Five Million to One Shot Comes Home! Or not? « Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Five Million to One Shot Comes Home! Or not?

What’s Up?

Stick Marsh continues to consistently provide some of the very best photographic opportunities I have ever come across in my almost 38 years of bird photography. I screwed up yesterday by switching back and forth from the 200-600 G lens to the 600 GM (with a TC) and back again. Eery time I switched, I wound up having the wrong rig in my hands. (What else is new???) Today I will put one of my a9 ii bodies on the 600 f/4 with the 1.4X TC and leave it on the grass beside me where I can grab it and hand hold when needed for head portraits.

Despite my misadventures, I wound up with 122 keepers after the first edit on Thursday. Wednesday was 146 keepers after the first edit. As I said, the action at Stick Marsh is phenomenal and unprecedented. On Thursday I tried some out of the box stuff and got some neat images — including the one featured in today’s blog post. What’s more amazing is that with the amazing AF capabilities of the latest mirrorless cameras this (relatively) old man has become a fairly proficient flight photographer (though I still struggle at times with getting the bird in the middle of the frame and keeping it there …) That said, with the last two edits I have deleted hundreds of sharp, perfectly exposed flight shots, images that I and others would have given their eye teeth for just a year ago …

Today is Friday 26 March 2021. I am meeting with BPN/Brian Sump-friend Vaughn Larsen for a morning of In-the-Field Instruction. Vaughn is visiting Florida from the Denver, CO area. The forecast for this morning is for partly cloudy skies with light winds from the south. That is a great forecast for bird photography; the more sun the better. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you have a great day.

This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes ninety-four days in a row with a new one. Please remember to use my B&H affiliate links or to save money at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides or discounts. And doing so often earns my great appreciation.

DeSoto IPT Notes

You will see below that I have committed to both DeSoto IPTs with just a single registrant? Why? Because I value your time and interest. If you are arranging your schedule, taking time off from work, and planning your travel there is no way that I will disappoint you. Note: certain IPTs like Homer Bald Eagle IPTs and Galapagos Photo Cruises (both coming soon) do require a minimum number of sign-ups because of the huge up-front money that is required. DeSoto has been hot lately.

Stick Marsh In-the-Field Instruction

If you live in or will be visiting Florida in the next few weeks, consider joining me for a morning of In-the-Field Instruction at Stick Marsh. A three hour morning session is $300.00. You will enjoy spoonbill flight action beyond what you might have ever dreamed of. You can contact me via e-mail to discuss a schedule and the weather. Or, you can try me on my cell phone or message me at 1-863-221-2372. I will be running a Stick Marsh IPT next March.

The Stick Marsh Site Guide Subscription Service

The Site Guide Subscription Service is a new concept. I e-mailed the first issue yesterday to five smart folks: Stick Marsh Site Guide e-Mail #1: The Basics. I will be e-mailing the next installment tomorrow, Saturday 27 March. The Basics includes specific directions to the site, and a map of the rookery area with specific instructions and wind, weather, and where-to-be advice. There are lots of photographers at Stick Marsh most days. Many are skilled at hand-holding 500 and 600mm f/4 telephotos lenses. But with all due respect, none of them can come anywhere near me when it comes to analyzing the photo opps at a given location. With the exception of a very nice and very helpful man I met, Fred Vaughn, every single photographer got to their favorite spot and never moved. We moved around a lot and had great and different chances all day long. After most of my visits, you will receive an e-mail noting the best current locations and anything new that I’ve learned.

To sign up for the Stick Marsh Site Guide Subscription Service, call Jim in the office weekday afternoons at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand or send a PayPal for the $100.00 to us at birdsasart@verizon.net. Please be sure to include the words Stick Marsh with your Paypal. At some point, we will get this item in the BAA Online Store.

I fully understand that you can go to Google Maps, find the Stick Marsh, visit, and likely make some good or great images. You might think, I can do fine just without artie’s advice. But you will do a whole lot better with it.

As above, please contact me via e-mail to explore the possibilities of a morning In-the-Field Instructional Session or two at Stick Marsh.

This image was created on 25 March 2021 at Stick Marsh. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 400mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure determined with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. The exposure was shown to be less than 1/3 stop under by RawDigger: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:05am on partly sunny morning.

Wide/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Image #1 and Only: Roseate Spoonbill leaving with stick for nest

Five Million to One Shot Comes Home! Or not?

Spoonbills were flying in one after another. They search around for a minute or two for the “best” stick — lord knows how they know which is the best stick — and then they take flight and head back to the rookery a bit more than one hundred yards distant. Every time a bird departs every photographer holds down the shutter button in hopes of getting a single good one in what is a very difficult situation at best. Why? The birds are flying away from us and even the AF system of the SONY a1 had trouble tracking the eye. Especially when there is not an eye in sight as with today’s featured image.

The sound of the shutters going off is almost as deafening as the airboats. Except for the shutters of the R5 shooters that are unfortunately silent. When the 20th bird took off to a crescendo of shutter releases, I called out, “These are one in five million chances.” Everyone laughed out loud.

I absolutely love today’s featured image. What do I like? The full downstroke wing position, the subtle gradation of the still-blue-water background, the great look at the incredible copper-orange tail feathers and the rich, carmine rump. And the stick!

One thing bugs me. If you think you know what it is, please leave a comment.

Does this image work for you? Why or why not?

Sony Alpha a1 Astounds

To learn exactly how I set up my Alpha a1 for flight photography to achieve results like those seen in Image #1, above, join the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group.

SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group

With 18 members already, the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group is going great guns as folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. I learned a ton recently in group e-mail exchanges with Geoff Newhouse, Craig Elson and James Spillman. Like the R5, the a1 is an incredibly complex camera body. But the sad news is that if you are doing bird photography right now, the Alpha a1 pretty much obliterates the competition with 51,000,000 gorgeous pixels and a science-fiction-like AF system … Right now the group is dealing with a fairly serious problem with the a1. We have made SONY aware of the problem and are hoping for a resolution soon.

All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info group. This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 Paypal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info Updates. Or, you can call Jim in the office weekday afternoons at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. New members will receive a composite e-mails that will bring them 100% up to date with where we are with this great new camera body.

All of the images were created at Fort DeSoto in April or early May. Click on the card to enjoy a larger version.

Fort DeSotoIPT card A

Fort DeSoto Spring IPT #1

Fort DeSoto Spring IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS. SAT 10 APR thru the morning session on TUES 13 APR 2021. $1499 includes three lunches. Limit: 6. Openings: 5.

While DeSoto is one of the rare photo hotspots with the potential to be great any day of the year, it absolutely shines in spring. Many of the wading birds and shorebirds are in full breeding plumage. The terns and gulls are courting and copulating. We will have lots of flight photography opportunities. Did I mention that many of the birds are silly tame?

A $499 deposit is required to hold your spot for this 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 immediately after you sign up. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail. If you cancel due to COVID 19 concerns, all of your payments will be refunded.

All of the images were created at Fort DeSoto in April or early May. Click on the card to enjoy a larger version.

Fort DeSoto IPT card B

Fort DeSoto Spring IPT #2

Fort DeSoto Spring IPT #2. 3 1/2 DAYS. MON 26 APR thru the morning session on THURS 29 APR 2021. $1499 includes three lunches. Limit: 6. Openings: 5.

Not only am I conversant in all three major camera systems used in the US — Nikon, Canon, and SONY (sorry Andy Rouse …), I have used all three within the past four years. Those include both SONY and Canon mirrorless. On both of these IPTs you will learn how to get the best exposure, how to get the most out of your AF system, and how to get close to free and wild birds. And tons more.

A $499 deposit is required to hold your spot for this 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 immediately after you sign up. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail. If you cancel due to COVID 19 concerns, all of your payments will be refunded.

All of the images were created at Fort DeSoto in April or early May. Click on the card to enjoy a larger version.

Fort DeSoto IPT card C

Fort DeSoto Spring IPTs Expected Species

With any luck, we should get to photograph the following species: Laughing, Ring-billed, Herring, and Lesser Black-backed Gull; Royal, Sandwich, and Forster’s Tern: Great, Snowy, and white and dark morph Reddish Egret and Great Blue, Little Blue, and Tricolored Heron; Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill, and Brown Pelican. We will see and photograph lots of shorebirds including American Oystercatcher, Black-bellied, Wilson’s, Semipalmated, Snowy, and Piping Plover, Marbled Godwit, Willet, Dunlin, Red Knot, Sanderling, and Western and possibly White-rumped Sandpiper.

Sign up for both IPTs and enjoy a $200 discount. Most of us will be staying in nearby Gulfport.

Typos

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

33 comments to Five Million to One Shot Comes Home! Or not?

  • avatar Jeff Walters

    1) It’s flying away! πŸ™‚
    1) the blue on the left wing tip area that looks out of place/wrong
    2) the bird kinda looks like it has been shot down (long shot)
    3) no nest in site
    4) leading edge of rt wing shows 2 dark reddish areas and left wing only shows 1
    I don’t like knit picking!!! To answer the big question I’m not a big fan of this unusual shot. But a great quiz show question….

    What was that Hybrid bird makeup?

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Thanks, Jeff. I love that it is flying away πŸ™‚

      Thanks also for sharing your honest opinion.

      It will be a while till I post more on the mystery Merritt heron πŸ™‚

      with love, artie

  • avatar Ryan Sanderson

    Artie,

    Your image seems to have some sensor readout artifacts, particularly in the left wing. There seems to be some horizontal β€œbanding” at the tips of the wing. I’m not suggesting that this is what your single issue is with the image, but I’m wondering if you’re seeing this artifact frequently with the A1. I see it with the R5 on occasion. It seems to be accentuated with Topaz Denoise AI in my experience.

    Ryan

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Thanks, Ryan. Please see my mail.

      with love, a

      • avatar Adam

        Do you mean the blue artifact on the left wing curl? I don’t get color artifacts on the wingtips on the R5 with Topaz, but on occasion I have seen it create either some color or feather artifact if elsewhere.

  • avatar Steve

    What’s bugging me is the blurriness of the wingtips, especially on the left.

  • avatar byron prinzmetal

    Artie,
    Boy we are getting pickie. A few years ago with older equipment handholding something like a 200-600 and getting 100’s of perfectly sharp images was a thing for much younger “kids” if that. The lenses where heavier, the cameras were heavier, the af systems did not work nearly as well as they do today. Even getting the right exposure with Sony is almost a snap. So, now instead of bitching about is it sharp, exposed right or not which we now all assume; we are talking about a small dot or some such minor thing. Give me a break!!!!

    Things have really changed. The technology has gotten so much better that in my opinion it is now possible that almost anybody even with somewhat shaky dedicated hands, a Sony A1 (or the newest Canon), and some instruction can capture good if not better bif images. While this was possible before, the newer af, lighter cameras/lenses in my opinion have made things a whole bunch easier for “us” older people. Of course, instruction and being in the right place at the right time counts for a lot.

    Bp

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Thanks, byron. I agree for the most part.

      Nitpicking has a very precise definition:

      Looking for small or unimportant errors or faults, especially in order to criticize unnecessarily.

      So I am not seeing much nitpicking here …

      with love, a

  • avatar James Saxon

    What is bugging you is on the right wing there are some feathers missing where on the left all the feathers are shown.

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Thanks, Mr. Saxon. I think that the primary feathers on both wings are all there but they are splayed (arranged) differently by the wind and the forces of turning flight …

      with love, a

  • avatar Adam

    The small shadow created by the tail on the left wing? The left wing tip curl?

  • avatar Kathy Kunce

    only one “elbow” showing ( on left leg)

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Thanks, Kathy, Birds do not have arms so they cannot have elbows. We are seeing only only one knee. But that does not bug me πŸ™‚

      with love, a

  • Howdy Artie

    So beautiful the images from the stick marsh and everyone you have taken there as others must be overjoyed! By the sounds of reading the post there must be a lot of photographers where you are if hearing all the shutters going off.
    My thought on the image first is really cool out of the box with no head showing off the backside, really cool.
    As far as your bug i believe it is the left wind tip the shadows as it is curled down and had it been curled up you would not have that. There is also a touch on the right side wing tip! that is what bugs me and perhaps you as well? However the left side stands out more!

    Always with love b

  • avatar Eric Washburn

    The middle stick fragment.

  • avatar Glen

    The head angle? πŸ˜‰

  • avatar JDupps

    My guess is the toes overlapping.

  • avatar CHARLES BURN

    YOU ZIP CODE ONLY SHOWS 4 OF THE 5 NUMBERS VIA FT DESOTO TRIP AD ABOVE

  • avatar Joe Usewicz

    Hey Artie
    Fun shot. I would say the lazy left leg is bothering you. Have a great day at β€˜Magic Stick Marsh’

    Joe

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Nope. Spread legs would have been a bit nicer but something else really bugs m.

      We did πŸ™‚ Different but great. And thanks again for the wine– we polished off the second bottle last night!

      with love, artie

  • Here are all my guesses on what’s bugging:
    small dot above tail on left
    white spot on left leg at ankle
    bird not level
    blue at top with roundish blurs

    I’m OK with all of those. And a unique view of the back of the bird is great–especially with the sticks telling a story.

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Thanks, Elinor.

      I believe that it is perfectly level or close to it; the bird is about to turn heard right.

      As for buggers: nope, nope, nope, and nope πŸ™‚

      I told you would be a hard one.

      with love, artie

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