Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Below?

Comments on the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
On owning the Canon 500 II and the Canon 600 II
BIRDS AS ART High Key Pelican Action
Updated Thoughts on Shutter Speeds for Flight and for Action

Your Fave?

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

What’s Up?

I visited Central Park again on Tuesday morning. There were hundreds of southbound migrant passerines in the trees and bushes at Strawberry Fields. Along with several hundred birders and bird photographers. There were more than 20 species of warblers reported. I saw dozens of Common Yellowthroats and Magnolia and Black and White Warblers at close range at eye level. But as is typical in the park in the fall, photography was near-impossible. I’ll be lucky if I made a single keeper. Why so difficult? The birds were foraging on the move. They flit instantly from bright sun to dark shade and are most often in filtered light so getting a good exposure is a huge challenge. Get me to the beach asap!

Speaking of the beach, anyone interested in the first DeSoto IPT needs to call Jim asap (863-221-2372) as it begins this coming weekend. Several folks have either signed up for or are interested in the 2nd and 3rd DeSoto IPTs. Learn more by scrolling down here or shoot me an e-mail if you have any questions. David Pugsley reports that there is constant action at DeSoto right now. I am looking forward to working with Mike De Rosa again on the 1st DeSoto IPT. We had a ton of fun at Jacksonville. You can learn about Mike’s experience there in the Mike De Rosa: Learning a Ton, Making Great Images, and Dispelling Many Myths About SONY! blog post here.

I was glad to learn on Tuesday that the sale of Alice Garland’s Nikon Coolscan 5000 ED Slide Scanner became pending on the first day of listing. There is tons of stuff to learn in today’s post so be sure to keep reading below.

Today is Wednesday 15 September; I will be headed back to Florida on the Auto Train on Thursday afternoon. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have/had a great day.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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.

The streak is over at 254; going forward, I will aim for a blog post every other day. 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 save 3% 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.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Please know that the longer you wait to sell your used gear, the less you will get for it …

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Right now, there are lots of excellent buys on the Used Gear Page.

Please Remember

With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!

You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.

Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day 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 use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists 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 a9 ii, 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) 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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created on 22 October 2017 at Fort DeSoto. I used the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/ GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6 Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens (now replaced by the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera Body (now replaced by the Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body.) ISO 800. Exposure determined via blinkies and histogram evaluation: 1/1000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:17am on cloudy morning. Image 1: Brown Pelican, immature braking to land

The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Whenever I have a 5D IV to sell on the Used Gear page, I write that I loved and used the 5D IV while my EOS-1DX and then my EOS-1D X Mark II sat on the shelf in my air conditioned garage … I was not kidding.

The Canon 5D Mark IV Camera User’s Guide

Check it out here.

On Owning the Canon 500 II and the Canon 600 II???

When I was a Canon Explorer of Light (for 18 years), I owned both the 500mm and the 600mm f/4 lenses. While that may seem like overkill, owning both solved lots of problems. The 500 f/4 was lighter and smaller and much easier to hand hold and to travel with than the corresponding 600 f/4. I’d always leave the 600 at home for the San Diego IPT while that was my first choice for trips where the birds were more skittish. For Bosque del Apache, I would ship both lenses to Socorro. Today’s Image #1 was made with the 600 f/4, while image #2 was made with the 500mm f/4 and the 1.4X TC. Both with the 5D Mark IV.

This image was created on 24 September 2017 at Fort DeSoto. I used the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/ GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera Body (now replaced by the Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body.) ISO 800. Exposure determined via blinkies and histogram evaluation: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:39am on cloudy morning. Image 2: Brown Pelican, immature hitting the water after a dive

BIRDS AS ART High Key Pelican Action

I absolutely love cloudy bright days for photographing flight and action. At Fort DeSoto, we often enjoy shooting the young pelicans in flight and diving. On sunny days, it is difficult to create images that feature evenly lit underwings; the shadows will kill you nine times out of ten. On cloudy bright days, it is a snap making images that reveal perfect underwing detail. And better yet, though the light does have some direction to it, you are able to work well off light angle without encountering the problems that you would on a sunny day.

Updated Thoughts on Shutter Speeds for Flight and for Action

When I was using Fuji Velvia 50 (slide film!) pushed one stop for flight well more than two decades ago, I would usually shoot flight at 1/500 second. A recently as four years ago, I was comfortable at 1/1000 second. Today, I would not even think about photographing birds in flight and in action with shutter speeds of less than 1/2000 second, and my great preference would be 1/3200 second.

I believe that the reasons for that are two-fold:

#1: Topaz DeNoise makes working at the higher ISOs a complete pleasure.

#2: The effects of gear shake and subject movement are far greater with high megapixel (40-50 MP) camera bodies than with the older bodies with far smaller file sizes in the 10-25 MP range.

Topaz DeNoise

Be sure to click on the screen capture to see the complete elimination of noise in the after image on our right. And note that if anything, the fine details are sharper than in the original.

As regular readers know, I run DeNoise on virtually every image that I process immediately after executing the crop with the Delete Cropped Pixels box checked. For images made in sunny conditions, I used Standard. For images made in low light, I use Low Light. You can check all four methods by using the Comparison View but I rarely do that any more as I am confident as noted above.

Great Topaz News!

Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plug-ins), will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. If the stuff is on sale (as it usually is), you save 15% off of the sale price! To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.

Those who purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or any other Topaz plug-ins using my link and then entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. Please include a copy of your Topaz receipt that shows the discount. Aside from the basics, the guide explains how to install the plug-ins so that they appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu.

Cover Image courtesy of and Copyright 2021 Brian Sump (Sump scores!) The BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide

The BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide: $75.00

The guide is 82 pages long: 21,458 words. It includes more than 50 DPP 4 AF system-depicting screen captures. And a 31 minute 44 second educational video. This guide took three and a half months of hard work and a ton of help from at least seventeen very helpful and generous folks.

The guide covers — in great detail — all Menu Items that are relevant to bird, nature, and wildlife photography. It does not cover video. The section on AF methods and the AF Gallery is simply superb and will allow you to get the most out of your R5/R6. This sections is one of the great strengths of this guide. I share my thoughts on what I am sure is the single best AF Method for photographing birds in flight. As most of you know, the guide includes a simple and easy way to change AF Methods that was introduced to me by Geoff Newhouse. In the AF Gallery you will see exactly how Face Detection plus Tracking AF works. In the Educational R5 Gallery video, I share my favorite R5 images along with dozens of bird photography tips and techniques.

In addition, I teach you how to get the best exposures with your R5. Detailed instructions on using the great In-camera HDR and Multiple Exposure features will be appreciated by creative folks who like to have fun. The three shutter modes are explained in detail as well. Bruce Dudek solved the can’t-get-to-Auto ISO problem that had stumped everyone at Canon. This information is of course shared in the guide. You will learn how to set up your EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) and Screen toggle options. Not to mention that the mysterious performance of the Q Button is revealed and simplified. Brian Sump’s images reveal how well you can do when using the R5 with EF lenses using one of the three Canon EF-EOS R Mount Adapters (as Donna did with Image #1 below). You will learn how I use Customize Dials to put either ISO or EC on the Thumb Dial and how to set up and save Custom Shooting Modes (C1-C3) that can remember both your Customize Dial and Customize Button settings! That is something that none of the SONY bodies do. 🙁 Near the end of the guide I share my all-important MY MENU items with you.

Like all BAA educational materials, the R5 guide is written in my informal, easy-to-follow style. I am quite proud of this guide and look forward to hearing your thoughts on our hard work.

You can purchase your copy of the BIRDS AS ART Canon EOS R5 Camera User’s e-Guide for $75.00 here in the BAA Online Store or by calling Jim in the office weekday afternoons at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

Typos

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

Hi-Res JPEGs

New visitors are reminded to click on each jpeg to enjoy a higher-resolution version.

You Fave?

Which of today’s two featured images is the strongest? All are invited to leave a comment explaining why they made their choice.

What’s Up?

Not much. I am getting ready for the trip south on the Auto Train on Monday afternoon. Keep reading for some more great tips on photographing birds flapping in place after a bath. And Fort DeSoto is a great place to put what you’ve learned into action. See details on the three DeSoto IPTs at the bottom of this post. Today (was) Saturday September 11 2021 … Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have/had a great day.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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.

This blog post took about an hour to prepare (including the time I spent on the image optimizations) and makes 254 consecutive days with a new one. 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 save 3% 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.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Please know that the longer you wait to sell your used gear, the less you will get for it …

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Right now, there are lots of great buys on the Used Gear Page.

Please Remember

With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!

You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.

Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day 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 use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists 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 a9 ii, 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) 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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created on 25 September 2020 at Fort DeSoto. While seated on dry sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter(at 840mm) and the AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 2000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:18am on barely sunny morning. Lower Center Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed just about perfectly and produced a sharp-on-the-eye image. Image 1: Black Skimmer adult bathing

Bathing Bird Flapping Tendencies

As noted previously here often, birds that are dipping their breasts into the water will almost always jump into the air and flap their wings when they finish their baths. It is best to frame wider rather than tighter for the flapping after bath shot. Sometimes the birds may re-land in the water and take a second bath. And sometimes they will fly a short distance to the shore to preen. By paying careful attention to the wind direction you might be able to determine the direction of flight … And it almost goes without saying that you will be looking for situations where the wind and the light are behind you.

This image was created on 25 September 2020 at Fort DeSoto. While seated on dry sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter(at 840mm) and the AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 1000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:20am on then fairly sunny morning. Center Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed just about perfectly and produced a sharp-on-the-eye image. Image 2: Sandwich Tern flapping after bath

Stuff

This image was, thanks to the superb image quality of sharp a1 image files, created from a horizontal original. Note that if you are capable of hand holding a long, fast telephoto lens it is far easier to create images that depict action than when working on a tripod …

Bathing Bird Location/Water Depth Tendencies

The odds are that once you see a single bird take a bath, another will soon fly in to the exact same spot to bathe. Usually, but not always, the birds will be of the same species, or as with today’s two featured images, of approximately the same size. Small sandpipers require shallower water for their baths than do gulls and terns, so you will never see them bathing in the same spot.

The aqua water of the Gulf are ideal backdrops for images of bathing birds. Scroll down to learn about the three Fort DeSoto IPTs. When I call out, “Bathing bird; get ready for the flap!,” many folks are often amazed. “How did you know that that would happen?” How? it almost always does. Studying and understanding bird behavior is an easy way to improve as a bird photographer.

The Lessons

By keeping your eyes open, by studying the light and the wind, and by being aware of the tendencies of bathing birds, you can take advantage of these exciting situations and create some stunning action images of birds flapping (and preening) after bathing.

Via e-mail from Muhammad Arif

I had a great time at Fort De Soto. Thank you for all the instruction, for your help and pointers; my photography has already improved tremendously and I’ve never made such good bird photos before. I wish I could’ve joined you on Monday and Tuesday morning as well but work got in the way. It was also nice to meet everyone on the IPT; sorry that I missed you, Ray. Thanks again for everything and I hope to join you at a future IPT sometime again.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

The Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1

3 1/2 Days: Sunday 19 September through the morning session on Wednesday 22 September 2021. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings 5.

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2

3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 5 October through the morning session on Friday 8 October. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings 5.

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3

3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 19 October through the morning session on Friday 22 October. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings 5.

Fort DeSoto in Fall

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

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

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

These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB information.

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Up Early, Stay Out Late!

Obviously folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. The length of cloudy morning sessions will often be extended. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

Typos

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

Word Press Disappearing Act

For the third time in a week, a published blog post disappeared. I am re-publishing this one — with apologies, on the morning of 12 September 2021.

Unanswered e-Mails?

If you send an e-mail to us and you do not hear back in a day or two, please call Jim at the office, let him know what’s up, and give him your correct e-mail address. At times, Apple Mail and other e-mail providers mysteriously transform your correct e-mail into a bogus e-mail address that looks something like this: outlook_1234F5678@outlook.com when you hit Reply. You will never be aware of the problem … A gentleman named Roger Williams keeps e-mailing me about selling some used gear and is surely wondering why I do not answer. It is always a good idea to include your correct e-mail address in the body of your e-mail 🙂

The BAA Camera User’s Guides

Be sure to check out the Mining the Comments section to learn of a big R5 AF shortcoming … One of the big lessons is that some folks do not realize the great value of the BIRDS AS ART Camera User’s Guides. Over the years, we have sold several thousand Camera User’s Guides with perhaps two complaints at most. On occasion, folks have sent me links to FB posts with comments such as this: Why spend $XX dollars on artie’s guides when the same info is available on Joe Blow’s website for free? The answer is usually very simple. You get what you pay for. When I have visited the free camera guide sites and watched the free videos I have always found that the free info is superfluous or wrong and that the key info is simply nowhere to be found. On the other hand, folks who have previously purchased our camera User’s Guides do not hesitate to get their hands on the guides for the latest greatest camera bodies. Recently, we have sold 157 Sony Guides and have 79 folks in the a1 Group. There are guides available for many of the older Canon bodies and for the Nikon D850 as well.

What’s Up?

Not much. I will be on the Auto Train heading south on Monday and will be back at ILE midday on Tuesday. Today is Thursday September 9 2021. It is drizzling here in NYC. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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.

This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes 252 consecutive days with a new one. 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 save 3% 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.

Mining the Comments

Though folks ask some great questions in the Comments section of each blog post, few readers return to take advantage of the solid info that is often available in the responses. Below are a few examples from the recent A Killer Vertical AF Tip for All Systems blog post here.

From David Policansky

Great tip and photo, Artie. Is the Cabin EOS 7D Mark II “modern” enough to have that feature?

Hey Dr. Fish, Do you have my 7D Mark II Camera User’s Guide? That feature is covered in detail there.

with love, artie

From BPN Avian Super Moderator Dan Cadieux

Hi David, I still use that camera as well, and yes, that feature is there. Nothing special to do: just move the focus point(s) as needed, and next time you go vertical it is at the same spot as last time used in that orientation.

artie’s Response

Thanks, Dan.

From my 7D Mark II Camera User’s Guide:

C.Fn III/12. Orientation linked AF point.

I have grown to love “1: Select different AF points.” This allows you to select one sensor (and even a different AF Area Selection Mode) when working in horizontal format and another sensor (and again, even a different AF Area Selection Mode) when working vertically. The camera detects the orientation and “remembers” your AF settings for horizontal and your AF settings for vertical.

There is more on this topic in the guide. And tons more on the AF system.

with love, artie

My Last Comment

Dan and Folks,

The R5 does offer the Orientation linked AF point feature. It is covered in detail in my R5 Camera User’s Guide.

From that guide:

The fact is that Canon really dropped the ball here by not allowing the camera to remember a different AF Method for each orientation. In other words you are not able to set and have the camera remember Face Detection plus Tracking for one camera orientation and Zone AF — — for example — for another. It was possible to do that with previous Canon bodies.

Don’t you love it when great features are eliminated in newer supposedly better products?

with love, artie

This image was created on 28 August by Anke Frohlich at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand, she used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2500. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/3200 sec. at f/5 (stopped down 2/3 stop). AWB at 11:56am on a windy very cloudy stormy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #1: Least Sandpiper, juvenile flapping after bath Image Courtesy of and Copyright Anke Frohlich Photography

Anke’s Impressive Shorebird Images

As noted in several previous blog posts, August 28th was a banner today at Nickerson Beach. Together, we created more than 11,000 images on a windy stormy morning. Our single session landed more than six hours and when we finally did leave the beach at 2:20pm, the action was still torrid.

Please remember that Anke has been photographing birds for only fourteen months …

This image was also created on 28 August by Anke Frohlich at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand, she used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 3200. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1 1/3 stops). AWB at 12:02pm on a windy, very cloudy, stormy day. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #2: Semipalmated Sandpiper, juvenile flapping after bath Image Courtesy of and Copyright Anke Frohlich Photography

Hand Holding the SONY 600mm f/4 Lens

Anke rarely uses a tripod when working with her Sony 600 f/4 GM and the a1, preferring instead to hand hold for action. I used the same lens on a tripod for most of the day, often with the 1.4X TC, and to put it mildly, she killed me on the flapping after bath images … If you are physically able to hand hold the big lenses, it if far easier to get on the action, acquire focus, and frame and follow the action while keeping the bird somewhere near the center of the frame than it is when working off a tripod. Don’t get me wrong, Anke had many hundreds of mis-framed action shots, but her best images were — for the most part, a lot better than mine.

This image was also created on 28 August by Anke Frohlich at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand, she used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 1600. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1 1/3 stops). AWB at 12:52pm on a then windy, cloudy, stormy day. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #3: Western Sandpiper, juvenile flapping after bath Image Courtesy of and Copyright Anke Frohlich Photography

Eye Replacement

I loved this image because it showed the rufous scapulars that are characteristic of juvie Westerns. Note also the long bill with a slightly de-curved tip. The bird’s eye was closed in this frame so I replaced it with the open eye from the previous frame in the series. Learn how (and tons more) in the Eye Doctor section of Digital Basics II.

This image was also created on 28 August by Anke Frohlich at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand, she used the hand held Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1 1/3 stops). AWB at 1:00pm on a windy, cloudy, stormy day. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #4: Semipalmated Plover landing after bath Image Courtesy of and Copyright Anke Frohlich Photography

Your Fave?

Which of today’s four featured images is your favorite. All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice.

Typos

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

YouTube

I am devoting a ton of time each week to creating meaningful content on the BIRDS AS ART YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe by clicking here.

Roger Williams

Please phone Jim in the office at 863-692-0906. Your e-mail requesting Items for Sale info came in with a corrupted e-mail address. Thanks with love, a

What’s Up?

Better Late Then Never

This post was published at 8:42pm, probably a late-in-the-day record. Enjoy the video.

Today is Tuesday 7 September 2021. I spent the morning at Nickerson Beach. Many of the Common Terns have left, and the skimmers are gathering on the beaches in big flocks getting ready to do the same. With the northwest breeze, photography was not great but I did get a few good images. The bird of the day was a smashing young Whimbrel in fresh juvenal plumage, a first for me. I probably got some good stuff on fresh juvenile Sanderlings as well.

In the afternoon, I visited the South and North Gardens, Big John’s Pond, and the West Pond at Jamaica Bay, all for the first time in well more than two decades. I saw about seven species of warblers and lots of waxwings without have a single good chance … Warblers are very tough. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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.

This blog post (and video) took about four hours to prepare and makes 250 consecutive days with a new one. 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 save 3% 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.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Please know that the longer you wait to sell your used gear, the less you will get for it …

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Right now, there are lots of great buys on the Used Gear Page.

Please Remember

With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!

You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.

Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day 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 use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists 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 a9 ii, 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) 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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Picking Your Keepers: The All Important Second Edit

With today’s high frame-rate camera bodies, it is more important than ever that you choose your keepers efficiently, and that you keep only the best images. You can learn some of the fine points in this nine minute video. In short, most folks simply keep too many images. Get with the program and learn to keep only the very best.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

I took me only four hours to create, record, and edit today’s video. I must be getting better (and surely) faster. Learn to Create BIRDS AS ART features 58 new images, a ton of photography tips, and lots of solid info on the birds. Scroll down to view. I have lots of ideas on creating new and different mega-educational YouTube videos. If you have an idea or a request for a video, please leave a comment below. In addition, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the new video along with your favorite three images.

Today is Sun 5 September 2021. Wherever you are, and whatever you’re were doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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.

This blog post took only about a few minutes to prepare and (almost) makes 248 consecutive days with a new one. 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 save 3% 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.

BirdPhotographer’s.Net

I’ve been spending lots of time recently doing image critiques and helping folks on BPN. Take a moment to check out a few of the links below and you will be most impressed.

Jay Ing’s Yellow-billed Edward Scissorhands – I mean, Magpie here. The SONY a1, in the right hands, continues to raise the bar when it comes to birds in flight and in action. Check out the utterly spectacular pose and sharpness of this image.

Wayne Nik/Whiter Breasted Cormorant here. There is a ton of great information on post processing and more in this one.

Kurt Bowman/Last Try — Getting Frustrated here. I had lots to say on lots of topics.

Jonathan Ashton – Macro and Flora Moderator Olympus E-M1X Goldfinch in flight here. A cracking good shot of this common European species.

Arash Hazeghi/Falcon Swoop here. Arash is surely one of (if not) the world’s best birds in flight photographers. What he can do with the SONY 200-600/a1 combo should be illegal!

Wanted to Buy

If you have a used SONY a9 ii that you are no longer using because you own an a1, and wish to sell it for a decent price, please contact me via e-mail

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Please know that the longer you wait to sell your used gear, the less you will get for it …

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Right now, there are lots of great buys on the Used Gear Page.

Recent Sales

Wally Barkley sold his Sony a9 II in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $2494.00 (was $2694.00) in mid-August 2021.
IPT veteran Sheldon Goldstein sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II camera body in like-new condition originally listed for $2,199.00 and his Canon EF 100-400m f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM zoom lens in excellent condition originally listed for $1499.00 to a single buyer for $3500.00 in late August 2021.
Long-time-ago South Georgia shipmate Asta Tobiassen sold his Canon EF 500m f/4 L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a very low $4999.00, a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens with the Canon Tripod Mount Ring B (a $149.95 value) in near-mint condition for the very low price of $299.00, a Canon EF 1.4X II teleconverter for a very low $129.00 and a Canon EF 2X III teleconverter for a very low $429.00, all in late August 2021.
Paul Sher sold his Nikon AF-S VR Micro Nikkor 105mm F2.8 G IF-ED in like new condition for $496.95 in mid-August.
BAA friend Ron Horn sold his Canon EOS-1DX II in excellent plus condition for the BAA record low price of $2099.00 (was $2199.00) soon after it was list ing in early august 2021.

Please Remember

With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!

You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.

Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day 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 use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists 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 a9 ii, 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) 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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Learn to Create BIRDS AS ART

This video features all new images and will teach you a ton about creating artistic images of birds.

Great Topaz News!

In today’s video, you learned a bit about Topaz Sharpen AI. Do know that I run Topaz DeNoise AI on every image that I process. Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plug-ins), will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. If the stuff is on sale (as it usually is), you save 15% off of the sale price! To get the discount you must use this link and then be sure to use the discount code above.

Those who purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or any other Topaz plug-ins using the link above and then entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout, can send a copy of their Topaz receipt to me via e-mail to receive a free Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. Aside from the basics, the guide explains how to install the plug-ins so that they appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu.

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking here.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

The Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1

3 1/2 Days: Sunday 19 September through the morning session on Wednesday 22 September 2021. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2

3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 5 October through the morning session on Friday 8 October. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3

3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 19 October through the morning session on Friday 22 October. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.

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

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

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

These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB information.

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Up Early, Stay Out Late!

Obviously folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. The length of cloudy morning sessions will often be extended. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT Clockwise from upper left to center: Breeding plumage Dunlin, breeding plumage dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, breeding plumage Laughing Gull, breeding plumage Laughing Gull with fish, Laughing Gull on pelican’s head, screaming Royal Tern, Royal Terns copulating, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a very rare-in-Florida, breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of our Site Guides here.

Typos

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

BIRDS AS ART on YouTube!

Be sure not to miss anything by subscribing to the BIRDS AS ART YouTube channel by clicking here.

What’s Up?

I spent more than a few hours preparing the 3rd Create BIRDS AS ART at Fort DeSoto in Fall YouTube video. It features all new birds and lots of great info. It is truly amazing at how much can be packed into a nine minute video. Eleven years ago, Clemens Van der Werf came on his first IPT with zero interest in bird photography. Keep reading to see what happened between then and now.

And then consider how joining me on an IPT just might change your life. You can see the current IPT schedule (and future IPTs as well) by clicking here.

Today is Friday 3 September 2021. It was another cool and windy day here on Long Island. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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 like me, who 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.

This blog post took only about an hour to prepare and makes 246 consecutive days with a new one. 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 save 3% 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.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

As used gear sales have slowed just a bit in recent months — especially with dSLR bodies, there are lots of great buys right now both below and on the Used Gear Page.

Recent Sales

Wally Barkley sold his Sony a9 II in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $2494.00 (was $2694.00) in mid-August 2021.
IPT veteran Sheldon Goldstein sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II camera body in like-new condition originally listed for $2,199.00 and his Canon EF 100-400m f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM zoom lens in excellent condition originally listed for $1499.00 to a single buyer for $3500.00 in late August 2021.
Long-time-ago South Georgia shipmate Asta Tobiassen sold his Canon EF 500m f/4 L IS II USM lens in excellent condition for a very low $4999.00, a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens with the Canon Tripod Mount Ring B (a $149.95 value) in near-mint condition for the very low price of $299.00, a Canon EF 1.4X II teleconverter for a very low $129.00 and a Canon EF 2X III teleconverter for a very low $429.00, all in late August 2021.
Paul Sher sold his Nikon AF-S VR Micro Nikkor 105mm F2.8 G IF-ED in like new condition for $496.95 in mid-August.
BAA friend Ron Horn sold his Canon EOS-1DX II in excellent plus condition for the BAA record low price of $2099.00 (was $2199.00) soon after it was list ing in early august 2021.

Nikon Coolscan 5000 ED Slide Scanner

Alice Garland is offering a Nikon Coolscan 5000 ED Slide Scanner in like-new condition for the BIRDS AS ART record-low price of $899.00. The scanner is still supported by the VueScan and Silverfast scanning software for use with current operating systems. It has many special features including Digital ICE and a special Kodachrome setting. It is likely the best slide scanner ever made. The sale includes the Nikon SA-21 35mm Strip FilmAdapter (for 2-6 frame strips), the Nikon SF 210 that holds up to 50 slides for batch processing, the two instructional books, 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 Alice via e-mail

I owned this one years ago when I was scanning the best of my tens of thousands of slides. It did a fine job. What better way to spend your free time than bringing your best film images to life as digital files? artie

This image was created on 19 December 2013 at Brown Bluff, Antarctica. Clemens used a hand held Sigma 50-500mm lens with the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400: 1/800 sec. at f/13.AWB at 11:55am on blessedly cloudy day. Adelie Penguins on Ice Blocks Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Clemens Van der Werf Photography

Clemens Van der Werf and BIRDS AS ART

Clemens Van der Werf attended the 2010 Southwest Florida IPT. He had no interest in nature, wildlife, or bird photography. He wanted to master the basics of photography so that he learn could make better images of sailboats and his beloved Golden Retrievers.

All in all he attended 13 BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours:

2010 Southwest Florida IPT
2010 Nickerson Beach IPT
2010 Bosque del Apache NWR IPT
2011 San Diego IPT
2011 Homer Bald Eagle IPT
2011 Bear Boat IPT
2011 Bosque del Apache NWR IPT
2012 Southwest Florida IPT
2012 Homer Bald Eagle IPT
2012 Gatorland IPT
2012 Bear Boat IPT
2014 San Diego IPT

Along the way, some of his images have been honored in several impressive international photography competitions:

2019 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Ocean Views category
2017 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Polar Passion category
2016 Finalist – 2nd Annual Yellowstone Forever Photo Contest
2015 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Polar Passion category
2014 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Animal Antics category (two images)
2013 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Birds category
2013 3rd place – 2nd International Birds-As-Art Photography Competition – Small in the frame category
2013 Grand Prize – 2nd International Birds-As-Art Photography Competition
2012 Winner Blur category – 1st International Birds-As-Art Photography Competition
2012 Highly Honored winner – Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards – Animal Antics category
2012 Out Of The Box Image of the Year – BirdPhotograhers.Net

Today, we are good friends. We photograph together a lot, often aboard Clemens’ flats boat. We have enjoyed many fine pool deck dinners at my home at ILE. Along with some fine wine.

This image was created on 19 December 2013 at Brown Bluff, Antarctica. Clemens used a hand held Sigma 50-500mm lens with the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400: 1/800 sec. at f/13.AWB at 11:55am on blessedly cloudy day. Clemens’ new print gellery Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Clemens Van der Werf Photography

So What is Clemens Doing Now?

Mazel tov to Clemens who very recently announced the opening of his online virtual print gallery at Shop.clemensvanderwerf.com.

The Story Behind the Photo

Adélie Penguin is one of the four penguin species in Antarctica. Adélie is the most exposed to a changing climate and the warming of the oceans. Their numbers are in steady decline due to a changing food source. Their ability to adapt quickly is far less than the Gentoo Penguin whose numbers are actually increasing.

During one of my expeditions to the frozen continent, we visited the volcanic coastline at Brown Bluff on the northern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. In the shadow of the crater wall, Gentoo and Adélie Penguins build their nests on the beach to raise a new generation. Oftentimes, high winds blow icebergs and smaller chunks of sea ice onto the beach making it difficult for the birds to reach the water for daily fishing trips. When I saw this group of Adélie penguins carefully hopping over the ice cubes, I wanted to show how they struggle to reach the ocean and positioned myself at the water’s edge to photograph them in their daily routine. Life as a penguin is tough in the harsh Antarctic environment.

Shop.clemensvanderwerf.com is the new home for his photography print work. There, you’ll find all of his available prints on a variety of media types including paper, canvas, and metal.

His new website has a Wall Preview Tool that allows folks to visualize the images hanging in a sample room. You can select the room type and even choose your paint color to get a better feel for how large a given piece should be and how it will look on your wall. Click here to try it out.

He is very excited to take a next step with his photography business, thanks to the support of his many followers. To celebrate, he is giving away a 25″ x 17″ Luster Photo Paper Print of “Adélie Penguins on Ice Cubes” (a $110.00 value).

Click here to enter. When the giveaway ends on September 10th, Clemens will offer all who’ve entered a one-time, 25% off discount on any print in the shop.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

I spent more than a few hours on Tuesday gathering and optimizing images for the Photographing Fort DeSoto’s Fall Wading Birds video. Though only six minutes 31 seconds long, there are lots of strong images along with some solid wading bird info and photography tips. All are invited to leave a comment letting us know which single image in the video they think is the strongest, and why.

I changed my Auto Train reservation and will be heading back to Florida on 13 September.

Today is Wednesday 1 September. My, how time is flying by. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. Tomorrow: announcing the Fall Fort DeSoto IPTs.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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 like me, who 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.

This blog post took about 15 hours hours to prepare (including the time spent on creating the video) and makes 244 consecutive days with a new one. 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 save 3% 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.

YouTube Help Needed

If you might be able to help with Customizing my YouTube channel please get in touch via e-mail. Many thanks, much love. artie

Photographing Fort DeSoto’s Fall Wading Birds with Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Enjoy this short video, Part I of IV. Then let us know your favorite single image. Also, consider sharing a link to this blog post and video with a friend or with your photography club.

As I will be doing lots more YouTube videos in the coming days, weeks, and months, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel here.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

The Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tours

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #1

3 1/2 Days: Sunday 19 September through the morning session on Wednesday 22 September 2021. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #2

3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 5 October through the morning session on Friday 8 October. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.

Fall 2021 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3

3 1/2 Days: Tuesday 19 October through the morning session on Friday 22 October. $1999.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers.

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

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

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

These IPTs will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB information.

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Up Early, Stay Out Late!

Obviously folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. The length of cloudy morning sessions will often be extended. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT Clockwise from upper left to center: Breeding plumage Dunlin, breeding plumage dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, breeding plumage Laughing Gull, breeding plumage Laughing Gull with fish, Laughing Gull on pelican’s head, screaming Royal Tern, Royal Terns copulating, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a very rare-in-Florida, breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of our Site Guides here.

Typos

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

Saturday Past!

Both of today’s featured images were created last Saturday on a very stormy day when no other photographers ventured out. With 250-odd keepers after the first edit (out of 5300+), it was a memorable day. And it proves the old adage: the worse the weather, the better photography. You will be seeing lots more images from that six hour session. If you are learning from the blog on a daily basis, do consider sharing a link with your photo friends or your photography club.

Your Favorite?

Which of today’s featured images is the strongest? All are invited to leave a comment letting us know why they made their choice.

Higher Res Viewing

Please note that the small JPEGs in each blog post are for display purposes only. Clicking on each blog image to enlarge it will bring up a stunning high resolution image. For unknown reasons, the smaller images simply do not look sharp. I am attempting to rectify that situation. In the meantime, click on the images to be impressed by the quality of the new higher res photos.

What’s Up?

Not much. Did lots of work on images and e-mails on Monday. Swam in the afternoon. Today is Tuesday 31 August with more of the same in store for me. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. Tomorrow: announcing the Fall Fort DeSoto IPTs.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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 like me, who 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.

This blog post a bit more than an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the image optimizations), and makes 243 consecutive days with a new one. 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 save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.

Nikon AF-S 80-400mm/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens with Extra

Price Reduced $200.00 on 30 August 2021!
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price

Paul Sher is offering a Nikon AF-S 80-400mm/4.5-5.6G ED VR in like new condition for $1196.95 (was $1396.95). The sale includes a Wimberley P-10 plate (a $52.00 value), the front and rear lens caps, the lens case, the original Nikon box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Paul Sher via e-mail or by phone at 1-503-248-9870 (Pacific time zone).

I owned and loved this super-sharp and very versatile lens when I shot Nikon. It was my go-to lens on my bucket-list Emperor Penguin trip to Snow Hill Island, Antartica. It complements either the 500 PF or the 600 f/4 VR lenses perfectly. As it sells new for $2,296.95, you can save an incredible $1100.00 on Paul’s pretty much new lens. artie

Please Remember

With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!

You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.

Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day 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 use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists 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 a9 ii, 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) 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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created on 28 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand with the tripod lowered, I used the Induro GIT 304L topped by a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro– with the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter(at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2500. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:18am on dark, windy, cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed just about perfectly and produced a sharp-on-the-eye image. Image 1: Common Tern juvenile bathing.

Tight Bathing Bird Tips from the Wild Windy Saturday Past

When I see a bird dipping its breast into the water, I know that when it has finished its bath, it is practically guaranteed that it will rise up and flap its wings. If your AF system is up to it, the flapping-after-bath image (FABI) is the money shot. If you are too close to try for that, you can zoom out (with a zoom lens) or move back with a fixed focal length lens. The latter takes time, and in any event, there was a snow fence behind us last Saturday so there was no moving back. In addition, I had firmly seated my tripod in the sand, put on my reading glasses, and leveled the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro perfectly by centering the floating bubble on the head inside the scribed circle. That done, I could point my lens in any direction and have every image perfectly square to the world. And on cloudy days, you do not have to worry about sun angle.

In short, I was pretty much glued to my carefully chosen spot. Note: remember that in bathing bird situations, you want the wind (and the sun on clear days), behind you.

So when a small sandpiper began bathing at point blank range, about 15 feet at 840mm, or a tern started its bath at 25 feet, I knew that getting the bird in the frame without clipping any wings or feet (I got lots of those!) for the FABI was pretty much out of the question. So in those point-blank situations, I acquired focus and blasted away on the splashing bird. Though there will be lots of deletes, the results can often be dramatic, different, or comical. Or in rare cases, all three.

You can see a very nice FABI White-rumped Sandpiper image in the Nearly All Bird Photographers Stayed Home on a Wild Windy Weather Morning … blog post here.

The Lesson

When you are too close for the FABI, go for the tight splashing shot.

This image was also created on 28 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand with the tripod lowered, I used the Induro GIT 304L topped by a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro– with the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter(at 840mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2000. Exposure determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel: RawDigger showed that the raw file brightness was dead-solid perfect: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 11:55am on dark, windy, cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed just about perfectly and produced a sharp-on-the-face image. Image 2: Least Sandpiper juvenile bathing

The Least Sandpiper Submarine

Clicking on Image #2 to view the higher-res version will put a smile on most folk’s faces.

Background Color Question

Both of today’s featured images were made in dreary light on a cloudy day. With the tern image, I went with the gray-water background. With the sandpiper image, I used Viveza to make the water more blue and erased the effect on the bird (and the splashes) with a regular layer mask. Which background color do you like best?

Typos

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

What’s Up?

At 7:00am on Saturday morning it was teeming rain with a 25mph north wind. By 8:00am things had calmed down a bit so we headed out to the beach. There were thousands of skimmers blasting off into a stiff east wind up and down the beach. But I knew exactly where we needed to be. We went to the perfect spot for the conditions. I killed to the tune of 5293 images. Taking a peek at the folder, I selected today’s featured image.

It was truly a wild morning and there was not another photographer in sight. The action was non-stop with skimming and bathing skimmers and bathing terns and shorebirds. At one point there were 250 oystercatchers bathing in the pool in front of me. Then a tight flock of 100 Sanderlings bathing. We had dozens of Semipalmated Sandpipers in front of us, often within seven feet. There were a smattering of Least, Western, and White-rumped Sandpipers along with a single Pectoral. We also had a single juvenile Piping Plover, a few gorgeous young Short-billed Dowitchers, several Lesser, and a single Greater Yellowlegs, a few Ruddy The turnstones, and two Semipalmated Plovers. A swooping Peregrine cleared the pond in mid-morning but the birds returned within minutes.

I knew when we left the hotel where we needed to be: on the edge of a storm surge/rain pool with the east wind at our backs in the lee of a small dune. The birds knew also. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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 like me, who 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.

This blog post took less than an hour to prepare (including the time spent on the image optimization), and makes 241 consecutive days with a new one. 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 save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.

Please Remember

With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!

You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.

Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day 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 use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists 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 a9 ii, 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) 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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created on 28 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. While seated on damp sand, I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2000: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:37am on a cloudy, dark, windy morning. Tracking: Center Zone/AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and performed amazingly well. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger, hi-res version. Image #1: White-rumped Sandpiper flapping after bath

Bathing Beach Birds

The smaller shorebirds bathed in an inch or so of water quite close to us. The terns a bit farther out in two to three inches of water, and the skimmers and oystercatchers a bit farther out than that in water perhaps two to four inches deep. The biggest challenge was to make a good image of a juvenile skimmer skimming toward us. Time at the editing table will tell.

Image #1A: The active AF point for the White-rumped Sandpiper flapping after bath image

Shockingly Amazing!

I could barely believe that the a1 AF system detected and locked onto the face of the jumping sandpiper.

SONY a1 AF: Beyond Belief …

a1 Bird-Eye/Face Detection has gotten much better since the V1.10 firmware update that completely eliminated the EVF Blackout problems. It has become easier to trust the AF system whether working birds perched or on the ground, when doing flight photography, or when working off the tilted rear screen with the tripod almost at ground level. In short, thee a1 AF system is amazing.

SONY and artie

Switching to SONY, first with the a9 and the a9 II, and then to the remarkable a1, has enabled me (and others, like Mike De Rosa as seen a while ago in the blog post here), to create images of birds in flight and in action that I could not have even dreamed of when using Canon for 33 years and then Nikon for more than two. Most of the time I am using one of two AF methods that together, cover about 99% of the commonly-encountered bird photography situations. At present, I am experimenting beyond those … Learn more by joining the group!

From Long-ago IPT veteran Keith Kennedy via e-mail

Absolutely great information. I am calling Jim in a few minutes to order a couple of Delkin 128GB UHS-II cards. Your timely email has saved me a ton of money! Many thanks

In the same vein, via e-mail from John LeClair

Well, e-mail #21 alone was worth the price of admission!

From Pamela Viale, after receiving artie’s a1 settings along with detailed instructions on how to copy them to her SONY a1 via e-mail

This e-mail group has been an incredible boon to me! Thank you so much!

From Joe Barranco via e-Mail

Thanks for your great ideas on the A1 set up. I have been getting MANY more keepers doing things your way!

From Barbara White via e-Mail

Wow, I just gotta say – I learn so much from the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info group! My camera is on my desk, and I’m always picking it up and changing something that I’ve read about in the e-mails.

Thanks, Barbara

From Janet Horton via e-Mail

Hi Artie, Mystery solved. Yes, I was able to replicate what you did. I forgot that you have to set self-timer using the upper dial. I am used to that being a MENU selection.

Thanks much, Janet

SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up 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. With two folks joining yesterday, we are now up to an astounding 77 lucky and blessed photographers! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. More recently, we have been in contact with folks at SONY sharing our thoughts, experiences, and frustrations with the EVF blackout problem.

All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.

Typos

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

What Should Be Up?

For morning bird photography, you should be up. Very early … Learn more below.

What’s Up?

Thanks to the many who commented on the two pleasing blurs featured in yesterday’s blog post. I will share my thoughts with you on those images here tomorrow.

On Thursday, multiple IPT veteran Jim Dolgin joined us for an In-the-Field morning of bird photography at Nickerson Beach. Jim shoots the SONY 200-600 and an a9 ii. I loaned him one of my a1 bodies. After just a few minutes, he said, with regards to the autofocus system with Bird Eye/Face Detection activated, “This thing is sick. I am buying one asap.” With a west southwest wind and a sunny day forecast, I knew that we needed to get to the beach early as our best chances would be for blurs and backlit sunrise stuff with color. We had some great pre-dawn blast-offs, and a fairly decent sunrise muted by distant fog/smog/air pollution. Once the sun was out at full strength, we worked the surf line for gulls and oystercatchers. Jim got some great stuff on the oystercatchers. We then spent several challenging hours at a storm surge/rain pool where the wind against sun conditions made things very challenging. Jim managed the best image of a young skimmer skimming while walking in the shallow water.

On Thursday afternoon, Anke Frohlich and I worked with private client Dan Gerstman. Dan was a complete newbie, not only to bird photography, but to photography in general. He recently purchased a Nikon Z50 with two kit lenses, the longest a 50-250mm zoom. Anke was a plus as she had played with that camera for a bit when it first came out. We wanted to teach Dan to work in Manual mode. The camera was on Auto ISO so the first thing we needed to do was turn that off. We found it in the menu, and turned Auto ISO off, but the body was still in Auto ISO. I was feeling pretty helpless when I noticed a small lever that was set to movie mode. 🙂 That out of the way, working in the shade near the post office in Point Lookout before the beach re-opened to photographers, we showed him how set the shutter speed, the aperture, and the ISO, and to use the analogue exposure scale to get in the vicinity of the correct exposure. The camera was on single frame advance we quickly figured out via a ridiculously named menu item — Release Mode, that let us set 11 fps continuous shooting. The last piece to the puzzle was to set up Playback to show Highlight Alert and the histogram, and to explain both to Dan. He was a quick study, so we headed for the beach.

Dan was blown away by the experience as there were thousands of terns and skimmers blasting off until well after the sun went down. With his limited focal length, I got him on some cooperative oystercatchers and gulls. We had first one and then another Great Black-backed Gull grab a fledged skimmer in flight right in front of us. My shutter speed was way too low, so I was forced to watch as the young skimmer escaped successfully.

Today is Friday 27 August 2021. We were at the beach well before sunrise for another battle with wind against sun conditions. There were few pre-dawn blast offs, and not much doing with a second nicely muted sunrise. I headed back to the storm surge/rain pool and made a few good images of young Common Terns and their perfect reflections. The skimmers, however, were all skimming directly away from us into the west/southwest breeze. By 8am I was napping on the edge of the pool and by nine I was back in the car working on this blog post. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

Remember that you can find some great photo accessories (and necessities!) 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 like me, who 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.

This blog post took 90 minutes to prepare (including the time spent on the image optimization) and makes 240 consecutive days with a new one. 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 save 3% at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And doing so always earns my great appreciation.

Please Remember

With income from IPTs now close to zero, please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I am out at least forty to sixty thousand dollars so far due to COVID 19 (with lots more to come) — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

New and Better Bedfords Discount Policy!

You can now save 3% on all of your Bedfords photo gear purchases by entering the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Your discount will be applied to your pre-tax total. In addition, by using the code you will get 2nd day air shipping via Fed Ex.

Grab a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III and save $14.99. Purchase a Canon EOS R5 and your discount will be $116.97. Purchase a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and save a remarkable $389.94! Your Bedford’s purchase no longer needs to be greater than $1,000.00 for you to receive a discount. The more you spend, the more you save.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would enjoy free second-day 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 use it for your online order to save 3% and enjoy free 2nd-day air shipping. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The wait lists 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 a9 ii, 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.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs (remember those?) 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… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

This image was created on 26 August 2021 at Nickerson Beach. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 2000: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 6:32am on a relatively clear morning. Tracking: Center Zone/AF-C Bird/Eye Detection AF was active at the moment exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger, hi-res version. Image #1: American Oystercatcher sunrise silhouette

Getting Up Early

Yes, you cannot make images like the one immediately above if you sleep in and show up at the beach at 8am. Or, at present, even at 7am. To get in position for the strong backlight, we had to get our feet wet. I advised Jim to try to create an image with the bird as close as possible to the blasting highlights on the receding waves and the wet sand without including any of them in the frame. With today’s featured image — a one-shot wonder, I managed to do just that. I used Tracking: Center Zone to place the bird high left in the frame so as to include the complete reflection.

Image #1A: The RawDigger screen capture for the American Oystercatcher sunrise silhouette image

Ho Hum: Another Dead-Solid Perfect Raw File …

As the 2543 over-exposed pixels in this image (out of 51,000,000) were all in the specular highlight of the reflected sun on the left side of the frame, this is another dead solid perfect exposure. I used my usual cadre of clean-up tools to eliminate those highlights along with a dozen or so additional imperfections.

Note that even when creating silhouettes, it is proper to expose to the right in order to reduce noise levels and avoid the muddy colors that often accompany an underexposed raw file. The silhouette is created during the raw conversion in ACR.

All of the above plus tons more are as detailed in Digital Basic II.

Image #1A: RawDigger screen capture for the Zebra Swallowtail on Carolina Red Root blossom image

Dead-Solid Perfect!

Images where the G channel gets 2/3rds of the way from the 8000 to the 16000 line are perfect exposures. Images where the G channel gets right up to the line are dead-solid perfect. With 195 OvExp pixels out of 51,000,000 this is a dead-solid perfect exposure.

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 completely 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 (pink) Adapted 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 when I struggled with R5 exposures and when 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. Most recently, I have come to depend on RawDigger to guide me when adjusting the Exposure slider in Adobe Camera Raw.

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 could not figure out why the Max G values varied by camera system. 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 quickly and easily evaluate your exposures and raw file brightness using an 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.

SONY a1 AF: Beyond Belief …

a1 Bird-Eye/Face Detection has gotten much better since the V1.10 firmware update that completely eliminated the EVF Blackout problems. It has become easier to trust the AF system whether working birds perched or on the ground, when doing flight photography, or when working off the tilted rear screen with the tripod almost at ground level. In short, thee a1 AF system is amazing.

SONY and artie

Switching to SONY, first with the a9 and the a9 II, and then to the remarkable a1, has enabled me (and others, like Mike De Rosa as seen a while ago in the blog post here), to create images of birds in flight and in action that I could not have even dreamed of when using Canon for 33 years and then Nikon for more than two. Most of the time I am using one of two AF methods that together, cover about 99% of the commonly-encountered bird photography situations. At present, I am experimenting beyond those … Learn more by joining the group!

From Long-ago IPT veteran Keith Kennedy via e-mail

Absolutely great information. I am calling Jim in a few minutes to order a couple of Delkin 128GB UHS-II cards. Your timely email has saved me a ton of money! Many thanks

In the same vein, via e-mail from John LeClair

Well, e-mail #21 alone was worth the price of admission!

From Pamela Viale, after receiving artie’s a1 settings along with detailed instructions on how to copy them to her SONY a1 via e-mail

This e-mail group has been an incredible boon to me! Thank you so much!

From Joe Barranco via e-Mail

Thanks for your great ideas on the A1 set up. I have been getting MANY more keepers doing things your way!

From Barbara White via e-Mail

Wow, I just gotta say – I learn so much from the SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info group! My camera is on my desk, and I’m always picking it up and changing something that I’ve read about in the e-mails.

Thanks, Barbara

From Janet Horton via e-Mail

Hi Artie, Mystery solved. Yes, I was able to replicate what you did. I forgot that you have to set self-timer using the upper dial. I am used to that being a MENU selection.

Thanks much, Janet

SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up 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. With two folks joining yesterday, we are now up to an astounding 77 lucky and blessed photographers! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. More recently, we have been in contact with folks at SONY sharing our thoughts, experiences, and frustrations with the EVF blackout problem.

All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.

Typos

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