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.
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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.
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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.” |
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.
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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.” |
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.
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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.” |
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.
Thanks as always Pat, Jim, and Cliff.
much love, artie
All excellent images. Image 2 really leaps off the screen, but I also like the narrow focused strip of sand under the bird in Image 3. Red light therapy!
Very nice set of images.
Great silhouettes!