Your Favorite?
Which of Alan Murphy’s two spectacular photos below — make sure that you scroll down to see the fighting Cape May Warblers, is the stronger image? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice. BTW, is this question a no-brainer?
What’s Up?
The forecast for Saturday morning was for increasing cloudiness quickly followed by rain, rain, and more rain. When I got down to the lake before 7:00am, the forecast was looking accurate; it was completely socked-in overcast. In ten minutes, the sun was peeking in and out of the scudding low clouds, and by 7:15am, it was totally sunny. It was sunny all day until 3:30pm when it began to drizzle, just in time for my swim. As the sun was breaking through, I got my best-ever image of Wild Turkey poults. Then I had another gorgeous juvenile Osprey on The Perch, this time lit by sweet early morning light. But only for a minute … My session ended with a cooperative Great Blue Heron.
Today is Sunday 12 June 2022. The early morning ILE forecast is calling for sunny skies with a south wind. At this time of year, that is not a good forecast as the sun is coming up in the northeast … But you know exactly what I will be doing as soon as this blog post is published. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes eighty-nine days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
Wanting a Nikon Z9?
If you are hot to get a Nikon Z9, your best bet is almost surely to go with Bedfords. Tip: joining Nikon Professional Services and getting your NPS number to Steve Elkins will get you to the top of his list!
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You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store for $69.00. Or Call Jim weekdays at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers |
The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers/by Warren Hatch
Editorial Consultant: Arthur Morris
In this downloadable e-book (you will receive a link by e-mail), you’ll learn everything a wildlife photographer needs to know about the Nikon Z9. The Z9 is one of the most complex camera bodies ever made. In this guide, the brilliant Warren Hatch will teach you exactly how to set up your Z9 for bird, wildlife, and nature photography. The camera offers hundreds of settings and options. Selecting the right combination of these is essential to effectively use the Z9 in the field.
This 83-page guide, created in the tradition of the many mega-successful BIRDS AS ART Camera User’s Guides, includes:
Order yours here in the BAA Online Store for $69.00. Or Call Jim weekdays at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand.
BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)
Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.
Another Induro GIT 304L Price Drop
Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906.
And Please Remember
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that 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.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords 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, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. 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.
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This image was created by Alan Murphy with the tripod-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter, and Nikon’s best ever body, the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 800: 1/4000 second at f/5.6. Wide-L AF. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Black Skimmer grabbing tiny fish. |
Two Amazing Nikon Z9 Images
With the skimmer image above, check out the incredible sharpness and the fine feature detail (FFD). And the tiny fish! Not to mention that the eye of the fish is super-sharp. Alan likes to use very fast and super-fast shutter speeds for flight and action. In part, he feels that shutter speeds in the 1/4000 to 1/8000 second range will do a great job of freezing the action (and the water droplets!)
Alan Murphy on the Z9 Guide
I was excited to learn that Warren Hatch had written a guide to the Nikon Z9 as I have been learning about the camera from him. I’ve had the Z9 for several months. Whenever I was puzzled by my new mirrorless camera body, I’d call Warren. He always had the answer. Now, everything that he knows about this great camera body — it continues to amaze me, is available to everyone. Warren’s Z9 guide is great asset for Nikon shooters.
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This image was created by Alan Murphy with the tripod-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter, and Nikon’s best ever body, the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1250: 1/5000 second at f/4. 3D AF with eye tracking. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Male Cape May Warblers squabbling (above an orange feeder set-up). |
Totally Sick!
Take two of American’s most elusive and difficult-to-photograph warbler species, have them battle in midair right in front of you against a sweet green background, and throw in two perfect head angles and the result just might be one of the more amazing images you could ever hope to see.
Do Understand
Do understand that while Alan is justifiably crazy about the Nikon Z9, he possesses the superior strength, stamina, reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills needed to handle large super-telephoto lenses effectively for bird photography. In addition, his knowledge of bird behavior and his ability to create a variety of effective set-ups enable him to create amazing images on a consistent basis.
Alan’s e-Books and Videos
Alan offers a great variety of e-Books and videos that can teach you to be a better bird photography. Click here to see all the titles. Be sure to see The Guide to Songbird Setup Photography.
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Birds Through the Lens Volume 1 |
Birds Through the Lens Volume 1
Click here to purchase.
The first video in the series will cover topics that include:
How to look for, find and choose the right perch
What perches do not work and why
How to match the perch for a particular species
How to trim a perch
How to support the perch
How many perches?
Working with mounds, stumps and elevated perches
How to choose a good background
How to deal with background challenges
How to break up a flat background so that it’s mottled
How to find and use gradient backgrounds
How far should the background be from the perch?
Should you wear camo?
Working from a blind
How to set up your lens and tripod for blind work
Is concealment important?
Plus, many tips for being a better bird photographer
This Hi Definition MP4 video can be either downloaded to your dropbox, computer, tablet, mobile device, or can be streamed. Total run time: 1 hour.
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Birds Through the Lens Volume 2 |
Birds Through the Lens Volume 2
Click here to purchase.
This second video in the series is now available and covers topics that include:
How to prepare your backyard for photography
How to work with backyard feeders
Which feeders work best for bird photography
How to get birds from your feeders onto perches
How to set up a water drip
How to work with berry perches
How to make and use homemade suet
How to bring in woodpeckers
Which food works best for what species
How to set up perches around feeders
Photo blinds for the backyard
The video can be downloaded to your Mac or PC, streamed to your favorite device, or saved to your Dropbox Account.
Total run time: 1 hour: More than 1 hour.
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Birds Through the Lens Volume 3 |
Birds Through the Lens Volume 3
Click here to purchase.
This third video in the series is now available and covers topics that include:
How to do ambient light hummingbird photography
How to setup for multi-flash hummingbird photography
How to photograph songbirds in flight using a tiny feeder
How to setup and use a PhotoTrap trigger system
How to make and use a decoy owl for photographing raptors in flight
What gear and settings work best
Blind construction and camo for flight photography
Flight photography techniques that will help you succeed
The video can be downloaded to your Mac or PC, streamed to your favorite device, or saved to your Dropbox Account.
Total run time: 1 hour: More than 1.5 hours.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Indescribably good! Thanks for both.
The Z9 is an amazing camera for zoo photo work. Its DX mode is the best DX camera/camera in DX mode I have ever used. As amazing as the Nikon D500 was for zoo work the Z9 is next level and then some. So take Arthur’s advise and if your serious about wildlife or zoo work and a Nikon shooter with lots of Nikon glass get on the list and get one. Worth every penny and then some.
Great set of Alan’s images today, Artie! They are both stellar and I think any of us would be happy to have captured either. That being said, the Cape May aerial squabble is off the charts IMO! I’m not sure I have ever seen a better Warbler image!
The action shot of the two warblers is hard to beat!
I think that you hinted the correct answer, the Cape May Warblers. Of course the Black Skimmer also is a very good image. I have never seen anything but spectacular images from Alan.
Thanks, larry. I am pretty sure that Alan deletes a few on occasion 🙂
with love, artie
Both are outstanding images. The warbler is the more beautiful image, but the the black skimmer image is a truly remarkable achievement. To me the skimmer image is the winner here.
Hi, Artie. I find it hard to choose between those two marvelous images. So I won’t. 🙂
The Cape May Warblers is my favorite. The composition, color and the action against the green background that enhanced the colors in the birds feathers. That is an amazing photo that is very difficult to get both birds in focus and to capture that type of behavior. Great job Alan.
Warblers win out…