Summary
June 23rd was not a great day for bird photography here at ILE. But, using two different lenses, I made one very nice image just after sunrise and another very good one just before sunset. And while preparing this blog post, I (re-)learned an important lesson about creating JPEGs. I share that with you below.
Copy editing for this post assisted by Gemini AI.
Your Call?
Which of today’s featured images would you most like to have in your portfolio? Why did you make your choice?
Souped Up Super-Fast MacBook Pro M2 For Sale: Price Reduced $200.00 on 18 June
Huge Apple M5 Price Increase
Recently, Apple announced price increases in excess of $2500.00 on 16″ M5 MacBookPros. That increases the value of my killer M2 exponentially. If you have been dreaming of a faster laptop with tons of storage and 96GB of ram, you will want to beat the firm offer of $2300.00. You have till early July to act.
Yours truly is offering a used, 100% souped up, 2023 MacBook Pro M2 Max in excellent plus condition that was recently refurbished by Apple with a new Logic Board (motherboard) and a new Touch ID Board (track pad). The screen is also in excellent plus condition. Space Gray. Memory: 96GB. macOS Tahoe 26.4.1. Built in Liquid Retina XDR display. — 16-in (3456 X 2234). 8TB Solid State Hard Drive. Apple M2 Max with 12-core CPU, 38-core GPU (MAX Option). I pay the insured Fed-Ex ground shipping. Price: $2,800.00 (was #3,000) or the best offer by 10 July 2026. $2300 minimum offer. Buy it today for $3100.00. Pay by Zelle and we will ship it the next day.
You can see all the technical specifications here.
Virtually the same machine is being offered here for $3999.00. Plus the shipping.
Please contact artie via e-mail or by text to 863-221-2372.
In the Last Blog Post
My favorite flight images from the video were the blackbirds going after the whistling duck. Those plus all the introductory photos at the beginning. From the blog post, I liked the two silhouettes best. In part because I recognized the potential days before.
Thanks to the few who commented.
What’s Up?
Morning photography at ILE has been getting more difficult every day. The Ospreys family is not spending much time around the nest tree and the numbers of whistling ducks flying in has been decreasing. This morning was the pits; I sat on my milk crate for one hour and not a single duck showed up. In the meantime, a half dozen Limpkin flew, foraged and squabbled about 60 feet from where I had set up. In addition to being completely off sun angle they were blocked by the marsh vegetation.
I’ve been seeing the Crested Carcaras in the North Field every day. And there have been a dozen Wild Turkey poults there every morning as well.
I happened to check the weather right before I got into the pool just after 2pm: 98° — feels like 112!
Today is Tuesday 30 June. I will as always when I am home be heading down to the lake early. I will set up for the Limpkins :-). Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you too choose to have fun and enjoy life. Please remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com
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.
|
|
This image was created on 23 June by yours truly at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 1600: 1/800 second at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:57:41pam on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, more vibrant, high-res version. Image #1: Great Blue Heron in stand of Leavenworth Tickseed blossoms |
The Morning Route
Though there has not been much going on lately at the natural Osprey nest, I head down to the end of Palmetto first thing every morning to check on things. On my way back to the pier, I spotted this Great Blue Heron standing in the tickseed blossoms. As it has been pouring here most afternoons and evenings, I was reluctant to drive on the North Field for fear of getting stuck. So, I made a U-turn, slapped the 2X TC on the 600, and went to work. As always, Sony’s Zebra technology allowed me to quickly come up with a perfect exposure — I simply raised the ISO until I had some Zebras on the bird’s white chin.
I took quite a few images of the bird just standing there, and those images were nice. When he leaned forward to hunt and raised his right leg, I pressed the shutter button and had an early morning image that made me very happy.
How Early Was It?
Though the bird was about two football fields from may SUV, eagle-eyed readers might notice a faint shadow in the lower left corner of the frame. That was the shadow of the roof of my vehicle that was parked just short of sun angle. That is one long shadow!
|
|
This image was created on 23 June 2026 from the pier at ILE. Standing at full height, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens (Sony E) (at 500mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera (in APS-C crop mode). The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the thumb wheel. Multi Metering at zero!. AUTO ISO set ISO 640: 1/800 second at f/7.1 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. AWB at 8:19:11pm on a barley cloudy evening. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper and more vibrant high-res version. Image #2 Limpkin foraging at sunset |
Saving My JPEGs
About a year ago, I quit checking “Convert to sRGB” in the Save for Web dialogue box when saving my JPEGs. I cannot recall exactly why. Lately, I have noticed that when you click on the image to enlarge it, it displays as far more vibrant. Strange. Keep reading …
|
Image #2A (sRGB) Limpkin foraging at sunset |
Convert to sRGB
So, I decided to re-save the JPEG of the Limpkin and check the box for “Convert to sRGB.” Now, that bright red water displays properly both before and after you click on the image. Live and learn …
|
Not a Fan …
I am not a big fan of specular highlights in strongly backlit images. Especially the half or dozen or so really bright ones above and just to the right of the bird. I used the Remove Tool to tone those down and to eliminate all the bright little starbursts.
|
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.
|
The Digital Basics III Video Series |
The Digital Basics III Video Series
I realized more than a year 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 save $26 by ordering the first five videos in Volume I by clicking 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.
|
|
Click to enlarge. The Digital Basics IV Video Series by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ARTYou can save $50.00 by purchasing the entire 5-Volume Series by clicking here. |
Digital Basics IV Video Series: $146.00 for all five videos/save $50.00
I have some fabulous new image optimization tips, techniques, and tricks to share. As the Digital Basics III Video Series proved to be so popular, I decided last fall to run it back in the form of Digital Basics IV. Digital Basics V is on the horizon.
My new workflow includes 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), a fabulous new Remove Tool trick that makes my favorite Photoshop Tool even more powerful than before -— that one discovered by me. In addition, I have recently begun doing some Curves work during my ACR raw conversions.
My basic workflow remains much the same as is detailed in both the Digital Basics II PDF and in the Digital Basics III Video Series:
1- Setting the Color Temperature (when and if needed).
2- Setting the White and Black Points and adjusting the Highlights and Shadows sliders.
3- Setting the Clarity and Dehaze sliders.
4- Fine-tuning color using the Hue/Saturation/Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool, a huge step up from the Color Mixer Tool.
5- My 2-step noise reduction technique (with most images).
Once I have the .TIF file in Photoshop, I use my usual cadre of clean-up tools and techniques including the Remove Tool, the Clone Stamp (only rarely), Divide and Conquer, Quick Masking, Layer Masking, Gaussian Blurs, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other image optimization strategies and methods adapted from previous versions of Digital Basics. I also demonstrate the selective use of Topaz Sharpen AI utilizing the masking feature. And last but not least, I share my JPEG creation methodology.
The Digital Basics IV Video Series is now complete.
|
The BIRDS AS ART Digital Basics Collection: $199.00. |
The BIRDS AS ART Digital Basics Collection
The best news is that learning to use the tools and techniques that I use to improve my images is made fairly simple for those who purchase, use and study the Digital Basics offerings from BIRDS AS ART. One of the great skills that I have been blessed with is writing coherent how-to instructions that can be followed easily by a third grader. Learn to unlock the potential in your images by purchasing the Digital Basics Collection here. The collection includes the Digital Basics II PDF, and all the videos in the Digital Basics III and the Digital Basics IV Video Series.
The original Digital Basics file was created in the mid-aughts when I saw countless numbers of folks creating sharp, nicely designed, well exposed images and then ruining them in Photoshop. I sold enough copies at $20.00 a pop to pay for my $68,000 lap pool! As my workflow changed and improved, various versions of Digital Basics were created to help folks learn to improve their images at the computer during post processing. Save an incredible $86.00 by purchasing the Digital Basics Collection here. Folks who own one or two of the three afore-mentioned products are invited to contact me via e-maill for personalized discount information.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Leave a Reply