Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Your Call?

Which of today’s five featured images do you feel is the strongest? If you are not too busy to leave a much-appreciated comment, please let us know why you made your choice. By a narrow margin, I have a favorite that I will share with you on Monday.

My Call

In the last blog post (that gathered virtually zero interest), my favorite photo was Image #2: Marbled Godwit with lugworm and kleptoparasitic shorebirds. Why? I liked the sharply rendered action and the pink pre-dawn color of the water.

What’s Up?

Though I have been spending lots of time watching YouTube, the jetlag has not been bad. The Iceland trek was the best flight photography trip ever. By far. On Thursday, I added about 15 images to the flight guide, including 11 or so of mine from Grimsey. I made so many excellent puffin flight images that many hundreds, even thousands, of perfect flight photos, not only puffins but Razorbills and Black Guillemots, and of course, the Red-Throated Loons near Reykjavik, have been deleted. In the course of creating those images, three different lenses were used: the 600mm f/4, the 400mm f/2.8, and the 70-200mm f/2.8 II, all Sony of course. For flight I used the 1.4X TC with the 600 and the short zoom. And I learned a ton more above flight photography that I added to the new flight guide en route. I finished my work on the guide that day and sent the final final final draft to David Pugsley for his third and last review. When I get it back from Pugs, I will shoot it off to Arash Hazeghi for a last look. Lot more on this amazing guide is coming soon.

If you would like info on Greg Downing’s 2024 and/or the 2025 Grimsey Island puffin trips please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here. I enjoyed the trip so much that I just might return in 2024.

Today is Saturday 5 August 2023. I’ve been swimming two or three times a day. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — 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 any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords 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.

The Fact$ of Life

The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.

In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4063! Yes, 4063 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.

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. 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.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.

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 automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, 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 1 August 2023 near Reykjavik. Seated on the edge of a pond with my Arctic Muck Boot-clad feet in the water, I used the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 1250. 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 7:18:02pm on a mostly sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #1: Red-throated Loon — landing or beginning a rush?

The Last Loon Outing

Anita North kindly rented a vehicle for the group. We headed back to the Red-throated Loon spot. Greg kindly drove. Things began very slowly with just two loons in the lake so I laid down for a short nap in the soft marsh grass. At 7:15, things began to heat up. After that, we enjoyed virtually non-stop flight, courtship, and territorial disputes action for close to two hours. We had fifteen birds in the air at one time circling, and 20 loons in the pond at one time. Whenever a bird flew over calling, the loons on the pond would go nuts, rushing about, chasing each other, and performing a variety of courtship and agnostic behaviors. We had as many as 22 loons on the pond at one time and as many as 15 in the air circling. We did of course, have many, many, many excellent chances at takeoffs and landings.

Though I am not sure, I believe that the bird in Image #1 was beginning a rush.

This image was also created on 1 August 2023 near Reykjavik. Seated on the edge of a pond with my Arctic Muck Boot-clad feet in the water, I used the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 7:32:47pm on a sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #2: Red-throated Loon taking flight

Skidding to a Stop

When the loons landed, they would skid across the water and throw up a nice wake. The wind was from our right and slightly in our face, but at times, not very strong. Thus, this and many other birds landed the wrong way, i.e., with the wind behind it.

This image was also created on 1 August 2023 near Reykjavik. Seated on the edge of a pond with my Arctic Muck Boot-clad feet in the water, I used the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 8:10:47pm on a sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #3: Red-throated Loon taking flight

Takeoffs

As loons are heavy birds with relatively short wings, they need long runways to take off. They can only do so from the water. Most need at least 90-100 feet up to a quarter-mile (depending on the wind) for flapping their wings and running across the top of the water in order to gain enough speed for lift-off. As they gain speed by running, they leave a series of splashes behind them as they accelerate. As the sun was coming over our right shoulders we needed the birds to be well to the left of us as they took off into the wind. With the wind slightly in our faces, many of the birds were angled slightly away as they left the pond.

This image was also created on 11 July 2023 near Reykjavik. Seated on the edge of a pond with my Arctic Muck Boot-clad feet in the water, I used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 8:12:21pm on a sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #4: Red-throated Loon in flight headed to the pond

On Final Approach

This is one of a 52-frame sequence of images created in less than three seconds. Using Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird Face-Eye detection enabled, every image was sharp on the eye. When photographing with friends, one of the best things is that you have more eyes on the sky. Someone always is first to spot an incoming bird. Shouts of high left at 10 o’clock or incoming low right at 2 o’clock filled the air along with sounds of screaming loons.

As it is impossible for me to handhold the 600 for extended shooing sessions, I began by placing the big lens on the tripod. I preferred to leave the lens on the tripod when working swimming birds that were already on the pond. One of the many advantages of the Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro is that it takes less than two seconds to remove your big lens from the clamp. When I or someone else called out an incoming red-throated, I would release the clamp and handhold for several seconds. That is how I kept all 52-images of this loon in the center of the frame without clipping a wing. As is usual, I picked up the bird with a sky only background and tracked it right until touchdown (below).

This image was also created on 11 July 2023 near Reykjavik. Seated on the edge of a pond with my Arctic Muck Boot-clad feet in the water, I used the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 8:12:22pm on a sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #5: Red-throated Loon touching down on landing

Touchdown

The bird first touched one toe down in frame 41. This is the 43rd image in the series, the first that showed the toes of both feet touching the water. The last eight frames in the series showed the developing wake as the bird skidded to a stop.

Sony AF

I was repeatedly astounded whenever I checked an image for sharpness on that great afternoon. In fear of missing something great, I try not to spend too much time looking at images on the back of the camera. I created more than 2600 images during that afternoon session and kept 198 after the first edit. As conditions were quite difficult that afternoon, it was amazing that the very great percentage of them were razor sharp on the bird’s eye. Whenever as soft image created by the a-1 is encountered, I am quick to look in the mirror and point out operator error as the problem.

The Exposure Challenge

Aside from the speed and direction of the wind, the color of the loon’s bellies was a big challenge. When the birds were swimming, you saw very little of white underparts. When they flapped or displayed or landed or took off, you saw a lot more of the usually white bellies. Note, however, that many of the bird’s bellies were stained orange-red, probably from iron oxide in the water. Because the birds with bright white breasts and bellies needed less light than the birds with stained underparts, you often needed to compromise your settings to avoid over-exposure as you never knew in advance which tone of a belly might pop up.

Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action. Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. By June 1, 2022, the group was up to an astounding 146 lucky and blessed folks. (More than a few folks own two or more a1 bodies! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that everyone in the group receives an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. Your entry into the group includes a consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE. New a1 folks will now receive eight e-mails instead of the previous 28! You will receive new e-mails as they are published. Simply put, this e-mail guide is an incredible resource for anyone with an a1.

All who purchased their Alpha 1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link — B&H or Bedfords — will receive a free Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up Guide and free entry into the Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.). Others can purchase their guide here in the BAA Online Store.

Typos

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

Canon EOS-1DX Mark III dSLR

Price Reduced: $500.00 on 18 May 2023!
Price Reduced: $500.00 on 11 June 2023!
Price Reduced: $600.00 on 1 August 2023!
BAA Record-low Price!

Tom Torget is offering a Canon EOS-1DX Mark III body in near-mint condition for $3149.00 (was $4,749.00). The sale includes three Canon batteries, the battery charger, the strap, the front lens cover, the manual, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 addresses only.

Please contact Tom via email at e-mail or by phone at 1-830-377-5483 (Central time).

The 1DX III is Canon’s top-of-the-line professional digital camera body. It feature’s Canon’s best-ever dSLR AF system. It is fast and rugged. BAA friend and many multiple IPT veteran Clemens Van der Werf absolutely loves his and killed with it in Homer even during blizzards! The camera sells new right now at B&H for $5,999.00; grab Tom’s camera today and save a very handsome $2250.00 on his as-good-as-new body! artie

What’s Up?

After photographing birds in Iceland for 19 of the last twenty days — we had one full day of travel, I opted to take the last morning off to get rested up and to pack for the long trip home. We took the ferry to Akureyri on Monday afternoon and overnighted there after a late, great dinner.

Today is Tuesday 1 August. We are leaving the hotel at 8am and driving to Reykjavik. Once we check into our hotel there, we will be heading for the loons for one last shot at fame. On Wednesday morning I get picked up at 7:00am for my airport transfer. I fly to Boston at 10:00am Iceland time, enjoy a 6+ hour layover there, and fly to Orlando arriving at 7:23pm if all goes as expected. Jim will be picking me up there so I should be home at about 9:30 Florida time. It will be a very long travel day, about 18 1/2 hours from door to door.

On Sunday afternoon it was incredibly windy. We were not doing very well so I took a long walk down an ATV track and discovered a new spot with a bonanza of flying puffins. After a very good morning that included almost 2000 Black Guillemot images, mostly flight shots, I wound up creating almost 8,000 images for the day. Today’s post details the afternoon flying puffin circus.

If you would like info on Greg Downing’s 2024 and/or the 2025 Grimsey Island puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — 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 any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords 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.

Puffin in Flight on a Windy Afternoon

In a fierce wind, I walked down a long track with the wind behind me to see what I could find. After a few hundred yards, I made my way carefully to the edge of the cliff. There were hundreds of puffins on the rock ledges below and many hundreds of them in flight. Keep reading to learn more about the amazing spectacle.

This image was created on 30 July 2023 at Grimsey Island, Iceland. Seated on the grass at the edge of a tall cliff working behind my lowered tripod, I used the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod)/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1600. 1/2500 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 6:24:50pm on a windy, cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird/Face-Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Atlantic Puffin in flight in high wind

Bad Wind Direction?

When I got to the cliff edge, a strong wind was quartering into my face from the right. The birds were attempting to fly into the wind away from the cliff, but the wind was so strong that they were simply flying but not going anywhere. Some were backing into the cliff to land. I started working with the tripod-mounted 600mm f/4 lens. The trick to making a successful image was to wait until the birds looked to their right.

This image was also created on 30 July 2023 at Grimsey Island, Iceland. Seated on the grass at the edge of a tall cliff, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/2500 sec. at f2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 6:58:40pm on a windy, cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Atlantic puffin in flight turning right in the high wind

Switching to the 400mm f/2.8 Lens

Tracking the birds in the high wind with my longest lens was very difficult so after 45 minutes I switched out the 600m f/4 for the 400mm f/2.8. With the wind from my right, it was very important to remove the lens hood to prevent the wind from buffeting the lens and making things even more difficult. I had done that with the 600 and then again with the 400.

This image was also created on 30 July 2023 at Grimsey Island, Iceland. Again, seated on the grass at the edge of a tall cliff, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500. 1/2500 sec. at f2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 7:07:14pm on a windy, cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Atlantic Puffin in flight in high wind with sandeels for chicks– TIGHT!

Out of the Box Crop

The bird in this image was so close that I could not fit it into the frame at 400mm.But it was so sharp that I did not want to delete it. With a healthy crop from below and the right and a tiny crop from below and left, I came up with an out-of-the-box image design for Image #3.

This image was also created on 30 July 2023 at Grimsey Island, Iceland. Again, seated on the grass at the edge of a tall cliff, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000. 1/2500 sec. at f2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect (ho hum). AWB at 7:11:19pm on a windy, cloudy afternoon. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Atlantic Puffin in flight in high wind

Similar But Different

Images #2 and #4 are quite similar. In #2, the puffin was holding it position in the wind without much effort at all, sort of standing still while flying. In #4, the bird was actually backing toward the cliff. The key to the success in all of today’s featured images was to press the shutter button when the bird was looking back toward the cliff.

This image was also created on 30 July 2023 at Grimsey Island, Iceland. Seated on the grass at the edge of a tall cliff, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 200mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. ISO 2000: 1/2500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:34:04pm on a dark, dingy morning. Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Atlantic Puffin top shot

Switching to the 70-200 f/2.8

After another 45 minutes with the 400mm f/2.8, I was placed on the physically unable to continue list. I could no longer lift the lens and my framing was getting worse and worse, so I switched to the 70-200mm f/2.8 II lens; it is so small and so light that it seems that I could photograph flight forever with it. And some of the puffins seemed so close that you felt as if you could reach out and grab one. Image #5 was my favorite still with that lens. The sea appears much darker as I was shooting almost straight down.

The Tally

On Sunday afternoon, I created 2970 images in the high winds. After a second edit of the flight photographs, I wound up keeping only 34. Though my keeper rate was a lowest-ever 1.14%, I was quite happy with the results. Though the conditions were beyond difficult, the good images depicting unusual flight poses made me very happy.

Your Call?

Which of today’s featured images do you like best? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice. I have a very clear favorite that I will share with you here on Thursday.

Typos

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

Thanks!

Thanks to the very many folks who commented on the two images in the last blog post. Most everyone chose the dramatic Black-legged Kittiwake image over the splendid, symmetrical puffin with the green background. If I could only have one of those two, I would opt for the kittiwake image but only by a very slim margin.

Your Call?

Which of today’s three spoonbill images do you like best? Why did you make your choice

What’s Up?

My Grimsey Island, Iceland trip continues to be a dream come true. In addition to puffins, puffins, and more puffins, the food at the Krian Restaurant, is superb. Yesterday, the owner/chef Svafar, took me cod fishing. I caught more than ten including some 8 pounders, in less than 30 minutes! Then he took us on scenic photo tour of the cliffs. He cleaned the fish and I had them for dinner. We saved a bucket of fish guts and had lots of high key fun with the Arctic Terns, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and fulmars in the harbor.

If you would like info on Greg Downing’s 2024 and/or the 2025 Grimsey Island puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.

Today is Friday 28 July 2023. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — 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 any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords 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.

The Fact$ of Life

The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.

In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4060! Yes, 4060 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.

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. 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.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.

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 automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, 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 22 September 2020 on a Fall Fort DeSoto IPT. While seated behind my lowered tripod, I used the no-longer available Induro GIT 304L tripod (now replaced by the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod)/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the Sony a7R IV (Now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000. 1/1600 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:27:07am on a mostly sunny day. Tracking: Spot M/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Roseate Spoonbill preening alula

Roseate Spoonbill in Fall at DeSoto

This highly sought-after species is more likely to be encountered in fall at Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas County Florida than at any other season. They may be found anywhere at North Beach but are most frequently seen at Hidden Lagoon. With a careful approach, they are often quite acclimated to humans. Most bird photographers love pink!

This image, of the same individual as in Image #1, was also created on 22 September 2020 on a Fall Fort DeSoto IPT, 44 seconds after the first image was created. Again, While seated behind my lowered tripod, I used the no-longer available Induro GIT 304L tripod (now replaced by the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod)/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the Sony a7R IV (Now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000. 1/1600 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 8:27:51am on a mostly sunny day. Tracking: Spot M/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Roseate Spoonbill scratching

Working a Subject

Many folks are happy to get a single good image of a given species and then move on quickly. When I find a good subject in a good situation, my great preference it to stay with it for an extended period of time, to try different perspectives, to work with a variety of focal lengths, and to strive to capture a variety of behaviors.

Would You?

Would you have replaced the bird’s eye in this image? Why or why not?

This image was also created on 22 September 2020 on a Fall Fort DeSoto IPT. Yet again, while seated behind my lowered tripod, I used the no-longer available Induro GIT 304L tripod (now replaced by the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod)/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the Sony a7R IV (Now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000. 1/1250 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:31:16am on a mostly sunny day. Tracking: Spot M/AF-C performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Roseate Spoonbill posing against green background

The Sony 1200mm Advantage

While I made lots of good images at 1200mm with Canon, the Nikon dsLR TC-20E 2X teleconverter was something of a dog. It was even difficult to make sharp images with the 1.7X TC and the 600mm VR lens. Reviews are mixed on the Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-2x. With Sony, the sharpness of a1 images made with the 600mm f/4 GM, the a-1, and the FE 2X TC is astounding. Stay tuned for some 1200mm puffin head portraits.

All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.

Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.

On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.

The Details

There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.

A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.

Up Early, Stay Out Late!

Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will sometimes be on your own as well.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

It drizzled for most of Sunday. In the afternoon, I sat in stinky, rotting kelp for three hours photographing worn, molting adult Purple Sandpipers and Arctic Terns. The terns were hunting small invertebrates of some sorts, probably
arthropods.

Today is Monday 24 July 2023. It is not raining and I am heading out early.

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

If you would like info on the 2024 and/or the 2025 puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — 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 any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords 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.

Greg liked working with tools early on Image courtesy of and copyright Greg’s Mom

Greg Downing at Age Four

Greg got his first tool set when he was four years old. He needed to stand on a bench to get up to the height of the worktable. That his dad Howard was an architect spurred Greg’s interest in home construction.

Greg built his own home during COVID Image courtesy of and copyright Downing Contracting Company

Downing Contracting Company

Custom Home Building, Remodeling, and Renovation

Greg started the Downing Contracting Company (all by himself) in 1985 when he was just 19 years old. As you can see above, he is an incredibly talented builder; I am envious of his skills and knowledge. Can you imagine building an entire home from the ground up by yourself? I have always wished that I could build (or even fix) something with my own hands (heck, I’m Jewish…), and wished that I could sing well or play a musical instrument. And so it goes (Billy Joel).

This image was created by Greg Downing at St. Paul Island, Alaska. While hanging over the edge of a steep cliff, hundreds of feet above the Bering Sea, he used the handheld Canon 300mm f/2.8 IS L lens with the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800: 1/320 sec. at f/11. Image #1: Tufted Puffin head portrait Image courtesy of and copyright Greg Downing Photography

Greg Downing and Bird Photography

Greg began bird photography in the mid-late 1990s. He purchased his first telephoto lens, “from some unknown dude in Las Vegas, a Canon 400mm f/2.8 non IS with a 2X. TC (horrible vignetting).” His then-girlfriend got him a hard copy of The Art of Bird Photography (by yours truly). He skipped the intro and got right to the meat and potatoes. Some time after that, he finally read the foreword and was moved to tears as he read about the loss of my beloved wife Elaine. Then he e-mailed me, thanked me for the great book, and sent his condolences. I e-mailed him back within minutes and invited him to join me in Cape May for an IPT.

That was one of my first-ever Instructional Photo-Tours, probably in the spring of 1998 or thereabouts. In his own words, “It was you, me, Ned Harris and someone else whom I don’t remember. If I recall, it was $250 for the three-day IPT — the deal of the century!”

Soon thereafter, Greg assisted me on a St. Paul Island/Pribilofs IPT. Transport was via a Boeing 727-100 aircraft flown by Reeve Aleutian Airlines. The landings and take-offs and most everything else were done in very foggy conditions. As I recall, there had been at least one big crash on a landing at St. Paul. One time we landed in the fog and a wheel broke off the plane. I was stranded for days until they flew in replacement parts and a work crew.

Anyhoo, Greg remembers that we took turns holding each other by the ankles as we leaned too far over the edge of a big cliff. The multitudinous seabirds there included Horned and Tufted Puffins, Least, Parakeet, and Crested Auklets, Thick-billed and Common Murres, and Red-faced Cormorant. I heard recently that the Least Auklets have disappeared. Anyhooo, there are many great memories of a foggy place shared with a friend.

This image was created by Greg Downing at Volunteer Point in The Falklands. He used the handheld Canon 24-70mm wide angle zoom lens (at 55mm) with the Canon EOS-1Dx. ISO 800: 1/1000 sec. at f/11. Image #2: King Penguins/stormy skies Image courtesy of and copyright Greg Downing Photography

Greg’s Amazingly Wonderful Life and Career in Nature Photography

Like me, Greg has been blessed to have traveled the world teaching interested folks to improve their photography. And like me, he has made many lifelong friends along the way.

Here is just a partial list of the great places he has been privileged to visit: Cape May, New Jersey; Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY; Bosque del Apache NWR (when it was good); Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, Nome, AK. Homer, AK; St. Paul, AK; Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, AK; Katmai National Park, AK, San Diego, CA; the Falklands, the Southern Ocean, Ecuador; the Galapagos Archipelago; Columbia, Costa Rica; Iceland; multiple world class photo locations in Africa, the Texas coast for migrant songbirds; the Rio Grande Valley; British Columbia, Canada; India, for tigers: The Himalayas, Ladakh, India, for Snow Leopard; Patagonia; Yellowstone National Park, Montana; the Pantanal, Brazil; Pôrto Jofre, Mato Grosso, Brazil for Jaguar; his own backyard in Maryland, and many more.

This image was created by Greg Downing in Ecuador. He used the tripod-mounted Canon 70-200mm at 145mm with the Canon EOS 5D. ISO 250: 1/200 sec. at f/16 (multiflash set up using 4 flashes at 1/16 power). Image #3: Violet-tailed Sylph Image courtesy of and copyright Greg Downing Photography

Similarities

Greg’s style of bird photography is flatteringly similar to mine, clean, tight, and graphic. We both strive to create images with non-distracting backgrounds. We both love head shots. We both love soft light on cloudy-bright days. And at one point in our careers, we both did some multi-flash hummingbird work. (See the The Hummingbird Guide – How to Photograph Hummingbirds Using High-Speed Multiple Flash by Linda Robbins with Arthur Morris.)

Greg founded an educational website, NatureScapes.Net, with several friends and is now the sole owner. I founded an educational website, BirdPhotgrapher.Net with several friends, and am now the sole owner. Greg developed the Skimmer and the Skimmer II and has sold several thousands of them. I invented the BLUBB and have sold many hundreds of them.

We both have used and depended on Delkin flash cards for more than two decades. We both began using Canon gear and we both switched to Nikon at some point. Then I graduated to Sony. Greg loves his Nikon Z9.

We both have a burning passion to make great images and to teach others to do the same thing.

This image was created by Greg Downing in Kamploops, British Columbia, Canada. He used the tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Nikkor 500mm/f4E with 1.4X TC-E (at 700mm) with the FTZ-II adapter and the Nikon Z9. ISO 640: 1/1250 sec. at f/7.1. Image #4: Horned Grebes courting Image courtesy of and copyright Greg Downing Photography

About Greg

Greg has been traveling the world teaching professional and amateur photographers for more than two decades while hosting instructional workshops and seminars. Instructing photographers of all experience levels, Greg has earned a reputation for his gracious and generous teaching style.

Greg’s images are known for their unique style, exacting composition and strict attention to detail. As an internationally recognized photographer, his numerous publishing credits include books, advertising campaigns and editorial publications such as Birding Magazine, Outdoor Photographer Magazine, Birder’s World, National Geographic and many others. Especially passionate about birds, his images can also be found in printed form in several Wildbird Centers on the east coast, as well as appearing in private art exhibitions.

In 2003 Greg founded www.NatureScapes.net with E.J. Peiker and Heather Forcier. Today Greg is the Publisher, President and sole owner of the company and oversees all operations from his home base in Manchester, Maryland.

As Greg travels the world making great images, he enjoys meeting others, teaching, and sharing his passion while making new lifelong friends in the process.

This image was created by Greg Downing at Kamploops, British Columbia, Canada. He used the Canon 500mm f/4 L IS lens with the 1.4X TC (at 700mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X on a flattened tripod. ISO 1600: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6. Image #5: Common Loon with chick peeking out from under the adult’s wing Image courtesy of and copyright Greg Downing Photography

Loons

Greg has been photographing Common Loons with chicks in BC for 15 or so years. He is the Loon Whisperer. He makes a cooing sound to attract mother loons; they swim right up to his water craft and bring their chicks.

This image was created by Greg Downing in northern Iceland. He used the tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Nikkor 500mm/f4E with the Nikon D850. ISO 1600: 1/1250 sec. at f/5/5.6. Image #6: Arctic Loon in breeding plumage Image courtesy of and copyright Greg Downing Photography

Arctic Loon

Arctic Loon breeds mainly in Northern Europe and is rarely seen in Iceland. They are incredibly rare in North America and are on every birder’s most wanted list. On one of his first Iceland trips, Greg found this amazingly beautiful bird on a dark rainy afternoon. He returned the next morning in decent weather and made many great images showing the bird’s spectacular purple throat.

This image was created by Greg Downing at Grimsey Island, Iceland. He used the handheld Nikkor 70-200/f2.8 with 1.4X TC (at 270mm) with the Nikon D5. ISO 1000: 1/4000 at f/4. Image #7: Razorbill in flight, dorsal view Image courtesy of and copyright Greg Downing Photography

Grimsey Island

Greg began running trips to Grimsey Island about six years ago. It is accessible by air or by ferry. Simply put, it is the best photography location on the planet for Atlantic Puffin and Razorbill.

If you would like info on Greg’s 2024 and/or 2025 puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.

This image was created by Greg Downing at Grimsey Island, Iceland. He used the handheld Nikkor 70-200/f2.8 with 1.4X TC (at 270mm) with the Nikon D5. ISO 1600: 1/4000 at f/4. Image #8: Atlantic Puffin in flight with sand eels, dorsal view Image courtesy of and copyright Greg Downing Photography

On Friendship

Twenty-five years ago we had a great friendship. Over the years, we had drifted apart. Neither of us is sure of why that happened. Being here together on Grimsey has renewed our friendship and we have had boatloads of fun. It is never too late to get in touch with old friends.

Your Call?

Which two of Greg’s eight fabulous images do you feel are the strongest? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.

Typos

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

Your Call?

Which of today’s six featured images do you like best. Be so kind as to leave a comment and let everyone know why you made your choice. I have two clear favorites that I will share with you here on Monday.

What’s Up?

Photography on Grimsey Island continues to be fantastic. On Thursday, I created many Family Jewels-type images and have already optimized seven of them. Friday morning dawned foggy; the light was spectacular as the sun broke through. If you would like info on Greg Downing’s 2024 and/or the 2025 puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.

Today is Saturday 22 July 2023. Puffins and seabirds and seascapes are on the menu. I am hoping for another foggy start to the day. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — 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 any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords 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.

All images from SEPT/OCT/NOV at Fort DeSoto. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, sharper high-resolution version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Piping Plover flapping after bath, juvenile Laughing Gull with feather, American Oystercatcher with sea urchins, Willet foraging in surf, American White Pelican juvenile swimming, skimmer/tern/shorebird blast-off blur, American White Pelican in flight, Black-bellied Plover stealing lugworm from Marbled Godwit, Roseate Spoonbill staring.

Fall Bird Photography at Fort DeSoto

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds, terns, and gulls in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, and night-herons that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And there should be some quality Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.

On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.

The Details

There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not guaranteed). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB/VRBO information. If you register soon and would like to share an AirBnB with me, shoot me an e-mail. Other possibilities including taking a cab to and from the airport to our AirBnB and riding with me for $50/day. This saves you both gas and the cost of a rental car.

A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check one month before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions on lodging.

Up Early, Stay Out Late!

Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. On cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip the afternoon session. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well.

This image was created on 9 September 2020 on a Fall Fort DeSoto Park IPT. Seated on wet sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 588mm) and a9 II (now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000. 1/2500 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:41:22am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect. Tracking: Zone AF-C grabbed the tern’s feet. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Royal Tern taking flight

a9 II Autofocus

a9 II AF is quite excellent most of the time but was not up to the task with the image above as the system grabbed the tern’s feet. Since I loved everything else about the image, especially the liquid sand dripping off the tern’s feet, I opted to try and sharpen the face. First, I ran Topaz Sharpen AI on the bird’s face and bill and followed that up with a contrast mask (as detailed in Digital Basics II). I was happy with the results.

This image was created on 20 September 2021 on a Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and with the a9 II (now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 1000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1250 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:10:51am on hazy/sunny morning. Tracking: Spot M/AF-C performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2: Lesser Black-backed Gull stretching — breeding plumage

Three decades ago, Lesser-blacked Gull was a mega-rarity in North America. Over the years, they have become increasingly common along the east coast. I am not sure why this individual was in breeding plumage in the fall. It is the handsomest of its species I have seen either on Long Island or in Florida. The elegant wing stretch and the soft light combined to make this one a special image for me.

This image was created on 22 September 2020 on a Fall Fort DeSoto Park IPT. Seated on dry sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and a9 II (now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/5000 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 9:21:10am on a partly sunny morning. Tracking: Spot M worked just fine. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Common Tern — probably bird of the year

Aging Common Tern

With the black carpal bar and the black hind cap, most folks would age this bird as being a young of the year, just a few months old. In a recent conversation with Joe DiCostanzo, assistant director of the Great Gull Island Common Tern Project, he stated that while most birds that look like this one are juveniles, such birds might actually be ten or twenty years old. Age terns with the utmost caution.

This image was created on 24 September 2020 on a Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand using the knee pod technique, I used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and with the a9 II (now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 1000. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:26:08am on sunny morning. Tracking: Spot M/AF-C performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #4: Marbled Godwit ruffling

Shoulda’ Gotten Lower!

While I love shorebirds, especially Marbled Godwit, I wish that I had gotten lower for this one. But it was before I learned the toe-pod technique. Join me at DeSoto this fall to learn a variety of getting low techniques and a ton more. Consider the diversity of species in today’s post along with the different techniques that you need to master and use every day to improve your photography.

This image was created on 25 September 2020 on a Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand using the knee pod technique, I used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and with the a9 II (now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 800. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2000 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:22:26am on sunny morning. Tracking: Spot M/AF-C performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #5: Black Skimmer bathing

The Look-back Head Angle

When a bird’s body is angled away from you, wait for the bird to turn its head back toward you as seen in the image above. This not only creates eye contact with the viewer, but, assuming you are close to being on sun angle, will pleasingly light the bird’s face and gives you a much better chance of having a nice highlight in the eye.

This image was created on 21 October 2021 on a Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand using the knee-pod rest technique, I used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and with The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 1600. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/4000 second at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3-stop — don’t ask me why) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:07:10am on sunny morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird Face-Eye Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #6: Black-bellied Plover taking flight with lugworm

Handholding the 600 at 840mm

When looking for flight or action, I am able to handhold the 600mm f/4 with or without the 1.4X TC for brief periods of time. For long flight photography sessions or with the 2X TC in place, I have no chance.

Typos

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

Your Call?

Which of today’s featured images do you like best? Don’t be so lazy — leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.

What’s Up?

Grimsey Island has continued to be fantastic. We have had rain, a bit of fog, cloudy bright, and sunny and cold with blue skies. Everyone has made a ton of great images. The sheer numbers of puffins is hard to believe. At times a whole cliff takes flight at once as several hundred puffins head out to sea at once. On Monday morning, before breakfast, we worked the harbor area for Black Guillemot, Purple Sandpiper, Common Eider, and Common Ringed-Plover.

On Monday evening Eugen was resting and Kevin asked to be dropped off at the lighthouse. So, in high winds and low light, I found a great situation by the first picnic table. Shooting our 600mm f/4 lenses on a tripod — both of us, BTW, using the amazing Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro, we had the puffins landing right at us. The leader suggested we move back and up the slope behind for a lovely, out-of-focus, yellow, Arctic poppy background. It is all about the wind, the light, and your chosen perspective. We each got some truly great ones. Images here soon.

The leader is caring and skilled and is a superb instructor. He was a student of mine 25 years ago and we are still great friends. If you would like info on his 2024 and/or the 2025 puffin trips, please shoot me an e-mail by clicking here.

Today is Tuesday 18 July 2023. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — 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 any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords 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.

The Fact$ of Life

The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, many depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.

In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4052! Yes, 4052 educational blog posts. Please, therefore, remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It will not cost you one cent to do either.

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. 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.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.

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 automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, 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 14 July 2023 on the first afternoon of my Grimsey Island, Iceland visit. Seated on wet grass, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect (ho hum). AWB at 4:26:35pm on cloudy drizzly afternoon. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Atlantic Puffin with fish for young in burrow

The Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM Lens

It is exceedingly difficult to photograph relatively small, fast, unpredictable birds like puffins in flight when working on a tripod. You will always do better with a lens that is easily handheld.

The super-fast Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM super telephoto lens is relatively easy to handhold for flight. For some folks. The wide f/2.8 aperture is great in dreary, low light situations as it allows for fast shutter speeds and reasonably low ISOs. The focal length is ideal for the flying puffins on Grimsey. And the accuracy of autofocus with the alpha 1 is superb. But for me, handholding it is a struggle. I used it fairly successfully for our first two sessions, but strained my right forearm. And finding and keeping the bird in the center of the frame was a big challenge. With slower flying birds and little action, I would have been fine. But with the puffins fast and erratic flight and the nonstop action, I needed to find a reasonable option. Enter the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II.

This image was created on 16 July 2023 on the second morning of my Grimsey Island, Iceland visit. Again seated on wet grass, I used the handheldSony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras. ISO 1250: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 10:49:16am on a cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Atlantic Puffin with fish for young in burrow

The Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II

To ease the pain in my right arm, I turned to super-light Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II. The Sony version II of the popular 70-200m zoom was a huge improvement over the original, especially with regards to the AF system. At 2.3 pounds (30 % lighter than the previous version), the 70-200 II is a featherweight when compared to the behemoth 400mm f/2.8 GM lens that tips the scale at 6.4 pounds. As the lens alone is too short for the flying puffins, I added the 1.4X TC to get to 280mm at the long end. While this rig is much smaller and lighter than the 400 f/2.8, the puffins are so fast and so unpredictable that keeping them in the center of the frame when they swerve this way and that is still a huge challenge.

Remember also that the longer the focal length, the slower the bird’s speed is relative to your position. With a longer lens and thus, with the bird farther away, you have more time to frame and acquire focus. If I find a good situation, I just may try the 600 f/4 alone on the tripod.

As fate would have it, and as above, I found the perfect situation for shooting flight with the 600 on a tripod on Monday evening.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

On our first afternoon in Iceland, we drove an hour to a local bird reserve and sat by the edge of a small pond and we worked the Red-throated Loons. Right place, right time. Everyone in the group did great, especially me. I share three of my favorites from that afternoon with you below. The next day was Wednesday, our first morning of photography. We visited some local hotspots around Reykjavik and found a marsh with lots of Black-tailed Godwits, my most wanted species on the trip. Mission accomplished! That afternoon, we returned to the loons. It was windier and there was not much action. I was not feeling such good, and wound up with my second ever (and fortunately second worst ever) bout of food poisoning. Dr. Anita North took me to the emergency room after midnight in hopes of getting some IV fluid in me. Two hours later I felt a bit better, got some color back, and my heart rate had decreased, so we decided to leave without having been seen by a doctor in the ER. The next day, Thursday, on our bus ride up north, she made sure that I drank as much water as possible so I began feeling a bit better.

The drive to Akureyri took about five hours. We stayed in a nice hotel, enjoyed a five-star fine-dining meal, and slept the night. Today is Friday 14 July. We take the ferry to Grimsey Island, right on the Arctic Circle. I am feeling close to perfect and looking forward to the puffins and more. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. If I can get online from Grimsey, I will try to post every few days. If not, much love and I will be in touch when I get back to civilization.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — 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 any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords 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.

This image was created on 11 July 2023 near Reykjavik. Seated on the edge of a pond with my feet in the water, I used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 640. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 7:20:44pm on a sunny afternoon. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #1: Red-throated Loon swimming

On Getting a Bit Lower

I began working on the tripod, but when some loons began swimming closer in some calm water in the lee of the north shoreline, I moved left and held the lens down in front of me. Because I had to shoot over the marsh grasses, I could not get any lower. But one foot lower made a nice difference. I had my reading glasses on and activated the level. Tracking: Zone/AF-C is a godsend in such situations. I love the soft light, the shallow depth of field, the low perspective, and the wake.

This image was also created on 11 July 2023 near Reykjavik. Seated on the edge of a pond with my feet in the water, I used the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 8:12:45pm just as a light cloud covered the sun briefly. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #2: Red-throated Loon pair displaying

Why Go to the Tripod?

Holding the lens down and in front of me about a foot above the water is a bit strenuous. So, unless the birds came close, I kept the lens on the tripod. I could have gone to a slightly lower ISO and a slower shutter speed, but as several pairs were engaging actively, I opted to keep the shutter speed on the high side.

As the bird in the rear was swimming slightly faster than the closer bird, I saw the juxtaposition coming. I fired off about 10 frames as it passed the front bird and chose what was to me the most pleasing juxtaposition.

This image was also created on 11 July 2023 near Reykjavik. Seated on the edge of a pond with my feet in the water, I used the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 8:01:45pm just as a light cloud covered the sun briefly. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #3: Red-throated Loons courting

Why Add the 1.4X TC?

With virtually all the action taking place in the center of the pond, I added the 1.4X TC for more reach. Not only does that give you more pixels on the birds, but it makes life easier for the AF system as there is less chance for Zone to grab the water and a much better chance of it grabbing the birds. With them being relatively distant, I did not attempt to acquire focus until the birds rose up. Obviously, that strategy worked well. I wound up with several family jewels. By a very small margin, this one was best.

Your Call?

Which of today’s three featured images is the strongest? Please leave a comment and let us know why you made your choice.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

If you would like to become a better bird photographer, consider joining me on the 2023 San Diego IPT. Details are at the end of this blog post.

Anita North and I fly to Iceland at 9:00pm tonight, Monday 10 July 2023. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. If I can get online from above the Arctic Circle, I will try to post every few days. Otherwise, much love and I will be in touch when I get back to civilization.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — 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 any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords 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.

This Photo Mechanic screen capture represents the un-cropped raw file. The approximate crop is shown. Image #1: Brown Pelican with bill pouch inflated

The Serious Operator Framing Error

I had never seen this silly pelican behavior before and probably never will again. The bird looked as if it were doing its best to blow a huge bubble — as if a pelican could blow a bubble. It held the pose for barely more than one second. Working vertically and using Tracking: Zone the system found the bird’s eye easily and instantly. I was torn between re-framing the image to include the entire head and bill in the frame or pushing the shutter button and getting at least one halfway decent image. I knew that Tracking: Zone would have held focus had I raised the lens but I feared that the instant would be gone if I had opted to re-frame.

So, I went for the one in hand; the result was the badly mis-framed image that you see in the original capture above. Just a single frame. In retrospect, I would have had room in the frame for the entire head and bill had I pointed the lens up. But I am not sure that I would have had the time.

This image was created on 16 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA. Standing at full height on the downhill sidewalk spot, I used the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro, I used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. Exposure was determined using Zebra technology: ISO 2000: 1/640 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be a bit brighter than perfect, not quite dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:15:04am a cloudy morning with a rare-for-San Diego drizzle. Tracking: Zone with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger, sharper, high-res version. Version I/Image #1A: Brown Pelican with bill pouch inflated

Version I

This is the Kodachrome 64 version. Aside from the crop, it is not a whole lot different from the raw file.

This image was created on 16 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA. Standing at full height on the downhill sidewalk spot, I used the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro, I used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. Exposure was determined using Zebra technology: ISO 2000: 1/640 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be a bit brighter than perfect, not quite dead solid perfect. AWB at 8:15:04am a cloudy morning with a rare-for-San Diego drizzle. Tracking: Zone with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger, sharper, high-res version. Version II/Image #1B: Brown Pelican with bill pouch inflated

Version II

This is the Velvia version. As compared to the raw file, the color and contrast have been juiced up. Note especially that I brought up the green and aqua tones in the water background using Color Mixer. I had not done that with Version I.

Shooting slide film was expensive, wasteful, and bad for the environment on many counts

Film

For new folks who have used only digital, know that before the turn of the century most nature photographers used color slide film. The original classic was Kodachrome 25. That, however, was before my time as I started late, in August 1983. The standard by then was Kodachrome 64. The “25” and the “64” refer to the ISOs! Kodachrome 64 was featured low contrast and flat colors, even when the sun was shining. In 1990, Fuji introduced Velvia 50 slide film. It featured rich, vibrant colors. We would shoot the film one stop to dark and have it push processed at ISO 100. I loved the stuff. A single roll cost more than $12.00 in 1995. After you finished a role of 36 exposures, you had to send the film to the lab to be developed. The processing then cost about $8.00. Or more. After a few days or a week, you would get a box with 36 or 37 slides. You examined them on a lightbox with a handheld magnifier called a loupe. Most of the slides would wind up in the trash.

Getting the right exposure with slide film was very difficult. On sunny days, the WHITEs were always over-exposed. The photographer had zero control over the look of the image. Though I was slow to embrace digital capture, I now wish that I had never heard the word “film.” That said, almost all of my BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year-honored images were created on Fuji Velvia (pushed one stop).

If you shot film, feel free to share your thoughts or to reminisce by leaving a comment. BTW, a roll of Fuji Velvia slide film costs $33.95!

Your Call

After clicking on each image to enlarge it, you are invited to leave a comment letting us know which version you like best and why you made your choice.

The 2023/2024 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPT

San Diego IPT #3: 4 1/2 DAYS: TUES 23 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 27 JAN 2024: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.

Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT morning sessions.

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

I discovered some really neat new spots on my 2022/23 visit. As a result, the first and second IPTs may include an afternoon or two of landscape photography.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on exposure along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode so that you can get the right exposure every time (as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant). Or two seconds with SONY zebras … And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning, there is usually some excellent flight photography, at times with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego. Each IPT will include one or two duck sessions.

The San Diego Details

These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon shoot. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Deposit Info

A $699 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2023/2024 San Diego IPTs. 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 three months before the trip.

Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late

On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

Amazingly, I got the following gear into my ThinkTank Airport SecurityTM V2.0 rolling bag for my upcoming Iceland trip:

Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM lens
Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM lens
Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II lens
Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM ultra-wide angle zoom lens
Two Sony FE 1.4X teleconverters
Two Sony FE 2X teleconverters
Two Sony a-1 bodies (with card and battery)
Six extra Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries
Delkin CF Memory Tote holding four extra Delkin Devices 160GB BLACK CFexpress Type A Memory Cards.

The fully packed roller — I still use wool hats to protect my gear– weighed just under 39 pounds. To learn more about Think Tank bags and earn a free gift, click here.

Today is Thursday 6 July. I am just about finished packing but still have some work to do. I fly on Saturday morning. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — 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 any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords 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.

161 sold to rave reviews. The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris

The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)

Speaking of the a9 II

Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.

Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.

Click here to learn more about the SONY e-Guide.

The Fact$ of Life

The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, most depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.

In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4049. Yes, 4049 educational blog posts. So, please remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It does not cost you one cent to do either.

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. 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.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.

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 automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, 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 21 January 2020 at La Jolla, CA. I used the tripod-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mmm) and the a9 II, now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) AWB right about the time of sunset on a cloudy afternoon. RawDigger showed the exposure to be about 1/6-stop short of perfect. Manual focus on the rocks at the base of the cliffs with focus peaking. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Wave breaking over cliffs

200-600 Versatility

Aside from being a great flight lens, the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens can serve as their workhorse lens for birds and nature for those who cannot set aside $12-13K for a prime super-telephoto lens. Being able to zoom out when needed and put the lens on a tripod, allows you to create some nice landscapes, seascapes, bird-scapes, or some combination thereof. I use and recommend the Wimberley P-35 plate for this lens. When I am handholding, the foot with the plate attached is easily removed and stowed.

What Shutter Speed?

What shutter speed do you think was used to create this moving water image?

This image was also created on 21 January 2020 at La Jolla, CA. I used the tripod-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 200mmm) and the a9 II, now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 50. ? sec. at f/13. (stopped down 2 stops) in Manual Mode. AWB at 5:35:00pm right about the time of sunset on a cloudy afternoon. RawDigger showed the exposure to be 1/6-stop short of perfect. Manual focus on the rocks at the base of the cliffs with focus peaking. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Wave crashing over cliffs

Why No Self-Timer?

You do not want to use the self-timer when trying to create breaking wave images because you want to be able to time the shutter release with the action of the breaking wave. With Image #1, I went for the water dripping down the rocks after the wave broke look. With Image #2, the big smashing wave was the goal.

What Shutter Speed?

What shutter speed do you think was used to create this moving water image?

This image was also created on 21 January 2020 at La Jolla, CA. Again, I used the tripod-mounted Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (this time at 456mm) and the a9 II, now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 50. ? sec. at f/8. (stopped down 2/3 stop) in Manual Mode. AWB at 5:39:14pm right about the time of sunset on a cloudy afternoon. RawDigger showed the exposure to be dead-solid perfect. Zone AF worked perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Brown Pelican pan blur

Your Call?

Which of today’s three featured images (if any) do you like best? Please let us know why you made your choice. If you don’t like any of them, feel free to let us know why.

What Shutter Speed?

What shutter speed do you think was used to create this pelican pan blur?

The 2023/2024 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs

San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 27 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 30 DEC 2023. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: photographers.

San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: TUES 9 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 13 JAN 2024: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.

San Diego IPT #3: 4 1/2 DAYS: TUES 23 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 27 JAN 2024: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.

Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT morning sessions.

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

I discovered some really neat new spots on my 2022/23 visit. As a result, the first and second IPTs may include an afternoon or two of landscape photography.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on exposure along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode so that you can get the right exposure every time (as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant). Or two seconds with SONY zebras … And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning, there is usually some excellent flight photography, at times with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego. Each IPT will include one or two duck sessions.

The San Diego Details

These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon shoot. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Deposit Info

A $699 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2023/2024 San Diego IPTs. 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 three months before the trip.

Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late

On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.

Typos

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

Your Call?

Was combining two lousy images to come up with a single very pleasing one kosher or not kosher for you? Why or why not? Right or wrong?

My Call

In the last blog post, most folks preferred the larger in the frame image of the skimmer with the spearing. David Pugsley and I preferred the smaller in the frame image, #1. Why? Because of the lovely beach vegetation, the Shallow Depth of Field/Diminishing Sharpness Perspective, and the o-o-f strip of green at the top. In short, because of the subtly beautiful habitat and the soft light.

What’s Up?

Please note as seen below that San Diego ain’t just pelicans. You will be seeing some great San Diego Wood Ducks here soon and lots more. Scroll down for info on joining me there.

With only a two hours plus drive to the Lorton, VA Auto Train station, I slept in on Saturday morning and got some work done. After almost missing the train on the way up, I made sure to arrive plenty early for the return trip. I had an early dinner on the train and then spent several hours doing third edits on several big trip folders to make some more room on my 8TB SSD. I need to stay well below 4TBs of images as my backup drives are only 4TB. Right now, I have 5.56TB available out of 8TB. I’d like to get to 6TB available before I get to Iceland next week.

I woke early on Saturday and spent several hours working on the flight guide that I am doing with Arash Hazeghi. Today is Sunday 2 July 2023 and I will be doing the same thing today and do some pre-packing photo gear planning for the upcoming Grimsey trip. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

If an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — 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 any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords 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.

The Fact$ of Life

The market for editorial sales of natural history images has virtually disappeared. The incomes of the world’s top stock photographers are down by at least 90%. Like me, most depend on income from photo trips, the sale of educational materials, and income from this or that affiliate program.

In 2001, BAA sold the publication rights to images for nearly one-quarter million US dollars. That amount dropped to about $20,000 by 2011, and in 2017, to slightly more than $2,000.00. We’ve stopped counting. IPTs used to fill within days. Now I am happy to go with one or two folks, but I’d much rather have you along. And so it goes. In 2009, I turned to creating educational blog posts, now to the tune of 4047. Yes, 4047 educational blog posts. So, please remember to use either my B&H or Bedfords affiliate links for your major purposes. It does not cost you one cent to do either.

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. 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.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. Thanking me for the past 4000 educational blog posts could not be any easier and will not cost you one penny. Please shoot me your B&H receipt for major purchases.

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 automatically be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your order ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, 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 22 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA. Standing at full height, behind the Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod topped by the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro, I used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2000. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/250 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 7:48:49am on a very cloudy morning. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled was active at the moment of exposure and performed just fine. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the hi-res version. Brandt’s Cormorant begging chick in nest/head of adult replaced

Two Lousy Images Make One Wonderful Image

Frame _A1G1659 featured a perfect look at the head of the chick, but the adult was turned away. In frame _A1G1710, created 16 seconds later, the head angle for the adult was perfect, but the head of the chick was not as sharp and was turned away from the adult. I used _A1G1659 as the base image, painted a Quick Mask of the head of the adult in _A1G1710 (and made sure to include extra background), moved it onto the base image, fine-tuned the position, refined it via a Regular Layer Mask, and then, using the Divide and Conquer technique, eliminated the parts of the lower mandible and gular sack (from the base image) that were not covered by the Quick Mask. Note that I saved only two of the more than 50 images in the sequence. Be sure to check out the before and after animated GIF below.

Reducing the Angle of Declination

I often use the 70-200 II GM lens with either TC when working the nests at the Brandt’s Cormorant ledge. To reduce the angle of declination, I went with the tripod-mounted 600mm f/4. In simple terms, by going to a longer lens I did not have to point the lens down to the nests as steeply as I would have if I had been working with a shorter focal length — 280 or 400mm.

The Robus RC-5558 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripods

For reasons that I do not understand, the prices of both the 3-leg section Robus RC-5558-3 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber tripod and the 4-leg section Robus RC-5558 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber tripod have been drastically reduced. They are available only from B&H and are currently priced at a ridiculously low $399.95, about 1/3 the price of a comparable Really Wrong Stuff (RWS) tripod. Right now, the 3-leg section version is my go-to tripod.

The Image Optimization

After converting the base image in Photoshop, I converted the source image, the one with the perfect adult head angle, using the identical settings. (Control click > Use Previous Settings.) Then I ran Topaz AI DeNoise on both using the Clear preset. Then I replaced the head of the adult on the base image as detailed above. Next, I cleaned up a single blemish on the nest using the Patch Tool, and the edges of the nesting shelf using the Clone Stamp Tool at 30% opacity. Then, for the first time ever, I did some Tail Doctor work.

To smooth out the repairs on the edge of the nesting shelf, a layer of Gaussian Blur — Radius: 64 pixels — was applied to the whole image and painted in where needed after applying a Hide-All (Inverse or Black) Layer Mask. The entire process took less than eight minutes.

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 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. Save $15 by purchasing the pair.

The 2023/2024 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs

San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 27 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 30 DEC 2023. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: photographers.

San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: TUES 9 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 13 JAN 2024: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.

San Diego IPT #3: 4 1/2 DAYS: TEUS 23 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 27 JAN 2024: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.

Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT morning sessions.

Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.

I discovered some really neat new spots on my 2022/23 visit. As a result, the first and second IPTs may include an afternoon or two of landscape photography.

Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not

Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on exposure along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode so that you can get the right exposure every time (as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant). Or two seconds with SONY zebras … And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.

Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

It Ain’t Just Pelicans

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning, there is usually some excellent flight photography, at times with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego. Each IPT will include one or two duck sessions.

The San Diego Details

These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon shoot. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.

San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Deposit Info

A $699 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2023/2024 San Diego IPTs. 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 three months before the trip.

Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late

On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.

Typos

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