If you are interested in sharing an AirBnB with me near Huguenot Memorial Park east of Jacksonville, FL during the second week of July, or in doing an IPT that week, please stop what you are doing and shoot me an e-mail. Big discount for the person who shares the AirBnB with me. IPT details below. Here’s wishing you great light and better photography.
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.
What’s Up?
The high winds continue in west/central North Dakota. Thursday was another rest day and Friday will be more of the same. On Thursday afternoon we visited the home of Kevin’s friend, Lugene Gerber-Fiasher and her significant other, Doug Kitten. Lujene loves to photograph birds but loves cooking great food and serving friends even better. Included were salad with a scrumptious homemade ranch dressing, a killer spinach dip, roasted smoked turkey that tasted like a Christmas ham, Italian shrimp, and olive and pickle plate, her aptly named “Funeral” potatoes, and tasty, greasy fried chicken that was much better than the colonels! Most folks ate two desserts one of which was the hugely popular lemon pudding cake. I limited myself to one slice of chocolate-drizzled coffee cheesecake (AKA Caramel Machiatto cheesecake). Suffice to say, I needed a lot of extra insulin after that amazing meal.
Today is Friday 19 April 2024. If the forecast does not change, it is likely that we will be transporting the blinds to the Sharp-tailed Grouse lek about 30 minutes from Kevin’s home.
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.
This image was created on 29 June 2021 at Huguenot Memorial Park on a Jacksonville, FL IPT. Standing at full height I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 640. 1/3200 second at f/7.1 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual Mode. AWB at 9:16:26am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead solid perfect.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Royal Tern screaming in flight
It’s Not Always Easy to Get it Exactly Right in Bird Photography
If you knew that I was using a zoom lens for Image #1, most would react by saying, “You should have zoomed out wider.” As we often get greedy as far as wanting to get as many pixels on the subject as possible, clipping wings and feet and heads is a common occurrence when photographing birds especially birds in flight and in action. Until yesterday, I had long stared at this image thinking of a way to salvage it; I love the bird’s expression. And I had long assumed that I had simply failed to zoom out. That was until I was working on this blog post and saw that the focal length was 200mm, the widest possible.
I gave up trying to think of a way to repair the badly clipped wing and instead, turned to a square crop. WDYT of Image #1?
Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Royal Tern with wings raised
What Do You Think of Square Crops?
Lots of folks think that the-out-of-the-camera 3X2 and 2X3 proportions are sacrosanct and that anything else is heresey. I disagree wholeheartedly. Many images scream out for a square copy, often images with two centered subjects like the Ospreys below. Strangely, I try to avoid boxy crops unless they are the only option.
Framing at 1200mm Ain’t Easy
Especially when you are standing atop an eight foot ladder. I badly mis-framed the original capture for Image #2; the bird on our left was almost touching the frame edge. A square crop resulted in a useable image.
How are Less than Perfect Images and Square Crops Related?
As we have seen in both Image #1 and Image #2, a square crop can often be used to save images that seem to be destined for the trash heap. Or a square crop might be perfect for perfectly executed images, as immediately below.
This image was created on 18 March 2024 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Standing outside my vehicle near the old eagle nest, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) 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/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was pretty darned good. AWB at 9:00:06 on a cloudy morning.
Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Ospreys near nest: serendipitous synchronous flight
Bingo!
So, was this image the result of pure luck or the right gear?
Actually, it was a combination of both. And more. Note that I had the perfect lens in my hands and the perfect camera body with the perfect settings. But without knowledge of the wind and sky conditions and the necessary skills, I would have come up empty.
With the wind from the SW in the morning, I was lucky that it was totally overcast. If you are trying for flight on cloudy days, simply position yourself with the wind behind you. And I followed my own advice: if you are photographing a bird in flight and a second bird flies into the frame, press the shutter button and hold it down until they separate. But don’t quit entirely as one of the two might provide additional good chances. That is exactly what happened in this case; I kept nine additional images of the bird with the stick landing at the nest. None, however, were anywhere near as good as the “Bingo” shot.
I was lucky to witness the behavior; I had never seen anything remotely like it in 47 years of birding. But I was patient :-). And I was lucky that at the magic moment that the faces of both birds were on the exact same plane.
Note, however, that even if you are the luckiest bird photographer in the world and amazing behaviors happen often right in front of you, you will wind up with nothing unless you have mastered the basics needed to consistently create sharp, nicely designed, properly exposed images. Consider joining a BIRDS AS ART IPT.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which is the strongest of today’s five featured images? Which is the weakest of today’s five featured images? Why for each?
Used Gear Pipeline
I have a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II lens coming up for sale. If you might be interested in purchasing it, shoot me an e-mail.
On a related note, I was pleased to learn that my third Sony a-1 sold within hours of being listed yesterday. Folks know that I price my stuff to sell quickly.
What’s Up?
Kevin has been hard at working repairing the two badly damaged blinds. The high winds continue, with gusts over 40mph today. We should be good to get back to work and try for Sharp-tailed Grouse on Saturday.
Today is Thursday 18 April 2024. We will be visiting a friend of Kevin’s in Bismarck this afternoon. She likes birds and has a kit camera but is physically limited. I’ve heard that she is a great cook and am looking forward to dinner. Whatever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have fun.
It’s Not Too Late
It’s not too late to join me on the 2024 May DeSoto IPT, coming up in less than three weeks. May is a wonderful time to visit this always productive location. Info below. Call 863-221-2372 or shoot me an e-mail if you have any questions.
Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in full breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull landing on head of Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull in flight, Reddish Egret sunrise silhouette, Great Blue Heron with needlefish, Yellow-crowned Night Heron with ghost crab, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling in breeding plumage, and white morph Reddish Egret in glorious breeding plumage.
The 2024 Spring Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo Tour (IPT)
The Spring Fort DeSoto IPT: Wednesday 8 May through the morning session on SAT 11 May 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographers. Openings: 4.
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for terns and gulls, wading birds, and shorebirds in springtime. Though DeSoto can be great any day of the year, spring is my very favorite time to be there as many of the birds will be in full breeding plumage. Simply put, DeSoto is the new Ding Darling. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography, especially with the Brown Pelicans.
Act fast to explore the possibility of sharing an AirBnB with Jim Miller and me. Doing so would greatly reduce the cost of lodging for this great trip.
Again, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull in flight, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandwich Terns copulating, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret with reflection, breeding plumage Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, white morph Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret in marsh.
In Addition!
We should also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, Snowy, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Marbled Godwit, and most especially, Red Knot. On the May trip, many of the shorebirds will be in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures.
With just a bit of luck, we may get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two. I almost forgot to mention — Laughing Gulls in breeding plumage are to die for!
You do NOT need a fast super-telephoto lens to do this trip!
Yes, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, Laughing Gull vertical front-end portrait, Laughing Gull with prey item, landing on head of Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Royal Tern displaying, Royal Terns — pre-copulatory stance, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a rare treat, a breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.
What You Will Learn on a DeSoto IPT
1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
3- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
4- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
5- To age and identify many species of shorebirds including various sandpipers, plovers, dowitchers, and possibly yellowlegs.
6- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
7- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
8- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
9- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
10- More than you could ever imagine.
You got it by now! Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left around to center: Roseate Spoonbill, immature Brown Pelican in flight, the heron/egret hybrid, American Oystercatcher feeding, immature Royal Tern on railing, Great Egret morning silhouette, Black Skimmer in surf, and underside head portrait of Great Blue Heron.
The Details
Morning sessions will run about two and one-half hours; afternoon sessions about two. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. On cloudy mornings with the right wind, we may opt to photograph till 11:30 or so and skip the afternoon session. That especially when the afternoon weather is looking iffy. We may opt to visit a great North Tampa rookery if conditions warrant that.
There will be a Photoshop/Image Review session during and after brunch (included) each of the three full days. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area (rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away). For folks who register soon, the is an excellent chance that we can share an AirBnb to reduce lodging and meal costs and maximize your learning opportunities.
Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field as early as possible and stay out late to take advantage of sunset colors. Doing so will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest and those who need to get home for a proper dinner. I really love it when I am leaving the beach at 9:30am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We will be getting wet.
Your non-refundable $599 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check three months before the trip begins. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your check out to BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, and clothing and gear advice two months before the trip. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information. If you have any questions, or are good to go for one of these great trips, please let me know via e-mail or give me a call on my cell phone at 863-221-2372 for more info.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
This image was created on 9 MAY 2023 on a DeSoto IPT. While seated on damp sand, I used the toe-pod technique with the handheld the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens
the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 640. 1/5000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the exposure was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:19:38am on a sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Little Blue Heron with tiny baitfish
“Pied” Little Blue Heron
At about one year old, juvenile Little Blue Herons (pure dusky white before then) begin to molt in some blue adult feathers and assume a “pied” look. They are quite handsome at this stage. As with the white juvenile, note the thicker bill (as compared to Snowy Egret) that is light blue at the base with a dusky tip and the greenish yellow legs. This is a plumage stage not a phase or a morph. There are usually one or two to be found on a walk at DeSoto in May.
This image was created on 9 MAY 2023 on a DeSoto IPT. While seated on damp sand, I used the toe-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 500. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (stopped down one stop — don’t ask me why). AWB at 6:33:10am on a sunny afternoon.
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: Snowy Egret — adult with foot raised
Adult Snowy Egret
Adult Snowy Egrets have legs that are totally black front and back. The back of the legs of a one-year-old snowy are yellow. The prize in April and May is an adult at the peak of breeding plumage that features bright, cherry-red lores. The lores is the skin that covers the area in front the eye to the base of the upper mandible. The brightest colors are present only on birds that are actively breeding and lasts only a very few days before beginning to fade to pink.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #3: Snowy Plover — male flapping after bath (band removed)
Snowy Plover
In April and May of 2023 I saw more Snowy Plovers than ever before at DeSoto, often a dozen or more on some mornings. Several pairs bred successfully on Outback Key. This guy landed right in front of me and took a bath in a rising tidal pool along with dozens of other shorebirds.
This image was created on 11 MAY 2023 on a DeSoto IPT. Crouching a bit, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/1250 second at f/10 (stopped down about 1 1/3 stops) in Manual Mode. AWB at 9:51:15am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect.
Tracking: Spot Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Ruddy Turnstone in breeding plumage on jetty
Photographing Late on a Sunny Morning
Two hours after sunrise the light is cooler and harsher than it was earlier. The trick to making successful images is to work tight and get as close to right on sun angle as possible. The sun in this image is coming from high right. Because I was fairly close to a large in the frame subject I opted to stop down in an effort to render the whole bird sharp. The danger was bringing up too much background detail (by stopping down) but the rock behind the bird was distant enough to minimize that problem.
This image was created on 11 MAY 2023 on a DeSoto IPT. Crouching just a bit, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000. 1/2500 second at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 6:03:29pm on a sunny afternoon. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #5: Whimbrel taking flight
Topaz Sharpen AI for Motion Blur
1/2500 second combined with a less than ideal panning rate (aka operator error) led to lots of motion blur on this otherwise very nice image. In Topaz Sharpen AI I painted a mask (thanks to Commander Jon Hoiles for that lesson), checked both AUTO boxes, and hit APPLY. The plug-in suggested Normal but the motion blur was still quite evident. So I over-rode the system and went with Motion Blur and applied that on a separate layer. Working large, I noted that the sharpening effect was over-done so I reduced the Opacity of the Sharpen AI layer to 80%. The result was quite excellent and the image is fine for web presentation.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
If you are interested in sharing an AirBnB with me near Huguenot Memorial Park east of Jacksonville, FL during the second week of July, or in doing an IPT that week, please stop what you are doing and shoot me an e-mail. Big discount for the person who shares the AirBnB with me. IPT details below. Here’s wishing you great light and better photography.
Sony a-1 Mirrorless Camera Body
Arthur Morris, yours truly, is offering a Sony a-1 Mirrorless Camera Body in Excellent condition for a very low $4,500.00. The camera will have my settings on it and your purchase will include membership in my Sony a-1 Set-up and Info Group. I own three a-1 bodies; this one, the newest and least used, is the pick of the litter. The body has not been used since it was cleaned and checked by Sony LA a few months ago. The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it, the front body cap, the strap, the original battery, and insured ground shipping to lower 48 addresses.
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.
What’s Up?
Today is Wednesday 17 April 2024. After our great successes down in South Dakota, we are currently on a weather hold with winds of 25mph or more forecast through this coming Friday. It is impossible to use the large pop up blinds in high winds. We will be doing lots of image reviews along with some Photoshop. I will he headed to Underwood, ND about 15 minutes away to pick up my replacement a9 iii. As always, Steve Elkins of Bedfords takes care of his customers. Whatever you are doing, I hope that you too choose to have fun.
Don’t look now, but this blog post makes eleven days in a row with a new educational post just for you. You know the drill; please use my affiliate links or patronize the BAA Online Store.
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.
This image was created on 17 June 2021 at Huguenot Memorial Park east of Jacksonville, FL. Again, standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500. 1/1250 second at f/7.1 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:36:07am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Laughing Gull in freshjuvenal plumage on dune
Juvenile Laughing Gulls
Juvenile Laughing Gulls are quite handsome. Even in mid-July, we will see some smaller, unfledged chicks. Gulls are generally cooperative subjects and are fairly easy to approach. They make great practice subjects. When you point your lens at a gull, they will often do something neat. This one sat atop the dune and did not do much, but he was so handsome that I could not resist. I did get a nice frame of this bird preening and am not sure whether it was published here previously.
The Sony 200-600 is great at Jax for flight, action, and portraits.
Tracking: Expand Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #2: Royal Tern non-breeding adult calling
Long Focal Lengths
I’ve always loved going in clean, tight, and graphic, especially on sunny days. I’ve always been a head hunter, and always will be. If you sit on the beach and approach the birds carefully, you can often get close enough for head shots with shorter focal length lenses. And on sunny days, you can add a 1.4X TC to your intermediate telephoto zoom lenses for more reach.
Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #3: Royal Tern with juvenile Mahi Mahi for chicks
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.
