Lush and Simple and Green « Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Lush and Simple and Green

What’s Up?

My two photo hunting trips yesterday were fairly successful with cranes and Cattle Egrets on the menu. There was huge hatch of the large mayflies three days ago. It took the Cattle Egrets a day to find them but for the last two days as many as a hundred of the small white egrets having been gorging themselves all along the lakefront.

I was getting ominously dark at 1pm so I jumped in the pool early for my swim. Then the thunderstorms came. And then the sun came out so I headed back down to the lake “for a few minutes.” I stayed for close to two hours. With my work on the SONY e-Guide pretty much done, I finally got to spend some quality time in the Avian Forum on BirdPhotographers.Net. BPN: It ain’t just birds! Where honest critiques are done gently.

I will be heading down to the lake early today — Tuesday 21 APR 2020 — to do some hunting with my SONY gear.

Ask and ye shall receive …

Thanks a stack to the dozens of folks who commented on the last two blog posts. Though I disagreed with about half of those comments, all were greatly appreciated.

Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris

The Sony Camera Videos and Pre-publication e-Guide Costs and Discount Info

The cost of the SONY e-Guide is $100.00 US and will include one of the four (4) camera set-up videos — we offer one video each for the a7r iii, the a7r iv, the a9, and the a9 ii — and the written guide with the galleries. The guide is now 98% done and you will — of course, receive the final version when it is completed. I sent out the third draft today to those who have purchased the Guide with or without the discount.

Folks who have used my B&H links or purchased their SONY gear from Bedfords will receive said discount based exactly on how much they spent. If you spent more than $10,000 you will receive one free video and the e-Guide. Additional camera videos are $25.00 each. If you spent $2400, you will receive a 24% discount, and so on and so forth. And again, additional camera videos will be $25.00 each.

I will need time to verify your B&H purchases so folks will need to send their receipts and then be a bit patient. It is much easier to verify Bedfords’ purchases but I need those receipts as well.

If you have not used BAA links, please do so in the future. If that is the case and you would like the e-Guide now, please send a Paypal for $100 US to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words “SONY Pre-publication Guide” in the Paypal e-mail along with the name of your camera or cameras so that you can receive the correct video or videos. Please add $25 for each additional camera video. Be sure to send a copy of the Paypal transaction to me via e-mail.

Folks who have used BAA links to purchase their SONY gear should send their receipts to me via e-mail asap and let me know which camera videos they need. I will verify their purchases as quickly as possible and send a quote to be paid via Paypal as above.

Thanks to all who have properly used my B&H links or gone through the fabulous Steve Elkins at Bedfords, and thanks to everyone for having faith in the information that I provide, knowing that it will be the best available anywhere.

This image was created on 19 APR 2020 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from inside my SUV, I used the Induro GIT 204/FlexShooter Mini-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4xteleconverter, and the 61-MP Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 1000. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. was perfect. AWB at 9:14am an overcast morning.

Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection allowing me to create a pleasing image design with the subject well back in the frame.

Click the image to enjoy a larger version.

Image #1: Sandhill Crane in marsh grasses

Add Green Whenever Possible

I am not sure if I first wrote those words in the original, softcover, The Art of Bird Photography or in the digital follow-up, The Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II on CD or via electronic download for our overseas friends). In any case, the advice is still right-on today. With both featured images in this blog poast, I followed that advice in spades.

Both publications above are still worth their weight in gold — and combined — have been the how-to bibles for a generation of skilled bird photographers.

This image was created on 20 APR 2020 at Inidian Lake Estates, FL. Working from inside my SUV, I used the Induro GIT 204/FlexShooter Mini-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter, and the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera Body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode was a perfect exposure. AWB at 8:07 on aa very overcast morning.

Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection allowing me to create a pleasing image design with the subject well back in the frame.

Click the image to enjoy a larger version.

Image #2: Cattle Egret in grass

Exposure and Image Design

Putting ISO on the control wheel and using Patrick Sparkman’s brilliant Zebras technique allows photographers to learn to consistently make perfect exposures. And practicing with and becoming skilled at using Tracking Flexible Spot (M) allows folks to create pleasing image designs using technology never before available in a digital camera body. As advised in both ABP and ABP II, keeping the bird “back in the frame” is the key to creating effective horizontal photographs.

The big concern with both images here was to be sure to leave room for the virtual feet … Questions on that are welcome

Advantage SONY!

Your Favorite?

Please take a moment to let us know which of today’s two featured images is your favorite (and why). Again, I have a clear favorite and will share my thoughts here on the blog for sure.

Gotta run!

8 comments to Lush and Simple and Green

  • avatar Stacy Baird

    The easy answer is 2, straight forward image. Bird stands out. #1 is busy, low color contrast (low contrast in general), bird doesn’t stand out. But truth be told, it’s more interesting. Try a vertical crop, something shy of full height, then the lovely crane is the visual focus and you have the grass in the foreground and OOF background. Mo’ beautiful.

  • O.k., somebody has to prefer #1, and it’s me, because I really like the way the shape and color of the crane are echoed in the row of out-of-focus grasses. It’s as if there a nice row of similar out-of-focus grass shapes but then one of them turns out to be both in focus and a bird.

  • avatar Esther Corley

    Image 2 is my vote…it is easy for my eyes to go right to the subject – the bird. No “hunting”, as in the first image…

  • avatar James Saxon

    Image 2 is my favorite. Agree with most comments already stated. Bird stands out more in the frame for me. Since we read from left to right have you thought of flipping the image in PS so the bird is facing into the frame? Just a thought.

  • avatar Kathy Graff

    I prefer the second image. It’s easier to separate the Cattle Egret from the background and appreciate the subtle coloring of its’ feathers. Very nice background blur.

  • avatar Richard Curtin

    #2. Love the simplicity, beautiful greens, and focus contrast between the egret’s head and background.

  • avatar Maggi Fuller

    Image 2, no contest for me. With the first image, and some of the other images of the Sandhill Cranes you have posted, I feel that the marsh grasses detract from the bird. The colours are too similar and the bird gets lost, which is a pity as they are a spectacular species. I would personally prefer to see an image where the background is dark and the bird really standing out.

    Not withstanding your skill at capturing just the right pose and/or how amazingly sharp the image is, I am afraid these shots do nothing for me! Sorry.

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