May 13th, 2024
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a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
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a9 iii E-mail Set-up and Info Guide
For those who think that my comments on the a9 iii are pure hype, know that I sold the second of my three a1 bodies this morning. Lots more on the switch coming soon.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars.
Learn to be a Much Better Bird Photographer
Join a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour. Better yet, sign up for both Homer trips.
What’s Up?
Blog Post notifications stopped sending on 4 May. I have been working hard to restore the e-mail notifications with no success. I can log in to WordPress but when I use the same user name and password to log into the WordPress Help Forums I get the dreaded “wrong user name or password” notice. I did manage to get into Jetpack support yesterday but have not received an answer to my question. I opened another ticket with the server company, HomePage Universe, but my last two requests for help have fallen on deaf ears. I shall keep trying.
My plan is to publish a new post every other day. By bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com you can continue to enjoy the new posts even though you are no longer receiving the e-mail notifications simply by clicking on the previous link.
Today is Monday 13 May 2024. I have a ton of work to do before I leave on Thursday for Little Rock. I have so much to do, that other than for my walks, I have not been down to the lake since I returned from DeSoto.
Please remember to use the B&H 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!
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.
Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens
Used Gear Page veteran Robert Hollyer is offering a Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in Like-New condition for a BAA record Low $9,998.00. The sale includes the front lens cap, the rear lens cap, the lens hood, the lens strap, that hard case & strap, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail or by phone at 1-206-359-0018 PST.
I purchased my Sony 400mm f/2.8 two years ago to complement my 600mm f/4. Robert is selling his because he rarely uses it, opting instead for the 600mm f/4! It is far easier for me to handhold the 4 ounces lighter, much smaller, and better balanced 400 f/2.8 than it is to handhold the 600mm f/4. The 400 is superb in extreme low light and for flight with or without the 1.4X teleconverter. This lens sells new right now for $11,998.00 at B&H and there are used copies going for $10998.00 as well. Act quickly to save a handsome $2,000.00 by grabbing Robert’s might-as-well-be-new 400mm GM lens. And you can’t beat the f/2.8 bokeh! artie
Your Call
Do you like this image? Why or Why Not?
DeSoto AMOY Nest
Thanks to multiple IPT veteran and good friend David Pugsley who alerted me to the presence of a roped off American Oystercatcher nest that was photographable only in the morning. Thursday last began mostly cloudy with a 20 mph wind from the S/SW. I had heard that there had been some spoonbills in Hidden Lagoon. Considering that possibility, the AMOY nest, and the low light, I went with the 400mm f/2.8 and an a-1, the latter as I was not expecting to do any flight or action.
As we arrived at the ropes and sat, we talked about choosing the best perspective. 560mm yielded the same in the frame look that I was after and allowed me to include the beach vegetation in the background along with a peek at the Gulf of Mexico. With everyone using Sony, I advised getting significant Zebras on the sky. With the wind hard from my left, I removed the lens hood and stored it on the sand. With all of the big, fast super-telephoto lenses, it is always best to remove the hoods when working in a cross wind; that keeps the hood from acting like a giant wind sail and destroying images sharpness.
Early on, one adult was on the nest and was sitting atop a small rise but well down on the nest. The grasses around the sitting bird’s head made it virtually impossible to use autofocus, even for those using one of the Spot S AF methods. I quickly went to Manual Focus with a (red) focus peaking and taught the two folks using the a1 how to use the focus magnification technique to ensure accurate manual focusing.
The other parent had been hanging around the nest so I told everyone that the best images might come if a nest change occurred. When that happened, the first bird walked away to the south and the second adult walked quickly to the nest. At this point I decided to trust my previously set manual focus distance. I got lucky as the second bird was on the same exact plane as the first bird had been.
I wanted to make an image before the bill of the new bird became obstructed by the grasses. I came close to doing that, but the tip of the bill wound up behind some grass. In addition, the end of the bird’s bill was badly stained with salt. Worst of all, I saw that the new bird had three bands, two orange/red EA bands on both lower leg bones and one metal, USFWS band (with the first two digits “11”) on the right tarsometatarsus. At first glance, I thought that the image clean-up would be too difficult. See the Animated GIF below.
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Diagram #2: Comparison of human leg bones and bird leg bones
Diagram by Rebecca Hawkins here on Twitter (X).
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Rebecca Hawkins” Comments
Ever wonder why birds have backwards knees? That’s because those aren’t knees, they’re the equivalent of our ankles! Bird knees are further up their legs and often hidden by feathers.
@RebeccasBones’ diagram above and her explanation of the reality of a bird’s leg bones are the clearest and most understandable I have ever come across.
Band Removal and Bill Clean-Up and Reconstruction
With the IPT group huddled around the kitchen counter, I did not think that I could do it, but using my cadre of clean-up and repair tools, I was eventually successful. Everyone in the group, especially Geri, offered helpful comments and suggestions. In no particular order, I used the Remove Tool, the Patch Tool, the Clone Stamp Tool, and several Quick Masks that were refined by the addition of a regular layer mask. All as detailed in Digital Basis II and in the Digital Basics III Video Series.
The shared AirBnB experience on the DeSoto IPT worked out amazingly well. Unless I was sleeping, I was there to answer everyone’s questions. We saved a ton of money on meals — we shared the cost of the food — and we all got along great.
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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.
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The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Please note: the Divide and Conquer technique was inadvertently omitted from DB II. It is detailed in a free excerpt in the blog post here.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: most of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
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The Digital Basics III Video Series
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The Digital Basics III Video Series
I realized about a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing a Digital Basics III. More recently, I learned and begun working with two great new Photoshop Tools, the Remove Tool and the Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. The former is like a smarter Spot Healing Brush Tool on steroids and the latter is a step up from the fabulous Color Mixer Tool. During that same time frame, I came up with a new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.
As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born.
You can save $26 by ordering the first five videos in Volume I by clicking here. The videos will be most valuable for folks using the latest version of Photoshop (2024) or Lightroom along with Topaz DeNoise AI and Topaz Sharpen AI.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
May 11th, 2024 Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars.
Live Life to the Fullest
Join an Instructional Photo-Tour. Better yet, sign up for both Homer trips.
Important Notice
After a recent update, Word Press stopped sending post notifications. We are aware of the issue and are working on rectifying it. You can always visit the blog by visiting or bookmarking www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com.
Word Press Help Needed
As some of you realized, several days ago the automated post notification e-mails quit being sent. Why? Last week, whenever I opened my Word Press dashboard a notice appeared advising me to update the PHP and Word Press itself. The directions were so complicated that I refrained as long as possible. Not to mention that anytime I update anything it is done with trepidations. So, I contacted Homepage Universe, the folks we pay for the server, and they did the two updates. Everything seemed fine. But, several blog subscribers e-mailed yesterday asking if I was OK.
I quickly realized that the post notifications were not being sent. Because of the updates. I can log into Word Press with the user name and password that I have been using for two decades. But, using the same user name and PW, I am unable to log into the support forum to try to figure out why the e-mail notifications quit and how I can fix the problem.
If you have any ideas or have a friend who might be able to help, please get in touch with me via e-mail and include the necessary contact info including e-mail address and phone number.
Many thanks.
Your Call
Enlarge each of today’s two featured images and let us know which you feel is the stronger photograph and why you made your choice. Read the info below each image to improve your shorebird photography. By doing so, you will learn what that three folks on the IPT learned this morning.
What’s Up?
The May 2024 DeSoto IPT group has been a pleasure to work with. We had a great thank you dinner Thursday night at Pia’s Trattoria in Gulfport. Photography at DeSoto has ranged from great to terrible. Afternoons have been uniformly terrible. Jim Miller left a day early after our Friday morning session for a doctor’s appointment in Tallahassee. Steve and Geri were thrilled that I took them to the North Venice Rookery in the afternoon. The forecast was perfect: mostly cloudy with a west wind. The reality was that it was totally sunny with an east wind :-(. We got our best stuff late in the day when the colony was in the shade. There were lots of Great Egret chicks and several Wood Stork chicks. We also had some sweet Tricolored Herons (one pair with young), a breeding plumage Snowy Egret, and an adult Black-Crowned Night Heron. When we arrived, there was a juvie Little Blue Heron foraging on the duckweed. The best news? There was zero traffic on the way back to our AirBnB.
Sharing the AirBnB with three participants was a first and we all got along great. We ate most meals in the house and everyone loved my cooking. And I loved their dishwashing!
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This image was also created on 10 May 2024 on the May 2024 Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the kneepod technique with the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 420mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2000: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect. AWB at 7:38:41am on a partly cloudy, variably sunny morning.
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: Sanderling molting into breeding plumage
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Plan B
In comparison to the last ten years, photography at North Beach this spring has been terrible. The east winds (perfect) of the previous ten days have been replaced by W/SW winds. On the sunny mornings, that is the worst possible combination as the sun rises in the northeast. With the strong winds and super low tides, afternoons at any location have been very challenging at best. The great news is that everyone has learned a ton and been making excellent photographs. The forecast for Friday morning was for sunny turning cloudy by 9:00am. When we drove into the park at 7:00am, there were lots of clouds to the east so rather than head to North Beach for another death march, we headed for my morning back-up spot, a spot that most self-respecting bird photographers shun. But not me. My decision to with tracks based on the tide and the weather was brilliant.
Anyhoo, the sun came out for good at 9:00am. So much for the weather forecast …
We had two small, clean areas of beach that mush have been packed with tiny invertebrates as we had 15 to 20 turnstones and perhaps a half dozen Sanderlings foraging in front of us right down sun angle (whenever it poked through the clouds). In addition, we had two White Ibis feeding and on occasion, we were joined by an oystercatcher and a Willet.
See the next item to learn what the group learned on what turned out to be a great morning of shorebird photography.
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This image was also created on 1o May 2024 on the May 2024 Fort DeSoto IPT. Seated on damp sand I used the kneepod technique with the handheld handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 420mm) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:54:32am on a partly cloudy, variably sunny morning.
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 #2: Ruddy Turnstone with clam and a strand of green seaweed
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The Old Maxim
In the Art of Bird Photography, I wrote, In bird photography, add green whenever possible. I love the line of green seaweed in front of the Sanderling in Image #1 and the tiny bit of seaweed hanging from the small clam in Image #2. Not that I had anything to do with either 🙂
Shorebird Photography Lessons Learned
1- When there are shorebirds around, pick out a stretch of clean beach, an area with little to no beach debris like shells, seaweed, pebbles and other beach wrack like algae, sea grasses, and some invertebrates like as sponges and soft corals, and sit or lie down on the sand.
2- If and when the birds take flight, stay put; unless the tide has come in and covered the beach, the birds will almost always return.
3- Individual birds like the Sanderling in Image #1 will often stake out and defend a small area of food-rich shoreline and defend it against all comers. They often provide consistent action.
4- When the sun is coming in and out, you quickly need to change your exposures. Advantage Sony Zebras. But even with Zebra technology you need to stay sharp.
5- Foraging shorebirds rarely stay still (like the Sanderling in Image #1), even for a second. Thus, for moving birds, you need relatively fast shutter speeds of 1/1000 second (at a minimum).
6- Foraging shorebirds are affected much less by “bad” wind direction (wind against sun conditions) as terns or gulls roosting on the beach are. The trick is to make a series of image in the rare instant that the birds are square to the imaging sensor or angled slightly toward you; subject to film plane orientation is difficult when the birds are feeding and changing positions practically ever second.
Fine Point Lesson
Note that Image #1 is from the full frame (uncropped) raw file. Working at only 420mm, the bird was likely eight or nice feet from me. When photographing large in the frame birds at point blank range, there is usually a need for additional depth of field. That is why I opted to stop down one full stop for the first image; That helped to sharpen up the wing feathers this side of the plane of focus, right on the eye.
Speaking of right on the eye, Sony a9 iii Bird Face-Eye AF continuous autofocus puts a-1 AF to shame. When shooting foraging shorebirds with the a1, I would need to go to Tracking: Expand Spot and would struggle to keep the active AF point somewhere near the bird’s eye, face, or head. Tracking the eye was sporadic. Working in Tracking: Zone with the a9 iii, the AF system grabs the eye and pretty much never lets go. Tracking: Zone gives you leeway when framing images of moving birds.
Image #2 on the other hand, was a small crop and the bird was smaller in the original frame. Therefore, there was no need to stop down; the feathers of the folded wing were rendered sharp at the wide open aperture (f/4) because of the distance factor. At a given aperture, d-0-f increases as the distance to the subject increases.
Why the 300mm f/2.8?
As we age, pretty much all bird photographers are looking to go lighter. And working without a tripod is an incredible pleasure that makes you much more mobile and makes it easier to get into the best shooting position. Having rented my 600mm f/4 GM to Steve Shore for the IPT, I’ve been switching using either the 400mm f/2.8 GM lens (with TCs) or the 200-600 (often with the 1.4X TC. As the 300mm f/2.8 8s the lightest of the three and I was feeling a bit tired on Friday morning, I went as light as possible and handheld the 300. I started with the 2X TC but as the birds were so close, I quickly switched to the 1.4X. I was surprised at how well I did.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
May 9th, 2024 Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars.
Live Life to the Fullest
Join an Instructional Photo-Tour. Better yet, sign up for both Homer trips.
What’s Up?
Everyone got to the AirBnB early so we headed out for a free afternoon of instruction. The tide was very low at East Beach but we tried. Steve Shore rented my Sony 600 and an a9ii. It took about six minutes to familiarize him the a9 iii and the Sony system, as advertised. By the next morning he was consistently making sharp, well exposed images at 1200mm. Put him down as another who trusted me on Sony. As I had done last January after a zero afternoon (see the last item below), we stopped under the big bridge. We were rewarded with a handsome Great Blue Heron in fresh juvenal plumage; the bird looked as if it had just left the nest that morning. All enjoyed a seared tuna and guacamole dinner prepared by Chef Morris 🙂
Despite tales of “no birds at DeSoto” for the last several months, we had lots of great opps on Wednesday morning with about tens species of shorebirds, Royal and Sandwich Terns, Brown Pelicans, about six Reddish Egrets including a dancing white morph, Great Blue Heron and Snowy Egret, and White Ibis.
Today is Thursday 9 May 2024. We all hope that you too have a wonderful day.
If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide.
Please remember to use the B&H 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!
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.
Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens
Used Gear Page veteran Robert Hollyer is offering a Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in Like-New condition for a BAA record Low $9,998.00. The sale includes the front lens cap, the rear lens cap, the lens hood, the lens strap, that hard case & strap, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail or by phone at 1-206-359-0018 PST.
I purchased my Sony 400mm f/2.8 two years ago to complement my 600mm f/4. Robert is selling his because he rarely uses it, opting instead for the 600mm f/4! It is far easier for me to handhold the 4 ounces lighter, much smaller, and better balanced 400 f/2.8 than it is to handhold the 600mm f/4. The 400 kills in extreme low light and for flight with or without the 1.4X teleconverter. This lens sells new right now for $11,998.00 at B&H and there are used copies going for $10998.00 as well. Act quickly to save a handsome $2,000.00 by grabbing Robert’s might-as-well-be-new 400mm GM lens. And you can’t beat the f/2.8 bokeh! artie
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Join me in Little Rock, Arkansas this May for a great weekend of learning and fun. You can check out any and all of the latest/greatest photo gear. If you know any good nearby spots for bird photography, and/or if you would like a free (5-image) portfolio review, shoot me an e-mail.
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Little Rock Photo EXPO
A Bedford Event: Inspire, Learn, Discover
HUGE TWO DAY INTERACTIVE TRADE-SHOW
May 17-18, 2024
State House Convention Center
101 E. Markham St., Little Rock, Arkansas
Don’t miss the Photo Expo in Little Rock! Regardless of your experience level, join hundreds of photographers, as we take over Little Rock on May 17-18, 2024. The Little Rock Photo Expo offers a remarkable experience packed with presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and a massive trade show featuring all the major photographic companies. Explore the latest gear, trade in your old camera equipment, and gain valuable insights from our experts. Get up close and personal with world-renowned keynote speakers and seize countless unique photo opportunities. Bring your camera and get ready for a weekend of fun, learning, and inspiration to elevate YOUR photography to new heights.
Click here to learn more and follow the links to see the schedule of events and/or register. Use this discount code at checkout to save $20.00: VIPEXPO24.
Save 15%!
If you’d like to try out a new lens or if you need a lens for a specific trip or project (or for an IPT), LensRentals.com is the only way to go. To save 15%, simply click on the logo link above, arrange for your rental, and type in BIRDSASART15. If you type the gear you are looking for in the search box, it will pop right up. LensRentals.com offers affordable insurance. You can decline it, opt for LensCap: Damage Only, or select LensCap: Damage & Theft. Then hit PROCEED TO CHECKOUT. After you enter all of your info but before completing your order, be sure to scroll down to Promo Code box and enter the BIRDSASART15 code to save 15%.
I checked on renting a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens for a week. The cost is only $122.00. LensCap: Damage Only coverage can be added for a very low $18.00. Going with LensCap: Damage & Theft would be $27.00. The shipping charge varies. They offer an interesting program called Lensrentals HD. By signing up for this shipping discount program ($99.00/year), you’ll get free Standard Shipping on all the orders you place.
Renting a Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens for a week will cost you $536.00. The two coverage options come in at $76.00 or $114.00. Less your 15% discount when you enter the BIRDSASART15 code into the Promo Code box at checkout and enter the BIRDSASART15 code in the Promo Code box at checkout to save 15%.
Remember, to save the 15% on your rental you must start your search by clicking on the logo above, or on this link: LensRentals.com
B&H
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. B&H will reopen on Fri April 14. 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.
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.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.
Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
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 stave 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.
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This image was created on 7 May (happy 50ieth birthday to younger daughter Alissa) 2024 at a little known spot outside of Fort DeSoto Park. Seated using the knee-pod technique, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the rThumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/500 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. AWB at 7:59:20pm in the shadow of a huge bridge. Sunset would be at 8:09pm.
Tracking Zone/AF-C performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #1: Great Blue Heron in fresh juvenal plumage with tiny baitfish
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First Crack at the Beautiful Young GBH
Using the knee-pod technique, I am confident of making sharp images at 400mm using a shutter speed of 1/500 sec. But that is not fast enough to freeze the action when a heron or egret strikes at a fish. It was fine, however, for making a sharp image of this young bird with its minuscule dinner. The head angle in this image is not quite ideal.
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This image was created on 7 May (happy 50ieth birthday to younger daughter Alissa) 2024 at a little known spot outside of Fort DeSoto Park. Seated using the knee-pod technique, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the rThumb Dial. ISO 3200: 1/1000 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. AWB at 8:00:50pm in the shadow of a huge bridge. Sunset would be at 8:09pm.
Tracking Zone/AF-C performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #2: Great Blue Heron in fresh juvenal plumage
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The Perfect Lens for the Situation
See the Miracle Under the Bridge item below to learn about the last time I checked under the bridge. Even on sunny days, there is little light at this location so the 400mm f/2.8 GM lens is often perfect. As above, sitting and resting my left forearm atop my left knee, I am 100% confident of making sharp images at 1/500 sec. But after I missed the first strike, I doubled both the ISO and the shutter speed so that I might be able to freeze the action if and when the bird struck again. It did, but was angled away. Anyhoo, I was thrilled that I decided literally at the last second to stick the 400 f/2.8 GM in an old lens bag and bring it to DeSoto.
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This image of the same bird was created on 7 May (happy 50ieth birthday to younger daughter Alissa) 2024 at a little known spot outside of Fort DeSoto Park. I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the rThumb Dial. ISO 3200: 1/1000 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. AWB at 8:01:10pm in the shadow of a huge bridge. Sunset would be at 8:09pm.
Tracking Zone/AF-C performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image #3: Great Blue Heron in fresh juvenal plumage
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Optimization Variation
I’ve said it often here in the past, “If you optimize several images from a series starting each one at scratch, the results will usually vary noticeably even if you are working in the same ambient light. I will admit though, that with Images 1-3, I went for a different look for the background as far as color and texture. Which background do you like best? Why?
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This image was created on Thursday 11 January 2024 on a 2 1/2-DAY Fort DeSoto (private) IPT. Standing at full height, 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 1250. 1/500 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be perfect (ho hum). AWB at 5:09:47pm on a cloudy-dark afternoon.
Tracking: upper center Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the sharper high-res version.
Image #4 (a re-run): Great Blue Heron, territorial threat display
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Miracle Under the Bridge
In January past, I visited the same location after a terrible afternoon and the two folks on the private IPT and I were rewarded by two threat displaying Great Blue Herons. Read the whole story in the Miracle Under the Bridge blog post here.
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