As I got to know BPN-friend Brian Sump, it quickly became evident that this was a guy who was good at everything he chose to do: all-state band in clarinet, a football star in college and in the pros, a family man with high values, a force in his church, a very successful businessman, and most recently, a world-class bird photographer.
I would think that most would be astonished that Brian began photographing birds only one year ago in December. I will state that Brian’s active participation in the Avian Gallery at Bird Photographer’s.Net is responsible — at least in part — for his meteoric rise with a long lens. The education you can get for $40.00 a year is surely the best nature photography value ever.
Today is Monday 4 January 2020. This blog post took about eight hours in all to prepare, not to mention the long drive from Central Florida to Denver and back 🙂 You cannot put a price on a good friend.
Be sure to click on each of Brian’s images to see a larger, inexplicably sharper version. Everyone is invited to leave a comment; I’d love to hear which of Brian’s images are your favorites. And why.
Morris to Sump!
So how did I wind up in Denver throwing a pass to Brian Sump? I noticed some of Brian’s work in the Avian Forum at Bird Photographers.net (BPN). We wound up chatting by phone and he mentioned that he played professional football for five years. I was intrigued … I did a search online and found the next image …
Image courtesy of Brian Sump.
Arena League receiver Brian Sump
Drew Brees!
The next time that we spoke I learned that he made two NFL pre-season rosters — first with the San Diego Chargers in 2003 and then with the St. Louis Rams. When I found out that he had caught passes from NFL great, now-New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees (who was drafted by the Chargers), I thought, “It would be neat to throw a pass to him one of these day.” So I worked that out. When I was thirteen years old, I could throw a football 65 yards. Those days are obviously long gone. Thanks to Anita North for the cell phone video.
When I saw the football card above, I said to Brian, “You look a lot like Wes Welker.” Welker was an all-star NFL receiver best known for the time he spent with the New England Patriots (and with Tom Brady). I began calling Brian “Wes” when I commented on his posted images. Brian starred for several years for the Los Angeles Avengers in the Arena Football League and was a member of the Chicago Rush when they won the Arena Bowl championship in 2006 by defeating the Orlando Predators 69-61.
Prior to that, he enjoyed an outstanding collegiate career at the Colorado School of Mines (Golden, Colo.), playing in 39 games and setting 23 school records, including career marks for receptions (146), receiving yards (2,464), receiving touchdowns (24), all-purpose yards (5,529), punt return yardage (717), kickoff return yardage (2,384) and kick return touchdowns (five).
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
The Sump Family
The Sump Story
Brian grew up in Denver, Colorado to a Lebanese mom and a German dad. He lost his Mom on Christmas Eve 2005. He is still great friends with is Dad. He had diverse interests as a kid. He played baseball growing up in Denver and made the high school all-state band — playing the clarinet. He decided to go out for football his senior year, and after just a few months in the sport, he was offered a scholarship to play at the Colorado School of Mines. Four years later, after two All-American seasons in football, he earned a degree in civil engineering.
He meet his wife, Jill, through a mutual friend. They have three children. Brian and Jill are very involved with their church; Brian ends every e-mail with “Blessings.” After his football career ended in 2007, Brian bought a rundown car repair shop and in short order Avalon Motorsports was flourishing. He has added several repair shops in the Denver area. His first foray with cars was in high school when a friend bought a 1991 Volkswagen GTI. When he saw that car, he thought it was the coolest thing ever, A few months later, he had saved up some money working and bought his own GTI. He put some lowering springs on it and some wheels and tires and a new exhaust. That was his first taste of owning a German vehicle and falling in love with performance upgrades.
Brian always liked raptors. When he saw an Eastern Bluebird in his backyard last December and wondered what it was, he grabbed the Nikon D3200 that is wife used for family photos and grabbed a couple shots. After viewing them on the computer, he could barely make out what it was, so he began researching lenses for bird photography. Jill got him a Tamron 100-500 for Christmas in 2019 and he got started with bird photography. As you will see below, his progress has been astounding.
Getting decent gear has helped:
Nikon D3200 + Sigma 500mm f/4 Sport Lens
Nikon D500 + Sigma 500mm f/4 Sport Lens
Nikon D850 + Sigma 500mm f/4 Sport Lens
Nikon D850 + Nikon 600mm f/4 VR Lens & the TC-E14
Canon R5 + 600mm f/4L IS III Lens & the 1.4X and 2X III TCs.
Brian does almost all of his bird photography handheld.
With the handheld Sigma 500mm f/4 Sport Lens and the Nikon D850. ISO 2800: 1/2500 sec. at f/4.
~35% crop
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Burrowing Owl in flight
Burrowing Owl in Flight
Brian posted this image on BPN on 4 May 2020. It might have been the first time that I saw his work and commented. It was obvious from the start that he was serious about learning and improving. You can see the learning process in action at the BPN post here. It looks as if I was not the only one who wanted to help …
With the handheld Nikon 600mm f/4 VR Lens with the TC-E14 and the Nikon D850. ISO 1600: 1/1250 sec. at f5/6.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
Gnatcatcher
Brian switched to Nikon for a while and made some great images. He learned quickly that the background often makes the image. He quickly became proficient with Photoshop and learned some of the tricks of the trade; he used audio to attract this tiny bird to a great perch. You can learn more in his BPN post here.
With the handheld Nikon 600mm f/4 VR Lens, the TC-E14, and the Nikon D850. ISO 1600: 1/1000 sec. at f5/6.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Blue Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
I really started noticing that Brian’s work was improving when he posted some great Blue Grosbeak and Lazuli Bunting images. In the thread here, Brian asks lots of questions and his people skill shine as he responds kindly to each and every posted comment.
With the handheld Nikon 600mm f/4 VR Lens, the TC-E14, and the Nikon D850. ISO 1000: 1/4000 sec. at f/6.3.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Cinnamon Teal pair in flight
Cinnamon Teal
Two spectacular and sharp ducks in the same frame both banking for great dorsal views? You gotta be kidding me. Some folks had a problem with the wing position of the female. You can read about that here. With this post, I got the first inkling that Brian was serious about becoming a great flight photographer with ducks as his favorite subjects.
With the handheld Canon 600mm f/4L IS III lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS R5. ISO 1000: 1/800 sec. at f/7.1.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Mallard drake preening
Mallard Drake Preening
With this one Brian has taken a common bird that many disregard, chose a low perspective, and with perfect AF technique and superb processing skills, created a work of art. You can see what others had to say here.
With the handheld Canon 600mm f/4L IS III lens and the EOS R5. ISO 1600: 1/6400 sec. at f/7.1.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Common Goldeneye hen in flight
Common Goldeneye Hen in Flight
Brian’s flying ducks kept getting better and better. With the fast frame-rate (and large servings of skill and perseverance), he began coming away with perfect wing position after perfect wing position. The full downstroke here is simply perfect. Note also his strict attention to sun angle. You can meet and learn about Amanda in the BPN post here.
With the handheld Canon 600mm f/4L IS III lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS R5. ISO 1600: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Northern Harrier eating vole
Northern Harrier Eating Vole
Here Brian expands his horizons a bit, returning to his first avian-love: raptors. Note that this bird is on the ground! The post here is a really interesting one with lots of lessons. And Brian learns a lot about the structure of eyes from Avian Moderator Randy Stout, an ophthalmologist (retired) by trade.
With the handheld Canon 600mm f/4L IS III lens and the EOS R5. ISO 1600: 1/6400 sec. at f/6.3.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Common Goldeneye drake in flight
Brian Becomes the “The Flying Duckman”
To this image here, I posted: Are you familiar with Johan Johan Cruijff, the Dutch footballer (aka soccer player) who was known as the “Flying Dutchman?” My new nickname for you Wesley, is “The Flying Duckman.” Ditto all the positives above times ten. How anyone could find fault with this image is far beyond me. In this thread, Brian’s almost obsessive attention to post processing is quite evident.
I should have mentioned the exquisite wing position, the heavenly background and the fact that the near-underwing is pretty much glowing.
With the handheld Canon 600mm f/4L IS III lens and the EOS R5. ISO 1600: 1/5000 sec. at f/5.6.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
American Wigeon drake in flight
American Wigeon Drake in Flight
Are you getting bored? Here we have another super-sharp image, a killer wings-fully-up flight pose, and another sublime background. You can see what folks on BPN had to say about this image here.
With the handheld Canon 600mm f/4L IS III lens and the EOS R5. ISO 1600: 1/6400 sec. at f/5.6.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Gadwall drake in flight
Gadwall Drake in Flight
I’ve been remiss not to mention that Brian’s incredible Canon imagery is a testament to how well the EF lenses work with the EOS R5. With one of the three EF adapters. He uses the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, the simplest and least expensive option. You can learn about all three adapters in the blog post here.
In Pane 15 here, I actually offered a suggestion for improving this already spectacular image. The rich chestnut wing coverts with the white speculum as an accent, the incredible near-upperwing detail, the open bill, and yet another classic downstroke wing position put this one in the beyond-the-beyond category.
With the handheld Canon 600mm f/4L IS III lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS R5. ISO 1600: 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Brian Sump Photography. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Northern Harrier in flight
Just Another Harrier Flight Shot …
I am sure that there are some who are thinking, “If I had the Canon 600 III and an R5, I could go out and make images just like Brian’s. That is a combination of pipe-dreaming and mis-guided thinking. If I could make a single duck in flight image that would compare favorably to Brian’s best images, I’d be beyond thrilled. You can see what the boys and girls on BPN had to say about this one in Brian’s post here.
As I write often when speaking of the incredible handheld flight photography of BPN Avian Moderator Arash Hazeghi, handholding any 600mm f/4 lens requires strength, stamina, great hand-eye coordination, and superb fine motor skills. Not to mention the drive and the patience needed to produce incredible flight images on a consistent basis. While I have some of the latter, I am sorely missing all of the former.
Brian Sump and the Automotive Industry
I am sure that you will not be shocked to learn that Wes Welker/The Flying Duckman is a superstar in the Automotive Industry. You can learn a lot about Brian, his incredible success as a business owner, and the principles that have guided him to success, in the articles linked to below. And you will probably learn a few things that might improve your business as well.
Twice cover-boy for the trade journal, Ratchet+Wrench
I drove around on Saturday morning looking for relatively small, interesting scenes so that I could create some in-camera Multiple Exposures and some in-camera HDR images for the BAA EOS R5 User’s Guide. I did fairly well. I did find lots of old oaks with patches of Baton Rouge (Strawberry) lichen, but none were suitable for photography. I created some nice two-frame soft/sharp Multiple Exposures of Florida Tickseed and then created some six frame Multiple Exposure lens twirls of the same flowers. I ended up the morning creating some nice fall-colored vines growing on a tree trunk (those while fighting the wind).
I spent much of the rest of the day working on the R5 User’s Guide. I need to return the Canon loaner gear tomorrow …
Today is Sunday 3 January 2021. Am I the only one who has had the days of the week messed up very recently? I will be heading out soon again looking to create some additional HDR and Multiple Exposure images. The weather should be perfect with developing clouds and even some drizzle in the forecast.
I’ve been swimming my slow 1/2 mile in a nice warm pool, doing my bursts, and taking two walks every day.
This blog past makes seventeen days in a row with a new blog post. This one took less than an hour to prepare. Please remember …
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
RawDigger e-Guide and Video Advance Copy Available
Save $10 Now
The RawDigger e-Guide and Video is almost finished. It will sell for $51.00. If you are anxious to get started with RawDigger, learn to mega-Expose to the Right, and wind up with the highest quality image files, you can save $10.00 and have a chance to review a pre-publication copy of the guide by sending a PayPal for $41.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net with the words RawDigger e-Guide and Video Pre-publication Copy cut and pasted into the Subject line. The recent delay is the result of my recent conversations with Iliah Borg, the brains behind RawDigger. It is likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you.
You will of course receive a link for the completed PDF when the guide is finished.
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 64 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 27 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 bodies have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am working on a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links and discount codes to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide right off the bat to help folks get started with their new camera bodies.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop)
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
This in-camera HDR Art Vivid image was created on 31 December 2020 on the pier at Indian Lake Estates. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 3200. Exposure determined using the in-camera histogram followed by a histogram/blinkies evaluation and some luck. The three exposures were bracketed around +2/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:24pm on a cloudy day.
1-point (moved well toward the bottom of the frame) AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version.
What is it?
What is it?
I see these small objects regularly on the pier and the pier railing. It is about 2 1/2″ in length. What is it? WAGs (wild-ass guesses) are welcome.
R5 in-camera HDR
I loved creating in-camera HDR images with my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and missed this great feature once I switched first to Nikon and then to SONY. If I do wind up buy the R5/RF 1.4X TC/RF 100-500 rig, both the in-camera HDR and Multiple Exposure features will be two reasons why I do. Right now I am at about 67%. At one point it was 99%.
In any case, the R5 User’s Guide will have detailed instructions on setting up the camera and using it to create both in-camera HDR and Multiple Exposures. The set-up for each are a bit tricky.
Click on the image to see the vast improvement. The After image is on our right. Noise in the blacks has been eliminated and the image is both cleaner and sharper.
I ran Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the whole image (as I do with almost every photo that I process). Image Quality with in-camera HDR images is always somewhat suspect, in part because the final result is a JPEG. DeNoise cleaned it up and sharpened it beautifully. Be sure to click on the image to enlarge it and see the improvement, especially with regards to the detail in the BLACKs.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Conditions were perfect for the road-kill cafe on Friday morning. There was a brisk wind from the southeast along with clear skies. I put out the bait — a half-eaten opossum carcass, some rotten smoked salmon skins, and two large, recently-thawed fish heads courtesy of Mike at Junior’s Fish Market in Lake Wales. I stayed in the car on an off for two hours, mostly working on yesterday’s blog post. I was on the phone often fact-checking with the very gracious Pat Fishburne. By 9:00am, a few Turkey Vultures were circling above. One landed, followed quickly by a Black Vulture. I was 100% positive that hordes of vulture would follow, each flaring their wings to land into the wind.
Both approached the bait very cautiously but neither partook of the feast. After five minutes, I got out of the car, snuck down to the edge of the canal, and got on sun angle. Both birds flew away. I made a few flight images with the Canon loaner gear of TVs circling to land. But they never did. I went back to my car in hopes that they would return, but they never did.
I am continuing to work hard on the BAA EOS R5 Camera User’s Guide.
Today is Saturday 2 January 2021. I will be heading out soon looking for flowers and more as I would like to try to create some HDR and some Multiple Exposure images.
This blog past makes sixteen days in a row with a new blog post. This one took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. Please remember …
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
RawDigger e-Guide and Video Advance Copy Available
Save $10 Now
The RawDigger e-Guide and Video is almost finished. It will sell for $51.00. If you are anxious to get started with RawDigger, learn to mega-Expose to the Right, and wind up with the highest quality image files, you can save $10.00 and have a chance to review a pre-publication copy of the guide by sending a PayPal for $41.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net with the words RawDigger e-Guide and Video Pre-publication Copy cut and pasted into the Subject line. The recent delay is the result of my recent conversations with Iliah Borg, the brains behind RawDigger. It is likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you.
You will of course receive a link for the completed PDF when the guide is finished.
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 56 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 27 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am working on a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide right off the bat to help folks get started with their new camera bodies.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
128 sold to rave reviews.
The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris
The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)
Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.
Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.
Folks who have used my B&H affiliate links or purchased their SONY gear are invited to e-mail for discount information.
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
i-Phone Setting the Scene image
i-Phone Setting-the-Scene image
I stuck the I-phone out of the car window, focused, and dialed down the exposure so that I could grab a snap that showed the situation. In life, the blasting highlights off the water are so bright that it is difficult to see the crane with your naked eye. Notice first, that I moved the car so that the crane’s head was lined up exactly in the center of the super-bright swath of water. The crane cooperated very nicely by standing in one spot for ten minutes. The bad news is that for most of that time, the bird kept its head angled slightly away from me.
Almost always when you are creating silhouettes, you want the opposite of correct sun angle. For front-lit shooting, you want the sun directly behind you and the subject directly in front of you, all on the same line. With silhouettes, you want both the subject and the sun directly in front of you, again, all on single straight line. The latter approach will always produce the strongest backlight and usually — but not always — produce the richest color. At times, the best color might be a bit to one side or the other of the sun.
This image was created on 26 DEC 2020 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from my SUV, I used the BLUBB-(barely) supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO: 50. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the Control Wheel: 1/2500 sec. at f/13 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:55am on a sunny morning.
Manual focus with focus peaking enabled. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.
Sandhill Crane — blasting silhouette head portrait
A Blasting Highlights AF Tip
If you have ever tried to autofocus in really bright blasting highlights situations, you already know that your camera’s AF system is completely blinded. Hey, I just checked; more than 15 years ago, in the Art of Bird Photography II (on CD or via electronic download), I wrote:
Creating 11 a.m. Silhouettes
To achieve maximum backlighting, you will of course need to position yourself so that the subject is directly between you and the sun. With flashing, glaring highlights, it is usually impossible to acquire focus automatically, so it is best to focus manually.
I’d kept that tidbit in the back of my mind for well more than a decade when Anita North mentioned, somewhere on our road trip, that she’d come up with a great blasting highlights trick: Focus manually using focus peaking! I said, “I knew the first part of that, but adding the focus peaking is a great idea.” So when I had the crane standing in one spot, I moved the AF switch to M and enabled focus peaking on my a9 ii. As I have cautioned here over the years, whenever you are focusing manually it is much better to be on a tripod than to be handholding. Why? If you think that you can hold completely still you are wrong; even the movement associated with breathing is enough to throw off the focus with a super-telephoto lens (with or without a teleconverter). Note: the knee-pod technique is OK in these situations.
Working on the BLUBB while having to focus manually presents a big problem: the manual focusing ring rests on the big beanbag. It is impossible to focus. First I tried resting the hood of the lens on the BLUBB. That was less than ideal. Next I pushed the lens forward and rested the near-end of the lens barrel on the BLUBB. While that was a bit better, it too was less than ideal. In each case, the lens was not completely stable. While using a BLUBB is much easier than setting up the tripod in the front seat, it would have been a hundred times easier to focus accurately and to eliminate movement of the lens had I been on a tripod. If you are new to that idea, check out the Setting up a Tripod in your Vehicle Video. It is important to remember that if you tripod is topped by one of the FlexShooter Pro heads, it is easy to photograph flight and action from the car without ever having to worry about leveling the rig.
Once I had the exposure right, I turned off Zebras so that I could better see the red focus peaking edges as I focused manually. Again, AF has no chance in blasting highlights situations.
Click on the image to see the vastly improved sharpness in the After image on our right.
Topaz Sharpen AI on the Sandhill Crane — blasting silhouette head portrait image
With this ISO 50 image being mega-exposed to the right (thanks to what I have been learning in RawDigger), I opted not to run Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the whole image (as I do with almost every photo that I process). Knowing right off the bat that my sharpness techniques while balancing the big lens on the BLUBB (as detailed above), were less than ideal, I brought the image right into Sharpen AI. I wound up using Stabilize with the Sharpness slider reduced from 50 to 40 and the Noise Suppression slider reduced from 50 to 20.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
There were lots of Ospreys at Sebastian and lots of photographers. Conditions were dead-solid perfect with a 15mph southeast wind and clear skies. But, there were no fish in the inlet, so the Ospreys were not diving. “You should have been here three days ago. The birds were diving and coming out of the water with ribbonfish two to three feet long!”
I was glad to learn that the sale of Jerry Taylor’s Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM lens became pending the first day it was listed.
Today is Friday 1 January 2021. Happy New Year.
Circle — Harry Chapin
Suggestion: play the video and read this blog post with the song playing in the background …
Or read the words below while considering your life, those you’ve Known, those you’ve loved, and those you’ve lost.
All my life’s a circle;
Sunrise and sundown;
Moon rolls thru the nighttime;
Till the daybreak comes around.
All my life’s a circle;
But I can’t tell you why;
Season’s spinning round again;
The years keep rollin’ by.
It seems like I’ve been here before;
I can’t remember when;
But I have this funny feeling;
That we’ll all be together again.
No straight lines make up my life;
And all my roads have bends;
There’s no clear-cut beginnings;
And so far no dead-ends.
I found you a thousand times;
I guess you done the same;
But then we lose each other;
It’s like a children’s game;
As I find you here again;
A thought runs through my mind;
Our love is like a circle;
Let’s go ’round one more time.
I found you a thousand times;
I guess you done the same;
But then we lose each other;
It’s like a children’s game
Harold Forster Chapin (December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter and philanthropist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. His band did Circle at every concert. The band donated a ridiculously large part of their earnings to various world hunger projects. The most ironic verse above is And so far no dead-ends. Why? Harry died in a car crash on the Long Island Expressway on the way to perform at a free benefit concert at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, in 1981.
Harry’s most popular song was Cat’s in the Cradle, but his lifelong fans are enamored by his various story songs, most of which received little air play. In the amazingly interesting Wikipedia article linked to above, I learned that Harry attended Brooklyn Technical High School (as I did), and that in 1968 (four years after I graduated Tech), he directed Legendary Champions, a boxing documentary that was nominated for an Academy Award.
Pat and Stokes Fishburne one year ago celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary
One of the many great things in my life …
One of my many blessings along the road have been meeting some really great folks who have become lifelong friends. Pat and Stokes are just two of many. We met of course, on an IPT, more than twenty years ago. They came on many more – ten in all, many twice. The first to Southwest Florida, was the year before they left on a seven year motorhome odyssey. Their favorite IPT by far was a Galapagos Photo-Cruise. Pat, who will be 83 in March, and Stokes, who will be 85 next month, are two of the nicest, sweetest people you could ever hope to meet. Period.
They still do lots of photography in a newly-built pond
Pat and Stokes (formal) wedding ceremony
A Strikingly Beautiful Image From More Than 60 Years Ago
I think that even if you have never met Stokes and Pat, this image would touch you deeply. So much tradition. So much beauty. They eloped on Dec. 31, 1956, but when Stokes graduated in June 1957, they had a formal wedding at the Citadel Chapel. The Citadel — The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a military college in Charleston, South Carolina.
Mazel tov to Pat and Stokes: yesterday was their 64th wedding anniversary. Amazingly, Pat’s warm smile has not changed one bit over the years.
Pat and Stokes at Thanksgiving 2020
Ordinary People; Extraordinary Lives
Stokes wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force, but when he attended ROTC camp the summer before his senior year, they did an in-depth medical exam and discovered that he was profoundly color blind and had severe hearing loss. As you might imagine, that was the end of his military career and his dreams of becoming a pilot. After reading the Wikipedia article on The Citadel (link above), I asked Pat — already knowing the answer — if Stokes had ever gotten any Demerits. She replied, Stokes was on the Regimental Command in his senior year — you don’t get that kind of job if you had any demerits.
After graduating from The Citadel, Stokes got a Ph.D. from Ohio State University where he was involved in running the Rocket Research Lab at Ohio State University. After Stokes got his Ph.D. at Ohio State, he became the Deputy Director of the Lab. Then, he went to work at Bethpage, Long Island with Grumman Aircraft, the manufacturer of the lunar excursion module. When Stokes went into work on the morning after the Apollo 13 problem occurred, NASA called to say they had three hours to help figure out how to bring the astronauts back to earth. Stokes and his partner, Dick Oman, used slide rulers (not computers!) to do the needed calculations.
I did an article for Bird Watcher’s Digest many years ago entitled Hummingbird Hosts about Wally and Marion Patton. The Pattons invited folks into their Arizona backyard to watch the hummers at their feeders. When I interviewed Wally I learned that he ran a lost wax foundry that made parts for gyroscopes used in the lunar excursion modules! Indeed, all of our lives are circles.
Michelle Fishburne: Who We Are Now
The Fishburne Family
Pat earned a Ph.D. in sociology from NYU. She was a vice president at Response Analysis in Princeton, NJ for ten years, and planned to retire when she left. But many of her clients needed her, so she formed her own consulting firm — Patricia Fishburne Associates, and continued to do social research. For ten more years, she worked long hours, traveled constantly, and earned a lot of money.
In 1979, Stokes formed SciTec, a cutting-edge Princeton, NJ firm that focused on scientific and technological innovation. After ten years, he sold SciTec to TRW, a former American corporation involved in a variety of businesses including aerospace, automotive, and credit reporting. In 1995, Stokes retired, and the Fishburnes moved to Sanibel, FL. Stokes continued consulting for TRW. In 2002, Pat and Stokes sold their Sanibel home, bought a motorhome, and spent 7 wonderful years touring and photographing in the U.S.
Before I lost my beloved wife Elaine Belsky Morris to breast cancer in 1994, I thought that some folks might get through life without ever having to deal with any great change, without having to deal with any difficult and challenging situations, or without having to deal with any great losses. Obviously I was wrong. I do know that Patricia Fishburne has guided her family through some very tough times. Always with her chin up, and always with a smile.
Pat and Stokes have two daughters and two grandchildren. One of those, an inventor, did a Ted Talk at age 15! Their youngest daughter, Denise Fishburne, has worked at Cisco Systems for more than 24 years. Denise has been making yearly presentations at Cisco Live, both in the U.S. and in Europe. She was named to the Cisco Live Speaker Hall of Fame years ago. Last year she was elevated to “Elite,” a status achieved by only a few people worldwide.
Their oldest daughter, Michelle Fishburne, is a lawyer who has worked in public relations for the past decade. This excerpt is from Pat and Stokes 2020 Christmas letter. It tells you what Michelle has been doing recently.
Our oldest daughter, Michelle, has a much more interesting story, but I will let her tell it: “Sometimes life turns you upside down, dumps you on the floor, and asks ‘so what are you going to do about it?’ That’s what happened to me in 2020. I lost some of my hearing, I lost some of my balance, I lost my job, and I became a single empty nester without a house. That’s what I didn’t have. What I did have, including a positive attitude, has led to one of the happiest periods of my life, traveling throughout the U.S. in my RV and interviewing people about their 2020 experiences.”
The name of Michelle’s project is “Who We Are Now.” Beginning in September she traveled from North Carolina to Wyoming, interviewing a wide variety of people, from mayors and food bank operators to teachers and entertainers. After Christmas, she will take the southern route to California, interviewing people along the way. Click here to learn, in their own words, how people are dealing with their changed lives during COVID.
Topaz
All but one of the images that Pat so kindly shared with me for this blog post where in pretty bad shape. Topaz Gigapixel X4 improved the image quality of three of them immensely, and one was so bad that it also needed some Sharpen AI.
Great Topaz News!
30% Off Sale Right Now!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive an additional 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
The road-kill cafe provided lots of action on Wednesday morning. I sat in the car nearby until the first vulture flew in and by the time I got in position one of the two circling Bald Eagles struck the opossum carcass and tried to fly away with it. But missed. I worked exclusively with the R5/RF 100-500 rig hand held. In the relatively low light of a cloudy early morning the Canon AF system did not impress. And the color noise in the black feathers of both vultures continues to be problematic. As I wrote when responding to a comment the other day, if my life depended on making a single sharp flight image I’d want a SONY a9 series body in my hands.
That said, the R5 is a very fine mirrorless body. It has an excellent AF system, Face Detection + Tracking is nothing short of remarkable, 45 MP are nothing to sneeze at, and an R5 is much lighter than and much less expensive than th vaunted EOS-1DX Mark III.
Today is Thursday 31 December (goodbye to) 2020. Jim and I are headed to Sebastian Inlet as I type. I will have the SONY 600 GM/1.4X/a9 ii rig on the tripod with the Canon R5/RF 100-500 combo on my shoulder via a Black Rapid Curve Breathe Camera Strap.
As I no longer own any Canon super-telephoto lens, I will soon be sharing some amazing flight images created with an R5 and the Canon 600mm f/4L IS III lens. All with an adapter of course, and some with the 1.4X III TC. Those images will be courtesy of BPN friend Brian Sump. I addition, I will be doing a post featuring the images of blog regular Geoff Newhouse who shoots the SONY 600 GM/a9 ii and has recentlyadded the Canon R5/RF 100-500 lens to his kit. I can assure you that the images will blow you away.
This blog post took about 1 1/2 hours to create. Please remember …
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Jerry Taylor is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM Lens in very good plus condition for $a BAA record-low $5199.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, a LensCoat, andd 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 Jerry via e-mail or by text to 1-406-579-1291.
The 600 II has been the state of the art super-telephoto for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many years. When I was using Canon and could get it to my location, it was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new 600 III going for $12,999 and used version IIs hard to find, you’d do well to grab Jerry’s lens now. artie
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Roger Dietrich is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark III in excellent condition for the BAA recored-low price of $499.00. The rear LCD was covered with a screen protector from day one and there is one very small scratch on the body. The camera works perfectly. The sale includes the front body cap, the lens strap, the cable, two manuals, one Canon battery, the original product box, an easyCover Skin, two books (David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Canon EOS 5D Mark III & David Busch’s Canon EOS 5D Mark II Guide to Digital SLR Photography), 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 Roger via e-mail or by phone at 605-660-6247 (Central time zone).
I owned and used this superb, full-frame, 22mp digital body for several years. It was always my first choice for scenic, Urbex (urban exploration), and flower photography until I fell in love for a while with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). Then I switched to the 5D IV body. In addition, I loved my 5D III body for birds with my big lenses and both TCs. I used mine to create many dozens of high-quality images. Then I switched to Nikon. Roger’s body can be yours right now for a ridiculously low price. artie
Canon Battery Grip BG-E16 the Canon 7D Mark II
BIRDS AS ART Record Low Price
Roger Dietrich is offering a Canon Battery Grip BG-E16 the Canon 7D Mark II in like-new condition for a BIRDS AS ART record-low $99.00. The sale includes the battery magazine, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Roger via e-mail or by phone at 605-660-6247 (Central time zone).
Dedicated to the EOS 7D Mark II DSLR, the BG-E16 Battery Grip from Canon offers both enhanced handling capabilities as well as extended battery life. It accepts two LP-E6 lithium-ion battery packs to increase the camera’s battery life or, alternatively, AA batteries can be used in conjunction with the included BGM-E16 Battery Magazine. Additionally, the grip is also compatible with the optional ACK-E16 AC Adapter Kit for continuous power.
The design of the grip improves shooting in the vertical orientation and also provides an overall more ergonomic structure for holding the 7D Mark II. A second shutter release button, main dial, multi-controller, AF point selection button, AE/FE lock button, AF start button, and multi-function button are all integrated into the grip for improved and versatile handling. B&H
Upgrade your 7D II while saving $100.00. artie
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 56 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 27 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am working on a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide right off the bat to help folks get started with their new camera bodies.
Great Topaz News!
30% Off Sale Right Now!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive an additional 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
Image #1: Norway Pine Bark/Day 20 image from Chased by the Light
Chased by the Light
Renowned nature photographer, friend, and colleague Jim Brandenburg gave himself a challenge: for ninety days between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice, he would make only one photograph a day. On film! As his shutter opened and closed on that first day, his 90-day journey began. The exquisite book, Chased by the Light, is the result of that bold and immensely personal project. All ninety images were published in a single issue of National Geographic magazine.
Thanks to Jim and his daughter Heidi for providing the inspiring JPEG above. To see what Jim is up to now, check out his blog here. If you are interested in getting a signed copy of this or other books by Jim, please contact me via e-mail and I will put you in touch with Heidi.
If you do not own the book, you can learn the backstory of this incredible project in the video above.
This in-camera HDR image was created on 7 December 2020 down by the lake at Indian Lake Estates. I used the Induro GIT 304L tripod/Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 254mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 400. Exposure determined using the in-camera histogram followed by a histogram/blinkies evaluation and some luck. 1/8 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:02am on a cloudy morning.
Manual focus with focus peaking. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Pine Bark patterns
Inspiration
As I have said a thousand times, looking at as many good images as you can is a great way to improve your own photography. About a month ago, I re-read Chased by the Light. Jim’s writing is insightful and often mystical. His Norway Pine Bark image, #1 above, is my favorite image in the book. It teaches us that we need to open our eyes and see what is before us.
While scouting around on a cloudy morning near the vulture tree at the south end of the South Field, I found just what I was looking for. Inspired by Jim’s image, I went to work.
A Fine Line?
Is there a fine line between being inspired by the work of others, or just plain copying it? In nature photography, I do not believe that the line is a fine one. The only way to truly copy someone’s work is to have them set up an image and put a card in their camera. Otherwise, every situation is so different the while we can be inspired and influenced by the work of others, it is not — in my opinion — possible to copy someone else’s photograph. What do you think?
Remember that early on, my bird photography was strongly influenced by John Shaw’s flowers and by the work of Tim Fitzharris and Rod Planck.
R5 HDR (and Multiple Exposure) Features
After switching full time to Nikon and then to SONY, I really missed the HDR and Multiple Exposure features of the 5D Mark IV. I spent several hours writing the sections for these two quite complex items for the BA R5/R6 Camera User’s Guide.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
My favorite morning location in Lakeland was terrible. There were about eight American White Pelicans way too far away on large support ring around the soon-to-be-dismantled lighted, ornamental X-mas tree in the middle of the lake. Usually there are several dozen of them sitting on the bulkheads right next to the lake. There were a few ducks around including a hen Canvasback; I did not get any pictures of her. The Great Blue Heron nest failed as it had for the past few years:( Then we headed to the next-best morning Lakeland lake where there was lots of action. The Anhingas there are silly tame and dependable as were the Lesser Scaups and the White Ibises.
I learned a ton more about my R5 and still have to figure out some weird stuff with Auto ISO … Alas, there were no flight photography opportunities.
Today is Wednesday, 30 December 2020. The forecast if for partly cloudy with east and east/southeast winds. I will be headed down to the lake soon to set up the road-kill cafe for the vultures.
This blog past makes thirteen days in a row with a new blog post. This one took about 2 1/2 hours to prepare including the time spent on the image optimizations. Please remember …
Via e-Mail from Joe Usewicz
Hi Artie, I forgot to mention that Topaz products are 30% off right now and if you go thru your link and add Arthur15, you get an additional 15% off. Like I just did! Warm regards, Joe
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 56 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 27 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am working on a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide right off the bat to help folks get started with their new camera bodies.
Great Topaz News!
30% Off Sale Right Now!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive an additional 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
128 sold to rave reviews.
The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris
The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)
Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.
Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
This image was created on 29 December 2020 at my favorite Lakeland location. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 454mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined using the in-camera histogram followed by a histogram/blinkies evaluation and luck. The raw file brightness was confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/500 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:09am in the shade on clear morning.
Face detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed quite well, tracking and catching most of the eye. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: American Coot in early morning reflections
Backgrounds …
In bird photography, the backgrounds are often more important to the artistic success of an image than the bird itself. Have you heard the expression, Ugly as a coot? The swirly, soft yellow water in this image is the over-riding reason for its success.
This is a slight crop. I ran Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto and Topaz Sharpen AI on Stabilize.
This image was created on 29 December 2020 at my Lakeland morning back-up location. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (at 560mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 640. Exposure determined by experience and luck and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/640 sec. at f/13 (stopped down one stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:39am on sunny morning.
Face detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection nailing the bird’s eye.
Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Immature Anhinga head and neck portrait
The Effects of f/13 on the Background
So why was I at f/13 in the first place? Working at 700mm, I was doing tight head shots of this bird — in those situations, an additional stop of depth-of-field is a plus. When I zoomed out, I effectively increased that depth-of-field. That brought up the wide striations in the background. Usually I want the backgrounds as smooth as possible. I really like the look of this one with the more defined strips of color background.
This one is full frame. Looking at the comparison view in Topaz DeNoise AI, I went with Low Light by a small margin.
This image was created on 29 December 2020 at my Lakeland morning back-up location. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (at 700mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by experience, histogram evaluation, and luck, and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/500 sec. at f/14 (stopped down 1 1/3 stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:00am on sunny morning.
Large Zone: Horizontal (up two clicks)/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection by painting the bird’s face and bill with active AF points
Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #3: Common Moorhen adult over the shoulder head portrait
Head Angle
With over-the-shoulder portraits, my great preference is for the bird’s head to be perfectly parallel to the imaging sensor. This moorhen (formerly gallinule) has its head turned about two degrees toward me, just a bit too much. But I love the great detail on the face. I might have stopped down another stop to sharpen up the feathers on the back, but that would likely not have helped much as I was so close. With many of today’s featured images, the fabulous close focusing abilities of the RF 100-500 were a big plus.
Notice here that at f/14 the background is much softer and less defined than in Image #2. Why? I was much closer to the bird; depth-of-field decreases as the distance to the subject decreases.
The REDs on the bill were simply too bright but rather than desaturating them, I used the Selective Color trick that is detailed in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II). This tip is great for cardinals and other red birds in sweet light — it completely eliminates the enamel look of too-bright REDs.
Image #3A: Common Moorhen adult over the shoulder head portrait
The Comparison View
This is one is slight crop. Looking at the comparison view in Topaz DeNoise AI, I went with AI Clear by a very small margin. Learn how to set up the comparison view in the blog post here.
This image was also created on 29 December 2020 at my Lakeland morning back-up location. Again I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (this one at 661mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by experience, histogram evaluation, and luck and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/1250 sec. at f/11 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:10am on sunny morning.
Face detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection nailing the bird’s eye.
Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #4: Lesser Scaup drake swimming
An Explanation of my R5 Exposure Problems and Concerns
If a single bird is just sitting there, I have no problem getting a perfect exposure with the R5 after making a test image or two. RawDigger has taught me that I barely want a single blinkie with the new Canon body. But in bird photography, the subjects rarely sit still. With the scaups, the drakes need 1/3-stop less light than the hens because the bright silver on the flanks of the adult males is brighter than the white ovals on either side of the bill on the hens (and on the first-year males as well). In addition, you might get to shoot a more evenly toned duck species that does not have any bright highlights. I do my best to keep up with the changing tonalities, but getting the exposure perfect often involves luck. On Tuesday morning, RawDigger showed that about 90% of my images were over-exposed with non-recoverable highlights … A very big part of the problem is that it is pretty much impossible to properly evaluate the live-in-the-viewfinder histogram with moving subjects … In addition, small bright highlights are not seen well on the histogram.
With SONY, folks using Patrick Sparkman’s Zebras strategy with their camera set up correctly with ISO on the rear wheel, getting the right exposure is much, much simpler. Simply adjust the ISO until you see some Zebras on the highlights, and you are assured of having a perfect exposure time after time. With practice, you can do this even when tracking a bird in flight. So with the ducks of varying tonalities, you simply adjust the ISO with the rear wheel till you see some blinks; shutter speed and aperture are set manually and do not change. This method is fast, simple, and accurate.
Monstrously Huge Advantage: SONY
This is one is full frame. Looking at the comparison view in Topaz DeNoise AI, I again opted for Low Light albeit by a small margin.
Image #4A: DPP4 Screen Capture for Lesser Scaup drake swimming
DPP4 Screen Capture
Be sure to enlarge the image to view the small red square squarely on the bird’s eye. Face Detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF with the R5 is indeed quite remarkable. In the R5/R6 AF Guide, you will learn exactly how to set up your camera properly so that you can take advantage of this amazing technology. When I first started testing the Canon gear, I made one mistake that seriously limited my success when using Face Detection + Tracking …
Even though some of the new AF technology is superb, successful image designs are attained only after lots of practice to help develop your framing skills. It is very easy to be sloppy and mis-frame an image; I will be doing a blog post soon showing lots of examples of just that, all created by yours truly.
This image was also created on 29 December 2020 at my Lakeland morning back-up location. Again I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (this one at 700mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 640. Exposure determined by experience, histogram evaluation, and luck and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/1000 sec. at f/13 (stopped down one full stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:14am on sunny morning.
Face detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection nailing the bird’s eye.
Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #5: White Ibis winter adult face portrait
Point-Blank Depth-of-Field
Here I am so close to this tame subject that even with the aperture stopped down one full stop the background is rendered totally smooth and detail-less. With this image I love the blue iris and the incredible feather detail.
This is one is a very small crop. Looking at the comparison view in Topaz DeNoise AI, I went with AI Clear by a hair.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back and forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:
Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.
Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.
You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
On Monday I got back in the pool, did my bursts, and took a morning and afternoon health walk. After a decent morning photo session, I got lots of work done on the R5/R6 Camera User’s Guide.
Today is Tuesday 29 December 2020. It is 7:20am as I type; Jim and I are on our way to Lakeland to check out the American White Pelicans and to see if the Great Blue Herons nest is still active; for the past few years the nest failed rather early.
This afternoon, I will be getting more work done on the R5/R6 guide.
I was glad to learn yesterday of the following Used Gear page sales:
Multiple IPT veteran and BAA good friend William Schneider sold his barely used FlexShooter Pro for a very low $499.00 (was $549.00) on 28 DEC 2020.
Mansoor Assadi sold his Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM lens with internal 1.4X Extender in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $4699.00 the first day it was listed and a Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G lens in near-mint condition and the NiSi S5 150mm Filter Holder Kit with Landscape Circular Polarizer for Sony 12-24mm lens in new condition for the very low price of $963.15 the day we dropped the price $200.00; it had been listed for $1,163.15.
William Dummitt sold his Nikkor 500mm AF-S f/4 G ED VR lens in excellent plus condition for an incredibly low $2999.00 the first day it was listed in mid-November.
This blog past makes twelve days in a row with a new blog post. This one took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. Please remember …
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 56 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 27 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am working on a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide right off the bat to help folks get started with their new camera bodies.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
This image was created on 28 December 2020 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1250. Exposure determined using the in-camera histogram followed by a histogram/blinkies evaluation. The raw file brightness was confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:44am on clear, sunny morning.
Large Zone: Horizontal (one click up)/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly as seen in the DPP 4 screen capture below. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Turkey Vulture juxtaposition
A Short Walk on a Long Pier …
The T-shaped pier down by the lake at ILE is the longest fresh-water pier in the stat. Some mornings, Turkey and Black Vultures line the railings. I will often try for head or for head and shoulders portraits with the SONY 600 GM/2X TC/a7r iv on the tripod. But with the sun so far to the south at this time of year, getting anywhere close to sun angle is difficult. As I’m back to doing morning and afternoon walks to the end of the pier and back, I usually walk with a handhold-able zoom lens. Without a tripod, it is a lot easier to get close to the vultures.
When I got close to sun angle on these two, I saw the opportunity to create a nice juxtaposition. I have been experimenting with various R5 AF Methods for the free update of the R5/R6 Guide and the R5/R6 Camera User’s Guide. I have been learning a ton.
Shutter Speed Question
Why was I at such a high shutter speed (with a correspondingly high ISO)?
Aperture Question
I was working wide open. I could have gone from 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 to 1/640 sec. at f/13. Should I have stopped down? Why or why not? Would it have been possible to get the second bird sharp?
Image #1A: DPP 4 screen capture showing the active AF points
Watching the Dancing AF Points …
All of the major camera systems offer some sort of wide or zone AF modes or methods. The trick to using them is to watch the AF points dance around the frame and to press the shutter button when the active points are right where you want them. Note the block of eight AF points (the small red squares) that were active and painted the bird’s face while catching the eye. Here is another tip: if the AF points are dancing on the wrong spot, release the shutter button, re-frame slightly, and re-acquire AF. Nine times out of ten it will be bingo!
The R5/R6 AF Guide offers complete details on the various AF Methods on the high-end Canon mirrorless bodies.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Sunday was one of those days. The morning photography session was not too good. I did not do any work on the R5 Camera User’s Guide. I did not do any work on the RawDigger Guide (though I did get the information that I needed from Patrick to go forward. I did not do my bursts. And I did not do my swim. I was a couch-bum all day. All of the NFL teams I was rooting for lost.
Today — Monday 28 December — is a new day and I am up and at ’em. I will be working long and hard on both guides today.
This blog past makes eleven days in a row with a new blog post.
Yesterday, I sold the last of my remaining Nikon gear to a single buyer: the 70-200mm f/4 VR and the Sigma f/2.8 150mm Macro Lens for Nikon mount.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past year at the bottom of the page.
Price Drops
Sigma 500mm f/4.5 APO EX HSM lens for Nikon mount
Price Reduced $200.00 on 28 DEC 2020!
William Dummitt is offering a Sigma 500mm f/4.5 APO EX HSM lens for Nikon mount in excellent condition for a very low $699.00 (was $899.00). The sale includes the rear lens cap, the original soft case and padding, the vinyl lens cover, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact William via e-mail or by phone at 1-314-918-0720 (Eastern time).
I have seen amazingly sharp images made with this lens both on IPTs and on BPN. artie
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR Lens
Price Reduced $99.00 on 28 DEC 2020!
William Dummitt is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens in excellent condition for a BAA record-low $399.00 (was $498.00). The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, a Tiffen UV/Haze filter, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only.Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact William via e-mail or by phone at 1-314-918-0720 (Eastern time).
I loved my versatile, all purpose, don’t-leave-home-without-it, mid-range 24-120 zoom lens when I used Nikon. I felt it was much sharper than all versions of the Canon 24-105 lenses. And the VR allowed me to create sharp images handheld at silly-low shutter speeds like 1/8 second. This one sells new for $1,096.95 so you can save a very cool $697.95 by purchasing William’s lens. artie
Tracking Flexible Spot (M)/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection. Click the screen capture to see a larger version.
Crested Caracara displaying
Your Favorite?
Please leave a comment and let us know which of the three poses (and photos) you think is the best. And why. You can identify your favorite as first, second, or third. Let us know also what you did not like about the other two images. I have a clear favorite and will share the optimized image with you here soon (along with my analysis of each image).
The more ambitious among you might wish to rate the images in order by strength, with the strongest image first and the weakest one last. With your reasons of course.
Laguna Seca Ranch
The morning raptor blind on the Laguna Seca Ranch was and is Crested Caracara paradise. We had twenty to fifty caracaras on the set at all time. Owner Gene Gwin and the other guides were creative and helpful, and most importantly for me, quick to respond to suggestions. Laguna Seca is great for the caracaras in the colder months — like now!, and great for songbirds in spring. The morning raptor blind at Santa Clara Ranch is good, and gets better in early spring as far as sun angle is concerned. And it too is great for songbirds in spring. For reasons unknown to me, it is much more difficult to book a visit to Santa Clara than it is to book time at Laguna Seca. Both are great.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Single day Bursts chart
See my response to Jeff’s comment below for an explanation.
I spent most of Saturday working on the Canon EOS R5 Camera Body User’s Guide. It is hard work that involves lots of research and — with camera and lens in hand, lots of experimenting. I am, however, making good progress as I slog through the relevant menu items.
I had fun down at the lake in the early morning photographing Cattle Egret, Boat-tailed Grackle singing on the newly erected Y-perch, and Black Vulture heads. I learned a lot while creating a series of Sandhill Crane blasting silhouette images. I will share what I learned with you here soon. With the cold mornings the pool continues to be on the chilly side, but compared to the air temps, the pool is balmy. I have been swimming my slow 1/2-mile every day since the pump was replaced. I only shiver when I get out of the pool! I may not swim today — with several cold days in a row, the water was down to 74 degrees this morning …
Today is Sunday 27 December 2020. The forecast is a carbon copy of the two previous days: clear and cold with a north wind. Not great, not terrible, especially if the north wind has a bit of east in it as it did yesterday. I will be headed down to the lake at about 7:30am.
Huge thanks to Gary Meyer and Ian Barker for their generous BAA Blog Thanks gifts.
I have made this point here often: reading the Comments on various blog posts can be tremendously rewarding and educational. The two biggest tips for the R5 AF Guide came from the Comments section. Both Geoff Newhouse and Ryan Sanderson have left incredibly helpful comments and answered additional questions via e-mail. And I have learned a ton from the insightful comments left by blog-regular Adam Rubenstein. In the Excuses for an Unsharp Flight Shot. Topaz Sharpen AI to the Rescue blog post here, he left a comment that mentioned a panel display in Sharpen AI where one can see the results of all three sharpening actions. I took that ball, ran with it, and learned a ton. That is how Topaz DeNoise and Sharpen AI Comparison Views became the main subject of today’s blog post. Reading all the comments is is like mining for gold. You sift through a lot and occasionally come up with a big, fat, valuable nugget.
This blog past makes ten days in a row with a new blog post. This one took more than three hours to prepare. Please remember …
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
Wanted to Buy
I have potential buyers for a Canon EF 2X III Teleconverter and a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens. If you have either that you are looking to sell, please get in touch via e-mail.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 50 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 27 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am working on a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide right off the bat to help folks get started with their new camera bodies.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
127 sold to rave reviews.
The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris
The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)
Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.
Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
This image was created on 17 May 2020 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. While seated, I used the handheld Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens (at at 400mm) and the 61-mega-pixel monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:01am on a cloudy fairly bright morning.
Tracking Flexible Spot (M)/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure.
Image #1: Mother’s Day Sandhill Crane chick at 7 1/2 days old
Mother’s Day Miracle Chicks
One Good Thing About the Pandemic
Coming upon the Mother’s Day miracle chicks on May 10 of this year was indeed a photographic blessing for me. One of the two chicks survived, and can be seen every day down by the lake with its mom and dad. Now in its seventh month, the surviving colt (seen below), is never far from its parents. The forage together, enjoy preening sessions together, and often fly off together, usually to challenge other pairs of calling cranes.
When I magnify this image, I can see myself and one of the parent cranes reflected in the eye.
I do not know if the bird in Image #1 is the chick that survived to colt-hood, or the small colt that perished. Either way, the growth and development of young Sandhill Cranes is something to behold. And I have 🙂
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Topaz DeNoise AI Comparison View of the on the Mother’s Day Sandhill Crane chick at 7 1/2 days old image
Topaz DeNoise AI Comparison View
Huge thanks to blog regular Adam Rubenstein for turning me on to Comparison Views with Topaz DeNoise and Sharpen AI. To activate the Comparison View go to View and check Comparison View from the dropdown menu. Be sure that Auto-update Preview is clicked On. (I think that On is the default). The upper left will show the original, the upper right depicts DeNoise AI, the lower left is AI Clear, and the lower right shows the results with Low Light. To begin, I placed the Navigator box on the darkest green background in the lower right corner of the image. All four views looked pretty good. Then I moved the Navigator box to the darkest part of the image, the bottom of the eye. At 100% and 200% all looked pretty good. But at 400%, DeNoise AI was the clear winner if only by a small margin. It did the best job of handling the color noise; see especially the lower left edge of the pupil. Once you’ve made your choice simply click on that box and hit Apply.
While preparing this blog post I noticed after the fact that when I moved the Color Noise Reduction to the right that Low Light looked a bit better than DeNoise AI (while perhaps softening some fine detail). So there are lots of options, and lots more to discover in DeNoise AI when working with the Comparison Views.
This image was created on 24 December 2020 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined using the in-camera histogram and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/1000 sec. at f/10 (stopped down 1 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:19am on sunny morning.
Face Detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and tracked the colt’s eye. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Mother’s Day Sandhill Crane colt at 7 1/2 months old
The Miracle Continues …
I am not sure if I imprinted on the chicks, but since that first day back in May, the entire family has trusted me completely. The pink cap of the surviving colt (seen in Image #2) has been getting a deeper red with each passing day. The gray feathers just above the base of the bill still distinguish it from its parents, but I imagine that those will be fully molted to red within the next month or two. Time will tell.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Topaz Sharpen AI Comparison View of the on the Mother’s Day Sandhill Crane chick at 7 1/2 months old image
Topaz Sharpen AI Comparison View
Huge thanks again to blog regular Adam Rubenstein for turning me on to Comparison Views with Topaz DeNoise and Sharpen AI. To activate the Comparison View go to View and check Comparison View from the dropdown menu. Be sure that Auto-update Preview is clicked On. (I think that On is the default). In Sharpen AI, the upper left will show the original, the upper right depicts Sharpen, the lower left is Stabilize, and the lower right shows the results with Focus. Working at 100% it was clear that Stabilize was best by far. Then I clicked on the Stabilize box, reduced the Sharpness to 40, reduced the Noise Suppression to 20, and hit Apply. In most cases, you will opt to reduce the Sharpness settings suggested by Auto.
Look closely at the small, angled, straight line eye highlight on the edge of the pupil in each view. I find it fascinating that Stabilize significantly reduced the length of that highlight by re-aligning the pixels. The angle of that highlight shows the direction that the bird’s head was moving when it lowered it.
An Important Point on Image Stabilization
It is important to realize and remember that no Image Stabilization system — no matter how sophisticated — can eliminate, or even reduce motion blur. Remember also that the faster the shutter speed, the less the effects of motion blur will be.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
With the cold northwest wind on Friday morning, I stayed in and worked on the RawDigger Guide. Needing some help from Patrick Sparkman who was busy enjoying the holiday with his family, I began work on the Canon EOS R5 Camera Body User’s Guide. I got a ton of work done on both guides. I drove down to the lake at 5pm and saw an adult Bald Eagle zooming around in hot pursuit of an Osprey. Both birds were right down sun angle in gorgeous light set against dark blue-black storm clouds. For about two minutes as I frantically turned on the R5/RF 100-500 rig and adjusted the exposure. Just as I was ready, both birds flew off to the southwest. Merry Christmas indeed 🙂
The weather for this morning — Saturday 26 December 2020 — is much the same as yesterday morning — clear and chilly with northwest winds. I peeked out on the deck at 7:10am to see steam rising off the pool. I will be heading down to the lake for a few minutes just to see what’s about. I will be working on both guides today.
This blog post took about three hours to prepare including the time spent on the image processing and research. Please remember …
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgLzCFn0wg4
The Very Young Jack Cantin’s Golf Swing
If you like golf, young children, human-interest stories, Scott Van Pelt, and/or just being alive, watching this video will likely put a big smile on your face. Jack’s finish and the position of his back foot at age two are quite remarkable.
Wanted to Buy
I have potential buyers for a Canon EF 2X III Teleconverter and a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens. If you have either that you are looking to sell, please get in touch via e-mail.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 50 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 26 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
127 sold to rave reviews.
The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris
The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)
Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.
Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
Click on the screen capture to see a larger version.
#1: Lost Images
The Lost Texas Images
In late April 2006, I spent ten days in South Texas after speaking at a birding festival in the Rio Grande Valley. I kept all of the images on my laptop and backed them up. After the second and third edits I copied the file to two external hard drives. From there I would copy the images to the much larger office computer. After I was 100% sure that the images had been copied to the office machine, I would delete the folders from the external hard drives. A few months later a magazine editor called to purchase one of the images after we has sent him some JPEGs. I gave Jennifer the file number so that we could locate and send the optimized TIFF file (or at worst, the raw file). She did a search of the office computer and said, “Dad. It is not here.” I said, “You are wrong. It is there.”
It was not. I had copied the files to multiple external hard drives, failed to copy them to the office computer (that of course was automatically backed up with a Drobo system, and then deleted the image folders from all of the external hard drives. (Please do not ask me why.) In any case, I lost all of the raw files and all of the optimized master files from that trip. All that I had were about thirty slide show-sized JPEGs. My favorites are included in the screen capture above.
As you can see, I lost some really good stuff. The baby alligators were priceless. I lost my only Mourning Warbler photos, a very nice first-spring male Painted Bunting, some nice Black-throated Green, Tennessee, and Blackpoll Warbler shots, a really good Gull-billed Tern image, and my then only Franklin’s Gull images. Live and learn.
Did I really learn my lesson? No. A year later I did the exact same thing with a month’s worth of really good Florida images. The second time, however, was the charm.
This image was created with the tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens, the 1.4X TC, and the EOS-1D Mark II N.
Image #2: Adult Franklin’s Gull drinking in flight
Gone But Not Forgotten
Losing the baby gator and warbler images was not my idea of fun, but the missing stuff on breeding plumage Franklin’s Gull still stays with me. They are closely related to Laughing Gull, but are smaller and much slimmer. In breeding plumage, they have the distinctive large, white eye crescents. I love gulls, and breeding plumage Franklin’s Gulls are stunningly beautiful. This species nests by the thousands in the central US and Prairie Province marshes, migrates through the central US and Mexico, and winters along the (west) coasts of Chile and Peru.
I spoke with BPN-friend Dorian Anderson before Anita North and I arrived at South Padre Island as I knew that he had done some photography there. He was quite helpful. When I mentioned that I was hoping to see and photograph Franklin’s Gull and that we would be getting to South Padre on November 10, he thought that most or all of them would already be in South America. I did not give up hope.
On our first foray into the bay behind the Convention Center on the 10th, I spotted a few winter plumage adult Franklin’s, but could not get anywhere near them. That evening on the beach near the jetty at the south end of South Padre, I spotted two large flocks of migrating Franklin’s Gulls far offshore heading due south. First was a flock of about 300 birds, the next one had about 200 of the handsome gulls. But the next morning more had arrived and I had some hope. Each day we were able to get a bit closer, and on the still, gorgeous morning of 13 November, I was able to isolate the single bird you see in Image #3.
Adult winter Franklin’s Gulls feature a distinctive rear half-hood, remnants of the eye crescents, and delightful red bill tips.
Center Zone Continuous/tracking AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #4: Adult winter Franklin’s Gull in flight
Trying for Flight. And Succeeding
On the 14th, I noted that the Franklin’s Gulls would often fly from one group to another. Once I saw that pattern, I switched out the 2X for the 1.4X, positioned myself favorably, and tried for some flight shots. I was quite happy with Image #4.
Topaz DeNoise AI
I applied a layer of Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto to images #3 and #4 as soon as I brought the TIFFs into Photoshop. I am planning to try Topaz Gigapixel AI on Image #2 …
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I got a few decent Belted Kingfisher images yesterday morning from the car working at 1200mm with the a7r iv. I got a lot of work done on the RawDigger e-Guide and should have it finished today or tomorrow. That will free me up to work on the Canon R5/R6 User’s Guide full time this coming week.
The new pump for the pool was a bargain at only $789.00. The good news is that with the heater/chiller back in action, the temperature of the pool rose an amazing 8 degrees in less than 24 hours. I got back in the water and did my slow 1/2-mile swim yesterday afternoon.
Today — as you probably know — is Friday 25 December 2020. The forecast for this morning is for clear and cold with 10-15mph north winds. If I do head down to the lake, it will almost surely be a short session as wind against sun makes things very difficult for bird photography. Enjoy the day.
Northern Cardinal on snowy day, Elizabeth A. Morton NWR, Sag Harbor, NY. Click on the card to enjoy a larger version.
Jim, Jennifer, and I wish you a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season. May 2021 be a happy, healthy, productive, satisfying, and fun year for your and yours. We hope that it is filled with love, great friends, and lots of photography. Do your best to have a PMA (positive mental attitude). And remember that happiness is choice.
birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100
The companion e-book to the solo exhibit at TheNat, San Diego, California
birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100
This inspirational e-book, created on a wing and a prayer in less than two weeks back in 2016 — see the Harebrained Scheme blog post here — includes the 67 spectacular images that hung in the Ordover Gallery at the San Diego Natural History Museum in a career-retrospective solo exhibition. In addition, there are an additional 33 images in the spectacular e-book that barely missed making the show.
This exhibition companion e-book makes it possible for everyone to “visit” TheNAT gallery and, in addition, to enjoy seeing my top one hundred bird photographs under one roof. Each image includes a title, the species name, the location, relevant EXIF data, and an anecdotal caption. Click here to order the CD or here to purchase the download-able version.
Typos
Feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors in this blog post. Thanks with love, artie
I spent a good many hours working on the RawDigger e-Guide yesterday and will do the same today.
It is Thursday 24 December and I will be headed down to the lake in a few to set up a road kill cafe for the vultures (and possibly for a Bald Eagle or two).
Wanted to Buy
I have a potential buyer for a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens. If you have one that you are looking to sell, please get in touch via e-mail.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 50 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 27 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
This image was created on 23 December 2020 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from my vehicle, I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1000. Exposure determined using the in-camera histogram and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:20am on sunny morning.
Large Zone: Horizontal/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed well (see the DPP 4 screen capture below). Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Black Vulture landing with wings swept back
The Situation
aka My Excuses
I had the driver’s side window raised about 4 inches. The SONY 600 GM/2X TC/a7r iv rig was resting firmly on the BLUBB. There was not much room to shoot out of the window handheld with the Canon rig. But when I spotted a Black Vulture angling toward the perch coming right down light angle, I grabbed the Canon 100-500 and did my best to get on the bird. I have already set the exposure for vultures. I fired off about six frames Two of the flight poses were decent; this one was best by far. But, because I had little room to work and I was in quite a hurry, I had not been able to pan smoothly with the subject. While I was thrilled that the Canon AF system acquired focus pretty much instantly, the image simply was not sharp. Jerking the lens will always produce some motion blur even at relatively fast shutters speeds like 1/2000 sec. Topaz AI to the rescue …
Image #1A: The DPP4 screen capture for the Black Vulture landing with wings swept back gear showing the active AF points.
DPP4 Screen Capture
Here, Large Zone: Horizontal AF plastered the side of the bird with AF points. With the bird angling ever so slightly towards me, the bird’s head is pretty much right on the same plane as the swept back wings; I would say that the AF system had performed reasonably well. I have been working hard to learn which is the best R5 AF Method for birds in flight, but I simply have not had many flight opportunities for the past few weeks … I would have expected similar results with SONY Zone or Wide. That said, SONY does not offer users the chance to review AF settings or the active AF points after the fact. As I have said here often, that is quite unfortunate as folks need that info to learn about their AF systems. Kudos to Canon for having the AF info readily available in DPP 4.
Click on the image to see the improved sharpness in the After image on our right.
Image #1B: Topaz Sharpen AI on the Black Vulture landing with wings swept back image
With this image being mega-exposed to the right (thanks to what I have been learning in RawDigger), I opted not to run Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the whole image (as I do with almost every photo that I process). Knowing right off the bat that I had not panned smoothly when creating this image, I knew that the problem was with motion blur. And I hoped that the Stabilize setting in Topaz Sharpen AI would do the trick. I was quite surprised when I hit the Auto button and it chose the Focus setting. The image did not look any sharper. When I switched (properly) to Stabilize, the image sharpened up quite nicely. And the Noise Suppression setting of 50 completely eliminated the small pixel noise in the sky. Once again Sharpen AI transformed an insta-delete into a useable, sharp-enough photo.
Is there a bug in Topaz Sharpen AI Version 2.2.2?
As this is the third straight time that Topaz Sharpen AI Version 2.2.2 running on macOS Catalina incorrectly chose Focus rather than Stabilize with an R5 image, I believe that there may very well be a problem with Topaz Sharpen AI Version 2.2.2. If you have encountered a similar problem after recently updating Topaz Sharpen AI, please leave a comment with specifics. I will be trying to get in touch with Topaz later today.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
After re-fitting the pool’s heater/chiller a few months ago, and installing a new filter system more recently, the only thing left to fail was the pump. I cannot say that anymore. The pool was a balmy 86 degrees last week, but I was at DeSoto when the pump failed and with a mild cold front over the weekend the pool was down eleven degrees by Tuesday. This morning it was down to 73! I opted not to swim yesterday and will not be swimming today. Pool Works is coming first thing in the morning today — Wednesday 23 December 2020.
On Tuesday morning I photographed Turkey Vultures on the pier and Cattle egrets in the North Field, again with the SONY 600 GM at 1200mm with the a7r iv. On the way home I had a pleasant surprise. Keep reading to learn about the unexpected holiday dinner.
This blog post took about two hours to write and assemble. I am hitting Publish at 7:09 am. I will be headed down to the lake to see what I see in a few minutes. It is cold, clear, and dead still right now.
Wanted to Buy
I have a potential buyer for a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens. If you have one that you are looking to sell, please get in touch via e-mail.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past eleven months at the bottom of the page.
New Listing
Canon 200-400 f/4L IS USM Lens with internal 1.4X Extender (with extras)
BAA Record-Low Price by far!
Mansoor Assadi is offering a Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM lens with internal 1.4X Extender in near mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $4699.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the ET-120 (WII) front lens cover, a LensCoat, Really Right Stuff low foot LCF-53 (a $110 value), the original Canon foot, the lens strap, 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 Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).
This is the world’s best lens for a trip to Africa. It kills also in the Galapagos and in South Georgia, the Falklands, and Antarctica. I used mine a lot at Bosque and other dusty places where the built-in TC helps to keep your sensor clean. And I loved it in the Palouse for its versatility. More recently, I often found myself wishing that I had taken the 200-400 rather than my 500 II on the last Bear Boat Cubs IPT. Many nature photographers use it as their workhorse telephoto lens as it offers 784mm at f/8 with an external 1.4X TC added. In addition, it is pretty darned good whenever you are working around relatively tame birds. This lens will pair quite well with an R5 or an R6. The lens sells new at B&H right now for $10,999 so you can save a slew of dollars ($6,300 to be exact!) by grabbing Mansoor’s lens right now. artie
Price Drops!
SONY a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body
Price Reduced $300 on 22 DEC 2020!
Mansoor Assadi is offering a SONY a9 Mirrorless digital camera body in like-new condition for a BAA record-low $1,997.00 (was $2,297.00). The sale includes an off-brand (Green Extreme) battery grip, only the original battery, the original box, the front body cap, the strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).
I was sold on SONY five minutes after trying my SONY a9 on the Brandt’s Cormorants at La Jolla, CA. The AF system is identical to the AF system on the more expensive a9 ii which costs $4,498.00. The a9 ii body is about 1/8 inch thicker than the a9. If you do not have large hands, or if you like the feel of a smaller body, you will love the a9. And if you like the feel of $1,101.00 in your pocket — the a9 sells for $3,398.00 — get in touch with Mansoor ASAP. artie
Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G Lens & Filter Holder Kit with Landscape Circular Polarizer
Price Reduced $200 on 22 DEC 2020!
Mansoor Assadi is offering a Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G lens in near-mint condition and the NiSi S5 150mm Filter Holder Kit with Landscape Circular Polarizer for Sony 12-24mm lens in new condition for the very low price of $963.15 (was $1,163.15).The sale includes the original box, the rear lens cap, the front lens cap, the lens hood, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Ultra-wide and versatile, the FE 12-24mm f/4 G Lens from Sony is a flexible zoom lens for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras, characterized by its constant f/4 maximum aperture. Benefitting the wide field of view is a sophisticated optical design that incorporates aspherical and low dispersion glass elements to control both spherical and chromatic aberrations for improved sharpness and clarity. A Nano AR Coating has also been applied to individual elements to reduce surface reflections, flare, and ghosting for greater contrast and color fidelity when working in bright, backlit situations.
In addition to the optical attributes, this lens is also distinguished by a Direct Drive SSM autofocus system, which benefits both stills and video application with its quick, quiet, and precise performance. The lens also sports a dust- and moisture-sealed design to support shooting in inclement conditions and a dedicated focus hold button and AF/MF switch. B&H
I loved my Canon ultra-wide-angle 11-24mm lens especially for big skies. This combo sells new at B&H for $2,163.15. Save a very handsome $1,200.00 on the pair. artie
FlexShooter Pro
Price Reduced $50 on 22 DEC 2020!
Multiple IPT veteran and BAA good friend William Schneider is offering a barely used FlexShooter Pro for a very low $499.00 (was $549.00). The sale includes 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. Payment by Zelle is now available or PayPal +4%.
I fell in love with the FlexShooter Pro moments after I first mounted it on my Induro tripod. It is a ballhead that acts like a gimbal. Not convinced? See the video here.
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 47 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 24 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
127 sold to rave reviews.
The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris
The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)
Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.
Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
This image was created on 22 DEC 2020 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Working from my SUV, I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO: 800. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the Control Wheel: 1/1600 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. AWB at 10:05am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking Expand Flexible Spot (M) yielded a sharp-on-the-eye image. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.
Adult Bald Eagle (and Black Vulture) scavenging road-killed opossum
Early Holiday Dinner for Two
Thinking that my morning photo session was over, I turned right (south) onto Lakewood. A short block ahead on my right, I saw a small pile of vultures and two adult Bald Eagles on some sort of road kill. I saw later that it was an opossum that the birds had dragged into the grass on the right side of the road. I drove very slowly to make a left on Indian Lake Drive so that I could go around the block; not surprisingly, one of the eagles flew off. I had to go around the block so that I would be photographing out of the driver’s side window after (and if!) I got on sun angle. Understand that it is much easier and more efficient to shoot a super-telephoto lens out of the driver’s side window than it is to shoot out of a passenger side window; if someone offers to drive for you while you photograph from the passenger side, it is best to thank them politely and drive yourself. If you doubt me, get in your car and try shooting from both sides. …
Anyhoo, knowing that I had tried many times to get close to a Bald Eagle in my vehicle here at ILE, and had failed every time, I put the big lens on the BLUBB and drove the last 50 yards very, very slowly. When I got within ten yards, I lowered myself down in my seat and hid behind my rig. When I got right on sun angle I peeked around the lens and saw that the eagle was still there. I had opted to work at 1200mm rather than removing the TC and possibly replacing the 2X TC with the 1.4X TC because there were about six Black and two Turkey Vultures competing with the eagle for a bite. Working at 1200mm and trying for something really tight seemed to be the best course and in retrospect, it was. I set the aperture to f/9, the shutter speed to 1/1600 sec., and then spun the rear dial until I saw faint blinkies on the big raptor’s head. (The exposure was confirmed as perfect by RawDigger.)
I made lots of head portraits, but most had a distracting vulture or two in the background. I had seen this one on the back of the camera and thought that it might turn out to be the pick of the litter. It was. With the two similar frames just before this one, I had clipped the eagle’s foot. I even like the head of the Black Vulture peeking in on the right frame-edge. The small yellow shapes below the vulture’s head are the toes of the opossum.
The image was converted in Capture One. I did some extensive clean-up after running Topaz DeNoise on Auto on the whole image. See the clean-up work and the raw file offer below.
The BLUBB
When I know that I will be doing mostly static work at 1200mm with little to no chance of shooting flight or action, I will opt for the BLUBB rather than setting up the tripod in the car. It is somewhat of a pain in the butt to set up the tripod (topped by a FlexShooter) but there is nothing like it when you are trying to do flight or action from your vehicle. On the other hand, setting up a BLUBB takes about five seconds. I place it on the window frame or on the partially-lowered window (depending on how high or low I want to be), and then use a fist to shape a concave seat for the lens.
Image Clean-up While Preserving the Natural History of a Moment …
Most (but not all) folks would agree that the cleaned-up image is far more pleasing visually than the rather sloppy original capture. That despite the fact that I did a great job of isolating and framing the action. The distracting elements in the background would have been less obtrusive had the light been softer; the sun made them downright ugly (and distracting). Note, however, that the BEFORE image shows a Bald Eagle nipping off a small bit of opossum flesh and that the AFTER image shows a Bald Eagle nipping off a small bit of opossum flesh. The only changes were to the distracting background — the natural history of the image has been preserved.
Raw File Offer
Eagle eyed viewers will note that the BEFORE version in the animated GIF above is much flatter and duller than the final optimized version that opened this blog post. After processing an image I will always compare the optimized version to the raw file. When I did that here I realized that I had not done a very good job. So I brought the image back into Photoshop — actually several times, and finally was sort of happy with the boosted color and contrast. But I was not thrilled. If you would like to take a crack at the raw file, please click on this link to shoot me an e-mail. Those that feel that their version is better than mine are invited to shoot it back to me via large file server to samandmayasgrandpa@att.net. Understand that I will be 100% honest in my reply.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The clean-up techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques (with the exception of Capture One RAW Conversions) — along with all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my MacBook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: all of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About two years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One Pro 12 and continue to do so today.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and edited by yours truly. Please use this link to purchase NeatImage.
To introduce folks to our MP.4 videos and the basics involved in applying more NeatImage noise reduction to the background and less on the subject, I’d be glad to send you a free copy of the Free Noise Reduction Basics MP.4 Video. Simply click to shoot me an e-mail to get your free copy.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
It is 7:13am on Tuesday 22 December 2020. I spent several hours working on the RawDigger e-Guide yesterday and will do the same today. As soon as I hit publish, I will be heading down to the lake to photograph for a bit. This blog post makes seven straight days with a new blog post. Enjoy.
Great Egret — returning with material for nest
Photo courtesy of and copyright: Lou Newman Photography
Card design by BIRDS AS ART
Happy 90ieth Birthday Lou!
On November 14 past, Lou Newman celebrated his 90ieth birthday. Mazel tov, Lou.
Dr. Lou Newman developed a curiosity about photographic techniques as a teenager that evolved into a lifelong calling. Photography was a significant activity throughout his years as a rancher and veterinarian in Montana, and became of major importance when he left practice to become a veterinary college faculty member and pursue an advanced degree. Photography was important in his roles as professor, pathologist, diagnostician, research scientist, clinician and administrator.
During the 1990s Lou prepared for a photographic “career in retirement” and the change to digital imaging. Large animal medicine/surgery and wildlife studies had always been major interests, and reinforced the progression to wildlife photography. Lou’s passion as a wildlife photographer is photographing birds in flight.
Lou has volunteered as a veterinary pathologist at Mote Marine Laboratory, as a veterinary surgeon at the former Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary and as an Emergency Veterinary Medical Officer overseas. He taught photography and digital imaging classes on cruise ships. Lou’s career has taken him to every state, to 73 countries, and to all seven continents.
Lou is an active member of the North American Nature Photography Association, National Association of Photoshop Professionals, several local photography clubs, the Sarasota Audubon Society, and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Citizens Advisory Committee. His work is held in several private collections and is on display at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Pines of Sarasota, Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation and Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay’s Smith Care Center. He frequently participates in regional art gallery and photographic exhibits.
The above is adapted from the About page on Lou’s Zenfolio website here. Click on the link to see Lou’s work.
artie (on the left in his Pribilofs pants) and Lou Newman at the opening of Lou’s photo exhibit opening in Sarasota, FL in 2016. The two baby Great Egrets in the nest image that you see on the wall in the image above was one of my very favorites from the exhibit.
Photo courtesy of and copyright 2016: Kristen Herhold, Community Editor of the Sarasota Observer
Lou and Me
I’ve known Lou Newman for at least two decades. He has attended a record-by-far 26 BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo Tours, often with one of his children. He’s been to the Galapagos and to the Southern Ocean with me. At age 90, he still gets out often to photograph. By his own admission, he has had a blessed life. And he is not done yet.
Note: to learn more and see close-up photos of my Pribilofs pants, see the blog post here .
Holiday card by Lou Newman
Lou Newman’s Holiday Wishes
My Christmas Card is a little bit different this year. I want to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and New Year; however, I also want to express my appreciation and thankfulness for my family, friends, and a full life. I just passed my 90th birthday. I have 9 children, 9 grandchildren, and 7 great grandchildren. And all are well. I retired after 50 years during which I enjoyed over a dozen careers including everything from cowboy/rancher to veterinary pathologist/professor. For the last 20 years I have been a wildlife photographer with opportunities to travel throughout the world. Now I live in what for me is paradise. Even in lockdown mode, I can isolate and distance while spending time photographing wildlife. Myakka River State Park, Oscar Scherer State Park, the Venice Rookery, the Celery Fields, and Lido Beach are all at my doorstep. Each has a unique habitat with migratory and resident bird populations so photographic opportunities abound year around. It is with a joyful heart that a thankful Lou Newman wishes you happiness and a special 2021.
Lou Newman
Typos
Feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :). with love, artie
Today is Monday 21 December 2020. I went down to the lake despite the clear skies with a brisk southwest wind. After creating a very few decent head portraits of some handsome Turkey Vultures from the car with the a7r iv at 1200mm, I headed home to finish this blog post and enjoy brunch.
I will be spending the bulk of my time today working on the RawDigger e-guide. I will be adding Patrick Sparkman’s brilliantly improved method for quickly and accurately using RawDigger no matter the camera system or model. I will likely be doing a second video detailing this new, much easier way of doing things.
I say it often here, There is a ton to be learned by re-visiting a given blog post and reading the comments. That has never been truer than in the last few weeks where I have learned an absolute ton about the R5 and a whole bunch of other stuff as well. I have decided to start a new streak; today’s blog post — that took more than five hours to create including the time spent on the six image optimizations — makes six straight days with a new blog post. I hope that you enjoy the post and learn something.
If you have a moment, please leave a comment and let us know which — if any — of today’s six featured images you think is the strongest, and why you made your choice. See also the question below Image #3. If you think that I should have deleted all of them feel free to say so.
Whether or not you are at all feeling sorry for yourself in these times of COVID, I’d suggest that you view the one minute, 45-second video immediately below. It is quite moving and well done. While watching it I thought a lot about my late-Dad and my late-Mom. You probably will too. Then you might want to visit The Work, learn to do The Work of Byron Katie, and find peace.
A Simple Yet Powerful Practice
As we do The Work of Byron Katie, not only do we remain alert to our stressful thoughts—the ones that cause all the anger, sadness, and frustration in our world—but we question them, and through that questioning the thoughts lose their power over us. Great spiritual texts describe the what—what it means to be free. The Work is the how. It shows you exactly how to identify and question any thought that would keep you from that freedom.
A few words from Katie/Welcome to The Work
I discovered that when I believed my thoughts I suffered, but when I didn’t believe them I didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional. I found a joy within me that has never disappeared, not for a single moment. That joy is in everyone, always. And I invite you not to believe me. I invite you to test it for yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WN4HDjTG0c
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 40 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 21 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
This image was created on 18 December 2020 about 20 minutes from Fort DeSoto at my tertiary morning backup location. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1000. Exposure determined with test exposures using the in-camera histogram and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/125 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:08am on mostly cloudy morning.
Face detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Immature Brown Pelican head and face portrait
A Cold, Windy, Almost Bird-less Morning
It was a cold, windy, almost bird-less morning. I abandoned DeSoto early hoping to find some pelicans and terns diving for bait at one of my favorite out-of-the-park locations. Not. I did find a single you Brown Pelican sitting on the concrete pier railing. Since it was the only game in town, I stayed with it for about 45 minutes. I tried to be creative and learn more about the Canon loaner gear. This horizontal head and face portrait was the obvious way to start.
Image #1A: Topaz Sharpen AI on the Immature Brown Pelican head and face portrait image
First I ran Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the whole image (as I do with most every photo that I process). Though DeNoise provides a nice dose of sharpening, this image still did not look really sharp to me. I brought it into Topaz Sharpen AI and hit Auto. Auto chose Focus but those settings made the image looked over-sharpened, and in addition, it seemed that the pixels were just not lined up properly. So I switched from Focus to Stabilize and reduced the suggested Noise Suppression by 2/3. The result was far better. Note that you can see me and a light pole in the bird’s eye. I removed both in post.
This image was created on 18 December 2020 about 20 minutes from Fort DeSoto at my tertiary morning backup location. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1000. Exposure determined with test exposures using the in-camera histogram and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger:: 1/125 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:09am on mostly cloudy morning.
Face detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed surprisingly well — it selected a series of AF points that fell on the upper left third of the frame. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Immature Brown Pelican side of breast, folded wing, and bill detail
Working a Subject
When working a ridiculously tame subject, you will want to vary your image designs by using different focal lengths and choosing different perspectives. For Image #2 I simply approached the subject slowly and got within 50 inches without hardly trying. The close focusing ability of the RF 100-500 (MFD = 3.94 feet at 500mm) is a huge plus.
Image #2A: Topaz Sharpen AI on the Immature Brown Pelican side of breast, folded wing, and bill detail image
Not So Sharp …
Several of the images from this series both with and without the TC turned out to be not as sharp as I might have expected. With the slower shutter speeds, the wind blowing the feathers might have contributed to the softness. In addition, working with relatively long focal lengths while being very close to the MFD reduces depth-of-field to practically nothing. Perhaps I should have been on a tripod using smaller apertures.
In any cases, Sharpen AI on Auto worked superbly here as you can see by clicking on the image to enlarge it; the increase in sharpness is remarkable.
This image was created on 18 December 2020 about 20 minutes from Fort DeSoto at my tertiary morning backup location. For this one, I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (at 700mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined with test exposures using the in-camera histogram and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/640 sec. at f/11 (stopped down 1/3-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:21am on then cloudy-bright morning.
1-Point (center)/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #3: Immature Brown Pelican side of breast feather detail.
Going Abstract
To get in even tighter and create some feather detail abstracts, I added the RF 1.4X TC. What gave this image a warmer look than the other images in today’s blog post? There are clues in the EXIF.
This image was also created on 18 December 2020 about 20 minutes from Fort DeSoto at my tertiary morning backup location. Again, I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (at 700mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined with test exposures using the in-camera histogram and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/500 sec. at f/11 (stopped down 2/3-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:23am on then cloudy-bright morning.
1-Point (just right of center)/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #4: Immature Brown Pelican distal end of bill detail.
Bill Clean-up
Apparently, this bird had been playing in the dirt; the distal end of its bill was a mess. I used the Patch Tool and Content-Aware Fill for the clean-up work. Note that I rarely use the Clone Stamp Tool for clean-up work. All that, along with dozens of great Photoshop tips and tons more including all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail.
This image was also created on 18 December 2020 about 20 minutes from Fort DeSoto at my tertiary morning backup location. Again, I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (at 508mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 2500. Exposure determined with test exposures using the in-camera histogram and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/250 sec. at f/13 (stopped down about 1-stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:23am on then cloudy morning.
1-Point (below center)/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #5: Immature Brown Pelican back, folded wing, and bill detail.
A Variation on the Theme
For this one, I got really close, zoomed out, and got as tall as possible to shoot down on the subject. In addition, stopping down about one full stop to f/11 helped a bit.
This image was of course also created on 18 December 2020 about 20 minutes from Fort DeSoto at my tertiary morning backup location. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 151mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1250. Exposure determined with test exposures using the in-camera histogram and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/640 sec. at f/7.1 wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:53am on mostly cloudy morning.
Face detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #6: Immature Brown Pelican on railing next to fishing gear
Setting the Scene
When working tight on a subject, many folks (and editors as well — back in the days when it was actually possible to sell images to magazines), enjoy seeing an establishing image, a photo that tells the story in a single image. I loved the addition of the many bright colors, the fluorescent blue of the fishing line, and the red and green of the strap. Note that the bird had been a dozen feet to my left before cozying up to the fishing gear.
Image #6A: The DPP4 screen capture for the Immature Brown Pelican on railing next to fishing gear showing the active AF point.
DPP4 Screen Capture
Even with the small-in-the-frame subject, note the red square right on the bird’s eye. With Face Detection + Tracking AF and relatively static subjects, successful image designs are the attained with lots of practice by careful and careful framing. The in-the-viewfinder histogram which is a necessity because of the lack of Zebras, hinders the latter. In addition, it is easy to be sloppy and mis-frame an image … I will be doing a blog post soon showing lots of those.
Typos
Feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :). with love, artie
On Friday morning, I had a tough time deciding whether to head to Lakeland or return to DeSoto. As things turned out, I should have gone to Lakeland and checked on the Great Blue Heron nest and on the American White Pelicans. That said, I created more than 900 images at DeSoto and had a chance to do lots of Brown Pelican flight photography with the R5/RF 1.4XTC, and the RF 100-500. I learned a lot, so all was not lost 🙂
Patrick Sparkman has done it again. We’ve worked together on the RawDigger e-guide for far too long. But along the way, we have learned a ton, in part with help from Iliah Borg, the brains behind RawDigger and the owner of LibRaw, LLC. On Thursday past, Patrick told me that he had come up with a new way to use RawDigger. A way that simplified the process no matter the camera. A way that is fast and easy to understand. He shared his new method with me in an hour-long Zoom screen-sharing meeting yesterday.
Needless to say, when I add this information the RawDigger e-Guide it will be finished at last. While RawDigger is an important tool for all photographers, it will prove to be very important to folks using the Canon R5 (or R6). You will learn why by reading today’s blog post.
Today is Sunday 20 December 2020. I will be heading down to the lake in a bit. This blog post took about three hours to create. Please use the affiliate links or get in touch with Steve Elkins at Bedfords 🙂
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 40 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 21 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
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 overnight 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
This image was created on 4 December 2020 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO ???. Exposure determined using the in-camera histogram: 1/1000 sec. at f/7.1 (wide open!) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:53am on cloudy very dark morning.
Face detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed well.
Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Black Vulture in B&W
Revisiting …
The A Two-part Exercise in Thinking blog post here, included this:
An Exercise in Thinking Part II
Please feel free to share your thoughts on this image. Can you guess the ISO? How would you rate the sharpness of this image? How did I get so close to this bird? Can you detect any Photoshop trickery in Image #2? Any and all comments are welcome.
The Answers
1-The ISO was 6400.
2- To my eye, the image sharpness is superb. I ran DeNoise AI on this image but not Sharpen AI.
3- I was in my SUV. Kudos to old friend Cliff Beittel who pointed out the reflection of my vehicle in the vulture’s eye.
Note: the optimized image file was converted to black and white using the Dynamic Smooth preset in NIK’s Silver EFEX Pro. Kee reading to learn why I had to create a black and white version of this image.
I Generally Do Not Study-Use-Understand the Scientific-Theoretical Mumbo-Jumbo and Charts
I rarely if ever study/use/understand the scientific/theoretical charts and theories relating to photography. Folks often send links to such material. For one, I have never looked at an MTF chart. May great preference is to head into the field with a given camera or lens, create images of birds, and evaluate the results.
But …
In the comments section of the Operator Error, a Great AF System — but …, a large Crop, and not too bad an image. And a variable aperture zoom lens tip! post here, blog regular Adam Rubenstein wrote in part:
Perfect exposure is even more important with the R5 than the Sony as it is less forgiving with shadow recovery for under exposure compared to the a9(ii). See the chart here.
I pushed back a bit when I replied:
Thanks for the links. I am not comfortable with the scientific side of photography, but I think that I understand it. Don’t forget (see lots of threads on BPN) that I am the guy that believes black shadows should be black 🙂
But, because Adam is quite knowledgeable and an all-around good guy, I clicked on the link, studied it for a bit, and came away with an important understanding … The chart that Adam linked me to compares the R5 to the SONY a9 ii.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2A: color noise in the converted Black Vulture image
The Color Noise
RawDigger showed that the raw file for today’s Black Vulture image was only 1/3 to 1/2 stop under-exposed. After converting the file in Capture One, I was stunned to see the horrific color noise on the bird’s shadowed breast. In Topaz DeNoise AI. I moved the Color Noise Reduction slider to 100. It did not help. Why such horrible color noise?
In part, the noise was a result of the black bird’s breast was in “shadow” even on what was a cloudy-dark day. But there had to be more to it than that …
Click on the image to see better read the fine print.
Photographic Dynamic Range Shadow Improvement versus ISO Setting
By going here, you can create your own chart by picking your camera body from the very extensive list on the right. I did that for most of the cameras I have used over the past seven or so years. The higher the point on the graph for a given camera body at a given ISO, the better that camera will handle shadow detail. I adapted the chart above by restricting it to the normally useable ISOs.
In the 800-6400 ISO range, the Nikon D5 (and the D6 — not shown), show the best performance by far in this area. The Canon EOS R5 (and R6 — not shown) ranks last. I was surprised that the SONY a7r IV was not very much better than the R5 as I have not had similar color noise problems with 7r iv images.
In any case, after studying the charts, I realized that the R5 simply does not handle under-exposed dark tones very well at all. Amazingly, it is at its absolute worst at ISO 318!
It is possible that because SONY offers live-in-the-viewfinder Zebras that enable me to mega-expose to the right every time, I have not encountered any similar problems with a7r IV images. I will readily admit that I have not used ISO 6400 with that body very much if at all.
In doing my R5 testing, I have pushed the camera to places I usually do not visit. Now don’t get me wrong, the R5 is a superb body that offers a great AF system; at this point I firmly believe that folks who have stuck with Canon through the lean years (in terms of AF performance) should be using the R5. They should, however, do their best not to underexpose. Ever. But especially with images of dark birds made in low light at high ISOs 🙂
It was really cold on Thursday morning. And cloudy-dark early. There was one Willet on the sandbar. I left. There were three distant diving pelicans at my favorite back-up location. I left. I was glad that I did not have a client with me. Then it was off to back-up location #2 where there are usually lots of diving terns and pelicans. There was no bait in the water and thus no diving birds. At the end of the structure, I found a single, cold, immature Brown Pelican sitting on the railing. Taking advantage of the great IS systems of the Canon loaner gear (IS on the lens, and IBIS with the camera) and the outstanding close-focusing of the RF 100-500, I spent an hour doing pelican body-parts quasi-macro stuff. Trying to be creative. The good news is that I did not get my feet wet on a very cold for-Florida morning. I was done before 9am and then I headed back to my AirBNB to start work on the BAA Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. I have lots of research to do on that. With wind again sun and clear skies, Thursday afternoon would have been a complete dud but for a single Reddish Egret photographed in very sweet light with the SONY 600 GM, the 1.4X TC, and the a7r IV. After two weeks with the Canon loaner gear it took me a few minutes to get comfortable with the SONY body.
R5s are really hard to get right now; Steve Elkins filled dozens of orders but the bodies from that shipment are all gone. Bedfords, however, is still the best place to get one. Many folks who had been on waiting lists at the big camera stores for many months were able to get an R5 from Steve last week and cancel their long-standing orders with the big guys. And everyone has been thrilled with Bedford’s service, the 3% discount, and the free second-day air shipping.
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 40 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 21 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
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 overnight 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 o 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
This image was created on 17 December 2020 near Fort DeSoto Park. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 254mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 250. Exposure determined by the histogram, experience, and luck, and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/8 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:25pm on a cloudy-dark afternoon.
Face Detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection; the active AF point tracked and nailed the bird’s eye. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Great Blue Heron and gently moving wavelets
5-stops of Image Stabilization (IS)
Traditionally, if you want to try to blur slowly moving water, you need to be on a tripod. But I love the light weight of the R5/100-500 RF rig and tremendously enjoy the freedom that comes with handholding. So with this somewhat drab subject, I tried working first at 1/15 sec. and then at 1/8 second. The first few images looked pretty sharp on the back of the camera … Scroll down to check out the sharpness in Images 1C and 1D.
I was seated with this bird using the knee-pod technique. I stayed with the bird for nearly an hour hoping that the sun would appear in the narrow light window just above the horizon and yield a spectacular red sunset. But alas, the dark heat clouds lowered and put an end to my hopes. With Image #1, I do like the effect of the gently moving water created with the very slow shutter speed of 1/8 second.
The rule for handholding (before IS) was to use a fraction of one over the lens length to figure the minimum shutter speed needed to create a sharp image. For this image that would be 1/254 which rounds off nicely to 1/250 sec. Starting at 1/8 second the math looks like this: 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250. From 1/8 to 1/250 is five stops. The RF 100-500 is supposed to offer five stop of image stabilization and the additional IS provided by the R5’s IBIS(in-body image stabilization) system surely did not hurt.
I am getting better with R5 exposures; RawDigger showed this one to be slightly less than 1/3 stop under-exposed. Image #1 above depicts the optimized image pretty much as it looked in camera. After converting the image in Capture One the only thing that I did in post was to run Topaz DeNoise AI on the whole image. See below for more on that.
This image was created on 17 December 2020 near Fort DeSoto Park. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 254mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 250. Exposure determined by the histogram, experience, and luck, and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/8 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:25pm on a cloudy-dark afternoon.
Face Detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection; the active AF point tracked and nailed the bird’s eye. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1A: Great Blue Heron and gently moving wavelets — juiced-up version
Hoping for a Great Sunset
Since my hopes for a great sunset had been dashed, I decided to create a juiced up version with more color in the water and a bit more contrast.
Please leave a comment and let us know which of the two versions you prefer and why you made your choice.
Image #1C: Capture One screen capture
Capture One Screen Capture (C-1)
I was quite surprised when I put the C-1 loupe on the bird’s eye and found that virtually every horizontal image made at 1/8 second was very sharp on the eye (as long as the bird was not moving). The wind on Thursday evening was from the west. So when the bird turned away from the wind, the crest feathers fluffed up a bit. Working at 1/8 second, I knew that the crest feathers would be slightly blurred. And they were. And their is a slight moving water blur above the raised far-foot. Who would have ever thought that you could consistently create sharp-on-the eye images at 1/8 second with a super-telephoto zoom lens?
When I created some verticals, very few of the images were sharp, possibly because holding the lens still is more difficult with the camera turned on end (without a vertical grip), or possibly because I was working at somewhat longer focal lengths of from 300 to 350mms on average. My suspicion is that the former reason was the main cause as I remember having trouble keeping the lens still when creating the verticals.
Be sure to click on the image to view it larger.
Image #1D: Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the Great Blue Heron and gently moving wavelets image at 100%
Topaz DeNoise AI on the Great Blue Heron and gently moving wavelets image
With this image, Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto has taken a pretty much perfect, nearly noise-free image and made it just a little bit cleaner and a good bit sharper. Notice the super-low Reduce Noise value of 1. And enlarge the image to see the additional sharpness. I run DeNoise on virtually every image that I process.
Typos
Feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :). with love, artie
Me, early, as usual. It is Friday 18 December 2020. I will be heading to Fort DeSoto at about 6:15am. The forecast looks great: cloudy followed early by sunny skies with northeast winds from 10-13mph. And a rather chilly 43 degrees … It would probably be a good day not to get my feet wet, but I will 🙂
Remember, as always, that one of the best ways to improve as a nature photographer is to look at as many great images as possible.
Humbled
I am not sure how I got on the mailing list for NPOTY. Ahyhoo, when I got to my AirBNB in Gulfport, I clicked on the link and came to this:
Nature Photographer of the Year is a Nature Photography contest that celebrates the beauty of nature photography. We have some fantastic prizes for you to win including our top prize of € 3.000,- cash for the winner, plus other great cash prizes and cool photo equipment. When you enter our nature photo competition you will also support various nature conservations projects.
Thumbnails of the 2020 winners were laid out below the overall winner. Many of them looked intriguing so I began clicking on them one at a time. For the most part, I was blown away. I read the photographer’s comments and about the photographers for the better part of an hour. I was drained. I was impressed. For a while, I did not even feel like going out to photograph.
There is a fine line between being inspired and feeling as if the best move would be to throw all of your camera gear into the bay. Eventually, I headed down to DeSoto, inspired.
Click on this link to view the winning images. I will list my very favorites below. Feel free to leave a comment detailing your favorites.
My Favorites from the 2020 NPOTY Contest
These are listed in the order of appearance. If I absolutely loved the image the moment I saw it, it made my list. Many of the images that did not make my list are none-the-less amazing and inspirational.
Name of photographer | Image title/AWARD & CATEGORY
Andreas Geh | Brambling Togetherness/WINNER CATEGORY BIRDS
Rick Beldegreen | Lone egret among fall colors of the cypress swamp/HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY BIRDS
Oscar Diez | Storm /HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY BIRDS
Neelutpaul Barua | Heavenly Showers/HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY MAMMALS
Thomas Vijayan |The World Is Going Upside Down/HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY MAMMALS
Sergio Rivero Beneitez | Cocos Island/HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY OTHER ANIMALS
Swapnil Deshpande | The earthern mattress/HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY PLANTS AND FUNGI
Oliver Smart | A World Away/HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY LANDSCAPES
Jie Fischer | Flyover/HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY LANDSCAPES
Miloš Prelević | In The Hiding/WINNER CATEGORY UNDERWATER
Karim Iliya | Striped Hunter/RUNNER-UP CATEGORY UNDERWATER
Paul Goldstein | Big Blue/HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY UNDERWATER
Andrea Pozzi | Trapped/WINNER CATEGORY NATURAL ART
Alessandro Carboni | When the wind blows/RUNNER-UP CATEGORY NATURAL ART
Alessandro Carboni | Sound and Vision/HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY NATURAL ART
Franka Slothouber | Black walnut/RUNNER-UP CATEGORY BLACK & WHITE
Craig Parry | Contact with the Dwarf Minke/RUNNER-UP CATEGORY ANIMAL PORTRAITS
Manuel Enrique González Carmona | Big Small/HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY ANIMAL PORTRAITS
Bart Siebelink | The apocalypse/WINNER CATEGORY ANIMALS OF “DE LAGE LANDEN”
Lili Sztrehárszki | Tiny details/WINNER CATEGORY YOUTH 10-17 YEARS
In addition, I found the following images from the Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award winner Alejandro Prieto (Border wall project) to be quite moving: Great Roadrunner and barbed wire, wild jaguar symbolically projected on to a section of the US-Mexico border wall, and photo 8 of ten in the slide show.
I am sorry that I had to list so many but this is one of the finest collections of natural history images that I have ever had the privilege to look at. And it gets worse: I clicked on the website links for many of the honored photographers and was equally blown away. The good news is that the links to the four previous editions of the contest do not work, at least not on my MacBook Pro.
Observations
There are many talented photographers from around the world. Many of the winning and honored men and women were from Europe. The longest lens that I noted that was used to create a winning or honored image was a 100-400. Many of the winning and honored images were made with fish-eye and wide angle lenses. Along with quite a few 70-200s. Very few of the winning and honored photographers used the latest and greatest gear. Many of the winning and honored images were made in bad weather or underwater. Almost all involved wonderful light and incredible creative vision. In seven of the twelve categories, I chose images other than the Category Winner …
And Inspired …
So I headed out at about 4pm and drove into the park. The first spot I visited did not look very promising with a collection of gulls and terns and shorebirds with wind against sun. I drove around chatting with BPN-friend Brian Sump about photography and about BPN. As the big clouds in the west took over, I headed to my one of my favorite sunset spots just outside the park. Things did not look too promising. When I got off the phone with Brian, I got out the Canon loaner gear, took a short walk, and found a cooperative Great Blue Heron. It was dark and windy. The bird pretty much stood in one spot for an hour.
Inspired by the NPOTY images to try and create something different, I began working at ridiculously slow shutter speeds, in part to try and blur the slowly moving water, and in part to test the Image Stabilization system on the RF 100-500 and the IBIS (in-body-image stabilization) system of the R5. I got down as slow as 1/8 second (handheld …) I was quite stunned by the results. I will share my best image from Thursday afternoon here with you tomorrow.
Typos
Feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :). with love, artie
Today is Thursday 17 December 2020. It is cloudy-dark here at 8:18am as I type. This blog post is almost done. When it is finished, I will get into the pool for an early 1/2 mile swim.
I will be heading over to DeSoto at about 11:30am and staying two nights. It is supposed to be cloudy with a NW wind this afternoon so I will be headed out. Friday (sunny) and Saturday (mostly sunny) mornings look great with north/northeast winds in the forecast. Right now I am client-less 🙂 If you’d like to change that, you can e-mail or call or shoot me a text at 1-863-221-2372.
Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instructional Sessions (Limit two)
As above, the weather is looking excellent (again) for this coming Friday and Saturday, If you would like to join me for one or two morning sessions (and possibly for a Friday afternoon session as well), please contact me via e-mail to learn the low rates or call or shoot me a text at 1-863-221-2372.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be very active. The BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past ten months at the bottom of the page.
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR Lens
Lonnie Vance is offering a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 VR lens in like-new condition for a very low $475.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the original box, the lens hood, the lens pouch, 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 Lonnie via email e-mail or on his mobile phone at 1-248-953-0695 (Central time zone). Please leave a message or send a text if there is no answer.
I loved my versatile, all purpose, don’t-leave-home-without-it, mid-range 24-120 zoom lens when I used Nikon. I felt it was much sharper than all versions of the Canon 24-105 lenses. And the VR allowed me to create sharp images handheld at silly-low shutter speeds like 1/8 second. This one sells new for $1,096.95 so you can save a very cool $621.95 by purchasing Lonnie’s lens. artie
SONY a7r iii Mirrorless Digital Camera Body(with SONY battery grip!)
Mansoor Assadi is offering a SONY a7r iii Mirrorless digital camera body in excellent condition for a very low $1198.00. The sale includes a Sony VG-C3EM Vertical Grip (a $348.00 value), only the original battery, the original box, the front body cap, the strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).
The 7r iii performed superbly as my workhorse camera body on the 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. The image files are superb and it was not bad at all for flight photography. As this body with the SONY grip sells new for $2,346.00, you can save a handsome $1,148.00 by grabbing Mansoor’s a7r iii (with the SONY grip!) right now. artie
SONY a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body
Mansoor Assadi is offering a SONY a9 Mirrorless digital camera body in like-new condition for a BAA record-low $2,297.00. The sale includes an off-brand (Green Extreme) battery grip, only the original battery, the original box, the front body cap, the strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).
I was sold on SONY five minutes after trying my SONY a9 on the Brandt’s Cormorants at La Jolla, CA. The AF system is identical to the AF system on the more expensive a9 ii which costs $4,498.00. The a9 ii body is about 1/8 inch thicker than the a9. If you do not have large hands, or if you like the feel of a smaller body, you will love the a9. And if you like the feel of $1,101.00 in your pocket — the a9 sells for $3,398.00 — get in touch with Mansoor ASAP. artie
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, 40 folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And 21 who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 have e-mailed for and received their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way — less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
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 overnight 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 o 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Great Blue Heron juvenile from directly below
Looking Up at Herons and Egrets
Creating fun images like this is usually easy at Fort DeSoto, especially if you know where to find the right situation. Join me on Friday or Saturday and I will teach you the basics as far as perspective, exposure, AF, and aperture are concerned. Remember that I am conversant with all three major camera systems: SONY, Canon, and Nikon. Last week, Joe Usewicz and Carl Page had a ton of fun and learned more than they thought possible in just three hours.
Be sure to click on the image to view it larger.
Image #2A: Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the Great Blue Heron adult from below image at 100%
Topaz DeNoise AI on the Great Blue Heron juvenile from directly below image
With this mega-exposed to the right image (thanks to Zebras and RawDigger) ISO 2500, there was not much noise to being with. Click on the screen capture to see what a good job that Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto did with non-destructively sharpening the feathers right above the bird’s eye.
This image was created on 12 December 2020 at Fort DeSoto Park during a morning session with new friend Carl Page. I used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 400mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 500. Exposure determined by experience and luck and confirmed as perfect by RawDigger: 1/800 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:36am on a partly sunny morning.
Face Detection + Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection; the active AF point tracked and nailed the bird’s eye. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Great Blue Heron adult from below
It Depends on the Wind and the Light
On sunny days, the wind determines whether you will be able to photograph the birds head from below with them looking right down the lens barrel or from the side. On cloudy days you have a lot more freedom when choosing your perspective as there is no need to stay on sun angle when there are no shadows.
Be sure to click on the image to view it larger.
Image #2A: Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the Great Blue Heron adult from below image at 100%
Topaz DeNoise AI on the Great Blue Heron adult from below image
With this image, Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto has taken a pretty much perfect, nearly noise-free image and made it just a little bit cleaner and a little bit sharper. I run DeNoise on virtually every image that I process.
Typos
Feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :). with love, artie
I stayed in and worked on the RawDigger e-Guide on Tuesday morning. At 10am, Jim and I drove down to the lake to get wet and muddy. With a roll of stiff wire and a pair of pliers, we repaired The Perch that I had erected with Anita North about two years ago. I thought that it has simply fallen down, but closer inspection revealed that it actually broke in half. We were able to wire the upper part of the perch to the lower part. The best news is that the horizontal part of the perch at the top was shortened perfectly when it fell. After that was done, we erected a second tall perch that I had found last week on a day of perch hunting. Thanks, Jim!
Now I will see how long it takes for the birds to get used to them 🙂
Today is Wednesday 16 December 2020. The forecast is partly cloudy with gentle south/southeast winds so I will be headed down to the lake at about 7:30am. Have a great day, and consider joining me at DeSoto at the end of this week.
I peeked out the back door at 7:13am and saw that it is totally foggy so my trip to the lake will be delayed just a bit.
Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instructional Sessions
As the weather is looking excellent again for this coming Friday and Saturday, I will almost surely be headed over to Fort DeSoto to photograph early on Friday and Saturday mornings. If you would like to join me for one or two morning sessions (and possibly for a Friday afternoon session as well), please contact me via e-mail to learn the low rates.Limit two.
The BAA Used Gear Page
The Used Gear page continues to be red hot! It is BAA Used Gear Page is the place to sell your used photographic equipment. We will help you to get your gear sold quickly for 20 to 60% or more than what the big guys are offering … Doubt me? Check out the Recent Sales list for the past ten months at the bottom of the page.
Brand New Listings
SONY a7r iii Mirrorless Digital Camera Body(with SONY battery grip!)
Mansoor Assadi is offering a SONY a7r iii Mirrorless digital camera body in excellent condition for a very low $1198.00. The sale includes a Sony VG-C3EM Vertical Grip (a $348.00 value), only the original battery, the original box, the front body cap, the strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).
The 7r iii performed superbly as my workhorse camera body on the 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. The image files are superb and it was not bad at all for flight photography. As this body with the SONY grip sells new for $2,346.00, you can save a handsome $1,148.00 by grabbing Mansoor’s a7r iii (with the SONY grip!) right now. artie
SONY a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera Body
Mansoor Assadi is offering a SONY a9 Mirrorless digital camera body in like-new condition for a BAA record-low $2,297.00. The sale includes an off-brand (Green Extreme) battery grip, only the original battery, the original box, the front body cap, the strap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).
I was sold on SONY five minutes after trying my SONY a9 on the Brandt’s Cormorants at La Jolla, CA. The AF system is identical to the AF system on the more expensive a9 ii which costs $4,498.00. The a9 ii body is about 1/8 inch thicker than the a9 ii. If you do not have large hands, or if you like the feel of a smaller body, you will love the a9. And if you like the feel of $1,101.00 in your pocket — the a9 sells for $3,398.00 — get in touch with Mansoor ASAP. artie
Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide Info
So far, thirty-six folks have sent PayPals for their copy of the Canon R5/R6 AF e-Guide. And twenty who used my affiliate links to purchase their R5 e-mailed for their free copy of the guide. If you e-mailed or sent a PayPal and did not receive your guide, please LMK immediately via e-mail.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. Three folks wrote stating that they had a better way of setting up AF on their R5s. When I wrote back explaining why they were in error, two of them back-tracked. One stubborn guy is still doing it his way, less efficiently. Be sure to scroll down to read about my plans for a Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide immediately as the R5/R6 User’s Guide will take at least a month to finish.
BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide
Twenty-one pages. 3,452 words. 28-DPP4 screen captures showing the R5’s vaunted AF system in action. Note: the AF system of the R5 is identical to the AF system of the R6.
You will learn:
1- The two most useful AF Methods for general bird photography and for birds in flight.
2- How to set up your R5/R6 AF Menus.
3- What boxes to check (and un-check) under Limit AF Methods.
4- How to change the AF Method quickly, easily, and efficiently. Note: the default way of doing this is clunky, cumbersome, and inefficient at best. One person replied that this tip alone was worth the price of admission.
5- The only setting that should be used for Initial Servo AF pt for Face Detection + Tracking.
I you are currently using multiple back buttons either for general bird photography or for birds in flight, what you learn in this guide will change your life. For the better.
Here are the first three paragraphs of this e-Guide:
From the moment I learned about the new Canon mirrorless bodies, I read about using two or three back-buttons to focus using different AF methods. The word on the street said that the way to go for birds in flight was to use one button to acquire focus with Zone AF or with Large Zone: Horizontal AF and then switch to another button to activate Face Detection + Tracking AF and then use the shutter button to make an image. My immediate thought was, “This is insanity! There has got to be a better way.” In short, there is a far superior way to set up AF on your R5 or R6.
Remember that I got away from any form of back-button or rear focusing many years ago after finally realizing that it is always easier to do one thing (press the shutter button), than it is to do two things (press a back button and then press the shutter button).
The default method of switching AF Methods with the R5/R6 bodies is cumbersome at best. It involves first pressing the grid button (my name) on the upper right back of the camera and then pressing the hard-to-access M-Fn button to toggle through the AF Methods. This method is so bad that it will not be mentioned again in this guide.
The guide is free to all who have ordered an R5 or an R6 using my B&H affiliate link or from Steve Elkins/Bedfords using the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout. Please send your receipt to me via e-mail. It will take me a few days to a week to verify the B&H purchases. Bedfords folks should expect their free e-Guides fairly quickly.
To purchase your copy of the e-Guide, please send a PayPal for $25.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words R5/R6 AF Guide in your PayPal e-mail.
Everyone who gets the guide will receive a free update no later than the first week in January.
Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide
I am planning on doing a complete Canon R5/R6 User’s e-Guide. This will require a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. I am hoping to have it complete by mid- to late January. As always, folks who use the BAA affiliate links to purchase their Canon gear will receive a substantial discount.
Understand that the info in the BAA Canon R5/R6 Autofocus e-Guide is so important that I opted to publish the AF guide ASAP.
Please Remember
With income from IPTs approaching 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 can always help out by clicking here if they see fit.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plugins) will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Topaz Stuff
As I said just a while back and have said often many times before, I should have listened sooner. If you, like me, are new to the Topaz party, please use this link to purchase. Right now I can wholeheartedly recommend both Topaz Sharpen AI and Topaz DeNoise AI. Though I have not yet worked with JPEGtoRAW AI or Gigapixel AI, I have installed both of these plug-ins and look forward to trying them on some I-Phone 11 images fairly soon. If you are thinking like me, consider the Utility Bundle that includes all four plug-ins mentioned above at a money-saving price.
Again, those who purchase Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using my link, can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. I had a bit of trouble getting the two plug-ins installed and having them appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu. In addition, I will explain how to best learn about the two plug-ins by applying them on a Layer (in Photoshop).
126 sold to rave reviews.
The SONY e-Guide by Patrick Sparkman and Arthur Morris
The Sony Camera User’s e-Guide (and Videos)
Click here to purchase the guide with one Camera Set-up Video. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your camera body so that we can send you a link for the correct video.
Click here to purchase the guide with two Camera Set-up Videos. Be sure to e-mail us by clicking here to specify your two camera bodies so that we can send you links for the correct videos.
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 overnight 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 (Eastern time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. 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 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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed to perfection. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: American White Pelican in fresh juvenal plumage
American White Pelican in Fresh Juvenal Plumage
I was thrilled to see several American White Pelican in fresh juvenal plumage in a flock of about forty early-arriving birds in mid-October of this year. Note all the brown and tan feathers on what I believe are the wing coverts. Wanting to create a field–guide-portrait of single bird in what was a brand new plumage for me, I added the 2X TC to the 600 GM and approached carefully. I got lucky as the birds swam from one group to another and was thrilled with several frames; this one was my favorite by a small margin.
Be sure to click on the image to view it larger.
Image #1A: Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto on the American White Pelican in fresh juvenal plumage image at 100%
Topaz DeNoise AI on the American White Pelican in fresh juvenal plumage image
Be sure to click on the image and note how Topaz DeNoise AI on Auto completely eliminated the noise in the blue water background and while sharpening the bird non-destructively.
Understand that the noise in the water was partly due to the fact that water was about one stop under-exposed as we properly exposed for the WHITEs. Remember: WHITEs need one stop less light to be properly exposed than middle tones and about one and two-thirds stops less light than dark tones. Confused? See and study the section on Exposure Theory in the original The Art of Bird Photography.
Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed surprisingly well. Click the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: American White Pelican adult taking flight
You Know the Drill!
If I have said it here once … When unexpected action happens, push the shutter button. Do not try to make it perfect. I created about a dozen sequences of individual birds taking flight knowing that at 1200mm (much too long a focal length), my chances of not clipping wings or feet or heads were somewhere between slim and none. But push the button I did, and in just one frame, slim came home! You can see how tight the original image capture was and what I did about that in the Animated GIF just below.
Adding Canvas with Choppy Water …
First I tried adding canvas using the Crop Tool/Content-Aware Fill option. That made a total mess of things. Instead, I expanded the canvas and then filled in the skinny triangle on three of the frame edges one skinny triangle at a time!. Though I am sure that the pixel-peepers could find some problematic areas, the optimized image with just a bit more room behind, above, and in front of the subject, is a lot more pleasing to my eye.
The expanding and filling in canvas techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and tricks are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail.
Exposure Fine-Point Question
Why did I use 1/3-stop less light to photograph the adult than I did to make the image of the juvenile?
Note: both exposures were confirmed as dead-solid perfect by RawDigger.
RawDigger e-Guide and Video Advance Copy Available
Save $10 Now
The RawDigger e-Guide and Video is almost finished. It will sell for $51.00. If you are anxious to get started with RawDigger, learn to mega-Expose to the Right, and wind up with the highest quality image files, you can save $10.00 and have a chance to review a pre-publication copy of the guide by sending a PayPal for $41.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net with the words RawDigger e-Guide and Video Pre-publication Copy cut and pasted into the Subject line. The recent delay is the result of my recent conversations with Iliah Borg, the brains behind RawDigger. It is likely that the Shock-your-World section will shock you.
You will of course receive a link for the completed PDF when the guide is finished.
Typos
Feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :). with love, artie
