This Just In!

I went down to the lake well before I finished today’s blog post and had an incredible morning at the eagle nest. I could have been really famous when one of the adult eagles flew in with a fish, but I had the exposure set for the nearly all-black baby eagles and — in that moment — forgot about papa’s white head. If you had signed up for an In-the-Field Session this morning, you would have been over the moon! If you live in Central Florida or are visiting right now, it might behoove you to give me a buzz today as the weather is looking even better than it was today with an east wind.

Eaglets in the Nest Indian Lake Estates In-the-Field Workshops

Join me for two hours of instruction at Indian Lake Estates any day from now through the morning of Monday 13 February: $200.00. Add a working brunch with image review and a Photoshop session for another $100.00 to round out an incredibly educational morning. Though we will concentrate on the baby eagles, there is lots going on right now. Backup subjects include Sandhill Cranes, Ospreys building nests, and more. If you would like to set up a session on a suitable weather morning, please contact me via e-mail.

The Homer IPTs

It’s Never Too Late!

I hate sailing with a less than full boat. If you would like to make a low-ball offer on one or more of the Bald Eagle IPTs below, please click here.

IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Sold Out
IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.
IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers. Openings: 1.

Rooms at Land’s End Resort are currently available for all of the dates above.

What’s Up?

Many thanks for the honest comments at yesterday’s blog post. About half the folks who commented liked one of the two images, the other half felt strongly that both were a waste of pixels. Of those who commented, all but two liked the first image best. I, and two others, both IPT veterans, preferred the softer tones in the horizontal image. Cliff Beittel wrote, I expected to like the vertical better (waterfall feeling), but in fact much prefer the horizontal for the softer, more soothing feather pattern and the nice gray/blue background. That’s the one I can see hanging in an office or home. And I liked David Pugsley’s idea of a tight crop for that one.

When I got to Skipper’s Cove Bar and Grill in Fort Pierce, I texted Danny and Sol, my two AEPi (Brooklyn Poly) pledge brothers and let them know that I had a table. Danny texted back and said, We are at the bar. I asked a waitress, Where is the bar? She pointed and said, Those two guys have been there for a while. Glancing, I replied, That ain’t them. I walked towards them when I realized that the short one was Sol and the tall one was Danny. And they realized that the shaved head guy was me. Then we all started laughing and hugging, while realizing that each of us had aged a bit over the 57 or so years. We enjoyed the food and enjoyed catching up.

Today is Tuesday 7 February. The forecast for this morning is again calling for sunny skies with a northeast breeze so I will be heading down to the lake for a bit. This blog post took more than three hours to prepare and makes three hundred fifteen days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other 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.

Please remember that 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 1 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA. Standing at full height, I used the Induro GIT 304L tripod/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. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was perfect. AWB at 10:22:32am on a cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Whimbrel in flight — downstroke wing position

San Diego Shorebirds

On a San Diego IPT, you might expect to see and photograph about a dozen or so species of shorebirds.

The larger ones include Marbled Godwit, Whimbrel, Willet, and Black (and rarely American) Oystercatchers. The smaller Calidrids that we usually encounter include Spotted Sandpiper, Sanderling, Black and Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plover, Western and Last Sandpipers, Semipalmated and possibly Showy Plovers. Lees-than-guaranteed species would be Red Knot, Wandering Tattler, and Surfbird.

You can learn everything that you wanted to know about North American shorebirds in my softcover book, Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers.

This image was created on 11 January along the Silver Strand that connects Coronado with Imperial Beach, CA. Standing at full height I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Dial. Multi-metering +1.7 stops in S (Shutter Priority): 1/800 second at f/6.3 (wide-open). AUTO ISO set ISO 1250. AWB at 4:57:42pm on a mostly sunny afternoon. RawDigger showed the raw file brightness to be perfect. Tracking: Expand Spot S/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Willet in surf just before sunset

Why an Automatic Exposure Mode?

In yesterday’s blog post, Larry Hollar left a comment asking Doesn’t AUTO-ISO override your manual settings?

Good question, Larry, and it’s nice to see you commenting. Each comment is greatly appreciated. The short answer is Yes. But there is lots to learn here so thanks for asking!

First off, I have long railed against the use of AUTO-ISO in Manual mode. It makes zero sense. Why? You are using manual mode so that you have complete control of all three exposure parameters. With AUTO-ISO you are obviously giving up control of one of those. And nobody is fast enough to change the Exposure Compensation (EC) in response to changing backgrounds and a host of other variables. Period.

So why do I occasionally go to Shutter or Aperture Priority with AUTO-ISO?

I opt for the former in situations when the backgrounds are relatively consistent, most often when doing pleasing blurs in the pre-dawn light at the beach when the backgrounds are uniformly light-toned. In those situations, I switch to AUTO-ISO while assigning EC to the Thumb Dial. Then, it is easy to change the shutter speed to experiment with differing degrees of blurring. And I can fine-tune the exposure with the Thumb Dial by changing the EC as needed. I usually start with +2 or +2 1/3 stops and adjust as needed.

I often use the exact same technique when shooting silhouetted flight, but rather than setting slow shutter speeds as above, I will set fast ones in the range of from 1/4000 down to 1/1000 or even 1/500 sec. on occasion. Again, +2 or +2 1/3 is usually close to perfect; everyone under-exposes silhouettes.

Finally, with Shutter Priority, it can be extremely helpful when you are trying to deal with strongly backlit silhouetted subjects where the brightness of the scene may vary dramatically from one second to the next. Such were the conditions when I created Image #2.

When I need to control the depth-of-field by setting small apertures, I will go to Aperture Priority, again with AUTO-ISO and again with EC on the Thumb Dial. Note that since I am doing tight abstracts that there is little to no background to throw off the meter.

This image was created on 23 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA on the last 2023 San Diego IPT. Seated on wet rocks and dodging waves, I employed the knee-pod technique with the handheld 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. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2500 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect. AWB at 8:10:59am on a mostly sunny morning. Tracking: expand Spot/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #3: Black Oystercatcher on sandstone shelf

Black Oystercatcher

This species is my favorite San Diego shorebird. I tried and failed on several occasions to make a great image of one with a wave crashing overhead but I will surely get it next year. I will again be returning to San Diego for five full weeks next season and will again be running three IPTs. I will be announcing the dates here very soon.

Your Call?

Which of today’s three featured images do you like best? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice. Please note: brutal honesty is always welcome.

Typos

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

The Homer IPTs

No Reasonable Offer Refused

I hate sailing with a less than full boat. If you would like to make a low-ball offer on one or more of the Bald Eagle IPTs below, please click here.

IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Sold Out
IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.
IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers. Openings: 1.

Rooms at Land’s End Resort are currently available for all of the dates above.

What’s Up?

It was clear and sunny with a brisk wind from the north on Saturday morning. The two eagle chicks were quite active, flapping and jumping about in the nest, but always facing north — just a bit away from the light (as the sun was in the southeast). I created a few still images including today’s featured image, and made some nice crane and vulture head portraits as well. The cranes have been acting romantically the last two mornings; while concentrating on the eagle nest, I missed two copulations and several refused invitations.

I swam my half mile for the third straight day despite the cooler air temps. And I got more work down on my 2022 taxes.

I headed back down to the lake 25 minutes before the time of sunset. Things were looking great until the sun dipped behind a long low cloud on the western horizon. Surprisingly, I did quite well after that making some bright sky silhouettes and creating pleasing blurs of large flocks of Boat-tailed Grackles swirling above the lake.

Today is Sunday 5 February 2023. The forecast for this morning is cloudy skies with a brief rain shower at about 8:00am and a northeast breeze. I will be heading down to the lake if it brightens up. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes three hundred thirteen days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other 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.

Please remember that 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.

Branching Eaglets Indian Lake Estates In-the-Field Workshops

Join me for two hours of instruction at Indian Lake Estates any day from now through the morning of Monday 13 February: $200.00. Add a working brunch with image review and a Photoshop session for another $100.00 to round out an incredibly educational morning. Though we will concentrate on the baby eagles, there is lots going on right now. Backup subjects include Sandhill Cranes, Ospreys building nests, and more. If you would like to set up a session on a suitable weather morning, please contact me via e-mail.

Induro GIT 304L Tripod

Out of production for more than two years, BAA sold its last one in December. The good news? We now have two more new-in-the-box tripods. They are now available for shipping. Best to order yours now to be sure that you get one. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now to avoid being disappointed.

This image was created on 4 February 2023 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, 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. 1/1000 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 7:47:51am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Spot S/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Two large Bald Eagle chicks in the nest

Murphy’s Law of Nests

Murphy’s Law of Nests states that all bird nests have a least one twig or stick too many. This season’s ILE eagle nest has three such sticks. The most offensive one is the large branch on our right. The second such stick is in the center of the nest and intersects with the chick on our left. Continuing left, the third and least problematic branch is sticking straight up. I could have left that one as it did not merge with either chick. What looks to be the smaller chick on our right seemed to be admiring its larger nest-mate when I pressed the shutter button.

What to Do About Murphy’s Law

If — as mine do — your photographic ethics allow for image clean-up, you can use a variety to Photoshop tools to tidy things up. For today’s featured image I used the Patch Tool and the Clone Stamp Tool to Divide and Conquer the sticks that merged with the chicks. I used Content-Aware Fill to lose the remaining stubs of branches that were stabbing the chicks. It performed beyond amazingly well. The Spot Healing Brush was used to eliminate some bright leaves and whitewash from the nest itself.

Divide and Conquer

Last year, when I discovered that Divide and Conquer had been inadvertently omitted from Digital Basics II, I shared the technique in a blog post.

Here, adapted from the last update to the original Digital Basics, is how you do it:

Let’s say that you have a long branch in the background that needs to be removed. Best would be to cover it with a Quick Mask. But, in many instances, there is simply not enough matching background with which to cover the distracting branch. The Patch Tool is greatly preferred to the Clone Stamp as the Patch Tool blends texture while the Clone Stamp copies texture-less color. It is often impossible to patch a long branch in one fell swoop, and if you try the Patch Tool on small sections of the branch, you will encounter terrible smudging. What to do? Divide and Conquer. By cutting the offending branch into two or more pieces, you can create manageable sections. Loggers cut a big tree trunk into sections that can be much more easily handled than the entire trunk. To cut up your distracting branch, use the Clone Stamp Tool. Note: if the tonality on one side of the branch is of a slightly different tonality or color than the other, be sure to work from both sides. Once you have cut the branch into manageable sections, you can use the Patch Tool to eliminate the remaining sections. And you can use Content-Aware Fill to eliminate small sections of the branch that are jabbing and merging with the subject.

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.

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.

Image #1A: The optimized version of the Two large Bald Eagle chicks in the nest image

The Optimized Image

The before image shows two large eagle chicks in their nest. The optimized version shows two large eagle chicks in the nest. Which one do you like best? Why?

Image #1B: A 100 percent crop of the Two large Bald Eagle chicks in the nest image

Astounding 1200mm Sharpness

I continue to be amazed, even astounded, by the sharpness and image quality of Sony A1 images created with the 600 f/4 GM and the 2X teleconverter.

Note: As AF was on the chick on our right that was slightly farther away than the chick on our left, the head of the chick on our left was selectively sharpened. First, I applied a Contrast Mask. Next, I brought the image into Topaz Sharpen AI, painted a mask of the head of the bird on our left, and went with Standard/Lens Blur. This was done on the .TIF file.

Directions to the Eagle Nest

Directions to the eagle nest tree will be included with your purchase of the BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide. If you already own a copy of that guide, please shoot me proof-of-purchase via e-mail and request the location of the nest.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide

126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.

Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back-and-forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:

• Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
• Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
• The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
• Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
• Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
• Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
• West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
• Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.

Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.

You can purchase a copy 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.

The Homer IPTs

No Reasonable Offer Refused

I hate sailing with a less than full boat. If you would like to make a low-ball offer on one or more of the Bald Eagle IPTs below, please click here.

IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1.
IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.
IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers. Openings: 1.

Rooms at Lands End Resort are available for all of the dates above.

What’s Up?

It was foggy as all get-out on Thursday morning. I spent some time down by the lake, but did not come up with much aside from some eagle nest-tree fog-scapes and one decent eaglet image. Both of the large eagle chicks were flopping and flapping and jumping up in the nest in their Hurricane Ian-re-designed nest tree. I expect that they will be branching very soon. Directions to the eagle tree will be included in your purchase of the BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide.

I am feeling much better and did a half-mile in the pool on a warm afternoon. I have no idea what inspired me to get so much work done on my 2022 taxes so soon, but things are going very well. In yesterday’s blog post, I too liked the vertical with the adult eagle jumping out of the nest to a nearby perch best. I felt that the small in the frame chick feeding was also a very strong image.

I was glad to learn that Stu Gol of St. Louis will be joining Andrew Schonbek on the third DeSoto IPT in May.

Today is Friday 3 February 2023. The forecast for this morning is less than ideal with more cloudy skies and a continuing southwest wind. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes three hundred eleven days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other 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.

Please remember that 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.

Induro GIT 304L Tripod

Out of production for more than two years, BAA sold its last one in December. The good news? We now have two more new-in-the-box tripods. They are now available for shipping. Best to order yours now to be sure that you get one. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now to avoid being disappointed.

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, or to any prior purchases.

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 18 March 2018 on a Spring IPT at Fort DeSoto. Standing at full height, I used the no-longer available (except from BAA) Induro GIT 304L tripod/Mongoose 3.6.1 Action Head-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and the Sony a9II (now replaced by The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera). ISO 500: 1/3200 second at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was more than one stop too dark. AWB at 8:37am on sunny morning. Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Royal Tern in breeding plumage with small crab for potential mate

Pre-RawDigger and a9 II Image Quality

Like most folks, I had been under-exposing most of my raw files for years until I began evaluating images with RawDigger. With Topaz DeNoise, the optimized image here looked pretty good. Working large with sharp a9 II images, it is easy to note the difference in image quality between those and sharp a1 image files. The a1 raw files feature far more fine feather detail and far less artifacting.

This image was created on 12 February 2020 at Fort DeSoto during an In-the-Field session. Seated on dry sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 376mm) and the Sony a9II (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 400. 1/2500 second at f/7.1 (unnecessarily stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual Mode. AWB at 9:15:12am on a mostly sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect. Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Royal Tern breaking to land

The Colors of DeSoto

The aqua blue-green Gulf waters combined with out-of-focus tan sand routinely allow for gorgeous backgrounds at Fort DeSoto. The background color schemes at DeSoto are just one of the things that Brendan Burns loves about the place. If you missed his spectacular images, check them out in the recent “In Love With Low” blog post here and see how he has used the sweet DeSoto backgrounds. He does of course, “add green whenever possible.”

Sitting on a Tern Flock

On most DeSoto IPTs, we almost always have several chances to “sit on a flock of Royal Terns”. On the right wind, this technique offers great incoming flight photography opportunities for Royal, Sandwich and Forster’s Terns as well as breeding plumage Laughing Gulls. Join one of the Spring 2023 Fort DeSoto IPTs to learn how this is done. And a heck of a lot more.

Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in full breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull landing on head of Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull in flight, Reddish Egret sunrise silhouette, Great Blue Heron with needlefish, Yellow-crowned Night Heron with ghost crab, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling in breeding plumage, and white morph Reddish Egret in glorious breeding plumage.

The 2023 Spring Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Spring Fort DeSoto IPT #1: Tuesday 28 March through the morning session on 31 March 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographers.

Spring Fort DeSoto IPT #2: Tuesday 11 April through the morning session on 14 April 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographer/Openings five.

Spring Fort DeSoto IPT #3: Tuesday 9 May through the morning session on 12 May 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographers/Openings 4.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for terns and gulls, wading birds, and shorebirds in spring. Many of the birds will be in full breeding plumage. Simply put, DeSoto is the new Ding Darling. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. 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 along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography, especially with the Brown Pelicans.

Again, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull in flight, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandwich Terns copulating, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret with reflection, breeding plumage Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, white morph Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret in marsh.

In Addition!

We should also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, Snowy, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Marbled Godwit, and most especially, Red Knot, with many individuals in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures.

With just a bit of luck, we may get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, 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.

Yes, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, Laughing Gull vertical front-end portrait, Laughing Gull with prey item, landing on head of Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Royal Tern displaying, Royal Terns — pre-copulatory stance, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a rare treat, a breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.

What You Will Learn on a DeSoto IPT

• 1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
• 2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
• 3- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 4- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
• 5- To age and identify many species of shorebirds including various sandpipers, plovers, dowitchers, and possibly yellowlegs.
• 6- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
• 7- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
• 8- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 9- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
• 10- More than you could ever imagine.

You’ve got it by now! Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Roseate Spoonbill, immature Brown Pelican in flight, the heron/egret hybrid, American Oystercatcher feeding, immature Royal Tern on railing, Great Egret morning silhouette, Black Skimmer in surf, and underside head portrait of Great Blue Heron.

The Details

Morning sessions will run two and one-half to three hours; afternoon sessions about two. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. On cloudy mornings with the right wind, we may opt to photograph till noon and skip the afternoon session. That especially when the afternoon weather is looking iffy. We may opt to visit a great North Tampa rookery if conditions warrant that.

There will be a Photoshop/Image Review session before and after brunch (included) each of the three full days. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. Each of these IPTs will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area (rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away).

Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field as early as possible and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors; this is pretty much a staple on almost all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours. Doing so will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest and those who need to get home for a proper dinner. I really love it when I am leaving the beach at 9:30am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We will be getting wet.

Your $599 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check three months before the trip begins. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your 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, and clothing and gear advice two months before the trip. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information.

Typos

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

The Homer IPTs

No Reasonable Offer Refused

I hate sailing with a less than full boat. If you would like to make a low-ball offer on one or more of the Bald Eagle IPTs below, please click here.

IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1.
IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.
IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers. Openings: 1.

Rooms at Lands End Resort are available for all of the dates above.

What’s Up?

I will share my thoughts on the two Tricolored Heron images in yesterday’s blog post tomorrow as folks are still commenting.

I continue to feel better. I may get back in the pool again on Wednesday. Again, I got lots accomplished, especially on my 2022 taxes. I was glad to learn that Andrew Schonbek signed up for DeSoto #3. May is a wonderful time to be at DeSoto. But heck, so are March and April!

I could not choose a favorite from yesterday’s three running shorebird images as all were sharp, perfectly exposed, and nicely designed. And I loved the backgrounds.

Today is Wednesday 1 February 2023. I will continue to work on my 2022 taxes, catch up on e-mails, plan the 2023/24 San Diego IPT dates, and begin work on a San Diego January flight photography video. This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes three hundred-nine days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other 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.

Please remember that 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 of today’s great images were created with the Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens. Several folks are interested in this lens but are quibbling over price. My advice: grab it now!

Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens with extras

Blog regular Anthony Ardito is offering a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens (USA warranty) in like-new condition for a very low $10,498.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original front lens cover, the lens strap, the original product box (and everything that came in it), a Rolanpro Nylon Waterproof Lens Camouflage Rain Cover (a $118.00 value), a CR-X Low Foot (a $122.00 value), 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 Anthony via e-mail at e-mail.

The 600mm f/4 lenses have been the state-of-the-art super-telephotos for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. I never leave home without mine. In short, they are the weapons of mass destruction for nature and sports photographers. The Sony 600 GM is the best ever as it is super-sharp with both the 1.4X TC and the 2X TC. I even shoot flight at 1200mm! It is the lightest 600 f/4 ever manufactured. And with most of the weight to the rear, it the best balanced 600 out there, and thus, it is easier to handhold than any of its competitors. This lens sells new for $12,998.00 and is almost universally out of stock. If you have been dreaming of a Sony 600mm f/4 for years, grab Anthony’s pretty much new lens right now and put $2,500.00 in savings into your pocket. artie

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park by Brendan Burns. He used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 400. 1/6400 sec. at f/4 (wide open). Image #1: Reddish Egret white morph fishing Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Brendan Burns

In Love With Low

Last year, a young photographer named Brendan Burns joined me for two days on the Hooptie Deux then again on a Spring DeSoto IPT. It seemed to me that he did not spend a single minute in the field with either group. Why? He is totally in love with getting low. He works very hard to get his lens exactly two inches above the water. His favorite angle of declination to the birds is zero degrees. Heck, in some of his featured images below he is actually shooting up at the subject! In addition, he loves to go off on his own to explore.

So why did he attend two IPTs last spring? See the next item below, “The Mystery.”

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park by Brendan Burns. He used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open). Image #2: Red-breasted Merganser flapping Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Brendan Burns

The Mystery

Brendan seemed to enjoy himself on the two IPTs and participated vigorously in the image review and Photoshop sessions before, during, and after our extensive working brunches at the Neptune Grill in Gulfport. I was, however, puzzled as to why he always wandered away from the group in the field, so I asked him what he found valuable about the two IPTs. Here is what he said:

The most valuable part of the IPT for me was drawing on your four decades of experience in everything from camera set-up to post-processing. I thought I had a solid grasp of the basics, but I was able to train my eye and develop better attention to detail through your iterating sessions in the field and the images critiques. As a result, I left the IPT with a higher “photographer IQ” as a result. The instruction helped me make the most of each opportunity, and there is no better shortcut to improving your skills than by learning from someone with vastly more experience so you can avoid making the same mistakes repeatedly.

In response to your previous e-mail – yes, I do have Photoshop, but I have a long way to go in terms of using it more effectively. I need to pick up a copy of Digital Basics II! As always, there is a lot to learn. I am going through a lot of my images and re-optimizing them as we discussed.

(Brendan must have spent more time with the group more than I remembered.)

From Merriam-Webste.com:

iterate

transitive verb: to say or do again, or again and again

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park by Brendan Burns. He used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1600. 1/500 sec. at f/4 (wide open). Image #3: Snowy Egret hunting Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Brendan Burns

How He Does It

Brendan has used a variety of techniques to get his lens just above water level. For a while he used a Wimberley VII Head on a Skimmer II, but quickly grew to find that too limiting when he needed to work in water deeper than a few inches. Today, he simply handholds his 600 whether he is lying down on the ground, the beach, a mudflat, or even in several inches of water! When working in deeper water he may sit, kneel, or stand, sometimes in water up to his chest! He is obviously strong, fit, and confident. He is fanatical about getting super-low, and as you can see here, the results are spectacular.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park by Brendan Burns. He used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1600. 1/3200 sec. at f/4 (wide open). Image #4: Reddish Egret in flat flight Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Brendan Burns

How Low Can You Go?

I have never seen anyone consistently work with their lens as close to the water as Brendan. In the spectacular image above, he is shooting up at a bird that is flying less than a foot above the surface of the lagoon!

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park by Brendan Burns. He used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open). Image #5: Reddish Egret dancing Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Brendan Burns

Problem Solving

During the IPT Brendan mentioned that he was having some AF problems when photographing wading birds taking flight. We discussed it at length. After understanding what happened, I suggested that he try moving the zone up a notch. He was thrilled with the solution.

And by the way, Brendan uses Tracking: Zone for all of his low perspective photography. He will be trying the new AF option that was detailed very recently in SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Notes Group e-Mail E.

Note: Brendan sent me this image as a (somewhat cramped) horizontal. As it was sharp with superb image quality, I expanded canvas using Content-Aware Crop and then cropped to the vertical above.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park by Brendan Burns. He used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 500. 1/2500 sec. at f/4 (wide open). Image #6: Yellow-crowned Night-Heron shaking crab Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Brendan Burns

What Brendan Loves About Fort DeSoto

Though Brendan does not live in Florida, he visits DeSoto several times each year. Here’s why he loves it:

1) There are at least three locations in the park that are just off the charts photography-wise. By paying a lot of attention to tides and going dozens of times, I’ve been figuring out how to be in the right place at the right time quite consistently.
2) The colors are exceptional. I hate overcast days at De Soto and much prefer cloudless and windless days with powder-blue water and a lot of contrast on the subject.
3) The ease of obtaining subject-background separation and getting the camera down to water level. You can reliably find “clean” situations and focus on everything else.
4) It’s easily accessible from St. Petersburg and Gulfport where inexpensive lodging may be found.
5) You never know what you might see. One day I saw a bald eagle take down a gull. Another day I found a 5-foot long Eastern Diamondback boxattlesnake in the road.
6) Perhaps most importantly, you have almost-total freedom to walk around and pick your subject and composition. I hate boardwalks, raised trails, scenic drives, and other places where either the terrain or the rules limit this flexibility. De Soto rewards you for working hard and covering a lot of ground.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park by Brendan Burns. He used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1000. 1/4000 sec. at f/4 (wide open). Image #7: Great Blue Heron swallowing flatfish Image courtesy of and copyright 2022: Brendan Burns

Your Difficult Call?

Which of Brendan’s exquisite images do you like best? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice or choices. I have a clear favorite.

All images on this card were created by Arthur Morris on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks

2023 Spoonbill Boat 1-1/2 DAY MINI-IPT: $1199.00.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2.

A full day on WED 15 FEB and the morning of Thursday 16 FEB 2023: 1 1/2 days.

Two morning and one afternoon photo session (weather permitting) via customized pontoon boat.

For early-arriving folks, artie is throwing in a free afternoon In-the-Field session at a little-known but very active rookery in North Tampa on Tuesday 14 February.

We will be leaving the dock in Gibsonton, FL very early for the morning sessions in hopes of photographing a pre-dawn White Ibis blast-off and creating some dramatic silhouettes or pleasing blurs. The morning sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. We have several options for the afternoons including returning to Alafia. We may spend one afternoon on foot at the North Tampa rookery mentioned above. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, and Double Crested Cormorant, many carrying nesting material. This IPT includes all boat and guide fees, in-the-field instruction from two great leaders, chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit), and three working lunches (Monday thru Wednesday). For the most part we will be standing in mid-calf to knee-deep water behind our tripods. We help you get in and out of the boat safely with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.

Mid-February is prime time for photographing spoonbills at the absolute peak of breeding plumage. For unknown reasons, the spoonbills at Alafia are much more colorful than the birds that breed at Stick Marsh later in the season. The Hooptie IPT represents an incredible opportunity and I do hope that you can join us. All of the images on the cards were made on the Hooptie Duex during the last two weeks of February, prime time for the spoonies in mega-breeding plumage.

You may hold your spot with an e-mail request. Then, you may either secure your spot by calling Jim or Jennifer at the office at 863-692-0906 and leaving the $599 deposit on credit card or sending your check for payment in full to us as follows with the check made out to:

BIRDS AS ART

Please send it via US mail here:

BIRDS AS ART
PO BOX 7245
Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855

If you call to leave your deposit, you will be asked to mail your check for the balance ASAP. Be sure to give us your e-mail address.

Images courtesy of our guide; copyright 2017 Captain James Shadle (aka Froggie). All of the images here were created at Alafia Banks. Card creation and design by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.

Everybody Wants Spoonbills!

Roseate Spoonbill is one of if not the most sought after avian photographic subjects in Florida. They are generally hard to find and somewhat difficult to approach. They are relatively easy to find at Alafia Banks—heck, you can’t miss seeing them, but even there they can on some days be somewhat difficult to approach. On some days we may be able to get ridiculously close to them. The huge incentive to get out to Alafia Banks in mid-February is the chance to photograph this species at the height of its spectacular breeding plumage…. with long telephoto lenses. A 500 or 600 with a 1.4X TC is perfect for flight.

As above, there will — weather permitting — three boat trips — 2 mornings and 1 afternoon — on this MINI IPT. All to Alafia Banks for spoonbills and Brown Pelicans (with lots of flight photography often with the birds likely carrying nesting material), Double-crested Cormorants, ibises (both Glossy and White) in breeding plumage. Many of the White Ibises will be sporting their spectacular, distended, red, naked (un-feathered) throat pouches—typically larger in the females. In addition, we may get to photograph egrets including Great and Reddish, both in full breeding plumage, shorebirds, and more. There will be lots of flight photography opportunities. Afternoon trips either to Alafia Banks for spoonbills and more or to a more sheltered inland rookery location for a variety of nesting birds. In the event of horrific weather artie will either take the group to Fort DeSoto or will conduct an image review/Photoshop session. This IPT includes lunches on the full day with small group image sharing and review and some over-the-shoulder Photoshop instruction.

Typos

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

The Homer IPTs

No Reasonable Offer Refused

I hate sailing with a less than full boat. If you would like to make an offer on one or more of the Bald Eagle IPTs below, please click here.

IPT #1: MON 20 FEB 2023 through the full day on FRI 24 FEB 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 1.
IPT #2: SAT 25 FEB 2023 through the full day on THURS 2 MAR 2023. Six full days/24 hours on the boat: $6600.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.
IPT #3: FRI 3 MAR 2023 through the full day on TUES 7 MAR 2023. Five full days/20 hours on the boat: $5500.00. Limit 5 photographers. Openings: 1.

What’s Up?

With my sore throat continuing but not getting worse, I skipped my swim again on Sunday. I called my accountant and asked him if he were sitting down. Then I told him that I had begun working on my 2022 taxes. I have not filed on time in several decades.

I created and sent SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group Notes e-Mail E. For the most part, it dealt with the new strategies I have come up with involving Tracking: Expand Spot.

An injured Patrick Mahomes (high ankle sprain) led the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl in two weeks with a nail-biting victory over the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals. Previously, the Bengals had come from behind in three straight games to defeat KC. Mahomes and star tight end Travis Kelce celebrated after the game like little boys on Christmas morning. Here’s hoping that the Chiefs destroy the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona in 13 days.

Of yesterday’s three images, I liked Image #1 best because of the dramatically angled wing position and the water being squeezed out of the bill pouch. #3 was my second choice.

Today is Monday 30 January 2023. I will continue to work on my 2022 taxes. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare (including the time spent on the three image optimizations) and makes three hundred-seven days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other 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.

Please remember that 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 28 April on a Spring 2022 Fort DeSoto Park IPT. Crouching down a bit, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000. 1/1600 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:29:06am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Ruddy Turnstone running on wet sand near the edge of the surf

The Sony 200-600 on Sunny Days

With its relatively slow f/6.3 aperture, the Sony 200-600 G zoom lens really shines on sunny days, allowing for the use of the relatively high shutter speeds in the range of from 1/1600 to 1/3200 sec. These shutter speeds are needed to create sharp photographs of running shorebirds and of flying pelicans, gulls, and terns without having to crank up the ISO.

Why Crouching?

Why was I crouching when I created each of today’s featured images when I could have gotten lower by sitting?

This image was also created on 28 April on a Spring 2022 Fort DeSoto Park IPT. Again, crouching down a bit, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 353mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000. 1/1600 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 7:34:52am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Willet running in shallow surf

Running Shorebird Backgrounds

In sweet early morning light, the wet sand along the edge of the surf and/or gently breaking wavelets provide some of my favorite beach backgrounds. Join one of the Spring 2023 DeSoto Instructional Photo-tours to learn the strategies that I employ to create running shorebird images. When conditions are perfect, it takes a lot more than luck to succeed. Many would not be surprised to learn that wind direction is one of the factors involved.

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens versus the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM Lens

Sorry. This one is pretty much no contest. Maximum reach? Sony. Speed at the long end? Sony. Smooth and efficient zooming? Sony, due for the most part to the 2-6’s internal focusing; the lens length remains constant as you zoom in an out. Zooming in and out with the RF 100-500 is stiff and clunky at best as the lens changes length during the process. This dramatically affects handling and ease of use. Price — amazingly, the 200-600 costs $701.00 less than the 100-500.

AF with either lens remains superb when a 1.4X teleconverter is added, but with Canon, you lose much of the short end of the zoom range: 420-700mm with the TC. With the Sony lens you are at 280-840mm.

Though the 200-600 focuses to a very impressive less than 8 feet at 600mm, the Minimum Focusing Distance battle goes to the RF 100-600 with its 2.95 feet MFD. And the 1-5 is more than 1 1/2 lbs. lighter: 3 lbs. vs. 4.65 lbs. While I am easily able to handhold the 200-600, others might struggle doing so.

Throw in the fact that the a1 is far superior to any of the Canon mirrorless camera bodies and it is obvious that the Sony 200-600 reigns supreme among the large mirrorless telephoto zoom lenses.

Just for the Record

If you are not using a Sony a1 for bird photography, you are making your life far more difficult than it needs to be. Period. If you would like to receive a short but frank e-mail explaining why the Sony a1 is so much better than the best Nikon and Canon mirrorless camera bodies, please click here.

This image was also created on 28 April on a Spring 2022 Fort DeSoto Park IPT. Again, crouching down a bit, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 353mm) and 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 7:41:30am on a sunny morning. RawDigger showed the exposure to be perfect. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Sanderling running along the edge of shallow surf

Your Call?

Which of today’s three featured images is your favorite? Please leave a comment letting us know why you made your choice.

Exposure Question

Why was the shutter speed for the Sanderling image (1/2500 second), 2/3-stop faster than the shutter speed for the turnstone and Willet images (1/1600 second)?

Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in full breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull landing on head of Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull in flight, Reddish Egret sunrise silhouette, Great Blue Heron with needlefish, Yellow-crowned Night Heron with ghost crab, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling in breeding plumage, and white morph Reddish Egret in glorious breeding plumage.

The 2023 Spring Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Spring Fort DeSoto IPT #1: Tuesday 28 March through the morning session on 31 March 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographers.

Spring Fort DeSoto IPT #2: Tuesday 11 April through the morning session on 14 April 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographers.

Spring Fort DeSoto IPT #3: Tuesday 9 May through the morning session on 12 May 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographers.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for terns and gulls, wading birds, and shorebirds in spring. Many of the birds will be in full breeding plumage. Simply put, DeSoto is the new Ding Darling. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. 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 along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography, especially with the Brown Pelicans.

Again, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull in flight, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandwich Terns copulating, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret with reflection, breeding plumage Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, white morph Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret in marsh.

In Addition!

We should also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, Snowy, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Marbled Godwit, and most especially, Red Knot, with many individuals in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures.

With just a bit of luck, we may get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, 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.

Yes, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, Laughing Gull vertical front-end portrait, Laughing Gull with prey item, landing on head of Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Royal Tern displaying, Royal Terns — pre-copulatory stance, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a rare treat, a breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.

What You Will Learn on a DeSoto IPT

• 1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
• 2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
• 3- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 4- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
• 5- To age and identify many species of shorebirds including various sandpipers, plovers, dowitchers, and possibly yellowlegs.
• 6- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
• 7- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
• 8- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 9- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
• 10- More than you could ever imagine.

You’ve got it by now! Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Roseate Spoonbill, immature Brown Pelican in flight, the heron/egret hybrid, American Oystercatcher feeding, immature Royal Tern on railing, Great Egret morning silhouette, Black Skimmer in surf, and underside head portrait of Great Blue Heron.

The Details

Morning sessions will run two and one-half to three hours; afternoon sessions about two. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. On cloudy mornings with the right wind, we may opt to photograph till noon and skip the afternoon session. That especially when the afternoon weather is looking iffy. We may opt to visit a great North Tampa rookery if conditions warrant that.

There will be a Photoshop/Image Review session before and after brunch (included) each of the three full days. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. Each of these IPTs will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area (rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away).

Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field as early as possible and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors; this is pretty much a staple on almost all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours. Doing so will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest and those who need to get home for a proper dinner. I really love it when I am leaving the beach at 9:30am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We will be getting wet.

Your $599 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check three months before the trip begins. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your 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, and clothing and gear advice two months before the trip. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information.

Typos

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

Homer Late Registration Discounts

If you are interested in traveling to Homer, AK with me in FEB/MAR 2023 to photograph Bald Eagles, shoot me an e-mail for late registration discount info. Several folks are in the process of registering so do not tarry. The first IPT is looking sold out as I await the last deposit check.

What’s Up?

Not much, apart from getting lots done on the new Used Gear listings. And, also below, the announcement of three Spring 2023 DeSoto IPTs. Coming soon, several 2023/24 San Diego trips and the July 2024 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime.

Today is Saturday 28 January 2023. I have so much to do that I did not even think of heading down to the lake. This blog post took about six hours to prepare (including the time spent on the used Gear listings, the image optimizations, and the DeSoto IPT announcement), and makes three hundred-five days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other 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.

Please remember that 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.

Induro GIT 304L Tripod

Out of production for more than two years, BAA sold its last one in December. The good news? We now have two more new-in-the-box tripods. They are now available for shipping. Best to order yours now to be sure that you get one. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now to avoid being disappointed.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens with extras

Blog regular Anthony Ardito is offering a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens (USA warranty) in like-new condition for a very low $10,498.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original front lens cover, the lens strap, the original product box and everything that came in it, a Rolanpro Nylon Waterproof Lens Camouflage Rain Cover (a $118.00 value), a CR-X Low Foot (a $122.00 value), 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 Anthony via e-mail at e-mail.

The 600mm f/4 lenses have been the state-of-the-art super-telephotos for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. I never leave home without mine. In short, they are the weapons of mass destruction for nature and sports photographers. The Sony 600 GM is the best ever as it is super-sharp with both the 1.4X TC and the 2X TC. I even shoot flight at 1200mm! It is the lightest 600 f/4 ever manufactured. And with most of the weight to the rear, it the best balanced 600 out there, and thus, it is easier to handhold than any of its competitors. This lens sells new for $12,998.00 and is almost universally out of stock. If you have been dreaming of a Sony 600mm f/4 for years, grab Anthony’s pretty much new lens right now and put $2,500.00 in savings into your pocket. artie

Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM (Grand Master) Lens

Anthony Ardito is also offering a Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM lens (USA warranty) in like-new condition for a very low $1,698.00.

The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it including the ALC-F82S 82mm front lens cap, the ALC-R1EM rear lens cap, the ALC-SH156 lens hood, the lens case, all factory accessories and manuals, 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 Anthony via e-mail at e-mail.

Prized for its ability to isolate focus, the FE 135mm f/1.8 GM from Sony is a medium telephoto prime characterized by a bright and sophisticated design. It is perfect for portraiture and also excels at close-range sports shooting and as a unique focal length for landscapes. Its Grand Master design prioritizes both sharpness and bokeh quality and the lens also offers fast autofocus AF capabilities and durable build quality. It is designed to achieve notably high resolution and sharpness through the correction of a wide variety of spherical and chromatic aberrations and its bright f/1.8 maximum aperture benefits working in difficult lighting conditions. Th rounded 11-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality when employing selective focus techniques. Sony & B&H

This superb, high-end medium telephoto lens sells new for $2,098.00. It is the dream lens for all serious portrait photographers. If you have been hoping to find a reasonably-priced copy this lens, grab Anthony’s pretty much new one right now and put $400.00 in savings into your pocket. artie

Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens

Homer IPT registrant Charlie Curry is offering a Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens in like-new condition for a very low $999.00. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, the soft case, the manuals, 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 Charlie via e-mail.

This is a fast, versatile, wide angle zoom lens the features advanced G Master optics, a robust physical design, and a bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture. It is the go-to lens for folks shooting scenic landscapes, sports, and portraiture. It is noted for its high resolution and sharpness throughout the zoom range due to the correction of a wide variety of spherical and chromatic aberrations. Sony & B&H

Version II of this lens sells for $2,298.00 so you can pocket some handsome savings by grabbing Charlie’s lens now. artie

Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens

Homer IPT registrant Charlie Curry is offering a Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM lens in like-new condition for a very low $1498.00. The sale includes the front and rear caps, the lens hood, the soft case, 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 Charlie via e-mail.

Offering G Master performance in a compact, fast, and versatile form, the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM is a wide-angle zoom covering ultra-wide to standard wide-angle fields of view. It is Ideal for a range of subjects from scenic landscapes to lifestyle to architecture. The lens’s advanced optics and bright f/2.8 design pair with a flexible zoom design to suit working in a variety of shooting conditions. It is designed to achieve notably high resolution and sharpness across the zoom range via the correction of a wide variety of spherical and chromatic aberrations. Sony & B&H

This lens sells new for $2,198.00 so you can save a very nice $700.00 by grabbing this one right now. artie

Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens

Homer IPT registrant Charlie Curry is offering a Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS lens in excellent condition for a very low $548.00. The sale includes the front and rear caps, the lens hood, 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 Charlie via e-mail.

This lens from Sony will satisfy nearly all the wide-angle needs of full-frame E-mount shooters. The flexible wide zoom is characterized by a constant f/4 maximum aperture, making this an ideal lens for street photography, landscapes, cityscapes, and other subjects requiring a broad field of view and the inherent versatility of a zoom. Based on the ZEISS Tessar optical concept, this lens uses has 12 elements in ten groups that help ensure a smaller overall lens size along with reduced flare, distortion, and chromatic aberration. The constant f/4 maximum aperture offers consistent performance throughout the zoom range and also lends greater control over focus position when using shallow depths of field. The rounded seven-blade diaphragm yields a pleasing bokeh quality. Sony & B&H

This lens sells new for $998.00; save a very nice $450.00 on this lightweight wide-angle by purchasing Charlie’s Vario-Tessar 16-35. artie

This image was created on 28 April 2022 on a Fort DeSoto IPT. While standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 382mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. Shutter Priority with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Wheel. Multi-metering -1/3 stop. AUTO ISO set ISO 1000: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 9:07:14am on a cloudy-dark morning. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed well enough. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Snowy Egret with baitfish

Seeing the Situation

One of the very great advantages of attending an IPT is learning to spot the great situations. This skill is developed by keeping your eyes open, understanding the relationship between the light, the sky conditions, and the wind direction, understanding that bird behavior is often repetitive, and thinking creatively.

With the Snowy and Great Egrets catching baitfish under the pier, the most important piece to the puzzle was knowing exactly where to be to take full advantage of this great opportunity. That is where I put the group 🙂

This image was also created on 28 April 2022 on a Fort DeSoto IPT. While standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 364mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. Shutter Priority with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Wheel. Multi-metering -1/3 stop. AUTO ISO set ISO 1600: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 9:09:29am on a cloudy-dark morning. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed well enough. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Snowy Egret with baitfish

Why Shutter Priority in this Situation?

It was a very difficult situation as there was a lot less light close to the pier than there was once the birds flew away from it. And the tonality of the water was darker near the pier. As a result, the two images with the darkest water, Images #2 (perfect) and #4 (dead-solid perfect), were excellent exposures. The image with the lightest toned background, Image #3, was well underexposed. Image #1 was right in the middle. I some difficult situations you must come up with a compromise exposure decision. And that is true whether you opt for Manual mode or for an automatic mode such as Shutter Priority (as I did with today’s all four of today’s featured images).

This image was also created on 28 April 2022 on a Fort DeSoto IPT. While standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 400mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. Shutter Priority with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Wheel. Multi-metering -1/3 stop. AUTO ISO set ISO 1000: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 9:10:34am on a cloudy-dark morning. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed well enough. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #3: Snowy Egret with baitfish

Square Crops

As with two of today’s featured images (#1 and #3), photos where the bird is flying toward us to some degree work very well as square crops. When the bird is flying from one side of the frame to the other (Images #2 and #4), 2X3 crops usually look a lot better.

This image was also created on 28 April 2022 on a Fort DeSoto IPT. While standing at full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter (at 320mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. Shutter Priority with Exposure Compensation on the Thumb Wheel. Multi-metering -1/3 stop. AUTO ISO set ISO 1600: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 9:28:11am on a then cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed well enough. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Snowy Egret striking baitfish

Your Call?

Which of today’s four featured images is your favorite? Why? Which one features the most interesting background?

Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in full breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull landing on head of Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull in flight, Reddish Egret sunrise silhouette, Great Blue Heron with needlefish, Yellow-crowned Night Heron with ghost crab, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling in breeding plumage, and white morph Reddish Egret in glorious breeding plumage.

The 2023 Spring Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo Tours (IPTs)

Spring Fort DeSoto IPT #1: Tuesday 28 March through the morning session on 31 March 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographers.

Spring Fort DeSoto IPT #2: Tuesday 11 April through the morning session on 14 April 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographers.

Spring Fort DeSoto IPT #3: Tuesday 9 May through the morning session on 12 May 2023. 3 1/2 Days: $1899.00 includes three working brunches. Limit six photographers.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for terns and gulls, wading birds, and shorebirds in spring. Many of the birds will be in full breeding plumage. Simply put, DeSoto is the new Ding Darling. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. 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 along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography, especially with the Brown Pelicans.

Again, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull in flight, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandwich Terns copulating, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret with reflection, breeding plumage Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, white morph Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret in marsh.

In Addition!

We should also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, Snowy, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Marbled Godwit, and most especially, Red Knot, with many individuals in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures.

With just a bit of luck, we may get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, 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.

Yes, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, Laughing Gull vertical front-end portrait, Laughing Gull with prey item, landing on head of Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Royal Tern displaying, Royal Terns — pre-copulatory stance, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a rare treat, a breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.

What You Will Learn on a DeSoto IPT

• 1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
• 2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
• 3- How to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 4- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
• 5- To age and identify many species of shorebirds including various sandpipers, plovers, dowitchers, and possibly yellowlegs.
• 6- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
• 7- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
• 8- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 9- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
• 10- More than you could ever imagine.

You got it by now! Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Roseate Spoonbill, immature Brown Pelican in flight, the heron/egret hybrid, American Oystercatcher feeding, immature Royal Tern on railing, Great Egret morning silhouette, Black Skimmer in surf, and underside head portrait of Great Blue Heron.

The Details

Morning sessions will run two and one-half to three hours; afternoon sessions about two. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. On cloudy mornings with the right wind, we may opt to photograph till noon and skip the afternoon session. That especially when the afternoon weather is looking iffy. We may opt to visit a great North Tampa rookery if conditions warrant that.

There will be a Photoshop/Image Review session before and after brunch (included) each of the three full days. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. Each of these IPTs will run with only a single registrant as I do not like disappointing anyone. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area (rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away).

Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field as early as possible and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors; this is pretty much a staple on almost all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours. Doing so will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest and those who need to get home for a proper dinner. I really love it when I am leaving the beach at 9:30am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving … We will be getting wet.

Your $599 deposit is due now. Credit cards are OK for that. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. Once you leave a deposit, you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check three months before the trip begins. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your 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, and clothing and gear advice two months before the trip. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

IPT veterans and couples or friends signing up together may e-mail for discount information.

Typos

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

Your Call?

If you have a preference for either of today’s featured images, please leave a comment and let us know why.

Homer Late Registration Discounts

If you are interested in traveling to Homer, AK with me in FEB/MAR 2023 to photograph Bald Eagles, shoot me an e-mail for late registration discount info. Several folks are in the process of registering so do not tarry. The first IPT is looking sold out as I await the last deposit check.

What’s Up?

Even though I had a great time in San Diego for five weeks, it is good to be home. And it was great to get back in the pool on Wednesday. I have a ton of work to do before leaving for Homer on 18 February.

Today is Thursday 26 January 2023. I plan on heading down to the lake after I hit Publish on this post to see how the eagles are doing. This blog post took about an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the two image optimizations), and makes three hundred-three days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other 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.

Please remember that 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.

Induro GIT 304L Tripod

Out of production for more than two years, BAA sold its last one in December. The good news? We now have two more new-in-the-box tripods. They are now available for shipping. Best to order yours now to be sure that you get one. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now to avoid being disappointed.

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, or to any prior purchases.

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 17 December 2022 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:29:29am just before the sun came over the distant trees. Tracking: Center (!) Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 800mm with the 2X. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Northern Harrier on The Perch — looking to our right

Getting a Kick!

I always get a kick out of photographing a new species on The Perch. With lots of help from my ILE-friend and neighbor Ralph, we set up The Perch II (now referred to simply as The Perch) in late-May 2021. You can learn the backstory in the A Thing of Beauty is a Joy … The Perch II blog post here.

I saw this bird, my first-ever Northern Harrier to land on The Perch, earlier on the morning of 17 December. It flew off as I made a cautious approach in my X5. When I re-checked later in the morning, it was back on The Perch.

This image was created on 17 December 2022 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from the driver’s seat of my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1000: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1 (stopped down 2/3-stop). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be about 1/6 stop short of dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:30:34am just before the sun came over the distant trees. Tracking: Center (!) Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 800mm with the 2X. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Northern Harrier on The Perch — looking to our left

Why the Bold-faced Exclamation Point?

So, why the bold-faced exclamation point here: Tracking: Center (!) Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly?

I learned recently that many folks using the Sony a1, even those in my Sony A1 group, do not realize the tremendous versatility of the Tracking AF modes that I recommend in the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group e-mails. I recently began using Tracking: Expand Spot and will be sending an e-Mail to the group soon detailing how and why I made some important changes to my Limit Focus Area Menu item.

Anyhoo, here is how it works. Whether I am working horizontally or vertically, I keep the Tracking AF Area in the center of the frame. With both of today’s featured images, I was using Tracking: Expand Spot in the centered position. (Remember, as I was working off the BLUBB, I set the DMF switch on the lens to OFF to keep the manual focus ring from inadvertently throwing off the focus accuracy.)

I always acquire focus with the centered AF Area. As I recompose as needed by moving the lens, the AF point will stay glued to the bird’s eye or face (depending on the situation). For Image #1, with the bird looking to my right, I shifted the lens down and to my right after acquiring focus to place the bird on the left side of the frame. When the bird looked back to my left, I simply shifted the lens to my left. The AF point or area sticks like glue!

Only a single eagle-eyed reader, David Pugsley, noticed that over the past month I have begun using Tracking: Expand Spot. David is in the a1 Group. With wife Michelle, he will be joining me on this summer’s Galapagos Photo Cruise of a Lifetime. Kudos to David for paying attention the small details!

The Simplified Lesson

After acquiring focus with the Sony A1, any Tracking AF Area will track the bird’s face or eye anywhere in frame as you recompose. This enables folks to place the subject anywhere in the frame quickly and efficiently. Note: some Canon and Nikon mirrorless bodies can be set up to operate in similar fashion.

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 124 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 six 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.

What’s Up?

Monday, the last morning of the 3rd San Diego IPT, my last morning in San Diego, dawned clear and sunny and chilly with a north wind that switched to slightly NW by 8am. Though we did pretty well, it was — by comparison — the worst morning of any IPT and the worst morning of my five weeks in San Diego. With a sunny morning and a NW wind, nearly all the birds are flying, landing, and facing away. And that was the case on Monday morning.

An incomplete version of this post was inadvertently published a half-day early 🙁 It was supposed to be publish on Tuesday 24 January. A completed version was published as of 9:57pm eastern time on Monday 23 January. I fly home today, Tuesday 24 January. Jim will be picking me up at Orlando Airport at about 7pm. I’ll be lucky to be home by 9:30. This blog post took about an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the image optimization), and makes three hundred-one days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Please, please, pretty please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for all your new gear purchases.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other 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.

Please remember that 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.

Induro GIT 304L Tripod

Out of production for more than two years, BAA just sold its last one. The good news? We have located two more new-in-the-box tripods. They will be available for shipping at the end of January. Best to order yours now to be sure that you get one. We will not run your card until your item ships. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now to avoid being disappointed.

This image was created on 17 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA. With the front leg of my tripod placed carefully over the fence, I used the no-longer available (except from BIRDS AS ART) Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/400 sec. at f/5 (stopped down 2/3-stop). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:10:57am on a then drizzly morning. Tracking: Spot S/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: Brown Pelican landing — sky background

Photographing in Bad Weather

I love photographing in “bad” weather, especially in San Diego. Most of the bad weather there involves cloudy skies and a west or northwest wind. If you know where to be when a storm comes through, you can be just minutes from your parked car and just a few feet from the handsome pelicans. On the morning that I met up with Bryan Lo after the 2nd IPT, it was drizzling off and on and even rained hard for a few minutes here and there. I did not return once to my vehicle. Neither did Bryan.

I do not use anything fancy to protect my camera bodies. If I have a zoom lens on my shoulder via a Black Rapid Curve Breathe Strap for occasional use, I simply place a woolen watch cap over the camera body. When I am carrying the 600 on the lens strap, I simply place the camera body under my armpit. When I am on the tripod and photographing, I protect the camera body with another woolen watch cap. These are the same caps that I use to protect most of my gear when traveling by air, train, or car. If it is pouring rain and I want the shot badly, I will simply place the watch cap over the camera body and hold the cap in place with my right thumb while my left index finger is on the shutter button and my face is pressed against the back of the camera.

The Sony a1 bodies are remarkably well weather-sealed. As I love images made in the rain or snow, I take more risks than most folks. Many might call me foolhardy and I could not disagree. I really abused one of my a bodies on the San Diego trip, photographing with it in the rain on multiple occasions. When the electronics did not behave normally, I first turned off the camera with a battery in place to close the shutter. Then I removed the battery, the card, and the front cover, and placed the camera in the far end of a pillowcase. A hair dryer on the low setting was positioned at the near end of the same pillowcase. After an hour, I turned off the hair dryer and let the camera body cool down. This treatment was needed twice. After each treatment, the camera functioned perfectly.

The Rather Obvious Lesson

If you want to make photographs of birds covered with rain drops, photograph in the rain of or right after it stops. Within minutes, most bird will ruffle their feathers vigorously to shake off most of the water.

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? Please let us know why you made your choice.

Homer Late Registration Discounts

If you are interested in traveling to Homer, AK with me in FEB/MAR 2023 to photograph Bald Eagles, shoot me an e-mail for late registration discount info. Several folks are in the process of registering so do not tarry. The first IPT is looking sold out as I await the last deposit check.

What’s Up?

We had an excellent morning at Santee Lakes Preserve. There was lots of fire in the mist as the sun peeked over the hills to the east but there were only a few ducks in the right spot. As the morning went on, we had lots of chances on Ring-necked and Wood Ducks and about ten Cinnamon Teal, the most I have ever seen at this location. The eight zillion coots were a problem as they made it difficult to isolate single birds in the still water. We returned to Santee for our afternoon session and enjoyed more of the same. We ended with a session on how to create 1/4 second blurs of a large groups of feeding ducks.

Today is Sunday 22 January 2023, Day 4 of the 3rd San Diego IPT. The forecast for the morning is for clear and sunny with a slight breeze from the east. We will be returning to the spot where we did so well on Friday past. This blog post took about an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the two image optimizations) and makes two hundred ninety-nine days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

I fly back to Florida this coming Tuesday. Please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for your new gear purchases.

There are just two spots left on the 2023 Spoonbill Boat 1-1/2 DAY MINI-IPT. See yesterday’s blog post for details.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other 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.

Please remember that 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.

Induro GIT 304L Tripod

Out of production for more than two years, BAA just sold its last one. The good news? We have located two more new-in-the-box tripods. They will be available for shipping at the end of January. Best to order yours now to be sure that you get one. We will not run your card until your item ships. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now to avoid being disappointed.

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, or to any prior purchases.

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 17 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA. While standing at full height, I used the no-longer available (except from BIRDS AS ART) Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/2500 sec. at f/4 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be dead-solid perfect. AWB at 9:46:19am on a cloudy-bright morning. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Brown Pelican landing — sky background

Getting the Right Exposure in White Sky Conditions

If you shoot the meter when photographing birds in flight in low light/white sky conditions, your images will be much too dark, nearly two stops under-exposed. Here is how to avoid that. Set the wide open aperture. Pick a shutter speed, ideally 1/2500 or 1/3200 second. Now point your lens at the white (I call them “white” skies, but they are usually very light gray) sky, and raise the ISO until the analogue scale indicates an exposure that is two stops greater then the sky.

After you make a few images, do a histogram and blinkies (highlight alert warnings) checks and then adjust your ISO as needed. It is rare that you will need less light; you will often need more light. Then remember that you will need to adjust your exposure settings depending on the tonality of the subject:

1- Birds with bright white in their plumages need less light to be properly exposed than middle-toned birds do.

2- Dark birds (without any bright highlights) need more light to be properly exposed than middle-toned birds do.

In an ideal world, and to solidify what you have learned, you will check your exposures in RawDigger (after the fact).

If any of the above is even slightly confusing, you need to study the section on Exposure Theory in The Art of Bird Photography (soft cover). To learn how to properly evaluate a histogram, consult The Art of Bird Photography II (on CD). Best idea yet, save $10 by purchasing the two-book bundle here.. Know also that ABP II Is available via electronic download here.

This image was created on 17 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA. While standing at full height, I used the no-longer available (except from BIRDS AS ART) Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 800. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/2500 sec. at f/4 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined to be perfect. AWB at 9:46:19am on a cloudy-bright morning. Tracking: Expand Spot/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Brown Pelican landing — La Jolla hills background

Why You Should Be in Manual Exposure Mode 99% of the Time When Photographing Birds. Period.

If our avian subjects were always set against backgrounds of a single, consistent tone, it would be somewhat easier to use an automatic exposure mode such as Shutter priority (S or Tv), or Aperture priority (A), assuming that you were using AUTO ISO with Exposure Compensation assigned to a convenient dial. If that were the case, you would need only to learn how to properly adjust the Exposure Compensation depending on the tonality of the subject and the size and placement of the very light and very dark tones of the bird. Obviously, that is a tall order. So, first off, working in Manual mode is far simpler.

But, the most important reason for working in Manual mode is that once you have determined and set the correct exposure for the subject, you do not need to worry about the tonality of the ever-changing backgrounds we encounter in nature. Take today’s two images for example. If you were working in Shutter priority as noted above with the bird set against the light gray sky, the proper Exposure Compensation for an adult pelican might turn out to be +1 2/3 stops. If that were the case and the landing bird drops down below the horizon line, the background will always change. In this case, from light sky to the middle toned, out of focus, hills of La Jolla. When the meter sees the darker background, it will increase the IS0 and dramatically over-expose the subject. To maintain a correct exposure, you would have needed to lower the exposure compensation (EC) from +1 2/3-stops to somewhere in the vicinity of +1/3-stop. Nobody, I repeat nobody, is capable of making the needed changes to the EC instantly as the background changes. Note that today’s two featured images were created in the same second.

So, what is the solution? Work in Manual mode. Determine and set the correct exposure as detailed above and every image in a series will be properly exposed regardless of the tonality if the background. If the sun suddenly breaks through the clouds, you will of course need to adjust your exposure. But as long as the light remains consistent, the exposure you have set will be correct for the subject. As noted above, you will need to adjust your base exposure if if the tonality of the subject changes. On size does not fit all. Again, you are referred to both ABP and to ABP II as above.

The RawDigger screen capture for Image #1: Brown Pelican landing — sky background

Ho Hum, Another Perfect Exposure

What can I say? The combination of Zebras live in the viewfinder (with your camera set up properly) and post-capture study of the raw files in RawDigger makes it pretty much child’s play to come up with perfect exposure after perfect exposure. It would be impossible to overstate how much I have learned by studying RawDigger and how much better my exposures have become since I started with the program almost two years ago. The raw file brightness for today’s Image #1, with the G channel almost making the 16000 line, is dead-solid perfect. Note that the 825 Ov-Exp pixels out of 51,000,000 is are totally insignificant. I could not find them even after enlarging the image to the max.

RawDigger — not for the faint of heart …

Nothing has ever helped me learn to create perfect exposures to the degree that RawDigger has. I think that many folks are reluctant to learn that most of their images are underexposed by one or more full stops and that highlight warnings in Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, and your in-camera histogram are bogus as they are based on the embedded JPEGs. Only your raw files tell the truth all the time. Heck, I resisted RawDigger for several years … Once you get over that feeling, RawDigger can become your very best exposure friend no matter what system you are using. On the recent IPTs and In-the-Field sessions, we have demonstrated that fact. Convincingly.

The RawDigger Adapted (pink) Histogram

In the RawDigger e-Guide, you will learn exactly how to set up the Adapted “pink” RawDigger Histogram and how to use it to quickly and easily evaluate the exposure or raw file brightness of images from all digital cameras currently in use. RawDigger was especially helpful to me as I have struggled with R5 exposures and learned my new camera body, the Sony Alpha a1.

RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos

The RawDigger e-Guide with Two Videos

by Arthur Morris with Patrick Sparkman

The RawDigger e-Guide was created only for serious photographers who wish to get the absolute most out of their raw files.

Patrick and I began work on the guide in July 2020. At first, we struggled. We asked questions. We learned about Max-G values. We puzzled as to why the Max G values for different cameras were different. IPT veteran Bart Deamer asked lots of questions that we could not answer. We got help from RawDigger creator Iliah Borg. We learned. In December, Patrick came up with an Adapted Histogram that allows us to evaluate the exposures and raw file brightness for all images created with all digital camera bodies from the last two decades. What we learned each time prompted three complete beginning to end re-writes.

The point of the guide is to teach you to truly expose to the mega-Expose-to-the-Right so that you will minimize noise, maximize image quality, best utilize your camera’s dynamic range, and attain the highest possible level of shadow detail in your RAW files in every situation. In addition, your properly exposed RAW files will contain more tonal information and feature the smoothest possible transitions between tones. And your optimized images will feature rich, accurate color.

We teach you why the GREEN channel is almost always the first to over-expose. We save you money by advising you which version of RawDigger you need. We teach you how to interpret the Max G values for your Canon, Nikon, and SONY camera bodies. It is very likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you. And lastly — thanks to the technical and practical brilliance of Patrick Sparkman — we teach you a simple way to evaluate your exposures and the raw file brightness quickly and easily the Adapted RawDigger histogram.

The flower video takes you through a session where artie edits a folder of images in Capture One while checking the exposures and Max-G values in RawDigger. The Adapted Histogram video examines a series of recent images with the pink histograms and covers lots of fine points including and especially how to deal with specular highlights. The directions for setting up the Adapted Histogram are in the text.

If we priced this guide based on how much effort we put into it, it would sell it for $999.00. But as this guide will be purchased only by a limited number of serious photographers, we have priced it at $51.00. You can order yours 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.

What’s Up?

The first morning of the 3rd San Diego IPT was on the challenging side. Both Barbara and Brannigan needed lots of help. There were lots of pelicans down below with only a few up top due to the low surf. As more and more pelicans flew in up top, it became difficult to isolate single birds. We enjoyed a long working brunch at Shorehouse Kitchen and headed back to La Jolla for an interesting Brandt’s Cormorant afternoon session.

Today is Friday 20 January 2023, the second day of the 3rd San Diego IPT. The forecast is again calling for clear and sunny in the morning with a bit more of breeze from the NE. This blog post took about an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the image optimization) and makes two hundred ninety-seven days in a row with a new, educational post. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

I fly back to Florida this coming Tuesday. Please remember to use my B&H or Bedford’s affiliate programs for your new gear purchases.

There are just two spots left on the 2023 Spoonbill Boat 1-1/2 DAY MINI-IPT. Scroll down for details.

The plan is to continue to post every day until the streak reaches one year and one day and then go back to posting every other 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.

Please remember that 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.

Induro GIT 304L Tripod

Out of production for more than two years, BAA just sold its last one. The good news? We have located two more new-in-the-box tripods. They will be available for shipping at the end of January. Best to order yours now to be sure that you get one. We will not run your card until your item ships. The 304L was my go-to tripod for more than a decade. Best to grab order yours right now to avoid being disappointed.

This image was created on 17 January 2023 at La Jolla, CA. While standing at full height, I used the no-longer available (except from BIRDS AS ART) Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 3200. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1250 sec. at f/4 (wide open). When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file exposure was determined less than 1/3 from perfect. AWB at 7:23:40am on a dark, wild weather morning. Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed perfectly even at 1200mm. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Brown Pelican scratching in flight

Compromising on Shutter Speed to Avoid Mega-high ISOs

As I have been preaching here for some time, it is generally best to shoot birds in flight at shutter speeds of from 1/2500 to 1/3200 second or faster. After struggling hopelessly for ten minutes with the borrowed Sony a7R V body, I ran back to the car, grabbed an a1, and went to work. As the birds were relatively distant, I needed the reach of the 600 so the faster 400mm f/2.8 stayed in the vehicle.

Working at +2 1/3 stops off the grey sky at 1/2500 second got me to ISO 6400, with a very good exposure on the pelican. Not wanting to work at such a high ISO, I cut everything in half and wound up at 1/1250 second at ISO 3200. With the strong NW wind the pelicans were hanging in the air, barely moving at all. In less than four seconds, I created 103 images of the scratching pelican. I kept 22. From three very similar images, I chose this one as it had the best look at the bird’s left foot, the scratching foot. Even at “only 1/1250 second, all 103 images were sharp on the bird’s eye or eyes.

It helps to remember that with film we were happy to get a shutter speed of 1/500th second for flight.

The Lesson

We can often make sharp flight images at lower shutter speeds than usual while enjoying lower ISO settings,.

Typos

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