay was more than 2 hours. The plane, however, landed right side up in Arkansas at 4:41pm. I was seriously in of standing up, getting a nice dinner, and hitting the sack.
Had I gotten in at 2:30 as scheduled, the plan was to photograph a minor league baseball game across the river from the event hotel. Instead, I had dinner and slept ten hours!
This image was created on Wednesday 8 May 2024 on the Spring 2024 Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000: 1/2500 sec. at f/9 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 9:41:53am 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.
Sandwich Tern adult breeding plumage in flight
Not Recommended. But Do-able
Easy Handheld 840mm Flight
I was sitting on the beach waiting for the shorebirds to come closer. There were some Royal and Sandwich Terns flying by and occasionally landing a good distance away. Working at 840mm, I figured “What the heck” and tried for some f/9 — 840mm flight shots. I was surprised at how quickly AF acquired at f/9 and was even more surprised when I found a few sharp flight shots.
This is excellent news for folks for whom the 200-600 G lens is their workhorse super-telephoto lens. The 200-600 with the a9 iii is superb for flight. Being able to gain more reach by adding the 1.4X TC is a big plus. Image quality and sharpness will be somewhat reduced when the images are compared to the bare 200-600 G lens.
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 this morning. 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.
Catch-22 is a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule.
What’s Up?
The above exactly describes my efforts to get post notifications for the blog working again. They had been working perfectly for 15 years. The harder I try, the worse things get. On the rare occasion when I hear back from someone, things have been made worse. It is a tangled web that is being woven. And do not even think of getting technical help from a human by phone. No solution is in sight.
In the Meantime
As there is no end it sight, be sure to favorite the blog and visit every other day or so. There is no reason to miss out on the learning.
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 this morning. 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.
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.
This image was created on Thursday 9 May 2024 on the May 2024 Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the foot-pod technique with 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 4000: 1/1000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:38:41am on a partly cloudy, variably sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Breeding plumage Red Knot foraging on sand flat at low tide
What to Do on a Lousy, Lazy Afternoon?
As we headed for the beach on our 2nd IPT afternoon, it was dark and windy and the tide was low. In other words, things were not looking good. We walked all the way to the north. Aside from one dancing Reddish Egret at a good distance, we found an adult Laughing Gull picking at a long-dead, stiff, sand-encrusted Mullet. So, we headed back to the parking lot and found a small group of shorebirds foraging on a sand flat.
As I had rented my 600mm f/4 to Steve Shore (he loved it and the a9 iii), and was too tired to bring the 400mm f/2.8 and a tripod, I had only the 300mm f/2.8 (and a 1.4X TC) with me. We spread out and sat on the sandy/mud. Every once in a while a Sanderling or a Dunlin would wander into photographic range. I recommended that the folks use a fairly fast shutter speed and raise the ISO until they had some Zebras on the water or mud, and ignore the high ISO settings. I am proud that they all got that right as most everyone underexposes at the beach in low light conditions.
Keep or Delete?
My eyes were fixed on two Red Knots foraging at a distance. Working very low at 420mm so as to include the marsh and add some green, the only option was a bird-scape. a9 iii AF continues to amaze me. The image above was the best of the lot. Would you have kept this one or deleted it? (Note: the prettier the breeding plumage knots, the more difficult they are to get close to, especially when they are roosting in large groups as they had been that morning.)
Why the 300mm f/2.8?
As we age, pretty much all bird photographers are looking to go lighter. And working without a tripod is an incredible pleasure that makes you much more mobile and makes it easier to get into the best shooting position. Having rented my 600mm f/4 GM to Steve Shore for the IPT, I’ve been switching using either the 400mm f/2.8 GM lens (with TCs) or the 200-600 (often with the 1.4X TC. As the 300mm f/2.8 8s the lightest of the three and I was feeling a bit tired on Friday morning, I went as light as possible and handheld the 300. I started with the 2X TC but as the birds were so close, I quickly switched to the 1.4X. I was surprised at how well I did.
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 Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images from the last three posts? 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.
I got a response to a ticket at Homepage Universe stating that they think they found the problem with post notifications.
If you received a post notification for this short post via e-mail, please forward it to me at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net. Many thanks, artie
Repair Sony Raw (ARW) Files?
Question: Does anyone know of, or have experience with, a software package that can repair damaged ARW files?
Situation: After uploading many photos from the Sony A1 and A9iii, I accidentally deleted them. I was able to recover all the files, but they are currently not viewable in Photoshop or Photo Mechanic. I’ve heard that Wondershare Recoverit can restore the files. Does anyone have any experience with this software or any other? Sony’s first level technical support was unable to help me.
Thank you,
Steve Shore
If you can help Steve, you can leave a comment or shoot him an e-mail.
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 this morning. 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.
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.
Blog Post notifications stopped sending on 4 May. I have been working hard to restore the e-mail notifications with no success. I can log in to WordPress but when I use the same user name and password to log into the WordPress Help Forums I get the dreaded “wrong user name or password” notice. I did manage to get into Jetpack support yesterday but have not received an answer to my question. I opened another ticket with the server company, HomePage Universe, but my last two requests for help have fallen on deaf ears. I shall keep trying.
My plan is to publish a new post every other day. By bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com you can continue to enjoy the new posts even though you are no longer receiving the e-mail notifications simply by clicking on the previous link.
Today is Monday 13 May 2024. I have a ton of work to do before I leave on Thursday for Little Rock. I have so much to do, that other than for my walks, I have not been down to the lake since I returned from DeSoto.
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.
Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens
Used Gear Page veteran Robert Hollyer is offering a Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in Like-New condition for a BAA record Low $9,998.00. The sale includes the front lens cap, the rear lens cap, the lens hood, the lens strap, that hard case & strap, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail or by phone at 1-206-359-0018 PST.
I purchased my Sony 400mm f/2.8 two years ago to complement my 600mm f/4. Robert is selling his because he rarely uses it, opting instead for the 600mm f/4! It is far easier for me to handhold the 4 ounces lighter, much smaller, and better balanced 400 f/2.8 than it is to handhold the 600mm f/4. The 400 is superb in extreme low light and for flight with or without the 1.4X teleconverter. This lens sells new right now for $11,998.00 at B&H and there are used copies going for $10998.00 as well. Act quickly to save a handsome $2,000.00 by grabbing Robert’s might-as-well-be-new 400mm GM lens. And you can’t beat the f/2.8 bokeh! artie
Manual Focus. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-res version.
Image #1: American Oystercatcher taking over incubating duties.
Your Call
Do you like this image? Why or Why Not?
DeSoto AMOY Nest
Thanks to multiple IPT veteran and good friend David Pugsley who alerted me to the presence of a roped off American Oystercatcher nest that was photographable only in the morning. Thursday last began mostly cloudy with a 20 mph wind from the S/SW. I had heard that there had been some spoonbills in Hidden Lagoon. Considering that possibility, the AMOY nest, and the low light, I went with the 400mm f/2.8 and an a-1, the latter as I was not expecting to do any flight or action.
As we arrived at the ropes and sat, we talked about choosing the best perspective. 560mm yielded the same in the frame look that I was after and allowed me to include the beach vegetation in the background along with a peek at the Gulf of Mexico. With everyone using Sony, I advised getting significant Zebras on the sky. With the wind hard from my left, I removed the lens hood and stored it on the sand. With all of the big, fast super-telephoto lenses, it is always best to remove the hoods when working in a cross wind; that keeps the hood from acting like a giant wind sail and destroying images sharpness.
Early on, one adult was on the nest and was sitting atop a small rise but well down on the nest. The grasses around the sitting bird’s head made it virtually impossible to use autofocus, even for those using one of the Spot S AF methods. I quickly went to Manual Focus with a (red) focus peaking and taught the two folks using the a1 how to use the focus magnification technique to ensure accurate manual focusing.
The other parent had been hanging around the nest so I told everyone that the best images might come if a nest change occurred. When that happened, the first bird walked away to the south and the second adult walked quickly to the nest. At this point I decided to trust my previously set manual focus distance. I got lucky as the second bird was on the same exact plane as the first bird had been.
I wanted to make an image before the bill of the new bird became obstructed by the grasses. I came close to doing that, but the tip of the bill wound up behind some grass. In addition, the end of the bird’s bill was badly stained with salt. Worst of all, I saw that the new bird had three bands, two orange/red EA bands on both lower leg bones and one metal, USFWS band (with the first two digits “11”) on the right tarsometatarsus. At first glance, I thought that the image clean-up would be too difficult. See the Animated GIF below.
Diagram #2: Comparison of human leg bones and bird leg bones
Ever wonder why birds have backwards knees? That’s because those aren’t knees, they’re the equivalent of our ankles! Bird knees are further up their legs and often hidden by feathers.
@RebeccasBones’ diagram above and her explanation of the reality of a bird’s leg bones are the clearest and most understandable I have ever come across.
Band Removal and Bill Clean-Up and Reconstruction
With the IPT group huddled around the kitchen counter, I did not think that I could do it, but using my cadre of clean-up and repair tools, I was eventually successful. Everyone in the group, especially Geri, offered helpful comments and suggestions. In no particular order, I used the Remove Tool, the Patch Tool, the Clone Stamp Tool, and several Quick Masks that were refined by the addition of a regular layer mask. All as detailed in Digital Basis II and in the Digital Basics III Video Series.
The shared AirBnB experience on the DeSoto IPT worked out amazingly well. Unless I was sleeping, I was there to answer everyone’s questions. We saved a ton of money on meals — we shared the cost of the food — and we all got along great.
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 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 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.
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.
After a recent update, Word Press 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.
Word Press Help Needed
As some of you realized, several days ago the automated post notification e-mails quit being sent. Why? Last week, whenever I opened my Word Press dashboard a notice appeared advising me to update the PHP and Word Press itself. The directions were so complicated that I refrained as long as possible. Not to mention that anytime I update anything it is done with trepidations. So, I contacted Homepage Universe, the folks we pay for the server, and they did the two updates. Everything seemed fine. But, several blog subscribers e-mailed yesterday asking if I was OK.
I quickly realized that the post notifications were not being sent. Because of the updates. I can log into Word Press with the user name and password that I have been using for two decades. But, using the same user name and PW, I am unable to log into the support forum to try to figure out why the e-mail notifications quit and how I can fix the problem.
If you have any ideas or have a friend who might be able to help, please get in touch with me via e-mail and include the necessary contact info including e-mail address and phone number.
Many thanks.
Your Call
Enlarge each of today’s two featured images and let us know which you feel is the stronger photograph and why you made your choice. Read the info below each image to improve your shorebird photography. By doing so, you will learn what that three folks on the IPT learned this morning.
What’s Up?
The May 2024 DeSoto IPT group has been a pleasure to work with. We had a great thank you dinner Thursday night at Pia’s Trattoria in Gulfport. Photography at DeSoto has ranged from great to terrible. Afternoons have been uniformly terrible. Jim Miller left a day early after our Friday morning session for a doctor’s appointment in Tallahassee. Steve and Geri were thrilled that I took them to the North Venice Rookery in the afternoon. The forecast was perfect: mostly cloudy with a west wind. The reality was that it was totally sunny with an east wind :-(. We got our best stuff late in the day when the colony was in the shade. There were lots of Great Egret chicks and several Wood Stork chicks. We also had some sweet Tricolored Herons (one pair with young), a breeding plumage Snowy Egret, and an adult Black-Crowned Night Heron. When we arrived, there was a juvie Little Blue Heron foraging on the duckweed. The best news? There was zero traffic on the way back to our AirBnB.
Sharing the AirBnB with three participants was a first and we all got along great. We ate most meals in the house and everyone loved my cooking. And I loved their dishwashing!
This image was also created on 10 May 2024 on the May 2024 Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the kneepod technique with 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 2000: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:38:41am on a partly cloudy, variably sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Sanderling molting into breeding plumage
Plan B
In comparison to the last ten years, photography at North Beach this spring has been terrible. The east winds (perfect) of the previous ten days have been replaced by W/SW winds. On the sunny mornings, that is the worst possible combination as the sun rises in the northeast. With the strong winds and super low tides, afternoons at any location have been very challenging at best. The great news is that everyone has learned a ton and been making excellent photographs. The forecast for Friday morning was for sunny turning cloudy by 9:00am. When we drove into the park at 7:00am, there were lots of clouds to the east so rather than head to North Beach for another death march, we headed for my morning back-up spot, a spot that most self-respecting bird photographers shun. But not me. My decision to with tracks based on the tide and the weather was brilliant.
Anyhoo, the sun came out for good at 9:00am. So much for the weather forecast …
We had two small, clean areas of beach that mush have been packed with tiny invertebrates as we had 15 to 20 turnstones and perhaps a half dozen Sanderlings foraging in front of us right down sun angle (whenever it poked through the clouds). In addition, we had two White Ibis feeding and on occasion, we were joined by an oystercatcher and a Willet.
See the next item to learn what the group learned on what turned out to be a great morning of shorebird photography.
This image was also created on 1o May 2024 on the May 2024 Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the kneepod technique with the handheld 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 1600: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:54:32am on a partly cloudy, variably sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Ruddy Turnstone with clam and a strand of green seaweed
The Old Maxim
In the Art of Bird Photography, I wrote, In bird photography, add green whenever possible. I love the line of green seaweed in front of the Sanderling in Image #1 and the tiny bit of seaweed hanging from the small clam in Image #2. Not that I had anything to do with either 🙂
Shorebird Photography Lessons Learned
1- When there are shorebirds around, pick out a stretch of clean beach, an area with little to no beach debris like shells, seaweed, pebbles and other beach wrack like algae, sea grasses, and some invertebrates like as sponges and soft corals, and sit or lie down on the sand.
2- If and when the birds take flight, stay put; unless the tide has come in and covered the beach, the birds will almost always return.
3- Individual birds like the Sanderling in Image #1 will often stake out and defend a small area of food-rich shoreline and defend it against all comers. They often provide consistent action.
4- When the sun is coming in and out, you quickly need to change your exposures. Advantage Sony Zebras. But even with Zebra technology you need to stay sharp.
5- Foraging shorebirds rarely stay still (like the Sanderling in Image #1), even for a second. Thus, for moving birds, you need relatively fast shutter speeds of 1/1000 second (at a minimum).
6- Foraging shorebirds are affected much less by “bad” wind direction (wind against sun conditions) as terns or gulls roosting on the beach are. The trick is to make a series of image in the rare instant that the birds are square to the imaging sensor or angled slightly toward you; subject to film plane orientation is difficult when the birds are feeding and changing positions practically ever second.
Fine Point Lesson
Note that Image #1 is from the full frame (uncropped) raw file. Working at only 420mm, the bird was likely eight or nice feet from me. When photographing large in the frame birds at point blank range, there is usually a need for additional depth of field. That is why I opted to stop down one full stop for the first image; That helped to sharpen up the wing feathers this side of the plane of focus, right on the eye.
Speaking of right on the eye, Sony a9 iii Bird Face-Eye AF continuous autofocus puts a-1 AF to shame. When shooting foraging shorebirds with the a1, I would need to go to Tracking: Expand Spot and would struggle to keep the active AF point somewhere near the bird’s eye, face, or head. Tracking the eye was sporadic. Working in Tracking: Zone with the a9 iii, the AF system grabs the eye and pretty much never lets go. Tracking: Zone gives you leeway when framing images of moving birds.
Image #2 on the other hand, was a small crop and the bird was smaller in the original frame. Therefore, there was no need to stop down; the feathers of the folded wing were rendered sharp at the wide open aperture (f/4) because of the distance factor. At a given aperture, d-0-f increases as the distance to the subject increases.
Why the 300mm f/2.8?
As we age, pretty much all bird photographers are looking to go lighter. And working without a tripod is an incredible pleasure that makes you much more mobile and makes it easier to get into the best shooting position. Having rented my 600mm f/4 GM to Steve Shore for the IPT, I’ve been switching using either the 400mm f/2.8 GM lens (with TCs) or the 200-600 (often with the 1.4X TC. As the 300mm f/2.8 8s the lightest of the three and I was feeling a bit tired on Friday morning, I went as light as possible and handheld the 300. I started with the 2X TC but as the birds were so close, I quickly switched to the 1.4X. I was surprised at how well I did.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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.
Everyone got to the AirBnB early so we headed out for a free afternoon of instruction. The tide was very low at East Beach but we tried. Steve Shore rented my Sony 600 and an a9ii. It took about six minutes to familiarize him the a9 iii and the Sony system, as advertised. By the next morning he was consistently making sharp, well exposed images at 1200mm. Put him down as another who trusted me on Sony. As I had done last January after a zero afternoon (see the last item below), we stopped under the big bridge. We were rewarded with a handsome Great Blue Heron in fresh juvenal plumage; the bird looked as if it had just left the nest that morning. All enjoyed a seared tuna and guacamole dinner prepared by Chef Morris 🙂
Despite tales of “no birds at DeSoto” for the last several months, we had lots of great opps on Wednesday morning with about tens species of shorebirds, Royal and Sandwich Terns, Brown Pelicans, about six Reddish Egrets including a dancing white morph, Great Blue Heron and Snowy Egret, and White Ibis.
Today is Thursday 9 May 2024. We all hope that you too 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.
Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens
Used Gear Page veteran Robert Hollyer is offering a Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in Like-New condition for a BAA record Low $9,998.00. The sale includes the front lens cap, the rear lens cap, the lens hood, the lens strap, that hard case & strap, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail or by phone at 1-206-359-0018 PST.
I purchased my Sony 400mm f/2.8 two years ago to complement my 600mm f/4. Robert is selling his because he rarely uses it, opting instead for the 600mm f/4! It is far easier for me to handhold the 4 ounces lighter, much smaller, and better balanced 400 f/2.8 than it is to handhold the 600mm f/4. The 400 kills in extreme low light and for flight with or without the 1.4X teleconverter. This lens sells new right now for $11,998.00 at B&H and there are used copies going for $10998.00 as well. Act quickly to save a handsome $2,000.00 by grabbing Robert’s might-as-well-be-new 400mm GM lens. And you can’t beat the f/2.8 bokeh! artie
Join me in Little Rock, Arkansas this May for a great weekend of learning and fun. You can check out any and all of the latest/greatest photo gear. If you know any good nearby spots for bird photography, and/or if you would like a free (5-image) portfolio review, shoot me an e-mail.
Little Rock Photo EXPO
A Bedford Event: Inspire, Learn, Discover
HUGE TWO DAY INTERACTIVE TRADE-SHOW
May 17-18, 2024
State House Convention Center
101 E. Markham St., Little Rock, Arkansas
Don’t miss the Photo Expo in Little Rock! Regardless of your experience level, join hundreds of photographers, as we take over Little Rock on May 17-18, 2024. The Little Rock Photo Expo offers a remarkable experience packed with presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and a massive trade show featuring all the major photographic companies. Explore the latest gear, trade in your old camera equipment, and gain valuable insights from our experts. Get up close and personal with world-renowned keynote speakers and seize countless unique photo opportunities. Bring your camera and get ready for a weekend of fun, learning, and inspiration to elevate YOUR photography to new heights.
Click here to learn more and follow the links to see the schedule of events and/or register. Use this discount code at checkout to save $20.00: VIPEXPO24.
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 7 May (happy 50ieth birthday to my younger daughter Alissa) 2024 at a little known spot outside of Fort DeSoto Park. Seated using the knee-pod technique, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the rThumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/500 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. AWB at 7:59:20pm in the shadow of a huge bridge. Sunset would be at 8:09pm.
Tracking Zone/AF-C performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Great Blue Heron in fresh juvenal plumage with tiny baitfish
First Crack at the Beautiful Young GBH
Using the knee-pod technique, I am confident of making sharp images at 400mm using a shutter speed of 1/500 sec. But that is not fast enough to freeze the action when a heron or egret strikes at a fish. It was fine, however, for making a sharp image of this young bird with its minuscule dinner. The head angle in this image is not quite ideal.
This image was created on 7 May (happy 50ieth birthday to younger daughter Alissa) 2024 at a little known spot outside of Fort DeSoto Park. Seated using the knee-pod technique, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the rThumb Dial. ISO 3200: 1/1000 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. AWB at 8:00:50pm in the shadow of a huge bridge. Sunset would be at 8:09pm.
Tracking Zone/AF-C performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #2: Great Blue Heron in fresh juvenal plumage
The Perfect Lens for the Situation
See the Miracle Under the Bridge item below to learn about the last time I checked under the bridge. Even on sunny days, there is little light at this location so the 400mm f/2.8 GM lens is often perfect. As above, sitting and resting my left forearm atop my left knee, I am 100% confident of making sharp images at 1/500 sec. But after I missed the first strike, I doubled both the ISO and the shutter speed so that I might be able to freeze the action if and when the bird struck again. It did, but was angled away. Anyhoo, I was thrilled that I decided literally at the last second to stick the 400 f/2.8 GM in an old lens bag and bring it to DeSoto.
This image of the same bird was created on 7 May (happy 50ieth birthday to younger daughter Alissa) 2024 at a little known spot outside of Fort DeSoto Park. I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the rThumb Dial. ISO 3200: 1/1000 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. AWB at 8:01:10pm in the shadow of a huge bridge. Sunset would be at 8:09pm.
Tracking Zone/AF-C performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #3: Great Blue Heron in fresh juvenal plumage
Optimization Variation
I’ve said it often here in the past, “If you optimize several images from a series starting each one at scratch, the results will usually vary noticeably even if you are working in the same ambient light. I will admit though, that with Images 1-3, I went for a different look for the background as far as color and texture. Which background do you like best? Why?
This image was created on Thursday 11 January 2024 on a 2 1/2-DAY Fort DeSoto (private) IPT. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm 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 1250. 1/500 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 5:09:47pm on a cloudy-dark afternoon.
Tracking: upper center Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the sharper high-res version.
Image #4 (a re-run): Great Blue Heron, territorial threat display
Miracle Under the Bridge
In January past, I visited the same location after a terrible afternoon and the two folks on the private IPT and I were rewarded by two threat displaying Great Blue Herons. Read the whole story in the Miracle Under the Bridge blog post here.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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 enjoyed another excellent morning of photography shooting from my SUV here at ILE: Sandhill Cranes, Ospreys, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, and a Killdeer family with three too-cute chicks.
Today is Tuesday 7 May 2024. I will be heading down to the lake early. Then I need to finish packing and drive over to Tampa Airport to pick up two of the three attendees on the Spring DeSoto IPT. For those two folks, it has been about 30 years since there last IPT! Learning on this IPT will be maximized as four of us are sharing an AirBnB.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too are learning and having fun.
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.
This image was created on 5 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 1250. 1/640 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 7:26:18am on sunny 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 #1: Killdeer — adult ruffling
Why 1200mm From Your Vehicle?
When photographing wary avian species from your vehicle using the car-as-blind technique, it is a good plan to use your longest focal length. Why? To reduce the angle of declination, the degree to which you are shooting down at the bird. No matter how fast a shutter speed you are using, always be sure to turn off the engine. And if you are working on a BLUBB-, be sure to move the Direct Manual Focus (DMF) switch to the OFF position to avoid throwing off the focusing as you frame the image.
I got lucky with Image #1. I was parked and very still while photographing several Black-bellied Whistling Ducks when this Killdeer approached my SUV and began ruffling.
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. 1/1000 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 7:26:18am on sunny 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 #1: Killdeer — 6-day old chick
I Finally Found Them!
After several days of searching near the building by the pier, I found the Killdeer nest on decorative rocks on Wednesday morning. There was one practically lifeless chick and two eggs. Later that morning there were three chicks. When I showed the nest to Clemens Van der Werf that afternoon, there were two chicks, both just lying there in the shade. We took turns with my Canon 180mm macro lens. (I use mine with my a-1 with an adapter — details are in past flower posts). Anyhoo, as fate would have it, when it was Clemens turn both chicks woke up and one lifted its head. Clemens got the best image before they both went back to sleep.
For five days I searched for the hopefully still alive and well three chicks. The parent birds were around near the SW corner of the sand pit. I spotted and photographed two of them and after a while, I realized that all three were in the same spot. I will try for them again this morning.
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.
Thanks to Adam, Muhammad (Moe) Arif, and Cliff Beittel for their helpful comments at yesterday’s Lake Blue Cypress — It Ain’t Just Ospreys. Part I blog post here. I often learn a ton from the comments and that was the case yesterday.
Your Call?
After clicking on each to enlarge, which of today’s featured images do you like best? Why?
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.
Today is Sunday 5 May. I got down to the lake early and everything was pretty much perfect: clear with gorgeous early light and a nice breeze from the east. Early on thing was pretty dead. My best chance was with a preening killdeer — 201 images with the a-1!. By 7:30am there was a bit more activity, but because of a lack of concentration by the operator, I missed two really good chances with the male Osprey perched above the old eagle nest.
When I find a cooperative perched Osprey, I’ve been doing lots of comparisons by switching cameras (the a-1 and the a9 iii) back and forth. This morning, I worked on experimenting with various white balance settings on the a-1.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too are learning and having fun.
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.
This image was created on 30 April 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 2000. 1/800 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 7:23:36am on sunny 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 #1: Sandhill Crane post-preening pose
Looking for Different
I head down to the lake most every morning when I am not on the road, and most every morning, there are Sandhill Cranes to photograph. Sometimes I get bored with the cranes. The challenge therefore, is the quest for something new and different, or at least for something perfect. Image #1 fits into the latter category. Most of the cranes are tame. When the adults are foraging, they are difficult to photograph as they are moving constantly. When I see a pair standing in one spot, they are almost always preening; it is easy to drive into point blank range. I’ve made many thousands of images in such situations. Heck, possibly tens of thousands. Is there anything about Image #1 that bug you?
This image was created on 3 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 and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 800. 1/400 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:11:46am as early clouds and fog blocked the sun.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Sandhill Crane adult and young bird-scape with tree and ground fog
Different for Sure
When I headed down to the lake on Friday morning, there were some low clouds to the east and some ground fog on the North Field. I drove past the adult and colt foraging to see if there was any possibility of fire in the mist conditions by shooting back into the soon-to-come sunrise. But the fog was not thick enough. So I made a U-turn to check out the bird-scape opportunities. I stay far back so that I could put the birds in a corner of the frame and include the ground fog. That is when I noticed the tree. As the sun had not broken through the clouds, I was able to shoot south to north as sun angle would not be a problem. Image #2 was the best of the lot.
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 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 purchase Volume I and save $26 by ordering the first five videos in one fell swoop here. #5 was sent last week. 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 and for those familiar with the techniques detailed in the earlier versions of Digital Basics.. Especially Digital Basics II.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
In the To Improve Your Bird (and Nature) Photography By Leaps and Bounds, Be Sure to Bookmark and Study this Page blog post here, I wrote:
I told him right off that the good news is that he is making sharp images and that he had captured some interesting behaviors. But. And there were lots of buts. He made just about every possible beginner mistake, and as you might imagine, most of the images were horrific at best.
We talked about sun angle, getting lower and choice of perspective, seeing the shot, head angle, subject to imaging sensor orientation, and most importantly for him, the fact that the backgrounds in bird photography are often more important than the subject. At times it was difficult for him to grasp what I was talking about, but we stuck with it, and the result was many “Aha-s.
I had him send me two raw files and was not completely surprised to see that they were both huge crops. So, he also needs help on getting closer to his subjects.
After 40 minutes on the phone, he sent me these comments via e-mail:
Thanks for the critique! Lots to learn, for sure. I went out this afternoon to practice paying attention to the backgrounds. It was fun and I’m getting the hang of it. It was too cloudy to practice sun angle. Next time.
Check the comments there; nobody had word one to say about what I said or wrote. Not one word.
In the next blog post, Believe It Or Not, here, I published the e-mail sent to me by the gentleman from Vermont. Most of the many folks who commented stated clearly that I was wrong, that I insulted him and that I should apologize. Like Kevin Hice and Bob Eastman, I just didn’t get it. Should I apologize for being honest? If you paid for a critique, would you like me to be honest with you?
It seems obvious to me that folks were reacting to what the gentleman from Vermont had to say rather than anything that I had said or done … Yet most folks opted to trash me 🙂 You gotta love that.
I did not call the guy any names. I did not insult him. As he requested, I never mentioned his name. Everything that I said in the two posts was 100% true. When we spoke on the phone, I used the word horrific to describe his images as he needed to be shocked. He thought that his photos were pretty good.
When I first read his e-mail, I immediately thought of the Jack Nicholson line from A Few Good Men: You can’t handle the truth!
If you would like to learn how I really feel about this matter, check out my responses to most every comment in the Believe It Or Not blog post here.
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.
Which of today’s four featured images impresses you most? Why? Which of today’s four featured images impresses you the least? Why?
What’s Up?
Clemens Van der Werf and I rented a pontoon boat with a guide on Thursday morning at Lake Blue Cypress. Despite a W/NW breeze that had all the birds flying away from us, we did pretty darned well. If you would like to attend an Osprey/landscape workshop next spring, please LMK via e-mail.
Photography at ILE has continued to be excellent most every morning. I have been striving for different with several Sandhill Crane pairs and families.
Today is 4 May 2024. I will be headed down to the lake early. Whatever you choose to do, I hope that you have fun and get a chance to do some photography.
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.
Join me in Little Rock, Arkansas this May for a great weekend of learning and fun. You can check out any and all of the latest/greatest photo gear. If you know any good nearby spots for bird photography, and/or if you would like a free (5-image) portfolio review, shoot me an e-mail.
Little Rock Photo EXPO
A Bedford Event: Inspire, Learn, Discover
HUGE TWO DAY INTERACTIVE TRADE-SHOW
May 17-18, 2024
State House Convention Center
101 E. Markham St., Little Rock, Arkansas
Don’t miss the Photo Expo in Little Rock! Regardless of your experience level, join hundreds of photographers, as we take over Little Rock on May 17-18, 2024. The Little Rock Photo Expo offers a remarkable experience packed with presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and a massive trade show featuring all the major photographic companies. Explore the latest gear, trade in your old camera equipment, and gain valuable insights from our experts. Get up close and personal with world-renowned keynote speakers and seize countless unique photo opportunities. Bring your camera and get ready for a weekend of fun, learning, and inspiration to elevate YOUR photography to new heights.
Click here to learn more and follow the links to see the schedule of events and/or register. Use this discount code at checkout to save $20.00: VIPEXPO24.
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 May 2024 on a rented pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. I used the handheld 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 via Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial. Multi Metering -1/3 stop. AUTO ISO set ISO 2000: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 6:46:49am right after sunrise.
Tracking Zone/AF-C performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Cypress Trees on a foggy morning at sunrise
Shutter Priority Mode with AUTO ISO When You Have No Clue
In predawn light I often go to Shutter Priority (S) mode with AUTO ISO. I assign Exposure Compensation (EC) to the Thumb Dial. I can go with slow shutter speeds with lots of +EC or with faster shutter speeds for sunrise landscapes. For Image #1 I need -.03 EC to avoid toasting the rim lit clouds. Though it helps to understand exposure theory, it is easier with Sony Zebras; just pick your shutter speed and them adjust the EC until you see only a very few Zebras and you are good to go.
There were a zillion ways to go with the color and processing on this one. WDYT?
This image was also created on 2 May 2024 on a rented pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. 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 2000: 1/1250 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 6:59:48am on a clear, sunny morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Spanish Moss hanging from Bald Cypress tree
Early Morning Light
Once the sun broke through the fog, I went with the 300mm f/2.8, the 1.4X, and the a9 iii for Ospreys in flight. The moss-draped cypress trees are exquisite in early morning light. As we motored very slowly by, I saw Image #2 in my mind’s eye, adjusted the exposure, and fired off a few frames. I love the golden tones of the moss and the colors in the water as well.
This image was also created on 2 May 2024 on a rented pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. For this (and the next) image, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 600mm) 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/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:11:25am on a clear sunny morning.
Tracking 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 #3: Osprey landing with talons extended
Oh Well
The wind had been from the south for six days at nearby ILE. The forecast for Thursday morning predicted east winds on Lake Blue Cypress. Though there was not much wind early, it was from the west. Spring 2024 has been a very poor year for the Ospreys breeding at Lake Walk-in-Water near my home. And it has been a relatively poor year at Lake Blue Cypress as well. There are far fewer pairs, many empty nests, and very few pairs with chicks. That said, it is a wondrous place to visit on still mornings. After 8:00 with the sweet light one, the wind slowly swung around to the east, we had a few chances on landing Ospreys. The was still a touch of west in the wind when I created Image #3. That is why the bird’s head is angled very so slightly away. In the original, the front of the bird’s face was not perfectly lit. During the optimization, I lightened the dark feathers at the front of the face using Tim Grey Dodge and Burn. The made the somewhat poor head angle less problematic.
This image was also created on 2 May 2024 on a rented pontoon boat at Lake Blue Cypress. Again, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 600mm) 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/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:37:44am on a clear sunny morning.
Tracking 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 #4: Osprey screaming while taking flight
The Hand-holdable Sony 600mm f/5.6 GM Lens
Adding the 2X TC to the 300mm f/2.8 lens with an a9 iii in the driver’s seat makes handheld 600mm bird photography a reality for almost everyone. With the foot removed, the rig weighs five pounds, 10.6 ounces with a battery and a flash card. For most folks, it is relatively easy to handhold this combo it all day long for bird photography. Please note that about 40% of the original pixels in Image #4 were cropped away.
As I continue to age, this combo might add five years or more to my photography career. And yours too.
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 Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images from the last three posts? 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 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.
The past few mornings at ILE have been very good. I’ve been working with both the a1 and the a9 iii. I’ve had some neat behavioral chances with several pairs of adult Sandhill Crane chicks and made the most of some but not all of them. The three small colts continue to do well. There are lots of Ospreys and Mottled Ducks around as well.
Today is Wednesday 1 May 2024. I just got back from the lake. It was another great morning. The highlight was a copulating pair of Mottled Ducks; story and one or more photos soon. Believe it or not. I hope that you too have a great day.
The gentleman from Vermont did not appreciate yesterday’s To Improve Your Bird (and Nature) Photography By Leaps and Bounds, Be Sure to Bookmark and Study this Page blog post here as much as I though he might. He sent this e-mail soon after it was published:
Thanks Art – the kingfisher photo looks better, and I will try my best to learn how to get closer to the birds.
I read the blog post, and there is a lot of good information there. However, I don’t appreciate the implication that I am some rich fool who has never learned the basics or simply ignores them. Is that what a teacher calls a student who needs help? I came to you for help, knowing you would be honest and helpful. Did I flaunt my expensive rig and come off as someone who thought they were a good photographer because of my gear? I think not.
And what was the point to providing a detailed inventory and cost of my gear, and then commenting that “he made just about every possible beginner mistake, and as you might imagine, most of the images were horrific at best.” That stung – were trying to make me look like a fool? And calling me a “gentleman” does not minimize the harsh language.
In any event, thanks again for the information and help you provided on the phone call.
How would you have responded to him?
This image was created on 30 April 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 2000. 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 8:12:43am on sunny 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 #1: Tickseed blossoms with hill and lake in background
Spared from the Mowers
The North and South Fields and the South Peninsula are mowed regularly. I noted the beautiful stand of tickseed blossoms on Monday but there were no birds in the neighborhood. I hoped that they might be spared for a few days. After driving around for an hour and making some neat images, I stopped to created a pattern shot of the flowers, the hill just north of the parking circle, and the distance lake.
Dealing with Bright, Super-saturated Colors
Rarely, you may come across an image that shows zero Ov-Exp pixels in RawDigger (or an image that you are sure is not over-exposed), but when you bring it into ACR, hold down the option key, and put the cursor on the WHITE slider, a given bright, super-saturated color shows as totally over-exposed. That is what happened with the yellow flowers in Image #1. In the past I would move the Highlight slider and the WHITE slider all the way to the left. At times, even that would not eliminate the apparent over-exposure.
Working on a Greater Prairie Chicken image on my recent trip, we encountered the same problem with the bright orange sac of the displaying males. Friend Anita North suggested a possible fix. We tried it and it worked like a charm. The fix will be revealed in the first image of the Digital Basics III Video Series, Volume II, #1.
Digital Basics III, Volume II
Volume II of the Digital Basics III Video Series will consist of 13 individual videos, each with a single image optimization. Each video will be available in the BAA Online Store for $10.00. Or, folks can purchase the baker’s dozen, all 13 videos for only $99.00. This saves you a handsome $31.00. Believe it or not. Details soon.
This image was also created on 30 April 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. On foot and crouching a bit, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500: 1/2500 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 8:29:26am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Sandhill Crane adult head and neck portrait with yellow flower background
Believe It Or Not
After I created Image #1, I spotted a pair of crane walking toward the stand of tickseed blossoms. I left the car parked on the grass, grabbed the 300 with the 1.4X and the a9 iii and approached slowly. When the bird veered to my left away from the flowers, I walked to my left to get in front of it and slowly walked right toward it, forcing it toward the flowers. The bird cooperated nicely.
Have you ever herded a crane?
Anyhoo, I crouched a bit to maximize the amount of yellow behind the bird.
So why did I leave the a1 in my SUV and grab the a9 iii for a static shot? Because I am far more confident in a9 iii bird-eye AF than I am in a1 bird-eye AF.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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.
Don’t loo now, but the recent mini-streak ended yesterday.
Confession
If you re-read the last blog post carefully, you will see that I never said exactly that the young lady in the selfie with me was Caitlin Clark. She was not. When I saw the young woman seated nearby, I asked her if she was Caitlin. Smiling and blushing, she said “I am not.” Her friend chimed in, “Everybody asks her if she’s Caitlin!” I know for a fact that I got a few folks, April-Fool’s-Day style.
What’s Up?
You have heard me make this point repeatedly for many years: Many, if not most of the bird photographers whom I run across in the field own ten, twenty, or even $50,000 or more of the best gear available, yet they have virtually no idea as to how to make a good photograph. None, zero, nada. Either they have never learned the basics, or they simply ignore them. The gentleman from Vermont featured in today’s post is a perfect example of what I am talking about. I urge everyone to change their life by joining a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour and to check out everything below. I am not gonna be teaching forever …
I continue to be baffled by folks who think that purchasing an expensive long lens and a great mirrorless camera body will make them a good (or at least better) bird photographer. Instruction, study, and practice are overlooked. And if you do not study seriously or get some good instruction, no amount of practice will help you improve.
Since I got home from North Dakota I watched every hole of the Masters golf tournament — Scottie Scheffler was too good. On Sunday, I watched about ten hours of PBA (Professional Bowler’s Association) events — Kudos to EJ Tackett who was also too good last week. I did get some work done, mostly on this blog post, but other than my swim I took things easy on Sunday. I did not even head down to the lake in the morning despite perfect conditions.
Today is Monday 29 April 2024. I have lots to do. And I will be heading down to the lake at least for a bit to see what’s up. I hope that you too have a great day.
I told him right off that the good news is that he is making sharp images and that he had captured some interesting behaviors. But. And there were lots of buts. He made just about every possible beginner mistake, and as you might imagine, most of the images were horrific at best.
We talked about sun angle, getting lower and choice of perspective, seeing the shot, head angle, subject to imaging sensor orientation, and most importantly for him, the fact that the backgrounds in bird photography are often more important than the subject. At times it was difficult for him to grasp what I was talking about, but we stuck with it, and the result was many “Aha-s.
I had him send me two raw files and was not completely surprised to see that they were both huge crops. So, he also needs help on getting closer to his subjects. .
After 40 minutes on the phone, he sent me these comments via e-mail:
Thanks for the critique! Lots to learn, for sure. I went out this afternoon to practice paying attention to the backgrounds. It was fun and I’m getting the hang of it. It was too cloudy to practice sun angle. Next time.
I replied:
Thanks. On all but the darkest, cloudiest, dreariest days, the light still has a direction, and you always want that light behind you.
The best news is that the gentleman from Vermont sought help and is looking to improve.
I promised him an improved and expanded version of the previously published list of steps that folks need to master in order to consistently create good images of birds. Here it is:
The Basics That Many Folks Ignore
1- Look for good situations. Learn to see the shot. Don’t just see the beauty of the bird, look for clean backgrounds: birds on small rises or ridges, or those perched on a clean branch or on an elevated rock. When working a group of birds, it is usually best to isolate by getting closer or adding a teleconverter. This skill is best improved by attending one of more Instructional Photo-Tours. And by getting down on the ground when photographing shorebirds!
2- See the background, not just the bird. Cluttered backgrounds, those with sticks and branches, those with unusually light or dark areas, those with crap and crud in the water, and/or those that are close to the bird should be avoided. Look for lots of distance from the subject to the background. As a general rule, the farther the background is from the subject, the softer, more de-focused, and more pleasing it will be.
3- Practice your stalking skills so that you can get learn to get reasonably close to a bird without scaring it off.
4- Strive to position yourself so that the plane of the bird’s body is parallel to the plane of the imaging sensor (or angled to some degree towards it and you). If the bird’s tail is closer to you than its head, you are shooting up the bird’s butt. Such photos are only very rarely successful. IAC, strive to stop down in those situations.
5- Getting down to the bird’s eye level — yes, that often means getting down on the ground, will often clean up otherwise distracting backgrounds. Similarly, shooting up at a bird atop a pole or a tree will usually not produce pleasing images.
6- On sunny days especially, consider the sun/light angle. In general, it is best to have the sun behind you so that your shadow points to within ten or fifteen degrees (at most) of the subject. Remember that on cloudy days, the light still has a direction; you always want that light behind you. Paying attention to sun angle reduces or eliminates distracting shadows.
7- Understand that birds will generally fly into the wind, face into the wind when perched or on the ground, and take off into the wind. Thus, by understanding the relationship between sky conditions and wind direction, it is often possible to know in advance whether you should stay home of get out there. Furthermore, on cloudy days it almost always pays to keep the wind at your back.
8- Set a shutter speed that will allow you to create a sharp image.
9- Select an AF mode or point that will yield the framing that you want, and ultimately, a pleasing composition. If you are using a zoom lens, zoom in or out as needed. For images of the whole bird, be sure to avoid clipping wingtips or feet. And remember, if an object is worth including in the frame, it is generally best to include the whole thing with at lease a small border around it.
10- Set a good exposure by adjusting the ISO.
11- Keep the lens as still as possible. With long fast lenses, using a tripod is often best. If not, try to improvise.
12- Be aware of the bird’s head angle. Depending on the situation, you will usually want the bird’s head turned one to three degrees toward you.
13- Depress the shutter button gently. Do not jab it.
14- Work to improve your post-processing skills.
Many folks state that they want to create prize-winning images of birds in flight and in action. I urge them (and you) to first learn to create excellent static portraits by mastering the 14 points above. Only after you can do that consistently will you be ready to step up to the next level. One step at a time. Don’t be sloppy or careless. Press the shutter button only when you mean it! Exception: when shooting flight and action, shoot aggressively; do NOT wait for perfect.
As for using a tripod, there are many advantages of using a decent tripod topped by a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro:
1- Making sharper images at slower shutter speeds (and correspondingly lower ISOs).
2- Slowing you down thus allowing you time to check your exposures and your framing. That said, there are times when one or two seconds can make or break you. The more familiar you are with your gear, the better you will be able to succeed when time is of the essence.
3- The Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro enables smooth, level panning when on a tripod, especially when doing flight photography on a tripod.
Best Advice
If you can afford an IPT and have some matching free time, sign up ASAP. Check out the possibilities here.
If you cannot afford an IPT and/or to take time off to attend one, consider these suggestions for improving:
1-Subscribe to the blog and read and study it here.
2-Purchase and study the information in the two-book bundle here. Study them. They will become your bird photography bible.
3- Purchase and study the BAA Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II) here.
4- Join BirdPhotographers.Net here and start posting your images in the Avian Forum.
5- Look at and study as many top notch bird photographs as possible. Ask yourself what it is that you like about each and ask yourself what you do not like.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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.
Don’t look now, but this post marks 30 consecutive days with a new educational post written just for you.
What’s Up?
All three of the crane chicks that were alive when I headed to North Dakota are alive and well and are now small colts. The two baby Bald Eagles are now both fledged and flying.
Toady is Saturday 27 April 2024. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you enjoy every breath. I will be creating Volume I/Number 5 of the DB III video series tomorrow. It will be distributed on Monday.
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.
Join me in Little Rock, Arkansas this May for a great weekend of learning and fun. You can check out any and all of the latest/greatest photo gear. If you know any good nearby spots for bird photography, and/or if you would like a free (5-image) portfolio review, shoot me an e-mail.
Little Rock Photo EXPO
A Bedford Event: Inspire, Learn, Discover
HUGE TWO DAY INTERACTIVE TRADE-SHOW
May 17-18, 2024
State House Convention Center
101 E. Markham St., Little Rock, Arkansas
Don’t miss the Photo Expo in Little Rock! Regardless of your experience level, join hundreds of photographers, as we take over Little Rock on May 17-18, 2024. The Little Rock Photo Expo offers a remarkable experience packed with presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and a massive trade show featuring all the major photographic companies. Explore the latest gear, trade in your old camera equipment, and gain valuable insights from our experts. Get up close and personal with world-renowned keynote speakers and seize countless unique photo opportunities. Bring your camera and get ready for a weekend of fun, learning, and inspiration to elevate YOUR photography to new heights.
Click here to learn more and follow the links to see the schedule of events and/or register. Use this discount code at checkout to save $20.00: VIPEXPO24.
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.
Selfie
Bismarck to Orlando Travel Adventure
Does the young woman above remind you of anyone? When I got back to my seat, my laptop, and my Think Tank Bag with my small bag of ($84/pound) shelled pistachio nuts, the woman in the iPhone image was sitting a few seats to my right. The moment I saw her I did a double take and exclaimed, “Are you Caitlin Clark?” She smiled and was quite gracious when I asked her to take a selfie of us. And she did!
Elite 8 Performance
In this year’s Woman’s March Madness Tournament, Caitlin Clark let her team to the championship game for the second year in a row. And for the second year in a row, they were denied by a better team. LSU in 2023, and South Carolina in 2024. In the YouTube video above, she shows off here amazing skills. She was recently drafted by the Indian Fever. WNBA rookie salaries are determined by draft position. Clark’s base salary for her first year in the WNBA will be about $76,000. Her four-year deal is worth a total of $338,056, a mere pittance when compared to NBA rookie contracts. No worries; just this week she signed a $28 million shoe-endorsement deal with Nike.
Bismarck to Orlando Travel Humbling (Misadventure)
We landed a bit early at DFW in the B Terminal. I needed to get to take the train (Skyline) Terminal D for my flight to Orlando. The car I was in was fairly crowded. I stop with my laptop bag resting atop my large Think Tank Rolling Bag. A well-dressed guy in his early 50s looked up at me and asked, “Would you to sit?” When I lived in NYC I rode the subway and the busses often and over the years, offered my seat countless times to little old ladies. This however, was a humbling first for me. I thanked him and said, “I am fine.”
The (New) Remove. Tool!
In the Re-Visiting Cape Coral’s Burrowing Owl’s blog post here, the optimized version of Burrowing Owl chicks at burrow was Image #3. I wanted to share theBefore and After images with you so I created the animated GIF above. In addition to the considerable clean-up work with the Remove Tool (AKA the Dead Grass Removal Too), I did some Eye Doctor work, darkening the pupils of both chicks, and lightening the iris of the out-of-focus bird.
I realized about a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing 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 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 and for those familiar with the techniques detailed in the earlier versions of Digital Basics.. Especially Digital Basics II.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which two of Kevin’s images are the strongest? Yes, I know that this is a very difficult question. Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choices. I will share my two favorites with you here tomorrow.
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.
Don’t look now, but this post marks 28 consecutive days with a new educational post written just for you.
What’s Up?
Flights and good connections when flying from Podunk airports — sorry, Bismarck, ND, are often problematic. There were no early flights to anywhere the would get m home so I left BIS on the 1:51pm American Airlines flight, connected at DFW, and got into Orlando at 9:15pm and was home — thanks to Jim, at 11:30pm. While at gate at BIS, I purchased a 2.25 ounce pack of shelled, Vinegar, Lime, and Sea Salted pistachio nuts before my first flight for $7.59. That worked out to a shade under $54.00/pound. At least they were good and relatively healthy.
Today is Friday 26 April 2024. I will head down to the lake to check on the three crane chicks that were alive when I left and see what else is happening. Then I have lot of work to catch up on. Including getting started on my 2023 axes. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have fun. There is a slim chance that I might make anther trip out west next year in search of the elusive Sage Grouse. If you know of a dependable lek for that species, Kevin would be thrilled to learn about it via an e-mail to yours truly.
Thanks Kevin!
There is no way that Kevin could he been a more accommodating host and guide. He was beyond helpful. He picked me up a the airport, did all the driving, and dropped us off at the airport yesterday. On Thursday afternoon he walked several miles at two different leks looking for the teleconverter that I lost 🙁 His knowledge of the chickens and the grouse and their leks is monumental. And he generously shared his home in Washburn, ND with us. Thank you Kevin. I hope that you and Colleen can make it to Florida next March so that I can reciprocate a least in part.
Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version.
Image #1: Western Grebe sunrise silhouette
Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Kevin Hice
Wow!
Kevin routinely gets into the water with his floating blind 40 minutes before the sun comes up. He has an old pair of bins with him and uses them to spot the birds, often in silhouette. He explained that this species is usually very wary of him in his blind once it gets light. Talk about being in the right place at the right time; Kevin’s hard work paid off with this rather amazing image.
Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version.
Image #2: Bull Elk
Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Kevin Hice
Blowing Snow!
Blowing snow from a huge snow plow that was clearing the road softened up the background for Kevin’s image of this majestically handsome bull elk. He heard the plow coming and thought that the elk would bolt, but it remained bedded down peacefully!
This image was also created in December 2022 at Yellowstone National Park, MT by good friend and multiple IPT veteran Kevin Hice. He used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens (at 400mm) with the Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 12800: 1/5000 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode.
Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version.
Image #3: Bull Moose
Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Kevin Hice
Too Excited
In the excitement of the moment, a handsome bull Moose posing in the snow, Kevin lost track of both ISO and shutter speed. I have done the same thing many times. The good news is that the image was sharp and properly exposed. And the high ISO noise was easily controlled.
Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version.
Image #4: Wood Duck drake floating with its reflection
Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Kevin Hice
Floating Blind Work
After Kevin explained the difficulties involved with working from a floating blind, I had no desire at all to try this technique even though the super low perspectives are to die for. Even as spring gets close to summer, the water in the sloughs is quite cold. Though Kevin dresses warmly and wears heavy duty chest waders, the longest he can deal with the cold water is about 90 minutes. Not to mention that the only thing that is floating is the blind that supports his big lens. Kevin is always kneeling or standing in depths ranging from one to four feet, almost always slogging through deep muck. And if the wind comes up during the morning, getting himself and the blind out safely is always touch and go. Perhaps I wil get to try it before on a very calm day before they put me in a box.
The Purple Cheek Patch
Images of male Wood Ducks that do not feature the purple cheek patch will always be relegated to the runner up category. That is possible on sunny days only rarely.
Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version.
Image #5: Blue-winged Teal on log
Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Kevin Hice
The Speculum Feathers
In a similar fashion, Blue-winged Teal photos that do not reveal the blue and green speculum feathers will never win any contests. These feathers are often revealed in flight photographs or images of stretching birds. A note on the very handsome perch: Kevin found it in Alaska on a road trip by truck and brought it back to North Dakota. He anchored it in his favorite slough; it has paid off quite handsomely.
Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version.
Image #6: Mallard blasting off
Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Kevin Hice
What’s to Love About This Image?
1- The incredible splash.
2- The well timed press of the shutter button.
3- The perfect look-back head angle.
4- The ultra-low perspective.
5- The wings fully down takeoff pose.
6- The great view of the duck’s blue speculum.
7- The soft background and the soft green reflections.
8- The mirror image reflection.
Does anything about this image bug you? There is one thing that bugs me. I will share it here soon.
Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version.
Image #7: Ruddy Duck in breeding plumage on log
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Kevin Hice
Luscious Colors
A male Ruddy Duck at the absolute peak of breeding plumage is a sight to behold. The chestnut red upperparts, the white face, the black cap, and the incredible azure-blue bill combine to make him one of the handsomest, showiest drakes in town each spring.
Note that with eye tracking, mirrorless camera bodies enable you to recompose as needed while continuing to track the bird’s eye. Be sure to move the lens slowly to avoid screwing up the tracking. Kevin properly recomposed by pointing his lens to the right to place the bird on the left side of the frame when the bird preened and looked back to our right.
Be sure to click on the image to see a larger and sharper high res version.
Image #8: Redhead hen with brood
Image courtesy of and copyright 2024: Kevin Hice
Same Rock, Different Cast of Characters
A week after Kevin made Image #7 (above), a hen Redhead with a brood of 15 chose to sit on the same rock in about 18 inches of water. When you’ve got a good horse, ride it! The clutch size for this species is usually 7-8 eggs, up to fourteen on occasion. In addition, they will often lay more eggs in the nests of as many as ten different species. And when another duck lays eggs in a Redhead’s nest (nest dumping), the hen will raise those ducklings along with their own. Even stranger, several Redheads hens may lay eggs in a dump nest, a nest that is never incubated. The record is 87 eggs in a single dump nest. This species nests in large marshes and builds bulky nests of dead grasses and reeds and lined with soft feathers. Sounds comfy.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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.
Don’t look now, but this post marks 27 consecutive days with a new educational post written just for you.
What’s Up?
Conditions were perfect for our last morning on the sharp-tailed lek. The birds, however, did not cooperate. As many as five females stayed on the far side of the ridge just out of photographic range. All in all it was a great trip. Huge thanks to Kevin Hice for the invite and his efforts on getting us in the blinds in great position. With perfect weather in South Dakota we did fabulously well with the Greater Prairie Chickens. We did not do quite as well with the sharp-taileds in North Dakota as we had too much wind at times, some clouds, and due to the fact that the grouse are more difficult to photograph than the chickens. That said, we all got some beautiful stuff on both species. Thanks to Anita North for helping Kevin setting up and taking down the blinds.
Today is Thursday 25 April 2024. I fly from Bismarck, ND to Dallas (DFW) to Orlando. If all goes well I should be landing at MCO at about 9:15pm. Jim and I will not get home till 11:30 or so. I hope that you 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 16 February 2024 at Kachemak Bay on a Homer Bald Eagle IPT. I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:53:15am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Bald Eagle braking to land
Cloudy With Snow on the Ground for Underwing Detail
You cannot beat snow on the ground and soft light for revealing the detail in the dark underwings of Bald Eagles of any age. Be sure to expose far to the right to maximize detail in the dark tones without toasting the white feathers of the heads of the adults. Remember that only RawDigger can properly evaluate the brightness of exposure of your raw files. Most importantly, the snow acts as a giant reflector that evenly illuminates each and every feather with zero shadows.
Cloudy White RGB Values
Out of curiosity, I opened the TIFF file in Photoshop and checked the RGB values for the brightest whites on the head. For image #1 they were nearly balanced perfectly: 251, 251, 250. In theory, there should not be a color cast on the underwings. At times, however, there may be a small magenta or green cast in an eagle’s dark feathers. There are lots of way to deal with those.
Variable Lighting Conditions in Homer
On a Homer IPT, you will learn to make perfect exposures on sunny days and cloudy days, no matter the system you are using.
Exposure Question
How many more stops of light was I dealing with on the sunny day as compared to the cloudy day? Do the math and leave a comment.
This image was created on 27 February 2024 at Kachemak Bay on a Homer Bald Eagle IPT. I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 4:04:19am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Bald Eagles dorsal view flight
Sunny and Blue Skies for Dorsal Flight
I am glad that there are more cloudy days than sunny days in winter at Homer as we can shoot all day and not have to worry about the wind direction. Sunny days, however, when the wind is right, can yield some brilliant images. Unless you are exactly on sun angle and the bird has its wing spread perfectly, sunny days will produce harsh underwing shadows. But when an eagle begins to dive, the top of the wings will almost always be lit perfectly by the sun. Results like Image #2 are to be expected on sunny days.
Sunny White RGB Values
Next, I opened the TIFF file for Image #2 in Photoshop and checked the RGB values for the brightest whites on the head. For image #2 they were R = 250, G = 241, B = 235. With more RED, the late afternoon light is beautifully warm and rich. Just as it was and just as I wanted it in the image. The decision on how to render the color belongs to the photographer. Sometimes I will cool the warm light a bit or warm up the cool light.
No Homer IPT Price Increase!
Despite that fact that the hourly boat fee has been increased by 33%, I have decided not to raise the price of the 2025 Homer IPTs. Note that similar trips with 40% less time on the boat cost $5800!
2025 Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPTs
IPT #1: FRI 14 FEB 2025 through the full day on TUES 18 FEB 2025. Five days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings 2.
IPT #2: WED 19 FEB 2025 through the full day on SUN 23 FEB 2025. Five days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings 1.
Register for both trips to maximize your travel dollars and enjoy a $1000 discount while you are at it. In 2024, three of the five participants did both trips!
This trip features non-stop flight photography as well as many opportunities to create both environmental and point-blank portraits of one of North America’s most sought-after avian subjects: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Other reliable subjects will include Sea Otter, Glaucous-winged and Short-billed (formerly Mew) Gulls.
In addition, we should see Common Murre, Black Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, two or three species of loons, and a smattering of ducks including two species of merganser, all three scoters, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Harlequin, and Long-tailed Ducks. Close-range photographic chances for these species will require some good luck. Some of these species, especially when in flocks, can, however, often be used effectively when pleasing creating bird-scapes.
If we need to be out early, we will be the first boat out. If the conditions are great, we will stay out. And when there is a chance for sunset silhouettes, we will be in the right spot.
We will be traveling through gorgeous wilderness country; landscape and scenic opportunities abound.
Also featured is a professional leader, often referred to as the world’s most knowledgeable bird photography trip leader and instructor. He is conversant in Canon, Nikon, and Sony. You will learn practical and creative solutions to everyday photographic problems. You will learn to see the shot, to create dynamic images by fine-tuning your compositions, to best utilize your camera’s AF system, and how to analyze the wind, the sky conditions, and the direction and quality of the light. This is one of the very few trips Homer trips available where you will not be simply put on the birds and told to have fun. You will learn to be a better photographer.
All images from Kachemak Bay in 2022!
What You Will Learn
You will learn practical and creative solutions to everyday photographic problems. You will learn to see the shot, to create dynamic images by fine-tuning your compositions, to best utilize your camera’s AF system, and how to analyze the wind, the sky conditions, and the direction and quality of the light. This is one of the very few trips Homer trips available where you will not be simply put on the birds and told to have fun. You will learn to be a better photographer.
You will learn to get the right exposure when it is sunny, when it cloudy-bright, when it is cloudy, when it is cloudy-dark, or when it is foggy. Not to mention getting the right exposure when creating silhouettes. You will learn to make pleasing blurs working in manual mode and to create silhouettes working in Shutter Priority mode. Most importantly, you will learn to pick your best flight photographs from tens of thousands of images.
You will enjoy working with the best and most creative boat captain on his sturdy, photography-spacious, seaworthy, open-deck watercraft.
There will be only five photographers (not the usual six), plus the leader.
Small group Photoshop, Image Review, and Image Critiquing sessions.
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All images from Homer or Kachemak Bay, AK
What’s Included
One four hour or two two-hour boat trips every day (weather permitting), all boat fees and boat-related expenses (excluding tips), ground transportation to and from the dock and back to the hotel each day, in-the-field instruction and guidance, pre-trip gear advice, small group post-processing and image review sessions, and a thank you dinner for all well-behaved participants.
What’s Not Included
Your airfare to and from Homer, AK (via Anchorage), the cost of your room at Land’s End Resort, all personal items, all meals and beverages, and tips for the boat captain and/or the first mate.
Important Notes
We toss frozen herring chunks to bring the eagles into photographic range. The late Jean Keene, the Eagle Lady, fed the eagles in Homer for many decades and brought the population back from the brink of extinction.
On great days, the group may wish to photograph for more than four hours. If the total time on the boat exceeds 20 hours for the five-day trips the group will share the additional expense at a rate of $300.00/hour. The leader will pay for the bait.
Some folks may wish to rent their own vehicle to take advantage of local photographic opportunities around Homer. In 2024 those included Moose, Sea Otter, a variety of sea ducks in the harbor, and Great Grey and Short-eared Owl.
Deposit Information
A $3000 non-refundable deposit/trip is required. You may pay your deposit with credit card or by personal check (the latter made out to BIRDS AS ART) and sent via US mail only to Arthur Morris. PO Box 7245. Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Your balance, due 90 days before the date of departure, is payable only by check.
In Closing
I have been going to Homer off and on for close to two decades. Every trip has been nothing short of fantastic. Many folks go in mid-March. The earlier you go, the better the chances for snow. The only way to assure that you are on the best of these two trips is to sign up for both of them. If you have any questions, or are good to go for one or both of these great trips, please let me know via e-mail or give me a call on my cell phone at 863-221-2372.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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.
Don’t look now, but this post marks 26 consecutive days with a new educational post written just for you.
Your Call?
Which of today’s four featured images impresses you most? Why? Which of today’s four featured images impresses you the least? Why?
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II Lens
Steve Vige is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II lens in near-mint to like-new condition for a very low $5,675.00. The sale includes the front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the lens strap, and insured ground shopping via major courier to lower 48 addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
The 600mm f/4 lenses have been the state of the art super-telephotos for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. When I was using Canon and could get it to my location, my 600 II was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With both the 600 III and the RF 600mm f/4 going for $12,999.00, and used 600mm versions IIs very hard to find, you’d do well to grab Steve’s pretty much new lens ASAP. Add the EF to RF adapter and you will kill with any Canon mirrorless body. artie
What’s Up?
Though it was a bit colder on Tuesday morning, and much windier than the previous day; it turned out to be our best session with the Sharp-tailed Grouse. But they are very difficult to photograph. After the first edit, I kept about 1% of the 8000+ images I made. When I do the second edit, I will probably get down to 30 or so as I kept lots of similars that need to be more closely evaluated. I had several good chances for fights where I got the birds in the center of the frame and sharp, but the NW wind pretty much wrecked all of them 🙁
Today is Wednesday 24 April 2024. It is supposed to be sunny with no wind this morning so we are hoping to do even better than yesterday. As I fly home on Thursday, this will be my last day in the blind. I Have learned a ton about both species and a ton about working out of a pop-up blind — not my usual style. Decades ago I did an article for Birder’s World magazine entitled “No Reason to Hide.” On the other side of the pond, a blind is called a hide.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too 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.
Join me in Little Rock, Arkansas this May for a great weekend of learning and fun. You can check out any and all of the latest/greatest photo gear. If you know any good nearby spots for bird photography, and/or if you would like a free (5-image) portfolio review, shoot me an e-mail.
Little Rock Photo EXPO
A Bedford Event: Inspire, Learn, Discover
HUGE TWO DAY INTERACTIVE TRADE-SHOW
May 17-18, 2024
State House Convention Center
101 E. Markham St., Little Rock, Arkansas
Don’t miss the Photo Expo in Little Rock! Regardless of your experience level, join hundreds of photographers, as we take over Little Rock on May 17-18, 2024. The Little Rock Photo Expo offers a remarkable experience packed with presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and a massive trade show featuring all the major photographic companies. Explore the latest gear, trade in your old camera equipment, and gain valuable insights from our experts. Get up close and personal with world-renowned keynote speakers and seize countless unique photo opportunities. Bring your camera and get ready for a weekend of fun, learning, and inspiration to elevate YOUR photography to new heights.
Click here to learn more and follow the links to see the schedule of events and/or register. Use this discount code at checkout to save $20.00: VIPEXPO24.
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.
I’ve been a headhunter for forever. I pride myself at being able to get close enough to free and wild birds to create tight images showing the details of the face, head, bill, and neck. Yes, long lenses and teleconverters help. One of the big challenges when creating these types of images is getting the perfect head angle, generally perfectly square to two or three degrees towards. Another challenge occurs when you include a bit of the front end of the bird’s body in the image. The best policy in those cases is to use a smaller aperture so that you have enough depth of field to cover the body feathers. Image #2 would have benefitted from a bit more d-o-f but I did not have much light to work with.
It goes without saying that when the sun is shining that you want to be right on sun angle — when the light is bright, think tight!
Tracking: Expand Spot/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: Sharp-tailed Grouse squabble
Difficult, Difficult, Difficult
Yes, sharp-tailed are much more difficult to photograph than the prairie chickens. Two males will sit facing each other for minutes at a time. They do not give any dependable signs that they are about to battle. When the sun is shining, you need to be fairly close to sun angle (as I was for Image #2) else there will be horrific shadows. As though things are not hard enough, the relentless wind from the NW has ruined dozens of otherwise excellent images as the birds in the air will almost always be facing away from the light :-(.
Getting two fighting birds in the middle of the frame in no way guarantees success; I did get lucky here by getting at lease a look at the faces of both of the battling birds.
Tracking: Expand Spot/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: Sharp-tailed Grouse on hillside in predawn light
Pushing the Limits
As we saw recently, 1/30 sec. is just about at the bottom of the range of shutter speeds for creating sharp images with the 600 lenses. And ISO 12800 is just about the upper limit for ISO (except when I need to go higher).
My double noise reduction technique worked beautifully with this high ISO (12,800!) image; the TIF is clean as a whistle. As detailed in the Digital Basics III video series. I will be creating the fifth and last video in Volume I this coming weekend and will be distributing it on Monday. Thanks to all for their patience. Volume II will be coming soon.
I removed a bird on the right of this frame. The Photoshop work is somewhat obvious. On Tuesday morning, I got the a similar pose with only a single bird in the frame. With the sun out.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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.
It did not take me long in North Dakota to figure out that Sharp-tailed Grouse are a lot more difficult to photograph than the Great Prairie Chickens. The chickens look skyward just before they jump. The sharp-tailed give no clues. And the chickens jump a lot higher. We moved to a much cleaner lek with many fewer birds, but with our first cloudy morning and little action we did not do very well.
With 20-25 mph winds forecast for Monday afternoon, we had to take the blinds down. Today is Tuesday 22 April and we will be up earlier than usual as we have to set the blinds back up. It is supposed to be windy again today so I am hoping that we get in a morning session. Whatever you are doing, have a great time.
Don’t Look Now
Don’t look now, but this post marks 25 consecutive days with a new educational post.
Tracking: Zone/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 #1: Burrowing Owl on erected perch
White Wall of House Background
I had collected a few halfway decent perches while driving around Cape Coral the previous afternoon. Any thing is better than the white PVC pipes that are used to cordon off the nesting burrows with string. I stuck the perch into a pipe that evening and was delighted to see one of the adults sitting on it early the next morning when I arrived.
The white wall of the house in complete shade provided a clean blue background. I could have easily rendered the wall white but I liked the look.
Extreme Shutter Speed
With a still subject, I am confident of creating sharp images at 1/60 sec. with the 600 on a tripod. Have been for more than 30 years. Making them sharp at 1/30 sec. is pushing it. The new, improved optical steady shot and image stabilization systems do not seem to make much of a difference — easily sharp at 1/60 sec., quite problematic below that down to an occasional sharp one at 1/15th sec.
Tracking: Zone/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: Burrowing Owl chick with quizzical look on face
1/60 sec. at 840mm
Somewhat surprisingly the situation is the same when I add the 1.4X TC to the 600: sharp at 1/60 sec. but much more difficult below that. Your sharpness techniques — the way you have your hands on the lens, have a lot to do with making them sharp at 1/60th. Join an IPT to learn the pro secrets.
Tracking: Expand Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #3: Burrowing Owl chicks at burrow
Those Weird Out-of-Focus Eyes
At Cape Coral, I noted that whenever I created a juxtaposition with both of the owls having their eyes open, that the eyes of the more distant bird were rendered strangely out of focus.
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 #4: Burrowing Owl chubby chick
Another Square Crop
When discussing the use of square crops here recently, I forgot to mention another use: If you are shooting verticals and you wind up leaving much too much room above the subject, a square crop can be effective. Heck, this baby owl is so chubby and fluffy it is almost square. Note that once the sun cleared the houses to the east, adding the 2X TC became a viable option.
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 #5: An Older Burrowing Owl chick
Wise Old Owl at a Young Age
To me, this large Burrowing Owl chick looks quite erudite.
Getting the Clean Background
As the sun rose, I was surprised to see that the baby owls were keeping their eyes wide open, and they were quite accepting of my presence. I inched forward slowly and got lower by pulling out the front leg of the tripod. that effectively moved the background farther from the subject and resulted in the beautifully blurred backgrounds.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
