Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More

Multiple IPT veteran Eugen Dolan is joining me for a month, arriving on 26 September. Beginning bird photographer Alvin Red Stevens is joining us for a week; he shows up on 12 October. And when he leaves, new friend Mishael Voisin will be with us for a week of photography and learning. Several folks have sworn that they will be joining me at some point but right now, November is wide open. Check out the opportunities below and then change your life by joining me this fall. Feel free to e-mail me or to call or text — 863-221-2372 with any questions or concerns.

On Tuesday I completed a third edit of the Sebastian OCT-NOV 2024 folder. It is always fun to discover some really good images that never caught your attention before. Below I share five images that got me excited on my third trip through what was a great month at Sebastian in 2024. Do understand that in 2026 the top Sebastian location, the South Jetty, is scheduled to be closed for major reconstruction next season. That is why I am all in for 2025!

What’s Up?

The lakeshore at ILE had been less than inspiring since I got back from Long Island. There are more than a few birds around, but nothing has really gotten me excited lately.

Today is Friday 12 September 2025. Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you too choose to have fun and enjoy the day.

As I have some fabulous new tips and techniques to share, I will soon begin work on the Digital Basics IV Video Series. Covered will be the use of the masking feature in Adobe Camera Raw (thanks to Anita North), the use of the Point Color eye dropper to tame super saturated colors during raw conversions (discovered in tandem with Anita), and a fabulous new Remove Tool trick that makes my favorite Photoshop Tool even more amazing — that one discovered by me 🙂

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — 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 or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, 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 save 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.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

Click on the screen capture to enlarge. Photo Mechanic screen capture of today’s 5 featured raw files Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Today’s Image Optimizations

Optimizing the raw files that I create brings me just about as much joy and happiness as being out into the field creating the image. Properly exposed (to the right) raw files should not represent what you saw in nature. Other than the bill cleanup, Image #1, the white morph Reddish Egret, made in sunny conditions, looks quite a bit like the raw file. The raw file for the second image, the gently backlit Great Egret, looks washed out and lifeless and was not at all what I saw in the field. I used perhaps a dozen masks during the conversion in Adobe Camera Raw to bring this image to life. Creating and using ACR masking techniques will be covered in detail in the Digital Basics IV Video Series. Most folks looking at the raw file for the Tricolored Heron image would judge it as well over-exposed. RawDigger showed it to be perfect. A healthy crop from below and from the left the and the adjustments made by moving the sliders under the Light tab in ACR created the image that I had envisioned while standing in a foot of water. The raw files for Images #4 and 5 look totally flat, washed out, and boring. Each was brought to life simply be adjusting the sliders under the Light tab in ACR. And the pelicans on the rocks photo benefitted greatly from both some Color Mixer work and the Average Blur Color Balance trick.

You can of course see the five optimized images by scrolling down. I am most proud of the optimization of the gently backlit Great Egret raw file as getting the background, color, and tonality right was a challenge. We will be doing image review and Photoshop sessions pretty much every day at Sebastian.

This image was created on 31 October 2024 on a Sebastian Inlet Extended IPT. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and the Sony a-1 (now replaced by the Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera). Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 800: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 stopped down 1 stop for a bit of extra depth of field) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 5:18:35am on a sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #1: Reddish Egret white morph in the wind Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Spiffy Hairdo

When this white morph reddish turned away from the wind, it blew the bird’s crest up in a somewhat comical fashion. I chose this head angle because it gave a great view of the blowing head feathers and a peek at both eyes.

This image was created on 12 November 2024 on a Sebastian Inlet Extended IPT. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 2000: 1/1250 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:24:13am on a partly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2: Great Egret gently backlit Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Lots of Work

First off, the background here was very splotchy and there were several large round spots. I used multiple Radial Gradient masks during the raw conversion to tame the uneven background problems. The Remove Tool was used to eliminate the large round spots. A Select Subject mask was used to brighten the white subject.

This image was created on 22 November 2024 on a Sebastian Inlet Extended IPT. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 2000: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 4:51:58pm on a sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #3: Tricolored Heron non-breeding adult head and shoulders portrait Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Distant Backgrounds

The greater the distance from the subject to the background, the smoother and more defocused the background will be rendered. Learn to look for and see such situations by joining me in the field.

This image was created on 5 November 2024 on a Sebastian Inlet Extended IPT. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and the Sony a-1 (now replaced by the Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera). Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 800: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:31:01am on a very cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #4: Brown Pelicans on rock jetty Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Bird-scapes with Long Lenses and Focal Lengths

Folks often think of intermediate telephoto lenses when creating bird-scapes. Long focal lengths, however, can often be quite effective with distant groups of birds. Again, the trick is to learn to see such situations. And again, the best way to do that is to sign up for an IPT.

Do you see a second species in this image? If yes, which one?

November 2024 on a Sebastian Inlet Extended IPT. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 452mm) and Sony a-1 (now replaced by the Latest Greatest Flagship Body, the Sony a1 II Mirrorless Camera). The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +2.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 2500: 1/500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was fractionally short of being perfect. AWB at 7:25:15 am on a cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #5: Wood Stork foraging in surf Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Under-exposed at +2 Stops!

Though the raw file looks totally washed out, RawDigger showed this raw file could actually have used an additional 1/3 stop of light. Therefore, +2 1/3 stops would have been the ideal EC.

Simple Cloudy Day Exposure Tip for All Systems

On cloudy days with the subject and scene averaging to very light, it is almost best to begin by adding two stops to the exposure suggested by the camera. That can be done easily in both Manual and Shutter Priority modes. Remember that there is no Exposure Compensation when working in Manual mode; you determine the exposure level by viewing the analogue scale in the viewfinder.

Osprey with Yellowfin Menhaden Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Viewing the Sebastian Composites below

Be sure to click on each composite to see a larger, inexplicably sharper high res version.

From upper left clockwise around to center: Osprey with fish at dawn; Osprey with menhaden; Osprey with Mullet; Mullet school under attack from below; Wood Stork landing; Tarpon jumping; Reddish Egret landing; Osprey turning to begin dive; Osprey with Yellow-tailed Menhaden. Click on the composite to see a larger, inexplicably sharper high res version. All images copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Sebastian Inlet in Fall

Sebastian Inlet in the fall attracts schools of migrating saltwater fish that in turn attract dozens of Ospreys — we’ve counted 61 in the air at once, along with hordes of hungry birds including Brown Pelican, Royal Tern, and Laughing Gull. Other species of birds feed on smaller baitfish; those include Wood Stork, Reddish Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Great Blue heron, Little Blue Heron, and White Ibis. Sanderling and Ruddy Turnstone are easily photographed. American Avocet is an uncommon visitor. Rare gulls have included Lesser Black-backed Gull (all ages), Franklin’s Gull (first winter), and in 2024, a spectacular young Sabine’s Gull that remained for several weeks.

As this location provides world class action for at least two months each year, bird photographers travel to Florida’s East Coast from all over the planet. You are invited not only to join me but to learn a ton about bird photography. Remember that the more time you spend at great locations, the more chance you have to enjoy perfect weather conditions and opportunities that leave you in awe.

The shared AirBnB approach has proven to be tremendously popular and is hugely beneficial to learning.

From upper left clockwise around to center: Osprey with fish at dawn; Osprey with menhaden; Sanderling flock bird-scape blur; Royal Tern with large baitfish; Brown Pelican diving silhouette; 1-second breaking wave blur; Osprey with Yellow-tailed Menhaden blur; Osprey in flight/full downstroke; Snowy Egret/double overhead wingstretch. Click on the composite to see a larger, inexplicably sharper high res version. All images copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

2025 BIRDS AS ART Sebastian Inlet Ospreys and More In-the-Field Sessions

Available Dates: Friday 26 September (arrive on Thursday 25 September) thru the morning session on Mon 24 November 2025.
Limit: four photographers.

In 2024, I had an AirBnB in Vero Lake Estates for 26 nights. I had so much fun and enjoyed so many great opportunities that I am returning next fall for two full months; the AirBnB is just 22 minutes from the inlet.

Getting There

You can fly to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and rent a car or fly to Melbourne International Airport (MEL) and explore the possibility of airport pick-up and drop-off or a taxi or uber ride to and from the AirBnB. Rides with me are available for $15/day on a space available basis. Folks who ride with me do not need to purchase a park pass but will need to kick in $2.00/day when we are charged.

From upper left clockwise around to center: Osprey diving; Osprey with menhaden; Brown Pelican with Yellow-tailed Menhaden in bill pouch; Sabine’s Gull/juvenile top shot; Osprey landing on Cabbage Palm stump; Wood Stork sunrise silhouette; American Avocet running with wings raised; Osprey diving with talons outstretched; Peregrine with wings fully raised. Click on the composite to see a larger, inexplicably sharper high res version. All images copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What You Will Learn

1- First and foremost you will learn to become a better flight photographer. Much better.

2- You will learn to shoot flight hand held and off the tripod.

3-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.

4- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you fear it.

5- You will learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography, especially (but not limited to) the photography of birds in flight.

6- You will learn to select the best shutter speeds for all types of bird photography, from flight and action to pleasing blurs.

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.

16- You will learn pro level tripod handling tips

17- During our image review sessions, you will learn the factors that separate insta-deletes, keepers, and family jewels. With general bird photography those include head angle, subject-to-sensor plane orientation, choice of perspective, the quality of the light, the quality of the background, image sharpness, and the image design. When evaluating photos of birds in flight, you must — in addition to the above, consider wing positions and flight poses.

18- You will improve your image optimization skills by leaps and bounds and will return home with a collection of image optimization videos.

The very 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.

From upper left clockwise around to center: Osprey with Yellow-tailed Menhaden; Osprey overhead with bunker; Osprey with Yellow-tailed Menhaden; Osprey chase; Great Egret with pinfish; Osprey emerging with flounder; Great Egret taking flight; Osprey kiting; 1/8 second sunrise Atlantic Ocean blur. Click on the composite to see a larger, inexplicably sharper high res version. All images copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Trip Costs and Booking Details

Change Your Life

Book any 3-6 Days: Lodging is $175/night. Instruction is $600/day. There is a morning session every day. Afternoon sessions average every other day. Image review and Photoshop sessions are usually daily.

Please note: Folks who sign up for an odd number of days of instruction will enjoy half + 1 afternoon sessions (more are possible if conditions are good) Those who sign up for an even number of days will enjoy at least 1/2 that number of afternoon shooting sessions (more are possible if conditions are good)

Book any 7-10 Days: Lodging is $160/night. Instruction is $575/day. There is a morning session every day. Afternoon sessions average every other day. Image review and Photoshop sessions are almost daily.

Book any 11-14 Days: Lodging is $150/night. Instruction is $550/day. There is a morning session every day. Afternoon sessions average every other day. Image review and Photoshop sessions are almost daily.

Book any three weeks: Lodging is $130/night. Instruction is $525/day. There is a morning session every day. Afternoon sessions average every other day. Image review and Photoshop sessions are almost daily.

Stay for one month (28 nights): Lodging is $120/night. Instruction is $500/day. There is a morning session every day. Afternoon sessions average every other day. Image review and Photoshop sessions are almost daily.

Stay two months (60 nights): Lodging is $100/night. Instruction is $475/day. There is a morning session every day. Afternoon sessions average every other day. Image review and Photoshop sessions are almost daily.

Brunch is on me. Dinners are provided for $20/day. I am an excellent chef and the food both healthy and of high quality.

Please note: your day of arrival is not a day of instruction.

Deposit Information

Payment in full is due now. Please make the check out to:

BIRDS AS ART

And send it via US Mail to

BIRDS AS ART
PO Box 7245
Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855

I hope to spend some quality time with you at Sebastian Inlet in the fall of 2025 and to change your life. If you have any questions, please get in touch via e-mail or with a text to 863-221-2372.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

Your Call?

Which of today’s five wind against sun images do you think is the strongest? Why do you like it?

What’s Up?

I drove to Ronkonkoma in Suffolk County on Saturday evening to have dinner with my younger daughter Alissa and her family. I ate much too much plov. Plov is a fragrant and hearty one-pot rice dish that originated in Central Asia and is considered the national dish of Uzbekistan. My son-in-law Ajiniyaz is an expert plov chef! It was great seeing my two grandsons. Sunday morning was a washout and I spent the afternoon watching NFL games on my laptop and packing my SUV.

My five week Nickerson visit was quite rewarding. Thanks to the three multiple IPT veterans who joined me and enjoyed their AirBnB learning experience (and my home cooking!) — Steve Shore, Vasili Chernishof, and Judy Stepanaskie. And thanks also to Carlotta Grenier who joined me for a great In-the-Field morning at the beach.

Today is Monday 8 September 2025. I left Long Island at 5:32am and arrived at the Lorton Virginia Auto Train Station at 12:20pm after several pitstops and a one hour nap. The train leaves at 4:00pm and is scheduled to arrive in Sanford, Fl at about 9:00am the next morning. From there it is about a two hour drive to my home at Indian Lake Estates.

I hope that you too opt to have a great day.

I will soon begin work on the Digital Basics IV Video Series and I have some fabulous new tips and techniques to share. Those include the use of the masking feature in Adobe Camera Raw (thanks to Anita North), using the Point Color eye dropper to tame super saturated colors during raw conversions (discovered in tandem with Anita), and a fabulous new Remove Tool trick that makes my favorite Photoshop Tool even more amazing — the last one discovered by me 🙂

On Tuesday past, I attended the evening session of the 2025 US Open Tennis Tournament and did not get into bed until 1:20am the next day. I set the alarm for 5:00am so that I could be at the beach well before sunrise in hopes of making a really good Red Light District image. Sometimes dreams come true. I tried a brand new technique — creating pleasing blurs in bright sun without an ND filter. Scroll down to see my five favorite images and learn a ton while you are at it.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — 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 or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, 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 save 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.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but using my affiliate links is greatly appreciated. And, with B&H, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!

B&H

Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1-ii from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1-ii Info and Updates Group, a roughly $225.00 value. But 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. Using either my affiliate links is greatly appreciated and will often earn you free guides or discounts.

Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can always 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 when your product ships. 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 prior purchases.

You can visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

This image was created on 4 September 2025 on a wind-against-sun morning by yours truly at Nickerson Beach, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. Seated on damp sand I used the knee-pod technique with the handheld (!) Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +2.3 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 2000: 1/250 second at f/4 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 6:24:39am with a cloud on the eastern horizon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: Herring Gull 1st cycle with Sand Eel Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Opportunists

Most gull species are opportunistic feeders — they will eat just about anything they can get their bills on. It is rare to see one on the edge of the surf with a whole fish. It took an inordinately long time for this young Herring Gull to swallow the Sand Eel, likely dropped by a skimmer.

Going with the relatively slow shutter speed of 1/250 second was a big risk; if the gull was moving, the image would not have been sharp. My choice of shutter speed paid off when the gull paused momentarily. Using the knee-pod technique properly helps to keep the lens still and the Optical Stabilization System in both the camera and the lens helps with image sharpness as well. It is important to remember that image stabilization never helps with subject movement.

This image was also created on 4 September 2025 on a wind-against-sun morning by yours truly at Nickerson Beach, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +1.7 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 160: 1/30 second at f/4 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure at least one stop too dark. AWB at 6:27:34am and getting brighter as the sun struggled to break through the cloud on the eastern horizon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Black Skimmer juvenile flight blur Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Flight Photography on a Tripod

I am not sure why shooting flight blurs off a tripod is more difficult than creating sharp flight images with a big lens on a tripod, but it is. At least for me; I find it more difficult to pan with the bird and keep the subject properly framed when using a slow shutter speed. For the most part, I view shooting slow shutter speed blurs of single birds as practice for sharp flight photography.

Once in a while, however you get a perfectly framed image with the bird back in the frame and a halfway decent blurred effect.

This image was created on 13 August 2025 by yours truly on a wind-against-sun morning on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the toe-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 400: 1/3200 second at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 6:41:46am os the sun rose over the cloud on the eastern horizon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #3: Black Skimmer in the “Red Light District.” Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Red Light District Images

In the Pro Wind Against Sun Tip — Working the Red Light District blog post here, I reviewed the basic of creating red light images. One thing that I did not mention was that getting lower increases the intensity of the reds and yellows. When I saw this bird isolated atop the berm, I switched the 1.4X TC for the 2X TC and prayed that the bird would stay. It did. I started with the knee-pod technique and then followed my own advice by going to the toe-pod technique to get ever lower.

This image was also created on 4 September 2025 on a wind-against-sun morning by yours truly at Nickerson Beach, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined with Sony Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 50: 1/15 sec. at f/20 (stopped down 4 2/3 stops) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure at least one stop too dark. AWB at 7:22:54am on a then sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #4: Black Skimmer flock blur Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Sunny Day Blurs Without an ND Filter

When I shot Canon, I had several drop-in Neutral Density filters for my big lenses. With Sony, I had a 77mm ND filter for the front of my 200-600 but smashed it when I tripped at Torrey Pines.

I hate sharp blastoff images made on sunny days. The problem with going to a slow shutter speed in bright light is that even when you go to ISO 50, you will need a small aperture. Very small apertures like the f/20 that I used for Image #4 is that any and all sensor dust spots will be revealed.

As sensor dust has become less and less of a problem with each new mirrorless camera body, I decided to create some blastoff blurs on a wind against sun morning while using a slow shutter speed (1/30 second) and a small aperture (the latter to control the exposure). With this image, there was only a single small dust spot in the sky.

This image was also created on 4 September 2025 on a wind-against-sun morning by yours truly at Nickerson Beach, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined with Sony Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 50: 1/30 sec. at f/18 (stopped down 4 1/3 stops) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure at least one stop too dark. AWB at 8:02:33am on a then sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #5: Sanderling flock blur Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It. And Never Hesitate

When I saw a flock of Sanderlings flying by low over the ocean, I went to a faster shutter speed to make up with the whiter whites on the speedy shorebirds. I got on the flock quickly, acquired focus, ripped off about a dozen frames, kept four promising ones, eventually picked my favorite and deleted the others.

Composite #1: All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body. Images copyright Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The a-1 ii for General Bird Photography

I have found that eye-tracking for general bird photography with the a-1 ii is far, far better than with the original Sony a-1. It grabs the eye and tracks it faster and far more consistently and focus is rarely lost, even with backgrounds other than sky.

Composite #2: All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body. Images copyright Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The a-1 ii for Birds in Flight

For birds in flight, the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body has no equal. As Arash Hazeghi says, “It is better than the a-1.” When I am late getting on a bird in flight, I have consistently been amazed at how often the AF system of the a-1 ii finds and tracks the bird’s eye.

Composite #3: All the result of using Pre-Capture with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body. Images copyright Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Pre-Capture with the Sony a-1 ii

When it comes to Pre-Capture with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body, Arash and I agree 100%. And with my slower reflexes, Pre-Capture is more important for me than it is for Arash. Understand that in each of the images in Composite #3, I did not push the shutter button until after the bird took flight!

All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body. Images copyright Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Purchasing or Upgrading to a Sony a-1 ii

The Sony a-1 ii e-Mail Set-up and Info Guide

I now own and use two Sony a-1 ii bodies. Every day that I use them, the more I am amazed by speed and accuracy of the Bird Face-Eye tracking in AF-C and the overall performance of the camera.

Aside from the improved ergonomics as compared to the a-1, other nice features include the fact that the rear screen tilts both ways — the lack of a tilting rear screen on the original a-1 always ticked me off. Pre-capture has proven to be a huge plus almost exclusively for take-off flight images. In my opinion, the Speed Boost feature is a total waste for bird photography because you should always be utilizing the maximum frame rate. In addition, the resolution on the rear monitor has been improved dramatically. I must mention again that Bird Face-Eye tracking on the a-1 ii is vastly improved as compared to both the a-1 and the a9 iii and that the 51MP files are to die for.

So, the big question is, is the a-1 ii “worth” a gear upgrade. Remembering that I can never know whether or not something is worth it to you, I can say that I was not floored when first using my a-1 ii. The differences between the a-1 ii and the original a-1, seemed to be neither huge nor eye-opening. But over time, I have come to realize that I was 100% wrong. The huge difference between the new camera body and the a9 iii is, of course, the 51MP a-1 raw files (as compared to the 24MP files rendered by the a9 iii).

The price of a new a-1 is $5,898.00. The price of a new a-1 ii is $1,100.00 more: $6,998.00. As the a-1 ii is clearly far superior for bird photography to the original a-1, the choice for folks new to Sony or for those upgrading from lesser Sony camera bodies is an easy one. Prices for used a-1 bodies has not dropped drastically as I anticipated. At this point, a-1 folks who like showing flight and action and can afford an a-1 ii, are advised to purchase an a-1 ii. Please remember that life is short; we only get one ride on the merry-go-round.

If you do purchase an a-1 ii, be sure to use one of my two affiliate links so that you will receive my a-1 ii settings (in the form of a CAMSEa1ii.DAT file), the Buttons and Dials Guide, and an Info Sheet for free. Using my links will never cost you one penny and may actually save you some money. Folks who do not purchase their new a-i using my B&H link or from Bedfords here and entering the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout will be able to purchase the a-1 ii guide for $244.93. If you are at all confused and do not want to screw up your order, please get in touch via e-mail. If you would like to chat about upgrading, shoot me a text to 863-221-2372 and LMK a good time to call you.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

What’s Up?

On Tuesday evening I attended the evening session of the 2025 US Open Tennis Tournament. I was supposed to see a Women’s quarterfinal match and a Men’s quarterfinal match in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, NY. The Women’s match was a walkover as one of the participants was injured. The match between American Taylor Fritz and Serbian Novak Djokovic was moved up and began at 8:10pm, just before my usual bedtime. Fritz, 0-10 previously versus Djokovic, put up a great fight and extended the match to four sets by winning the third set. Fritz double faulted on Djokovic’s third match point, putting an end to the thrilling three-hour, 24-minute match that ended at 11:34pm. After exiting the tennis center along with many many thousands of others came the long walk back to my SUV in the Citi-Field lot and an hour drive back to Long Beach. I finally got to sleep at 1:30am. I woke on Wednesday at 4:50am ten minutes before the alarm I had set, got dressed, and headed to the beach. It was another great morning though probably not as good as the conditions warranrted — a slight NE breeze and sun — excellent for traditional front-lit bird photography. The pond was still with lovely reflections but the skimming skimmers were few. I have been concentrating more on shorebirds and gulls both at the diminishing pond and the shoreline and less on the skimmers and terns. Exhausted, I opted to stay in that afternoon.

Today is Thursday 4 September 2025 and I was at the beach at 5:45am. The forecast called for sunny skies and a SW wind (bad for traditional front-lit bird photography) and turned out to be accurate. In wind against-sun-conditions it is vitally important to arrive well before sunrise to try for pre-dawn blastoffs and possibly some Red Light District images. That said, several photographers arrived between 7:30 and 8:00am. Had they understood the relationship between sky conditions and wind direction they could have stayed home. There is one guy with a Nikon 600mm f/4 and a Z9 who shows up every day at eight regardless of the conditions. While chatting the other day he mentioned that for folks like him who had the latest greatest equipment making great bird images was easy. I gently begged to differ. In short, the guy has $20,000+ worth of gear no clue at all as to how to use it.

Whatever you opt to do today, I hope that you chose to have fun and be happy.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — 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 or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, 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 save 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.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but using my affiliate links is greatly appreciated. And, with B&H, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!

B&H

Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1-ii from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1-ii Info and Updates Group, a roughly $225.00 value. But 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. Using either my affiliate links is greatly appreciated and will often earn you free guides or discounts.

Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can always 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 when your product ships. 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 prior purchases.

You can visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

This image was created on 3 September 2025 by yours truly at Nickerson Beach, Lido Beach, Long Island, NY. Standing at full height along the edge of the remaining coastal flooding pool, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined with Sony Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1250: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 9:27:55am on a cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Photo Mechanic Screen Capture of birds in flight Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Would You Delete This Raw File Instantly?

There has been a Peregrine around for the past few days causing the small flocks of shorebirds to take flight in fear and the skimmer and tern flocks to blast off repeatedly. My advice when attempting to photograph flight shots of shorebird flocks is to acquire focus, attempt to frame the image, and press and hold the shutter button for as long as you have the flock in the frame. Even for the most aggressive shooters good images are extremely rare.

In today’s featured frame we have one dozen juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipers, two juvenile Short-billed Dowitchers, one Black Skimmer, one badly out of focus Ring-billed Gull, the far shoreline, and the base of the snow fence beyond the western edge of the pond. The green focus box as viewed in IEDT Viewer was re-created on the Photo Mechanic screen capture above

After enlarging the screen capture above, is there any reason at all to keep this frame? Is there a good picture in the picture? Or should it be deleted instantly? Remember that the raw file is 51 megapixels.

If you would keep this image, what would your plan be for the image optimization?

Nickerson Beach Shorebird Update

The past week has featured an adult Hudsonian Godwit, a few juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs– seven flew in yesterday to bathe but left too soon, a single Greater Yellowlegs, a single juvenile Red Knot, multiple worn, fading, molting adult Black Bellied Plovers, a handful of Semipalmated Plovers, seeveral Killdeer, both adult and young Ruddy Turnstones, a single young Piping Plover, a single juvenile Willet, a pair of Short-billed Dowitchers in fresh juvenile plumage, and of course, lots of peeps; there were about 3 dozen Semipalmated Sandpipers on the pond this morning along with the two usual worn molting adult White-rumped Sandpipers. And of course the young Baird’s Sandpiper featured in the last blog post. It is not totally surprising that I have not seen a single Western Sandpiper but I have been shocked not to have seen a single Least Sandpiper in the drying mud around the remaining pond. Commonplace have been large flocks of Sanderling and several hundred American Oystercatchers. Throw in the female American Avocet from two weeks ago and you have a halfway decent shorebird list.

This just in: on the way back to my place, I stopped to talk to some birders who told me about the Buff-breasted Sandpiper feeding in the grassy field that abuts the entrance/exit road. I had photographed one at Nickerson about a dozen years ago.

Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers

Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers

Written for naturalists and birders, the text tells you everything you’ve always wanted to know about North America’s sandpipers, godwits, yellowlegs, phalaropes, plovers, avocets, stilts, and oystercatchers. Topics covered include identification and aging, shorebird behavior, their incredible migrations, feeding and diet, mating and breeding strategies, eggs, nests, and young, conservation efforts, and shorebirding tips. Also included are approximately 50 species accounts covering all of the regularly occurring North American shorebird species. With 70 of Arthur’s images and 26 more by some of the world’s best nature photographers, this book, at publication, contained the finest collection of shorebird photographs ever published in a single volume.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

In the Last Blog Post

Here is my 4-favorites list from the last blog post: 1 & 3 (tied for first), 6, 5. Lot of folks went with 3 and the spectacular splashes and several even liked the scratching blur. Amazing.

What’s Up?

For the most part, bird photography at Nickerson Beach in the late season continues to excite. Saturday morning dawned a chilly 58° and with the bright sun and a brisk NW wind, things were tough. The tern blastoffs on Saturday night were breathtaking.

Today is Sunday 31 August 2025. The opportunities this morning at the remaining coastal flooding pool were fabulous. Had the wind been from the northeast rather than from north with a touch of west, I would have created a lot more than the 5,701 images that I still have to edit 🙂 I had countless opportunities with skimmers and terns where the birds turned about 20° away from me and away from the light when they flapped facing slightly to the northwest after their baths and I never pressed the shutter button. I a thousand or two images made in the same situation where the bird was facing ever-so-slightly away from me; all were near misses and all were deleted.

This just in at 3:52pm Eastern time on Sunday. I deleted 5553 photos and kept 148 after the first edit that took me about 45 minutes.

Whatever you opt to do today, I hope that you chose to have fun and be happy.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — 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 or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, 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 save 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.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but using my affiliate links is greatly appreciated. And, with B&H, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!

B&H

Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1-ii from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1-ii Info and Updates Group, a roughly $225.00 value. But 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. Using either my affiliate links is greatly appreciated and will often earn you free guides or discounts.

Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can always 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 when your product ships. 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 prior purchases.

You can visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

This image was created on 29 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering at zero EC. AUTO ISO set ISO 12800: 1/80 second at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:48:43pm on a mostly cloudy afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: Canada Goose in coastal flooding pond after sunset Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

10-Stop Optical Steady Shot (AKA Image Stabilization)

To begin, the AF system was struggling to see the subject in the next-to-no light situation — it focused only rarely. Next, shooting at 1/80 second handheld when working at 800mm is not recommended. But, I pushed the envelope and somewhat amazingly, created a single sharp image. My double noise reduction technique cleaned up the image beautifully. A good deal of the credit goes to the a-1 ii’s IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization) system.

This image was created on 30 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Seated on dry sand, I used the footpad technique with the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 785mm) and The Latest Greatest Flagship Body, the Sony a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2500: 1/125 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:27:39pm on a partly cloudy afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Black Skimmer large chicks on beach Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Handholding the 400-800 in Low Light

Handholding the 400-800 at the long end in low light is pushing the envelope a bit and requires a some luck. 1/125th second was as slow as I was willing to go with Image #2. Wide AF/C tracked the eye of the closer bird on my left as it turned toward me. I did my best to sharpen the eye as the bird’s head suffered some motion blur. I went with Topaz Sharpen AI and followed that up with a Contrast Mask. The result: acceptable but not the world’s sharpest image.

This image was created on 30 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 700mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +1.3 stops: AUTO ISO set ISO 5000 (!): 1/8 second (!) at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:49:36pm on a cloudy afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: Common Tern flock blastoff blur Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Think it was Dark?

After the birds took Friday night off, the tern blastoffs on Saturday evening returned to being beyond spectacular. The darker it got, the more the flocks blasted off. As my ISOs were getting ridiculously high, I dropped the shutter speed to the lowest possible in Electronic Shutter: 1/8 second. I still wound up at ISO 5000. Again, my double noise reduction technique eliminated both the luminance and the color noise beautifully.

While tracking and framing the flock, I concentrated on panning smoothly with the panning rate matching the speed of the birds in flight as closely as possible.

The Digital Basics III Video Series

The Digital Basics III Video Series

Learn my double noise reduction technique and tons more including the use of 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 the new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.

As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born.

You can order your copy 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.

In Stock!

Bedfords has both Sony a-1 ii bodies and 400-800 zoom lenses in stock. I am at a loss as to why so few folks have bought into the 400-800 as it has quickly become my all-time favorite lens. Purchase both and use my discount code at checkout to get back 3% on your credit card and earn a free copy of both my a-1 ii settings and guide and the lens guide as well.

The BIRDS AS ART SONY 400-800mm f/6.3-9 G Super-telephoto Zoom Lens Guide

When I borrowed this lens from Sony, I assumed that at 5.45 pounds it was too heavy to handhold for long and that at f/8 at the long end (800mm,) it was too slow for most bird photography applications. In short, I did not want to like the lens. After months of using it, I cannot live without it. After returning the loaner, I was miraculously able to get my own from Bedfords on 16 April 2025. In this guide I share everything that I have learned about using the 400-800. For best results, you need to know exactly what you are doing to get the most out of this zoom lens. It would be best, therefore, to consider and study the material in the guide so that you can begin making great images with your new lens.

You will learn how to deal with the relatively show apertures: f/6.3, f/7.1, and f/8 when working in Manual mode.

You will learn how to ensure that you are working at the widest aperture by working in Shutter Priority mode with AUTO ISO.

If you are able to hand hold the lens, you will learn proper hand holding techniques.

If you can’t, you will learn when, why, and how to employ other options. Those include:

1- The knee-pod, heel-pod, and toe-pod techniques

2- Using the lens on a monopod.

3- The best lens plate and low foot for your 4-8.

4- The best tripod and head for the 4-8 and how best to utilize them.

5- How to use the lens from your vehicle while supporting it on a BLUBB (or not and why not).

6- Detailed instructions on how to set and use the lens controls and buttons:

a- AF/MF

b- DMF Switch

c- Limit Range Switch

d- OSS (Optical Steady Shot) Switch

e- OSS Mode Switch

f- Focus Hold Buttons

The guide also includes a Hand Holding Shutter Speed Primer and an illustrative, educational, and inspiring 67-image gallery.

Free to folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase their Sony 400-800 G lens. Otherwise, please click here to order yours or send a PayPal for $115.43 to birdsasart@verizon.net and include the words “400-800 Lens Guide” in your e-mail.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

In the Last Blog Post

In the last blog post I asked folks to rank the four featured images with their favorite image first. Here is my list: 4, 1, 3, 2. Apparently John Storjohann is my long lost twin brother as our preferences were identical. Image #4 really grew on me over the past few days.

What’s Up?

Tuesday morning was the worst of my trip with clear skies and a brisk NW wind. The research team was out early for their big annual chick capture (party) and banding program. If you care about the birds, it is tough to watch. Several dozen humans traipse through a large portion of the West Colony with huge four-foot tall nets on poles herding the skimmer chicks that cannot fly into what eventually becomes a relatively small enclosure where they are grabbed and processed. I stand by my statement that in just five minutes of the several hour long project the disturbance of the birds far exceeds the total disturbance caused by the hundreds of bird photographers who visit Nickerson Beach for four months each nesting season.

Afternoon bird photography sessions have been and continue to be excellent with strong winds from the west and mostly clear skies. Huge flocks of Common Terns (including large numbers of southbound migrants) have been blasting off every evening down the beach to the west just before and after sunset. Unfortunately, the next few mornings at least are all looking like the last two mornings — wind-against-sun 🙁 I may make a wiggle and visit Jones Beach on Thursday for a look around. Today is Wednesday 27 August 2025. One of the key lessons in the two recent blog posts detailing how to succeed with west winds on sunny mornings is to arrive very early to take advantage of sunrise color and a variety of backlit situations. You can visit them here and here. I followed my own advice this morning and was reward with some skimmers in spectacular color in a coastal flooding pool. On sunny mornings I have been working exclusively with my now beloved 400-800 zoom lens. Steve Elkins has several in stock and one of them has your name on it. Anyhoo, once the sun came out it was pretty much game over.

Whatever you opt to do today, I hope that you chose to have fun and be happy.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — 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 or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, 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 save 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.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

B&H Simplified

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B&H

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Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

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Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Screen Capture #1: Black Skimmer chick with small snapper (baby Bluefish) just after getting fed by one of its parents Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

What to Do?

Would you have deleted this one because it is too cluttered?

I was set up for flight and doing OK when an adult skimmer with a baby Bluefish flew in just to the right of sun angle and fed its
youngster. There was no shot of the handoff as the chick was facing away but when it turned toward me and separated from the adult I made a few images. The raw file for the best of those few frames is depicted in the screen capture above. As images of skimmer chicks with anything but silversides or Striped Killifish are rare, I decided to do some serious Photoshop on the image. See the results of my effort below.

This image was created on 25 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Seated on dry sand I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The Latest Greatest Flagship Body, the Sony a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1600: 1/4000 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 6:52:10pm on a sunny afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: Black Skimmer chick with small snapper (baby Bluefish) just after getting fed by one of its parents Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

The Image Optimization

As the image was made late in the day, it was a bit too yellow for my taste so the first thing that I did was lower the color temperature. Next I moved the adult bird in the background left in the frame to improve the compositional balance. I used the Patch Tool set to destination to move the bird left and down a bit and then used Content-Aware Fill to eliminate the original bird. I did the same thing to remove the other adult and its shadow. Removing the adult bird on the right frame edge required a bit more work. I used the Divide and Conquer technique to cut the bird into manageable sections; each of those was removed using Content-Aware Fill and fine-tuning was done with the Remove Tool. Then I executed the pano crop that I had envisioned from the get-go. Last was minimal beach cleanup. As noted previously, last week’s coastal flooding left many areas of nearly pristine beach.

The resulting photo illustration pleases me and is a lot easier on the eye than the cluttered original. The natural history of the moment has been persevered to some degree– a young skimmer received a small Bluefish from one of its parents.

Feel free to share your thoughts …

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 of 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 two years ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing a Digital Basics III. More recently, I learned and begun working with two great new Photoshop Tools, the Remove Tool and the Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. The former is like a smarter Spot Healing Brush Tool on steroids and the latter is a step up from the fabulous Color Mixer Tool. During that same time frame, I came up with a new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.

As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born.

You can order your copy 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.

Your Call

After clicking on each of today’s fourteen featured images (including one by student/friends Steve Shore and Vasili Chernishoff), be so kind as to leave a comment as to what you think are the two strongest images and the two weakest images. From where I sit, the former will be a challenge while the latter seems obvious. Or not. There is only one way to tell …

In the Last Blog Post

In the last blog post, I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw Steve Shore’s backlit image of the skimmer chick digging a scrape. My first pick, however, was clearly Vaisili’s predation image. It is miles better than any similar image that I have ever seen or created. The blue feather shafts, the wings and the two legs sticking out of the gull’s maw, and the chick’s fluffy white belly put this one far over the top for me.

If You Want to Improve Your Flight Photography …

If you wish to improve as a flight photographer, click on each image to enlarge it, study each carefully, consider the accompanying text, and then get yourself a copy of The Complete and Quintessential Guide to Photographing Birds in Flight.

What’s Up?

Nickerson Beach Park was closed on Thursday and again on Friday morning due to coastal flooding from Hurricane Erin. It was the 11th Category 5 storm in the Atlantic basin since 2016. On Thursday we headed to the beach in front of our AirBnB in Long Beach to photograph gulls early and then surfers. There were only a few of the former but more than a hundred of the latter as there were lots of 10-foot and taller waves.

Friday afternoon was excellent at Nick as the sun returned along with a SW wind. Saturday morning was wind against sun but we did quite well by arriving early and getting some nice backlit stuff. I was headed back to my SUV by 7:00am but found two good situations along the way that kept me busy for more than an hour. As is often the case on weekends, there were several folks with $20K+ of photo gear who had zero clue when it comes to creating decent bird photographs. Best of all, one of them told me how easy it is to photography birds as long as you have the best camera and the best lens. When I asked where I could see his images online he changed the subject. You gotta love it.

Today is Saturday 23 August and I am looking forward to another good afternoon with sunny skies and a SW wind. The beach at Nickerson is still mostly flooded but the water is receding. Whatever you opt to do today, I hope that you chose to have fun and be happy.

I still have room at the AirBnB for you on the last Nickerson Beach IPT:

Nickerson Beach 4-Day Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT): MON AUG 25 afternoon thru the morning session on FRI AUG 29, 2025: $2299.00.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — 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 or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, 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 save 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.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

The title says it all. Purchase your copy here. The Complete and Quintessential Guide to Photographing Birds in Flight by Arash Hazeghi, Ph.D., and Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Complete and Quintessential Guide to Photographing Birds in Flight: $99.00

You can check out four sample pages in the blog post here.

I had long dreamed of becoming a great flight photographer. When using dSLR gear, making sharp images was a huge problem. Most of the time, the camera bodies simply were not up to snuff. Things have changed dramatically with mirrorless technology. The high-end mirrorless camera bodies now feature science fiction-like autofocus systems and frame rates of 30, 40, and even 125 fps. Nowadays, getting the eye sharp is no longer a problem. The problem more often involves selecting the strongest image from a long series of sharp images.

The truth, however, is that there is a lot more than owning a Canon EOS R1, a Nikon Z9, or a Sony a-1 ii to consistently creating great photographs of birds in flight. Some of the biggest factors to success include gear choice, shooting strategies, and understanding the importance of sky conditions and wind speed and direction. Once you have the techniques and technical aspects down pat and can routinely create sharp images, learning the importance of flight poses, wing positions, backgrounds, and subject placement and image design enable you to create and then select superb flight images. And you guessed it, each of those topics and tons more are covered in detail in The Complete and Quintessential Guide to Photographing Birds in Flight.

The guide consists of 267 pages and 21,013 words. There are 82 illustrative photos scattered throughout the text, two screen captures, and a 112-image gallery that includes examples created by Canon, Nikon, and mostly Sony gear. As seen above, each of the 194 inspirational photos is labeled with an educational caption.

You can purchase your copy here for $99.00.

Arash Hazeghi

Arash Hazeghi, Ph.D. is a principal electron device engineer. He received his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering in 2011, from Stanford University, Stanford, California. His pioneering research on Carbon Nanotubes has been cited many times. In the past decade, Arash Hazeghi has been a major contributor to the research and the development of some of the most cutting-edge technologies introduced by Silicon Valley’s most reputable names including SanDisk, Intel and Apple.

More relevant here is that he is widely recognized as one of the world’s best birds in flight photographers. He specializes in raptors and the technical aspects of bird photography.

Flight photography is a skill that can be studied, practiced, and learned. Learn to get better in The Complete and Quintessential Guide to Photographing Birds in Flight

The Complete and Quintessential Guide to Photographing Birds in Flight
By Arash Hazeghi Ph.D., and Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What you will learn (about):

1- Weight and handholding super-telephoto lenses.
2- Weight and handholding intermediate telephoto and telephotos zoom lenses.
3- Choosing the right flight photography lens or lenses for you.
4- The importance of focal length for flight photography.
5- The importance of lens speed (the maximum aperture for flight photography.
6- Choosing between fixed focal lengths and zoom lenses for flight photography.
7- The importance of AF speed and performance for flight photography.
8- Handholding tips and techniques.
9- Shooting flight off a tripod with the Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro.
10- Flight poses and wing positions.
11- Why artie changed his mind about the 400mm f/2.8 lenses for flight and more.
12- The advantages and disadvantages of using teleconverters for flight photography.
13- Why to stay away from off-brand lenses.
14- Understanding the importance of wind direction and speed for flight photography.
15- The relationship between sky conditions and wind direction and how it affects flight photography.
16- Creating flight silhouettes in wind-against-sun conditions.
17- The importance of being on sun angle for flight photography (and avoiding harsh shadows).
18- Tips on doing flight photography in cloudy, foggy, or overcast conditions.
19- About the direction of light in cloudy, foggy, or overcast conditions and how it affects flight photography.
20- How your understanding of bird behavior can dramatically improve your flight photography.
21- Tips on attracting birds for flight photography.
22- What to do when your camera’s AF system is temporarily blind.
23- The vital importance of pre-focusing.
24- How Direct Manual Focus can help you with flight photography.
25- The importance of shooting aggressively when doing flight photography.
26- Everything that you need to know with regards to rest positions for flight photography.
27- The importance of getting low when doing flight in many situations.
28- Getting the right exposure when doing flight photography.
29_ Why to use Manual mode 95% of the time for flight.
30- Tips on finding the bird in the frame, acquiring focus, and tracking the bird in flight.
31- How to set and best utilize your lens’s image stabilization feature (and why).
32- Setting the focus range limiter switch on your flight lens or lenses.
33- To choose the best shutter speed for photographing birds in flight.
34- The vital importance of pre-focusing. And yes, this is so important that it is on the list twice.

You can purchase your copy here.

This image was created on 14 August 2025 by student/friend/multiple IPT veteran Steve Shore on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand, he used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1000: 1/2500 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 6:18:33pm on a sunny afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: Black Skimmer in flight with snapper (baby Bluefish) Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Steve Shore Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Flight Photography Bar Has Been Raised

With dSLR gear, creating sharp-on-the-eye images of birds in flight was a big challenge. With today’s high end mirrorless gear, that is no longer the case. during every flight photography session, competent folks will create dozens if not hundreds of sharp images. Well let, razor sharp photos of birds in flight with pleasing wing positions are now a dime a dozen. For a flight image to stand out, your images need something special.

Like the baby bluefish in the bill of the skimmer in Image #1. When I was twelve or thirteen, I used to fish for (and catch) snapper blues off the docks near Flatbush Avenue and Avenue U. Until they built the Kings Plaza mall right there. Breaded and fried crispy the made a delicious snack.

This image was also created on 14 August 2025, this one by yours truly on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2500: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:30:29pm on a partly hazy sunny afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #2: Black Skimmer braking during midair squabble Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

So What’s Special About This One?

It is rare to see a bird braking in flight (as if it were landing) when it is involved in a midair squabble.

This image was created on 18 August 2025 by student/friend/multiple IPT veteran Vasili Chernishof on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand, he used the handheld Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens (at 216mm) and the remarkable Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 2000: 1/2000 sec at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:42:46am on a partly cloudy morning. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: Black Skimmer in attacking mode Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Vasili Chernishof Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Super Sharp!

When I first saw Vasili’s image, I was impressed by the incredible sharpness he achieved with his 100-300 zoom lens. I cropped this one from a horizontal image and added canvas both above and below.

With many of the young skimmers outside of the colony ropes, we would grab a seat with the wind and the light behind us (when possible). Several skimmers would fly at us halfheartedly and present some good opportunities with short fast lenses. The good news is that unlike the Common Terns, the skimmers will never make contact with your head. If you ever get way up north, beware of the Arctic Terns; they will leave you bloody and bowed when defending their eggs and chicks.

This image was also created on 18 August 2025 by yours truly on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Standing at full height behind my Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 6400: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:27:48am on a then-cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #4: Adult Black Skimmer chasing juvenile Laughing Gull Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Aerial Defense

Whenever a gull flies over the colony, one or more adult skimmers will take to the air to chase off the intruders that are always looking for a small chick as a snack, or a large chick as a meal. For Image #3 I replaced the attacking skimmer with one from another frame in the series.

This image was also created on 18 August 2025 by yours truly on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand I used the handheld (!) Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 3200: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 56:08am on a still-cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #5: Juvenile Common Tern banking in flight Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Juvenile Commons

August is a wonderful time to attempt to photograph young Common Terns in flight as nearly all the chicks are fledged and flying. Handholding the 600mm f/4 made it a bit easier to track and frame the bird as it turned in flight As I mentioned here recently, handholding the Sony 400-800mm lens so much has made me stronger. I can now handhold the big gun, the 600mm f/4 GM, for more than a few seconds.

This image was also created on 18 August 2025 by yours truly on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and the and The Latest Greatest Flagship Body, the Sony a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1250: 1/4000 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 6:32:21am on a sunny afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #6: Black Skimmer adult in attack mode beginning dive Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

One Out of Two Ain’t Bad!

On warm, windy afternoons, you will usually encounter many dozens of midair skimmer squabbles. The Sony 200-600 is the ideal skimmer fight lens as it enables you to zoom out to include both battling birds in the frame of zoom in to pick off a single bird. Here I zoomed to 600mm and created a full frame image of one of the combatants as it dived on the skimmer below it. The optimized image is a tiny crop.

This image was created on 19 August 2025 by yours truly on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1250: 1/4000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:09:46am on a cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #7: Black Skimmer screaming in flight/head portrait Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Amazing Mirrorless Autofocus

I instructed both Steve and Vasili to keep shooting when a bird flew right at them and to try to keep the bird in the middle of the frame. Why? The autofocus systems on today’s best mirrorless camera bodies are capable of tracking a bird in flight so accurately that head shots of flying birds are realistically possible even as they approach point blank range.

This image was also created on 19 August 2025 by yours truly on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 800: 1/4000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:09:46am on a then partly cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #8: Black Skimmer in flight with Striped Killifish for a chick Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Full Frame AF Magic

It is hard to believe that the a-1 ii is capable of tracking a bird’s eye to the bottom of the frame even as the bird is practically filling the frame. When I was a Canon Explorer of Light, one of the original 55, I used to tell the folks in Lake Success that it would be great if we had an AF system that was science-fiction-like in its tracking accuracy. Today, the high end camera bodies from all three of the major camera manufacturer’s offer AF systems that come pretty darned close to what I always dreamed of.

This image was also created on 19 August 2025 by yours truly on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 800: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:19:08am on a then partly sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #9: Black Skimmer group in flight Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

Group Flight Shots

The Black Skimmers at Nickerson will often blast off in large or small groups seemingly without rhyme or reason. My advice to Vasili was to frame a group, acquire focus, create a short series of images, and then repeat the process several times. When you are using a relatively large focusing area such as a zone or a group, or the full screen pattern, it is impossible to tell which bird in the group the system will focus on. Theoretically, it should always focus on the closest subject but don’t bet your life on that. And choosing a single point and attempting to get it on and keep it on a single bird while designing a pleasing image is 100% impossible. Thus, my advice to focus, frame, rinse and repeat. This strategy may rarely result in a pleasing motif as seen in Image #8 above.

This image was also created on 19 August 2025 by yours truly on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1250: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 7:38:28am on a then partly sunny morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #10: Black Skimmer midair squabble Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Real Deal

On this trip alone, I have created thousands of photographs of squabbling skimmers. I have the birds biting each other, kicking each other, and screaming at each other. Most of my successful images are the result of grabbing a bird from each of two images in a series and combining them. As with Image #3 above.

Only very rarely do you come up with an image where both birds are relatively sharp and nicely juxtaposed. Image #9 is one of those rare ones.

This image was created on 20 August 2025 by yours truly on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seating on damp sand behind my Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2500: 1/2500 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 9:27:55am on a cloudy morning. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #11: Adult Black Skimmer shaking off water in flight after bathing Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/birds as Art

This image was also created on 22 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Seated on damp sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1250: 1/3200 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 6:39:37pm on a sunny afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #12: Common Tern taking flight after bath Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Perfection Never Hurts a Flight Shot

Super sharp, pleasing image design, sweet light, gorgeous blue water, a perfect raised wing pose, a good head angle, and zero underwing shadows make this a very strong image. Is it good enough to make my top two?

Why would this image have been worse if I had gotten lower?

Once I spotted the situation, Sony’s Zebra technology enabled me to nail the exposure without have to make a test image. This was the first from I created after I sat down. You gotta love it.

This image was also created on 22 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Standing in a foot of water, I used the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 434mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2500: 1/2500 sec. at f/8 (wide open?) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:15:41pm late on a sunny afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #13: Juvenile American Oystercatcher in flight Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Pan Faster!

Universal advice for better flight photography: pan faster to keep the bird back in the frame. I panned too slowly when making this image so the bird was much too far forward in the frame. Thus, I needed to add canvas in front of the bird while cropping the image from behind. Me thinks that I did a masterful job with that …

This image was also created on 22 August 2025 at Nickerson Beach. Again, standing in a foot of water, I used the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 2500: 1/2500 sec. at f/8 (wide open?) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:20:11pm late on a sunny afternoon. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #14: Juvenile Black Skimmer in flight Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Juvenile Skimmers in Flight

Photographing young flying skimmers is a challenge as the usually do not fly very high in the air and their flight is quite erratic. With the right conditions, we should have some chances on fledged flying Black Skimmers skimming along the edge of the surf. At times, they will skim the sand for practice.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

What’s Up?

Vasili Chernishof is back in action. On his first morning at Nickerson with his Canon EOS R1, he created 17,867 images. On his second morning, 17,240. On his third morning, he slipped all the way down to 15,756 photos. I have not kept track of his afternoon totals. We continue to have good luck with Black Skimmers and chicks of varying sizes, Common Tern adults and fledged flying young, and adult and juvenile American Oystercatcher.

Today is Tuesday 19 August 2025. Vasili wandered off down the beach a bit and returned with photos of a Great Black-backed Gull devouring a medium sized skimmer chick. We will be heading out at about 6:00pm today for skimmer midair squabbles and tern flock blurs at sunset. Whatever you opt to do today, I hope that you chose to have fun and be happy.

I still have room at the AirBnB for the last Nickerson Beach IPT:

Nickerson Beach 4-Day Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT): MON AUG 25 afternoon thru the morning session on FRI AUG 29, 2025: $2299.00.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — 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 or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, 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 save 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.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but using my affiliate links is greatly appreciated. And, with B&H, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!

B&H

Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1-ii from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1-ii Info and Updates Group, a roughly $225.00 value. But 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. Using either my affiliate links is greatly appreciated and will often earn you free guides or discounts.

Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can always 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 when your product ships. 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 prior purchases.

You can visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

This image was created on 13 August 2025 by yours truly on a wind-against-sun morning on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the foot-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 800. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +1 stop. AUTO ISO set ISO 1600: 1/2500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 6:25:03am on mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Black Skimmer in the “Red Light District.” Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Pro Wind Against Sun Tip — Working the Red Light District

On sunny or mostly sunny summer mornings at the beach with a wind blowing at the sun, red light district opportunities are possible if you know what to look for. As soon as the sun comes up and hits the beach, you need a bird directly between you and the sun. And you need to get low, the lower the better. With a bit of haze or fog in the eastern sky, the color is intensified. Isolating a single bird can be difficult but doing so can pay big rewards. In this image, the rear end of the oystercatcher in Image #3 was removed from the frame.

Similar situations may be found at sunset on occasion.

This image was also created on 13 August 2025 by yours truly on a wind-against-sun morning on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the foot-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 800. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +1 stop. AUTO ISO set ISO 1250: 1/2500 second at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 6:25:07am on mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2: Black Skimmer taking flight in the “Red Light District.” Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Shutter Priority for Sunrises and Sunsets

As regular readers know, when working with sunrise or sunset color, I will often go from Manual mode with ISO on the thumb dial to Shutter Priority mode with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial and AUTO ISO. That provided there is no chance of a dark background causing gross over-exposure of the sky. Four seconds after I made Image #1, the skimmer took flight. Working at 1200mm with the lens on your insteps for flight photography is not recommended. But I followed my own oft-given advice and fired away when the action occurred. I created about a dozen frames. Not surprisingly, the wings were badly clipped in all but two of those.

Here is a tip that I offer on all IPTs: when a bird flying at you seems to be too large to fit in the frame, keep firing! You might get lucky, or very lucky as I did with Image #2. Though nothing was clipped in the raw file, I did expand canvas at bit left, below, and above.

This image was created on 13 August 2025 by student/friend Steve Shore on a wind-against-sun morning on a Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on damp sand he used the flattened Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering +1 stop. AUTO ISO set ISO 640: 1/1250 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 6:36:20am on mostly sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: American Oystercatcher in the “Red Light District.” Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Steve Shore

Good Students Listen

Steve Shore had been asking about the Red Light District for days so I was glad that we had a chance last Wednesday to get some practice in what turned out to be spectacular conditions. Kudos to him for listening to the instructor when I suggested that he work in Shutter Priority mode with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial and AUTO ISO. As he was on a tripod he went with 1/1250 sec. As the foot-pod technique is not as stable as a tripod, I went with 1/2500 sec. When my skimmer took flight, my choice of a higher shutter speed turned out to be perfect.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

Your Call?

Which two of Judy’s four featured images do you like best? Please let us know why you made your choices.

In the Last Blog Post

In the last blog post, my favorite image was the consensus pick, the pink sky Common Tern silhouette. My second favorite was one that did not touch anyone else, the young Great Black-backed Gull pano with the ghostly Common Tern with its wing raised.

What’s Up?

Photography at Nickerson Beach continues to be excellent. On Thursday morning, dozens of skimmer chicks of all ages moved out of the Easy Colony onto the open beach as they usually do at this time of year. We shall see on Friday if that repeats. I forgot to mention that on Tuesday morning Steve Shore and I witnessed an adult Great Black-backed Gull swallow a large skimmer chick whole. There will be lots more of that in the coming weeks.

Today is Friday 15 August 2025. We headed to the beach early. Steve experienced his first wind and sun together morning with a nice northeast wind and sweet gorgeous light. After five straight days of clear skies and southwest wind, he created more than 8,000 images with his handheld Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens, either TC, and an a-1 ii. We will be headed to the beach at about 6pm for some more fun and learning. I still have room at the AirBnB for the last Nickerson Beach IPT:

Nickerson Beach 4-Day Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT): MON AUG 25 afternoon thru the morning session on FRI AUG 29, 2025: $1899.00.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — 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 or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, 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 save 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.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but using my affiliate links is greatly appreciated. And, with B&H, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!

B&H

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. But 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. Using either my affiliate links is greatly appreciated and will often earn you free guides or discounts.

Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can always 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 when your product ships. 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 prior purchases.

You can visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

This image was created by Judy Stepenaskie on 9 August 2025 on the first 2025 Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand she used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens (at 428mm) and the impressive Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in-viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinkies on the JPEG. ISO 1000: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1. AWB at 7:46am on a sunny morning. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Adult Common Tern with Atlantic Silversides for chick Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2024: Judy Stepenaskie Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Judy Stepanaskie

Judy’s first IPT was Nickerson Beach in 2024. In the Judy Proves that Bird Photography is Not Rocket Science blog post here, I wrote:

Judy showed up barely understanding how to operate her Canon gear. After a 90-minute camera body setup session, a phone call to Dan Cadieux for menu help, and a bit of in the field instruction, she began making some excellent images. And she continued to do so for the next five days. When she got back home, she shared some of her images with her partner, Dave, and sent me this e-mail:

Hi Artie: I can’t believe it – Dave was looking at some of my pics and he said: “You never made pictures like this before”!!!

I can believe it. Bird photography is not rocket science. If you cannot join an IPT, be sure to study and bookmark the Improve Your Bird (and Nature) Photography By Leaps and Bounds blog post here. Judy has been working hard to improve. She attended a Stick Marsh IPT last March and came back to Nickerson Beach last week for another crack at the terns, skimmers, and oystercatchers.

This image was also created by Judy Stepenaskie on 9 August 2025 on the first 2025 Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand she used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens (at 400mm) and the impressive Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in-viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinkies on the JPEG. ISO 1000: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1. AWB at 7:54am on a sunny morning. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Adult Common Tern in flight straight down the lens barrel Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2024: Judy Stepenaskie Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART<

Zooming with the RF 100-500mm

Zooming in and out with the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens is a challenge for two reasons:

1- The lens does not feature internal focus; it gets longer physically as you zoom in and shorter when you zoom out.
2- Even when it is on the Smooth setting, the lens does not zoom smoothly. It is very sticky in one direction (but cannot remember which). At times I suggest that you need an oil filter wrench to zoom in or out.

Kudos to Judy for zooming out perfectly with her three Common Tern flight shots, especially this one as it is presented full frame, un-cropped.

The Pink Hotel

When you are working on sun angle at Nickerson Beach, you will often wind up with the old “pink hotel” in your backgrounds. In this image, it adds rather than detracts as it often does. The former Lido Club Hotel is now Lido Beach Towers, a high end condominium.

This image was also created by Judy Stepenaskie on 9 August 2025 on the first 2025 Nickerson Beach Extended IPT. Seated on dry sand she used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens (at 324mm) and the impressive Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in-viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinkies on the JPEG. ISO 500: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1. AWB at 8:23am on a sunny morning. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Juvenile Common Tern looking down in flight Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2024: Judy Stepenaskie Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART<

R6 II Photo Mechanic Alert

If you use an R6 II and opt to capture in HDR PQ, Photo Mechanic will not be able to render your images; you will not be able to view them.

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. PQ stands for Perceptual Quantization. Select [HDR shooting ]. Select [Enable]. On the screen during shooting and playback, converted images are displayed so that that resemble how the images would look on an HDR display device. HDR PQ settings do not affect the raw file so turning this feature On makes zero sense to me. Judy had no idea how it got activated on her camera.

This image was also created by Judy Stepenaskie on 28 March 2024 on a Stick Marsh Extended IPT. Seated on on a milk crate, she she used the handheld Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z lens (White) with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (at 280mm) and the impressive Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined using the in-viewfinder histogram and confirmed after evaluation of blinkies on the JPEG. ISO 5000! 1/1600 sec. at f/4.. AWB at 6:24:57am on a hazy morning. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Roseate Spoonbill landing Image Courtesy of and Copyright 2024: Judy Stepenaskie Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART<

Lessons Learned Well

More kudos to Judy for purchasing the RF 70-200Z lens and the RF 1.4X TC just for Stick Marsh. Kudos to Judy for not being scared of ISO 5000. Kudos to Judy for selecting a reasonable shutter speed in low light conditions, and for creating the lovely spoonbill image featured above.

Note: the first Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens did not accept either teleconverter. I commented at the time of its release that that made zero sense to me.

Bird photographers are advised to purchase either the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z Lens (White) or the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z Lens (Black). Each accepts both TCs and is — as Judy’s spoonbill image shows, wonderful for close range photography of birds in flight.

If you are interested in joining me at Stick Marsh next season, please let me know via e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Super-Telephoto lens (the “old five”) with many Extras!

Avian audio recording expert Lang Elliott is offering a used Canon 500mm f/4L IS USM super-telephoto lens (the “old five”) in very good plus condition plus a ton of extras for a ridiculously low $1999.00. Included are a 1.4X III TC in near-excellent condition, a 2X II TC in near-excellent condition, the front leather lens cover, the lens trunk — sorry, no key), the rear lens cap, the original drop-in clear filter, a drop-in circular polarizing filter, a drop-in screw filter (with three ND lenses to choose from), and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only. Your items will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Lang via e-mail.

I owned, used, and traveled with “the old five” for many years back when I was a Canon Explorer of Light, one of the original 55. It was and is much lighter than all but the most recent versions of theCanon 600mm f/4IS lenses (and a lot smaller as well) and thus is a lot easier to travel with. It is a sharp lens and does just fine with either TC. With so many extras, Lang’s lens is an absolute steal. It does quite well with any of the high end Canon mirrorless camera bodies (with one of the RF to EF adapters). artie

Canon EOS 7D Mark II with Extras

Price reduced $50.00 on 11 August 2025

Good friend and many multiple IPT veteran Indranil Sircar is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II in excellent plus condition with several extras for a now ridiculously low $399.00 (was $449.00). The shutter count is 31001. The sale includes the Canon Battery Grip BG-E16 (a roughly $69.00 value), the original and one extra Canon battery (a roughly $50.00 value), the original box, the cables and software and manuals, the battery charger, the front body cap, Canon Remote Release RS-80N3 (a roughly $50.00 value) and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only.

Please contact Indranil via e-mail.

If you are looking to get started with a Canon dSLR, Indranil’s 7DII is perfect for you. Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II bodies until about ten years ago when we both committed to using full-frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. The 7D Mark II remains one of the greatest-ever values in a digital camera body. artie

What’s Up?

After grabbing Steve Shore at JFK on Saturday afternoon, we had a nice fish dinner at our Long Beach AirBnB and then headed to Nickerson. There was a gentle south wind and we did well with flight and skimmer chicks of varying ages. Sunday morning was tough with wind against sun conditions but the morning was saved when I found a tiny skimmer chick. With a brisk SW wind, Sunday afternoon was stellar for skimmer flight and midair fights.

Today is Monday 11 August and we will be headed to the beach early to face the morning wind-against-sun conditions 🙁 I still have room in the AirBnB for the last Nickerson Beach IPT:

Nickerson Beach 4-Day Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT): MON AUG 25 afternoon thru the morning session on FRI AUG 29, 2025: $1899.00.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — 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 or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, 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 save 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.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

This image was created on 10 August 2025 on the first morning of the Nickerson Beach Extended IPT with multiple IPT veteran and good friend Steve Shore. Seated on dry sand I used the foot pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 800mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1000: 1/3200 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:54:55am on a sunny morning. Tracking Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #1: 3-day old Black Skimmer chick bird-scape Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Pulling One Out of the Hat!

With bright sun and a brisk wind from the southwest (wind-against-sun: bad), Steve Shore’s first morning was a challenging one. That after Judy Stepanaskie enjoyed three east wind mornings (wind and sun together: good). We took a long walk down the beach and found one un-banded American Oystercatcher catching mole crabs in the surf. While sitting trying flight photography with the wrong wind, we stumbled across a tiny skimmer chick.

When it nestled down 3/4 facing me in a small scrape to the right of a small stand of beach vegetation, I thought “bird scape!” 800mm with a small crop turned out to be perfect.

This image was created on 10 August 2025 on the first morning of the Nickerson Beach Extended IPT with multiple IPT veteran and good friend Steve Shore. Standing at full height I used the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Focal length: 6.8mm. (iPhone 15 Pro Max back triple camera 6.765mm f/1.78). ISO: 64: 1/12000 sec. at f/8. Image #2: artie’s seated butt crawling tracks in the sand Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Very Arduous Butt-Crawl

Boys and girls, those are not sea turtle tracks. Honest. As described here previously, I put my rig on my lap and pushed myself forward with my hands. I got down at the starting point and somewhere along the journey created Image #1. The tiny chick kept moving west. One of the parent birds landed briefly near the chick several times and then flew off. From the starting point to “A” was about 15 yards. From “A” to “X” was about 12 feet. Sitting at “A,” I photographed the chick in a small scrape at “X.”

This image was created on 10 August 2025 on the first morning of the Nickerson Beach Extended IPT with multiple IPT veteran and good friend Steve Shore. Seated on dry sand I used the foot pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 1071mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1000: 1/1000 sec. at f/13 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:15:31am on a sunny morning. Tracking Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version. Image #3: 3-day old Black Skimmer chick bird-scape Image copyright 2025: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Sony 400-800 + the 1.4X Teleconverter

On sunny days, the Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter is a viable combination. The results are incredibly sharp. I have used this combination previously but never got around to publishing the image. At least I do not think that I did. Please correct me if I am in error.

Was the Arduous Butt-Crawl Worth It?

This, perhaps, is the same question: which is the stronger image, #1 or #3? Why did you make your choice? Either way, a good bit of field skill was required to get close to the very small chick. Note that the “eye tooth” is still visible on the tip of the upper mandible.

The original pre-clean-up files for today’s two featured images

More Too Bad That They Do Not Award Nobel Prizes for Image Cleanup

I used my usual cadre of cleanup tools to clean up today’s images. Those primarily included the Patch Tool and the Remove Tool. I finished Image #1 by applying a 65-pixel Gaussian Blur that was painted in judiciously (I hope) with brushes of varying Opacities after the addition of a Hide All (Inverse, or Black) Layer Mask. While both results are quite impressive (he said modestly), the process is actually very easy to learn. All you need to do is master the use of a handful of Photoshop Tools.

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.

Sony 400-800 GM Lenses

Steve Elkins of Bedfords texted me yesterday and let me know that he has six of my favorite lenses in stock. To grab yours, click here and choose standard shipping. 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. Best of all, you will earn a free copy of the BAA Sony 400-800mm GM Lens Guide.

The BIRDS AS ART SONY 400-800mm f/6.3-9 G Super-telephoto Zoom Lens Guide

When I borrowed this lens from Sony, I assumed that at 5.45 pounds it was too heavy to handhold for long and that at f/8 at the long end (800mm,) it was too slow for most bird photography applications. In short, I did not want to like the lens. After months of using it, I cannot live without it. After returning the loaner, I was miraculously able to get my own from Bedfords on 16 April 2025. In this guide I share everything that I have learned about using the 400-800. For best results, you need to know exactly what you are doing to get the most out of this zoom lens. It would be best, therefore, to consider and study the material in the guide so that you can begin making great images with your new lens.

You will learn how to deal with the relatively show apertures: f/6.3, f/7.1, and f/8 when working in Manual mode.

You will learn how to ensure that you are working at the widest aperture by working in Shutter Priority mode with AUTO ISO.

If you are able to hand hold the lens, you will learn proper hand holding techniques.

If you can’t, you will learn when, why, and how to employ other options. Those include:

1- The knee-pod, heel-pod, and toe-pod techniques

2- Using the lens on a monopod.

3- The best lens plate and low foot for your 4-8.

4- The best tripod and head for the 4-8 and how best to utilize them.

5- How to use the lens from your vehicle while supporting it on a BLUBB (or not and why not).

6- Detailed instructions on how to set and use the lens controls and buttons:

a- AF/MF

b- DMF Switch

c- Limit Range Switch

d- OSS (Optical Steady Shot) Switch

e- OSS Mode Switch

f- Focus Hold Buttons

The guide also includes a Hand Holding Shutter Speed Primer and an illustrative, educational, and inspiring 67-image gallery.

Free to folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase their Sony 400-800 G lens. Otherwise, please click here to order yours or send a PayPal for $115.43 to birdsasart@verizon.net and include the words “400-800 Lens Guide” in your e-mail.

Summer bird photography at Nickerson Beach is excellent.

Nickerson Beach 2025 Educational Opportunities

Please note that prices for both the IPTs and the ITF sessions have been reduced in an effort to attract new blood. Please e-mail for late registration discount info.

Breeding Black Skimmers, Common Terns, and American Oystercatchers with young.

Nickerson Beach 4-Day Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT): MON AUG 25 afternoon thru the morning session on FRI AUG 29, 2025: $1899.00.

Three afternoon sessions, three morning sessions, two brunches with Image Review & Photoshop sessions. AirBnB lodging and rides with the leader possible. Please get in touch with questions or to register with an e-mail to samandmayasgrandpa@att.net and please copy birdsasartstaff@gmail.com) just to be sure. It looks as if Will have access to webmail on one of the two office computers. You can also shoot me a text to 863-221-2372.

Breeding Black Skimmers, Common Terns, and American Oystercatchers with young.

Morning BAA In-the-Field Instructional Sessions (ITFIS) followed by brunch and an Image Review & Photoshop session: $449.00/per session

Available dates: AUG 10-31, SEPT 1-5, 2025. Please get in touch with an e-mail to samandmayasgrandpa@att.net (and please BCC birdsasartstaff@gmail.com) and/or via a text to 863-221-2372 with questions or to register.

Afternoon BAA In-the-Field Instructional Sessions (ITFIS): $299.00/session.

Available dates: AUG 10-15 & 17-31, SEPT 3-5, 2025. Please get in touch with questions or to register with an e-mail to samandmayasgrandpa@att.net and please copy birdsasartstaff@gmail.com) just to be sure. It looks as if Will have access to webmail on one of the two office computers. You can also shoot me a text to 863-221-2372.

Morning and afternoon sessions may be combined and multiple days of instruction are feasible.

Morning In the Field Instruction at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge may be available — 7/21-22/25.

Some of What You Will Learn on a Nickerson Beach IPT

• 1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
• 2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
• 3- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 4- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
• 6- To spot the good and great situations and to choose the best perspective.
• 7- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
• 8- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 9- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they combine to affect bird photography. You will learn where and when to be (and why).
• 10- More than you could ever imagine.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

Your Call?

Which of today’s four featured images is your favorite? Why? Is there one you would have deleted? Why?

In the Last Blog Post

In the last blog post most folks went with the calling Limpkin image for all the obvious reasons and that was my first choice as well with the skinny vertical caracara a close second.

What’s Up?

The most traffic that I had driving from Lorton, VA to Long Island after I got off the Auto Train on Tuesday was in Far Rockaway, Queens, NY. All on my mainly I-95 route was amazingly clean and green before I drove over the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, the Marine Parkway Bridge of my childhood. Thoughts of driving my bike along the Belt Parkway to look for Cecropia Moth cocoons and to fish under the bridge filled my head. And when I got over the bridge and turned to the east I remembered the first time that my Dad’s Mom, Grandma Selma, took me fishing. We caught several small Bergalls. They are also know as Cunners. They are usually considered a trash fish, but Selma took them home and fried them up for lunch!

Wednesday morning was cloudy and overcast. The stars of the morning were several American Oystercatcher families feeding along the surf with handsome pairs of chicks — the fledged youngsters were all un-banded. Most of this year’s Common Tern crop are fledged and flying. It seems that there are fewer Black Skimmer chicks than last year. I found some tiny ones and some fledged and flying. Multiple IPT veteran Judy Stepanaskie drove up from Philly and joined me at the AirBnB for an early dinner. On a hunch, I tried an out of the way spot and we were rewarded by finding some tiny skimmer chicks and several nests with eggs right by the ropes. The overcast weather continued but we did much better than I expected.

Today is Thursday 7 August 2025 and Judy and I enjoyed a productive morning session that began cloudy with a northeast wind and wound up mostly sunny as the wind switched to the east at about 15 mph. Early on,, we worked a small Common Tern chick that was very cooperative as well as some skimmers on both eggs and chicks. Then we headed east and had some good flight photography. Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful and productive day and that you have fun too. Do remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com.

If you’ve been thinking of joining me at Nickerson Beach, please e-mail for late registration discount info.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — 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 or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, 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 save 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.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on the Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025), in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), or for Roseate Spoonbills at Stick Marsh (March 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Some offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and meals. Ground transportation during your stay is a possibility at times.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but using my affiliate links is greatly appreciated. And, with B&H, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!

B&H

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. But 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.

This image was created on 14 January 2025 on the 2025 San Diego Extended IPT. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 800: 1/1600 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 10:19:28am on sunny morning. Wide: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Brown Pelican Pacific race preening

A La Jolla Secret

Getting a sunlit pelican with a dark background is tricky. You need to be somewhat off sun angle and get as tall as possible to utilize the dark shaded cliffs as background. The results are always different and can be stunning.

This image was created on 17 January 2025 on the 2025 San Diego Extended IPT. Standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and the and The Latest Greatest Flagship Body, the Sony a1 II Mirrorless Camera. Evaluative metering +1.7 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 125: 1/8 sec. at f/32 in Shutter Priority mode. Exposure determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Wheel. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect: AWB at 7:31:08am well before the sun came over the hills of La Jolla. Lower center Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #2: Brandt’s Cormorants leaving the wall

Dependable But Different

Early every morning at La Jolla, hundreds of Brandt’s along with a very few Pelagic Cormorants fly out from the nesting wall, sometimes en masse. I most often try to create pleasingly blurred motifs. Image #2 was created by combining two photos — one of the birds and one of the Pacific Ocean, and playing around with the Blending Modes. Both images were created at 1/8 second.

This image was created on 18 January on the 2025 San Diego IPT. Seated on damp sand and worked off the tilted read screen I used the foot-pod technique with the the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter and the Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1600. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel; 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead solid perfect: AWB at 7:09:56am just after sunrise at Coronado Beach. Wide/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #3: Marbled Godwit distal rhynchokinesis Image copyright 2025 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Distal Rhynchokinesis

Most long-billed shorebird species (Scolopacidae) worldwide have the amazing ability to bend the flexible tip of their upper mandibles upwards, as seen dramatically in Image #3. Distal rhynchokinesis has long been commonly associated with the deep probing feeding method. In 2007 Sora M Estrella and José A Masero reported for the first time the use and occurrence of distal rhynchokinesis in wild long-billed shorebirds feeding on small prey items suspended in water! Learn more about their discovery here.

Marbled Godwits are not easy in San Diego but I know the perfect spot to try for them in early morning light.

This image was created on 17 January 2025 on the 2025 San Diego Extended IPT. Seated on grass and dirt, I used the knee-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and the and The Latest Greatest Flagship Body, the Sony a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 1250: 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 4:01:53pm in the shade. Wide: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #4: Wood Duck leucistic hen

Leucism in Birds

Bird leucism is a genetic mutation that results in a total or partial reduction of color in a bird’s plumage. The reduction of color in the bird’s plumage is due to an inadequate deposition or fixation of pigments only in the bird’s feathers. Other parts of the bird’s body have normal coloration. I like to describe luecistic (loo-si-stuhk) birds as mocha colored. This hen Wood Duck was quite tame and posed for the group on several afternoons.

Leucistic birds have the normal pigments and amount of melanin. The pigments are inadequately fixated or fail to be deposited properly in the feathers. This means that leucistic birds have a normal coloration of the eyes, bill, legs, and bare parts. Unlike albinism, which affects all pigments and results in pink eyes, leucism only affects the deposition of pigment in the feathers; the eyes typically retain their normal coloration.

The above was adapted in part from the Avian Report here.

San Diego offers an incredible variety of attractive avian subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of Brown Pelican. Clockwise from top left back to center: juvenile and sub-adult Brown Pelicans; Heermann’s Gull; Western Gull; Allen’s Hummingbird; Brandt’s Cormorant; Gadwall hen; Wood Duck drake; Willet; Brown Pelican tight flight. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The 2026 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs

San Diego IPT #1: 4 1/2 DAYS: THURS 8 JAN thru the morning session on MON 12 JAN 2026: $2599.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.

San Diego IPT #2: 4 1/2 DAYS: FRI 16 JAN thru the morning session on TUES 20 JAN 2026: $2599.00. Limit: 6 photographers.

Morning BAA In-the-Field Instructional Sessions (ITFIS) followed by brunch and an Image Review & Photoshop session: $449.00/per session

Available dates: JAN 14 & 15 and 21-23 2026. Please get in touch with questions or to register with an e-mail to samandmayasgrandpa@att.net and please shoot me a text to 863-221-2372.

AirBnB accommodations and ground transport with the leader are available for all IPTs and for all In the Field Instructional Sessions on a first come, first served basis. Please e-mail for details and information on personalized pre- and post-IPT morning sessions.

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on exposure along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode so that you can get the right exposure every time (as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant). Or two seconds with SONY zebras … And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning, there is usually some excellent flight photography, at times with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego. Each IPT will include one or two duck sessions.

Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The San Diego Details

These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon shoot. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Deposit Info

A $699 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2024 San Diego IPT. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due three months before the trip.

Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late

On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.