What’s Up?
On his way to work, my right-hand man Jim Litzenberg kindly picked up Alvin “Red” Stevens at Orlando International Airport on Sunday morning. After Red got settled in the guest room at my home we got right to work on improving his computer, Photo Mechanic, and Photoshop skills. On Monday morning we had some great chances with both species (Turkey and Black) of flying and squabbling vultures. Then it was back to the saltmines.
With the help of the amazing Maury Nepris I learned how to get both my Actions and all of my Keyboard shortcuts onto another MacBook Pro in just minutes. This will save me literally hours of work when attempting to teach image optimization to folks who are just starting out with Photoshop.
Today is Tuesday 3 March 2026. Red, Bob Eastman, and I are up early and will be heading down to the lake in the dark to photograph the setting Blood Moon as it descends into the shadow of the earth. It was dead clear when I woke at 4:30am. After our morning session, Red and I will be back at our computers working on some more images. I came up with a new plan for private sessions: While Red is optimizing an image on his laptop I am optimizing the same image on my MacBook Pro and creating a Camtasia screen capture video for him. This afternoon the three amigos will be driving over to our Vero Lake Estates AirBnB for the first Stick Marsh IPT. We will be joined by many multiple IPT veteran and good friend Mike De Rosa and newbie Sony shooter Drew Salmon. We hope that you too choose to have a wonderful and productive day and that you have fun too. Please remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com (and as discussed in depth here a wile back).
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.
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. To receive a free guide or free entry into a Sony Set-up and Info Notes e-Mail group, you need to shoot me your receipt via e-mail. The B&H receipts need to include the order number.
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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Photo Mechanic screen capture for the Eastern Meadowlark singing image |
Ugly-ass Fence Posts
Some fence posts are relatively slim and beautifully weathered. Since the last time that I visited Joe Overstreet Landing, all of the lovely older fenceposts have been replaced by fat new ones straight from the sawmill. This meadowlark sat singing on the same post for more than five minutes. The perch was and is much too large for the bird and the sawed off top is downright disgusting and unnatural. I did get as low as possible to minimize the view of the top surface of the post but some of it was still visible.
Before you scroll down, ask yourself this: could anything be done in Photoshop (without using and of the AI Generative Fill options) to improve the perch?
Milling
Milling is a machining or woodworking process that cuts, shapes, or surfaces materials such as wood or metal—using rotary cutters, specialized blades, or saws. It involves removing small amounts of material to create, for example, flat surfaces, slots, threads, or to transform logs into lumber or fenceposts.
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This image was created on 28 February 2026 at Joe Overstreet Landing. Seated in the front seat of my SUV (with Bob Eastman sitting behind me) I used the 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 #1: Eastern Meadowlark singing |
Perch Photoshop Magic
With the superbly super-sharp a-1 ii 51-megapixel raw file, a vertical crop was the obvious choice. But that only served to emphasize the bulk and ugliness of the perch. Here are the steps that I took to thin the perch and make it look more natural and weathered:
1- I sculpted it first using an 80% Opacity Clone Stamp Tool brush and then finished off the edges using the Remove Tool.
2- I brought the image back into Adobe Camera Raw and using Select > Object created a mask of the fence post. As it grabbed the bird’s feet and claws, I painted those out with Subtract > Brush.
3- I played around with the Color Temperature, Clarity, Dehaze, and even Texture by moving all four sliders to the right a bit so that the perch began to look fairly natural.
4- Lastly, I used the Remove Tool to eliminate the flat, milled top of the perch.
All of the above as detailed in the Digital Basics II PDF and especially in the Digital Basics IV Video Series.
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Composite #1: All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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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.
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Composite #2: All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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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.
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Composite #3: All the result of using Pre-Capture with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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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!
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All with the a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera body.
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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.
Typo: I did get a low as possible
Thanks and fixed with love,
artie
ps: good catch!
Very nice solution to the post, and a great action too!
GG
Thanks, GG.
with love, a