While the crane colt family is complete and healthy, they have foiled my efforts to make a great image or two of them swimming. The first two times that I saw them crossing I was late and out of position. On Sunday morning pst, they did not swim across the canal until 9:15am and the light was harsh. The next day was cloudy with dog walkers and fishermen; they stayed on the North Peninsula side. Since Monday was cloudy, I headed down to the point at 8:15. The two adults with Orangey Colt and Grey Colt had already swum across. I got out the SONY 100-400 with the a7r iv and stayed with them for an hour as they foraged. I tried to make some family-group and bird-scape images but did not do very well.
I will be heading down to the lake early on this dead-clear morning, Tuesday 7 APR 2020. I need to get to the post office today. Have a great day and be safe.
Thanks to the many folks who left comments on yesterday’s The Leaf or Not the Leaf? My Big Mistake? Lots on Flower Photography. And New SONY Used Gear Listings … blog post here. Lots of folks were right on the button and most liked the leaf in the frame. I will share my thoughts on the leaf here tomorrow. I was glad to learn that Patrick Sparkman sold two of his four SONY listed items on the first day. That is good news in a somewhat depressed COVID-19 market …
All are invited to share their thoughts on which of today’s three featured images is the strongest. Please let us know why you made your choice. Comments on the strengths and weaknesses of each photo are welcome.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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 the magical evening of 3 APR 2020 at Indian Lake Estates. Working from my SUV, I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1000. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 320: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 7:16Pm on a partly cloudy late afternoon.
Tracking Flexible Spot M AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed superbly.
Image #1: Osprey pair oon natural nest atop palm
The Trick to Creating Low-Nest Osprey Silhouettes at ILE
I’ve done lots of sunset silhouette photography at ILE, most featuring birds on The Perch. And while the new nest on the dead palm stump is the lowest I have found along the lakeshore, it is still much too tall if the sunset color is in the low western sky. Last Friday afternoon after making lots of tight head portraits of a tame Limpkin, there was not much around and I had just about given up and headed home. But then I noticed a large cloud in the western sky. It had a decent-sized hole in the middle, well above the horizon. Putting two and two together I hung around and voila, I had the high sunset color that I needed. With the two love-birds on the nest, I moved my car well aaway and went to the 200-600 to create the establishing shot above.
Center Zone AF-C was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Osprey landing at natural nest atop palm (3X2)
Bringing Out the Big Gun
When the birds both flew, I repositioned the car and — because they might be returning any second — went to the 600 GM/1.4X TC/a7r iv rig that was already assembled. I set the exposure and the bird obligingly landed and then took off again. Bingo.
Images #2 & #3 are razor-sharp by any standard. At 100%, the bill and the talons are scary sharp. Had I gone to WIDE AF Area (as Patrick Sparkman prefers for most of his SONY flight photography) rather than Center Zone, I might have been able to create an image or two with the bird well to the left of the nest. Image #2 is a crop with a bit of canvas added on the right, and Image #2 is an obviously boxy crop. With the 61-MP 7r iv files cropping sharp images is never a problem at all.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
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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’s cloudy here again today, Monday 6 APR 2020. I took yesterday afternoon off from photography as it was drizzling. I spent about 2 1/2hours alternating between crying and sobbing watching Forrest Gump on TIVO. I had not watched it in at least a dozen years. I had totally forgotten what an amazing movie it is. For many years, I felt that The Shawshank Redemption — I have watched that one at least 25 times over the years — should have won Best Picture in the 1994 Academy Awards. After last night, I realize that I was wrong. Way wrong. The screenplay (by Eric Roth based on the novel by Winston Groom) was captivating and moving, the acting (Tom Hanks — winner: Best Actor, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise — nominated: Best Supporting Actor, Mykelti Williamson, & Sally Field) was too good, and the cinematography was outstanding as well. I could not believe how many great scenes I had forgotten and how many historically-important occurrences had been written into the story. Watching it again was time well-spent.
I will be heading down to the lake again this morning. I have upped my daily swim from 44 to 50 lengths (with 88 to a mile).
Coming tomorrow: two great Osprey landing sunset silhouettes.
COVID-19 Protocol Updates
Some might be interested in learning more from Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt about the virus and various and effective treatment protocols. You can view it here on the Sophia Education website.
This image was created yesterday at Indian Lake Estates, FL — 5 APR 2020. I used the handheld Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens (at at 339mm) and the 61-mega-pixel monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 800: 1/100 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:09am on a cloudy-dark morning.
Tracking Flexible Spot M AF-C was active at the moment of exposure.
Pickerelweed blossom
The Leaf or Not the Leaf?
Would you have included the leaf in the image design? Should I have removed the leaf during the image optimization? Either way, be sure to let us know why. Comments on an alternate composition are welcome.
My Big Mistake
What was my biggest mistake in the creation of this image? (Hint: I was being lazy …)
SONY 100-400
As noted here many times previously, the .98 meter minimum focusing distance of the SONY 100-400 (the same as the Canon 100-400 II), is a huge plus. It comes in very handy when working with mega-tame birds and can be effective as a quasi-macro lens for large bugs (including butterflies and dragonflies), frogs, all but very small flower blossoms, and lots more. In addition, it is a more than capable flight lens that is a lot lighter than the 200-600. The 100-400 was my workhorse lens on the 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime.
New Used Gear Listings
Please note: the purchase of any item below will include a $50.00 discount on the almost-finished SONY e-Guide.
Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
IPT veteran and dear friend Patrick Sparkman is offering a Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens in very good condition for a very low $1650.00. The body of the lens is in excellent condition. The glass is perfect except for a tiny scratch on the front element that does not affect performance. The sale includes the lens hood, the original box, the soft case that came with the lens, the front lens cap, the rear lens cap, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
The .98 meter minimum focusing distance of the SONY 100-400 is a huge plus. It comes in very handy when working with mega-tame birds and the lens can be effective as a quasi-macro lens for large bugs (including butterflies and dragonflies), frogs, all but very small flower blossoms, and lots more. In addition, it is a more than capable flight lens that is a lot lighter than the 200-600. The 100-400 was my workhorse lens on the 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. As it sells new for $2,498.00 you can save a very neat $848.00 by grabbing Patrick’s lens.
Sony A7R III Digital Mirrorless Camera Body
IPT veteran and dear friend Patrick Sparkman is offering a Sony A7R III Mirrorless Camera Body in excellent plus condition for a very low $1690.00. The sale includes the original battery, the charger, the product box, the body cap, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
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 for flight photography. As this body sells new for $2,798.00 you can save a handsome $1108.00 by grabbing Patrick’s 7r iii.
Sony A9 Digital Mirrorless Camera Body
Sold first day of listing!
IPT veteran and dear friend Patrick Sparkman is offering a Sony A9 in excellent plus condition for $2390.00. The sale includes the original battery, the charger, the original product box, the body cap, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
The a9, the original AF king, offers superb autofocus that absolutely kills for flight photography. Virtually every image is sharp on the eye. Many feel that the AF system on the a9 ii is no better. As the a9 sells new for $4498.00 you can save an incredible $2108.00! artie
Sony VG-C3EM Vertical Grip for α9, α7R III, & α7 III
Sold first day of listing!
IPT veteran and dear friend Patrick Sparkman is offering a used Sony VG-C3EM Vertical Grip for α9, α7R III, & α7 III in like-new condition for $220.00. The sale includes insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
The Art of Flower Photography by Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris
You can learn everything e about this e-book here, or order your copy here.
Video: The Art of Flower Photography
In this B&H Event Space video, two of the world’s premier photographers of flora and fauna — Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito — share the techniques they use to create dramatic, sharp, well-composed, properly exposed images of flowers and flower fields. Denise does great things with the Canon 100mm f/2.8 L IS lens, while artie often goes to longer focal lengths—he has been seen photographing tulips at Keukenhoff Gardens, Holland, with a 600mm lens and a teleconverter. In addition to standard techniques, the video ends with Ippolito and Morris showing a wide range of abstract floral images and describing a variety of creative artistic effects such as multiple exposures, sharp/soft blending, texture overlays, warping a flower, creating zoom/twirls, in-camera blurs, and many others.
After being red-hot for days, photography at ILE has slowed down just a bit. I did get the cranes swimming on Saturday morning but that afternoon yielded only some Black Vulture images; several were on a lawn picking away at a fish that had been dropped by an Osprey that had been perched on a telephone pole. It is cloudy-dark here this morning, Sunday 5 APR 2020. I will head down to the lake at about 8:15am.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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 2 APR at Indian Lake Estates. Working from my SUV, I used the Induro GIT 204/FlexShooter Mini-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the 61-MP Monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO: 800. Exposure determined by Zebras with exposure compensation on the rear wheel; in the relatively soft light, I went with some Zebras on the whitest brighest parts of the bird’s neck. 1/1000 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. AWB at 6:33pm on partly sunny afternoon.
Tracking Flexible Spot M AF-C on the bird’s face did the job perfectly. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper version.
Crested Caracara head and shoulders portrait
The Situation
As recently as Thursday past, I had been seeing two Crested Caracaras foraging for bugs in the grass on the North Field (and on the lawns of some adjacent homes). I created some decent images of the birds on the scraggly grass but was not thrilled with any of them. So when I saw this bird — the more handsome of the two — I maneuvered my Sequoia closer and closer to the bird who would simply walk a few steps to my right each time I approached. I started with verticals at 1200mm and my last efforts produced two horizontal images that turned out to be the winners.
Click on the image to enlarge and read the fine print.
Crested Caracara — pre- and post-Capture One RAW Conversion Adjustments
Pre- and Post-Capture One RAW Conversion Adjustments Screen Capture
The lower of the two images above, _7R42198, is the first of the two horizontal captures. Properly exposed to the right in the soft light, this image looks flat and washed out. The image on the top is _7R42198. With Capture One, the adjustments to the RAW are saved with the file after they are made. The sliders on the left of the image show the adjustments that I made. You can see them easily by clicking on the image to enlarge it. Study those changes to learn why the image on the top looks so much better than the image on the bottom.
Once I had the TIF in Photoshop, I did some bill clean-up using all of my usual cadre of tools: the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, the Clone Stamp Tool and several small, warped, transformed Quick Masks fine-tuned with a Regular Layer Mask. In addition, take a close look at the distracting out-of-focus grass stems in the background; compare the background in the top image in the Capture One Screen Capture with the optimized image that opens this blog post and see how much better the background looks in the optimized version.
Background Smoothing
Many folks attempt to do background smoothing by first selecting the subject. That pretty much never works well. I developed a technique where I first use either an 80% Clone Stamp or Content-Aware Fill to do the grunt work and then apply a Gaussian Blur that is refined by a Hide-All (Inverse) Layer Mask. The latter is described in detail on pages 41-43 of the a href=”http://birdsasart-shop.com/digital-basics-ii/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail.
SONY 1200mm Sharpness
It is an absolute pleasure to be able to work with the SONY 600 GM and the 2X TC with either the a9 ii or the 7r iv and consistently produce sharp images of both static birds. I always try to go with higher shutter speeds with the 7r iv than I do with the a9 ii. In addition, though the a9 ii is clearly best for flight photography, the a7r iv can perform well for flight in certain (bright or very bright) situations with the 600 GM and the 1.4X TC (and even with the 2X on rare occasion).
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.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
All the techniques mentioned above and tons more (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.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
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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 :).
Friday morning was not too good for photography. I had hoped to photograph the crane colt family crossing the canal. But instead of the cranes appearing, a car with two fishermen appeared and parked right at the point, right where I had seen them cross twice. So I messed around with some vultures, found the surviving tiny crane chick (that continued to be mega-shy), and searched in vain for the caracaras. Then I drove back to the South Peninsula to check on the crane colt family. The two adults were there with Orangey Colt. Gray Colt was not with them. I hoped that it was out in the marsh by itself but feared the worst …
I headed down on Friday afternoon to check on the crane family but did not find them on either side of the canal. With the east wind, prospects were not good but when I made a u-turn I came upon a tame Limpkin. I stayed with the bird for thirty minutes of blue-water background head-shots and eventually got a few images of the bird calling — there call is like a screaming person being tortured. With prospects dim, I almost headed home. But the sky looked promising for a sunset, so I drove around a bit. Again, the caracaras had disappeared. I went back to the South Peninsula to check on the missing colt. As I approached their favorite area, I saw the two adults walking toward me with one colt. Bummer. But then the second colt appeared from behind one of the adults. I was glad for the birds. And for me.
While an east wind on a sunny afternoon is terrible for traditional front-lit bird photography, it is great for flight silhouettes. I drove the two minutes to the new, low Osprey neat and enjoyed two red-sky landing sequences. So what began as a somewhat dismal day turned out to be a great day with a spectacular finish …
This image was also created on 29 MAR 2020. For this one I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 220mm) and the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1000. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode; I went for lots of Zebras on the white sky. AWB at 8:18am on a suddenly cloudy morning.
Tracking Flexible Spot M AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed superbly.
Image #2: Sandhill Crane colt and pine tree bird-scape
My Favorite Crane Colt Image and Why …
In the Switching Back to Nikon! Clean, Tight, and Graphic. And Thinking Wide for a Bird-scape … blog post here, I shared two images of the same Sandhill Crane colt and asked which was the best image.
Many folks commented on the April Fool’s aspect of the post, but very few commented on the two images. Those who did all liked the wide version above better than the head portrait. As much as I like tight head-shots, I absolutely fell in love with the wide shot above. I only created two frames after raising the 2-6 and zooming out. When I saw the images on the laptop I was thrilled. Thanks to Tracking Flexible Spot M both were sharp on the colt. And after setting up to get some Zebras on the light sky on a cloudy morning, the exposure was perfect as well.
Why do I like it so much? The composition is perfect. The colt’s raised foot adds. And the mood of the image is somewhat cartoon-like and light-hearted, almost whimsical. Most importantly, it shows that varying your game (clean, tight, and graphic) and thinking creatively (in this case, wider), can result in something new and different.
I did, however, struggle with leveling this image correctly. I eventually decided that the tree had to be growing straight up and down … That despite the fact that the ground (rather than the tree) wound up looking tilted … What are your thoughts on that? I will try to remember to check out the tree this morning, Saturday 4 APR 2020. I am heading down to the lake very soon on yet another clear, cool morning.
I’ve been spending lots of time with the crane colt family, two adult Sandhill Cranes with Orangey Colt and Gray Colt. I have been learning a ton about their behavior and may just be on the verge of creating some really special stuff of the whole family swimming … Yes, swimming. With luck, I may have a chance this morning after totally blowing it yesterday … Today is Friday 3 APR 2020.
Blessed
Please do not think for one second that I do not realize how blessed I am to be able to go down to the lake here at ILE every morning and afternoon and find some interesting birds to photograph. Though there is almost always something to photograph here, late winter and early spring are prime time. Heck, last night I got some head portraits of one of the two new ILE visitors: Crested Caracara.
Do I Even Have to Ask?
Which of today’s featured images is your favorite? Be sure to let us know why you made your choice.
From Fred Innamorato via e-mail
Hi Artie,
I want to thank you for making the Sony e-Guide and videos available and for the work you put into the blog as well as for your books that teach us how to photograph birds and also for your camera User’s Guides. There is just no possible way I would have been able to get my Sony a9 ii camera settings so technically correct for doing birds in flight on my own without this guide. in my opinion, Sony should pay you for taking on the task of educating their customers. Sony has created an amazing camera but they fail to explain to their customers how to take full advantage of it. I appreciate that you know and have access to some very competent people with the technical backgrounds to assist you in your field experimentation to come up with the best and most practical and useful Menu Settings for bird photography. We all will benefit from your unique ability to pull this together. I am especially happy with your instructions on how to use the Zebra Settings for getting proper exposures. I really can’t thank you enough Artie for making my bird photography hobby so much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. My photography brings me great satisfaction. Sharing quality photographs with my family and friends has generated lots of interest in my hobby and why I do it. Life is good!
I highly recommend the purchase of your Sony e-Guide and Video(s). This information is just not available anywhere else. Even from Sony …
Fred Innamorato
The Sony Camera Videos and Pre-publication e-Guide Costs and Discount Info
I recently sent aa link to the March 19 Version of the SONY e-Guide to the 31 folks who have purchased it. It will siureely be the next-to-last pre-publication version.
The cost of the SONY e-Guide is $100.00 US and will include one of the camera set-up videos — we offer one video each for the a7r iii, the a7r iv, the a9, and the a9 ii — and the written guide with the galleries. The guide is now 98% done and you will — of course, receive the final version when it is completed. I sent out the third draft today to those who have purchased the Guide with or without the discount.
Folks who have used my B&H links or purchased their SONY gear from Bedfords will receive said discount based exactly on how much they spent. If you spent more than $10,000 you will receive one free video and the e-Guide. Additional camera videos are $25.00 each. If you spent $2400, you will receive a 24% discount, and so on and so forth. And again, additional camera videos will be $25.00 each.
I will need time to verify your B&H purchases so folks will need to send their receipts and then be a bit patient. It is much easier to verify Bedfords’ purchases but I need those receipts as well.
If you have not used BAA links, please do so in the future. If that is the case and you would like the e-Guide now, please send a Paypal for $100 US to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words “SONY Pre-publication Guide” in the Paypal e-mail along with the name of your camera or cameras so that you can receive the correct video or videos. Please add $25 for each additional camera video. Be sure to send a copy of the Paypal transaction to me via e-mail.
Folks who have used BAA links to purchase their SONY gear should send their receipts to me via e-mail asap and let me know which camera videos they need. I will verify their purchases as quickly as possible and send a quote to be paid via Paypal as above.
Thanks to all who have properly used my B&H links or gone through the fabulous Steve Elkins at Bedfords, and thanks to everyone for having faith in the information that I provide, knowing that it will be the best available anywhere.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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: Cattle Egret flock hunkered down against the cold
The Situation: Cold and Blustery
It was unseasonably cold — in the high fifties — at ILE on Wednesday morning past. NW winds and clear skies are generally the death knell for good bird photography. But rather than give up after seeing the flag down by the pier, I took a ride around and spotted a group of about forty Cattle Egrets hunkered down against the cold and the wind. If you’ve been watching birds for a while (about 42 years for me), you would know that on really windy days they are reluctant to fly …
Center Zone AF-C. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper version.
Image #2: Cattle Egret in non-breeding plumage
Getting Started
I usually photograph this species from the vehicle while they are foraging for bugs in the grass with a 600mm lens and a 1.4X TC. They can be a bit on the shy side and will fly if you approach them too closely (or if they feel like it). Knowing that I might be able to get close enough for a few head portraits, I started off with the 2X on the 600 but did not press things; I stayed well back at first. I saw that the nice bird in Image #2 was somewhat isolated and wanted to make an image that showed the chilly conditions. I loved the background grasses in the early morning light and the bird’s splayed fathers so and went to vertical. With vertical subjects, Zone is often the way to go with SONY. With not-so-large-in-the frame birds, I will go with Center Zone. When the bird fills 2/3 of the vertical frame, go to Upper Center Zone.
Though the sun is shining, this image still says “chilly” to me.
This image was also created on 1 APR at Indian Lake Estates. Again, working from my SUV, I used the Induro GIT 204/FlexShooter Mini-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and the 61-MP Monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO: 500. Exposure determined by Zebras with exposure compensation on the rear wheel: 1/1600 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. As always in bright sun, I went for just a smattering of Zebras. AWB at 8:57am on a clear sunny morning.
Center Zone AF-C. Click on the image to see a larger, sharper version.
Image #3: Cattle Egret in breeding plumage
Moving in for the Kill
One advantage of not trying to get too close too soon is that you give the birds a chance to get used to your vehicle (or you if you are on foot)> In this case, they became acclimated both to my Sequoia and to my movements inside the vehicle. I spotted a bird that was starting to get into breeding plumage and made some 3/4-frame verticals. Then I spied the beauty featured in Image #3, pretty much in full breeding plumage. The soft parts colors of wading birds that are actively seeking mates are intensified by hormones. I back the car up, turned to the left, and pulled up to sun angle. Then I did that again. The birds stayed put. The problem was that there was a bird right behind the handsomest one. As hard as I tried, I could not isolate the bird that I wanted for a head shot. So I stayed put and said a few prayers. They worked as the problematic bird took a few steps forward leaving me free to create the image that I wanted when the whole thing began almost 45 minutes before.
New In-Vehicle Tripod Strategies
I keep my Induro GIT 304L with the legs fully extended topped by the FlexShooter Pro in the back of my SUV to be used when I get out of my vehicle to photography. I keep the smaller, lighter GIT 204 (topped by the FlexShooter Mini) in the front with me along with the 600 GM and the 200-600 G. If it looks as if I will be using thee 600 and TCs from the vehicle, I take the time to set up the 204 inside the vehicle. Learn how to do that in the Setting up a Tripod in your Vehicle Video (only $10.00) here. This new approach saves me lots of time as I do not have to lengthen the tripod legs when I get out of the vehicle and then shorten them when I get back in.
The huge advantage of using the FlexShooter heads on the tripod in the vehicle is that once you have positioned your vehicle you level the silver ball once by loosening the black lever and centering the bubble in the scribed circle and then firmly tightening the black lever. Then loosen the silver knob to pan knowing that every image will be square to the world no matter where you point the big lens. It is impossible to do this from the vehicle with any other ballhead, with a Wimberley VII Head, or with a Mongoose M3.6.
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.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
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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 :).
I had not realized when I awoke yesterday that it had rained overnight (for the first time in many weeks). A front had gone through, there was a brisk northwest wind, and the temps were in the high 50s, a far cry from the near-90-degree afternoons we had been experiencing recently. I discovered that one of Old Gnarly’s two chicks had perished. The two larger colts were foraging with their parents. But I was attracted by a fair-sized flock of about 40 Cattle Egrets hunkered down at the edge of a canal. I concentrated on them and wound up doing quite well.
It is cold and dead-clear here this morning, Thursday 2 APR 2020. I will be heading down to the lake at about 7:30am.
Tripod Handling
Many folks do not know the correct and easy way to extend their tripod legs or to shorten them. I’ve seen folks on IPTs and folks in the field struggle terribly with these most basic of tasks. This short video will show you exactly how to perform these simple but very important procedures. There are also some tips on setting up your brand-new tripod.
LB. ST.
Lengthen from the bottom, shorten from the top. Be sure to always leave two to three inches of the bottom leg extended. Always. And be sure to purchase your Induro tripod here. For tripod advice, please contact me via e-mail.
If you have a tripod-related question, please leave a comment below.
Yesterday, I decided to sell all of my SONY gear and return to Nikon because I miss the 500 PF too much! SONY fire sale coming soon.
What’s Up?
I went back down to the lake on Tuesday afternoon. With a stiff west wind, there were whitecaps on the lake. I had some good chances with Crested Caracara; two have been hanging around for the past few days. I will be heading down to the lake again this morning, WED 1 APR 2020.
COVID-19
Below is a comment by award-winning photographer Paul Mckenzie at the blog post here.
There needs to be a complete mind-shift in the US/EU. Here in Hong Kong where I live, more than 99% of the population has been wearing masks since January. We have had relatively few cases and single-digit numbers of deaths. The vast majority of positive cases are from persons that have recently been in the US and EU. Masks work big time especially if everyone uses them. However, I do appreciate that there are shortages of masks in many geographies. I cringe when I see un-masked US politicians speaking into microphones …
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Sandhill Crane colt, head portrait
Clean, Tight, and Graphic
Clean, tight, and graphic has been the hallmark of my BIRDS AS ART style for well more than three decades. I do my best to follow my own oft-given advice: When the light is bright, think tight.. Since I’ve always been a head-hunter, Image #1 put a big smile on my face.
This image was also created om 29 MAR 2020. For this one I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 220mm) and the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1000. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode; I went for lots of Zebras on the white sky. AWB at 8:18am on a suddenly cloudy morning.
Tracking Flexible Spot M AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed superbly.
Image #2: Sandhill Crane colt and pine tree bird-scape
Thinking Wide …
The colt in Image #2 was about 30 feet from me. When it was a bit closer to me, I made some very lovely 3/4-frame vertical portraits of the whole bird at 353mms. I am not sure how I conceived this image, but I zoomed out, decided where to cut the pine tree, used Tracking Flexible Spot M to place the bird in the lower-left corner of the frame, and made only two images, almost as an afterthought … Bird-scapes rarely excite me. I kept only this one with the bird’s bill slightly open.
Which is the Best Image?
Which of today’s two featured images is the best? Be sure to let us know why you made your choice.
840mm and 200-600 Versatility
When I first got the SONY 600 GM, I assumed that there would be a lot of focal length overlap with the 200-600. But once I realized that I almost always used the 600 with a teleconverter — usually the 1.4X, it became obvious that having the 200-600 on my shoulder via an Black Rapdi Curve Breathe strap with the 600/1.4X TC rig on the tripod was a deadly, effective, and hugely versatile combination … To bad I am ging back to Nikon. Or is today April Fool’s Day?
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
I was down at the lake by 8:00am on Monday 30 MAR 2020. For the first time in a week, I could not locate the crane family — two adults with two colts — in the marsh at the south end of the South Peninsula. With a nice breeze from the west, flying Ospreys were out as well. I did a few foraging Cattle Egrets and headed back home early. I needed to get to the post office for the first time in two weeks, needed gas, needed to pick up two pairs of new reading glasses, and needed to do aa bit of shopping.
I’ve been swimming and doing my bursts every day.
Stunned
With a mask over my nose and mouth, my left hand in my pocket with my credit card and car keys, and a glove on my right to do the cart-pushing and shopping, I completed all of my tasks in short order. Though the number of cases in Polk County, FL is relatively low at 34, that number is double what it was two days ago. Anyhoo, I was stunned while shopping to note only two other shoppers wearing protection on their hands, and perhaps four others wearing masks. That left more than one hundred folks in Publix and WalMart touching public surfaces with impunity.
I repeat from an earlier blog post, the easiest way to become infected with COVID-19 (if you are not a health care provider), is to touch a public surface and then touch your mouth, noses, or eyes.. When are folks gonna get it?
Actually from the Johns Hopkins Medicine Website
There have been lots of bogus lists being circulated online. Below is a direct cut and paste from the Johns Hopkins Medicine website here.
Reviewed By: Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H.
To help lessen the spread of the new coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes, here are important steps that can help protect you, your family and others. Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins Medicine, shares these guidelines:
Avoid close contact with others.
It’s important to understand that the new coronavirus spreads mainly from person to person. If an infected person coughs or sneezes, their droplets can infect people nearby. That’s why it’s important to avoid close contact with others. Understand that people (including children) may be infected with the new coronavirus and have only mild symptoms.
Some measures you can take to avoid close contact with others include:
Stay home as much as possible and reduce visitors.
Practice social distancing:
Stay at least six feet away from others in public places.
Call friends and family or visit by video.
Ask your employer if it’s possible to work from home.
Avoid people who appear sick.
Go grocery shopping and run errands during off-peak times.
Healthy people do not need to wear a mask unless they are caring for someone diagnosed with, or being monitored for, COVID-19, or respiratory illness.
Practice good hygiene wherever you are.
The new coronavirus can survive for hours or even days on some surfaces. Touching a contaminated surface and then touching your face is one of the ways to become infected.
The virus is no longer detectable on plastic after 72 hours, and on stainless steel or cardboard after about 48 hours. With that in mind:
Wash your hands with soap and water frequently and thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, especially:
After being in public places and touching door handles, shopping carts, elevator buttons, etc.
After using the bathroom
Before preparing food
If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, especially with unwashed hands.
If you cough or sneeze, do so in the bend of your elbow. If you use a tissue, throw it away immediately.
Almost all good advice (as I see it), but again I am stunned as there is no mention at all of avoiding touching public surfaces with unprotected hands …
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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 11 Video
I created this short video on Saturday morning past. The day began as a gloriously sunny one but clouds moved in very quickly. Yes, this crane family is inordinately accepting. I went to video after trying to do some head-shots showing the adult handing off a fat mole cricket or another tasty morsel. My best (not very good) effort is below. Sometimes we just need to sit back and enjoy the show.
Best not to enlarge when viewing as I use a low quality setting to reduce upload times …
This image was created om 29 MAR 2020. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 324mm) and the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 2500. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:41am on a suddenly very cloudy morning.
Center Zone AF-C had some problems as the adult was jabbing violently into thee soil. But it worked for this frame.
Sandhill Crane adult and hungry and attentive colt
My Best Effort
This was the lone keeper from more than 100 attempts. I did get some really good stuff when the sun was out earlier.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
Same old, same old. The lake was very good on Saturday morning. I will be heading down a bit earlier today, Sunday 29 MAR 2020. The SONY guide is this-close to being finished.
SONY Camera Body Help Needed
If you own a SONY body and have ever had the viewfinder black out when you raised your rig to your eye to shoot, please click here and let me know the exact camera model. Please also include a detailed description of the event, how long it lasted, the frequency of such occurrences, and anything that you did or do to rectify the situation.
Please note that I am not talking about the 2-3 seconds that it takes for a camera to turn back on after it has been asleep. Toward that end, here is a free excerpt from the new e-Guide:
Power Save Start Time
Power Save Start Time (under the gold Setup Menus) should be set to 30 Min. If you choose a shorter duration in hopes of saving battery power, you will not save very much, and the SONY batteries are excellent. But you will be dismayed when you raise your camera to your eye and it takes 2-3 seconds for the camera to awaken. If you accidentally leave your camera on, it will power down after 30 minutes and prevent your battery from becoming exhausted.
From Fred Innamorato via e-mail
Hi Artie,
I want to thank you for making the Sony e-Guide and videos available and for the work you put into the blog as well as for your books that teach us how to photograph birds and also for your camera User’s Guides. There is just no possible way I would have been able to get my Sony a9 ii camera settings so technically correct for doing birds in flight on my own without this guide. in my opinion, Sony should pay you for taking on the task of educating their customers. Sony has created an amazing camera but they fail to explain to their customers how to take full advantage of it. I appreciate that you know and have access to some very competent people with the technical backgrounds to assist you in your field experimentation to come up with the best and most practical and useful Menu Settings for bird photography. We all will benefit from your unique ability to pull this together. I am especially happy with your instructions on how to use the Zebra Settings for getting proper exposures. I really can’t thank you enough Artie for making my bird photography hobby so much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. My photography brings me great satisfaction. Sharing quality photographs with my family and friends has generated lots of interest in my hobby and why I do it. Life is good!
I highly recommend the purchase of your Sony e-Guide and Video(s). This information is just not available anywhere else. Even from Sony …
Fred Innamorato
The Sony Camera Videos and Pre-publication e-Guide Costs and Discount Info
I recently sent aa link to the March 19 Version of the SONY e-Guide to the 31 folks who have purchased it. It will surely be the next-to-last pre-publication version.
The cost of the SONY e-Guide is $100.00 US and will include one of the camera set-up videos — we offer one video each for the a7r iii, the a7r iv, the a9, and the a9 ii — and the written guide with the galleries. The guide is now 98% done and you will — of course, receive the final version when it is completed. I sent out the third draft today to those who have purchased the Guide with or without the discount.
Folks who have used my B&H links or purchased their SONY gear from Bedfords will receive said discount based exactly on how much they spent. If you spent more than $10,000 you will receive one free video and the e-Guide. Additional camera videos are $25.00 each. If you spent $2400, you will receive a 24% discount, and so on and so forth. And again, additional camera videos will be $25.00 each.
I will need time to verify your B&H purchases so folks will need to send their receipts and then be a bit patient. It is much easier to verify Bedfords’ purchases but I need those receipts as well.
If you have not used BAA links, please do so in the future. If that is the case and you would like the e-Guide now, please send a Paypal for $100 US to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words “SONY Pre-publication Guide” in the Paypal e-mail along with the name of your camera or cameras so that you can receive the correct video or videos. Please add $25 for each additional camera video. Be sure to send a copy of the Paypal transaction to me via e-mail.
Folks who have used BAA links to purchase their SONY gear should send their receipts to me via e-mail asap and let me know which camera videos they need. I will verify their purchases as quickly as possible and send a quote to be paid via Paypal as above.
Thanks to all who have properly used my B&H links or gone through the fabulous Steve Elkins at Bedfords, and thanks to everyone for having faith in the information that I provide, knowing that it will be the best available anywhere.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Today’s Entertainment
Harry Chapin
From the YouTube Harry Chapin Topic
Harry Forster Chapin was an American singer-songwriter, humanitarian and producer best known for his folk-rock and pop-rock songs. He achieved worldwide success in the 1970s and became one of the most popular artists and highest-paid performers. Chapin is also one of the best charting musical artists in the United States. Chapin, a Grammy Award-winning artist and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, sold over 16 million records worldwide. He has been described as one of the most beloved performers in music history. Chapin recorded a total of 11 albums from 1972 until his death in 1981. All 14 singles that he released became hits on at least one national music chart.
As a dedicated humanitarian, Chapin fought to end world hunger. He was a key participant in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977. Chapin is credited with being the most politically and socially active American performer of the 1970s. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work.
I’ve long since retired and my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, I’d like to see you if you don’t mind
He said, I’d love to, dad, if I could find the time
You see, my new job’s a hassle, and the kids have the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, dad
It’s been sure nice talking to you
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me
He’d grown up just like me
My boy was just like me …
But his “story songs” are little known. Here are a few of my very favorites:
All My Life’s a Circle These lyrics made sense: 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 until they became ironic when he died in a (somewhat mysterious) car crash on the way to a concert at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. At the time, Harry and the band were donating half of their concert gates to World Hunger.
I wanna Learn a Love Song. The man was an incredible poet: I come fresh from the street, Fast on my feet, kinda lean and lazy. Not much meat on my bones, and a whole lot alone. And more than a little bit crazy. The old six string was all I had. To keep my belly still. And for each full-hour lesson I gave, I got a crisp ten-dollar bill.
She was married for seven years, To a concrete castle king. She said she wanted to learn to play the guitar, And to hear her children sing. So I’d show up about once a week, In my faded tight-legged jeans, With a backlog full of hobo stories, And dilapidated dreams.
…
Well, I guess you know what happened, God, I never been so clean. Yes, I feel like I’m working in a Hollywood movie, Or living out a good bad dream. And all them pinup girls in that tinsel world, Never touched me like she can. It took another man’s wife in the real world life, To make this boy a man.
Yikes, I almost forgot 30,000 Pounds of Bananas. Check out a live concert version here. While doing the research for this blog post, I learned that this song was based on a real accident. (Wikipedia here.)
I could easily list another twenty. For a total immersion experience, play the Greatest Stories album mix here.
If you have a favorite Harry Chapin song, please leave a comment. (Taxi and Sequel for starters!)
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. Please understand that e-Bay prices are bogus. And the same is true of the prices of used gear including my dear friends at B&H and the other mega-outfits. They offer you pennies and then try to sell the stuff to ignorant folks for ridiculously high prices. With their huge international exposure, they occasionally find someone …
The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the 5Ds and 5Ds R, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, the Canon 200-400 with internal extender, and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. The prices garnered for used Canon gear has tanked completely as demand has dropped tremendously. It is ironic that for decades Canon gear had very strong resale value …
Note: all BAA Used Gear sales include insured ground shipping via UPS to lower 48 US addresses only. Others who live elsewhere are invited to e-mail the seller for shipping surcharge info. Sellers should charge you only the difference between shipping to the farthest US location from their home and the charge to a non-lower-48 address.
New Listings
Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens
Dennis Westover is offering a Nikon 300mm AF-S f/2.8 ED VRII telephoto lens in excellent plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $3649.95. The sale includes the original box, the Cordura travel case, the instruction manual, the lens strap, a Really Right Stuff replacement lens foot, the Nikon Cordura front lens cover, a custom hard front lens cap, the rear lens cap, 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 Dennis via e-mail or by phone at 1-206 605-0404 (Pacific time zone).
This is a gem of a lens; super-sharp, hand-holdable for almost everyone, great for flight and action photography, and great as well with all three teleconverters for portraits and for flight. It has long been the favorite focal length of the world’s best hawk photographers. As it sells new for $5,496.95, Dennis’s latest-greatest version of this superb Nikon lens is priced to sell. Save a spiffy $1,847.00! artie
Nikon AF-S TC 14E III 1.4X Teleconverter
Dennis Westover is also offering a Nikon AF-S TC 14E III 1.4X teleconverter in excellent condition for a very low $276.95. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps 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 Dennis via e-mail or by phone at 1-206 605-0404 (Pacific time zone).
Whatever the system, I consider the 1.4X TC so important to what I do that I always travel with a spare. This one sells new for $496.95 so you can save a handsome $220.00. artie
Nikon AF-S TC 17E II 1.7X Teleconverter
Dennis Westover is also offering a Nikon AF-S TC 17E II 1.7X teleconverter in excellent condition for a very low $216.95. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps 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 Dennis via e-mail or by phone at 1-206 605-0404 (Pacific time zone).
I did well with the 1.7X TC on my 500 PF VR and my 600 f/4 VR lenses. This one sells new for $396.95 so you can save a very nice $180.00 on this one. artie
Nikon AF-S TC 20E III 2X Teleconverter
Dennis Westover is also offering a Nikon AF-S TC 20E III 2X teleconverter in excellent condition for a very, very low $226.95. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps 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 Dennis via e-mail or by phone at 1-206 605-0404 (Pacific time zone).
I did make some sharp images with the Nikon 2X III and the 600mm f/4 VR lens. This one sells new for $496.95 so you can save an amazing $270.00. artie
RRS TVC14 MKI Carbon Fiber Tripod with RRS BH30 Ballhead
Dennis Westover is also offering a RRS TVC14 MKI Carbon Fiber Tripod with RRS BH30 head with the Full-Size Screw-Knob in excellent plus condition for only $699.00. The sale includes 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 Dennis via e-mail or by phone at 1-206 605-0404 (Pacific time zone).
This travel tripod and ballhead sell new for about $1,100.00. artie
Price Drop
Canon EOS-1D X Professional Digital Camera Body with Extras!
Price dropped $100 on 6 FEB 2020! Price dropped $200 on 28 MAR 2020!
Jim Lewis is offering a Canon EOS-1D X in near-mint condition with extras for a ridiculously low $1,595.00 (was $1,895.00). The sale includes the original box, the CD’s, the strap, the cables, the manual, the front body cap, the charger w/LPE4N battery and an extra Canon LPE4N battery, 2 Lexar 1066X CF cards (one 32GB & one 64GB), a Canon RS-80 N3 remote switch, 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.
Several rugged 1D X bodies served as my workhorse cameras for about four years. I made many hundreds of family jewels images in all types of weather all around the world. artie
This image was created om 27 MAR 2020. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 312mm) and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 500. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:33am on a cloudy/almost-sunny morning.
Image 1: The muddy-necked adult
Muddy-Neck
On Thursday morning I saw the whole crane family in the marsh. The two adults were mud-soaked and disheveled. The chicks were foraging slowly in stands of blossoming pickerelweed. As I was wearing my only hiking boots, I decided to make an image of the chicks in the flowers the “next day.” As fate would have it, the weather was again perfect: foggy bright and still. I donned my surf booties and walked into the marsh but could not find the cranes. An hour later as the sun came out briefly, I created this image of one of the muddy-necked adults.
This image was also created on 27 MAR 2020. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 1250. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/800 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:40am on a now cloudy morning.
Image 2: Sandhill Crane, large chick
The Little One
I sat down at the top of the grassy slope adjacent to the marsh. When the clouds came, so did this lovely chick. I am guessing that the young ones are now about 12-14 inches in height. At what age do the chicks become colts? Note the great versatility of the handheld SONY 200-600.
Your Favorite?
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best? Be sure to let us know why you made your choice.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
I headed down to the lake on a foggy Friday morning in hopes of making some images of the large crane chicks amongst the purple marsh flowers. I failed on that quest but did quite well otherwise … Story and images soon. I will be again heading down to the lake early this morning, Saturday 28 MAR 2020.
Navigating the Misinformation and Protecting Your Family with Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt
From the Sophia Education website here. You might have to sign up first and then click on the link again to view the video. They have problems with the audio at the start, but figure things out fairly quickly.
This image was created on 12 MAR 2020 at Indian Lake Estates. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 397mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 640. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:45pm a sunny afternooon.
Upper Zone AF-C did the job.
Sandhill Crane on low nest atop a dead palm tree
The Low Crane Nest
Sometimes when you head out to photograph birds you can see something that you have never seen before! For real.
Today is Friday 27 MAR 2020. I am headed down to the lake soon to try for the large crane chicks in a marsh setting. After the fog lifts.
Martin Flight Photography Info
In the Martin Flight Photography blog post here, the two images were created from the same RAW file. I optimized Image #1 first but when I posted it, it looked way too dark to me. So I brought it into Photoshop and pulled the curve up a bit. Then, working on a duplicate layer I selected the bird using the Quick Selection Tool and — using Selective Color — took out some BLACK from the WHITEs and the Neutrals. I added a Regular Layer Mask and painted away 33% of the lightening on the near-underwing. No NIK or additional sharpening was used on Image #2 which was simply a lightened version of Image #1. Kudos to the many folks who get that right,.
Alternative Medicine
About 32 years ago I learned that I had a bleeding ulcer. The diagnosis had been missed by my family physician for several years. When he was on vacation I saw a lady doctor who listened to my symptoms, stuck her gloved finger up my butt, tested for blood, and nailed the correct diagnosis. I was put on Prilosec (the “purple pill” of TV advertisements) for seven years. While it alleviated the symptoms, it did nothing to heal my ulcer.
I met Dr. Cliff Oliver about 24 years ago when he attended a Bosque IPT. He counseled me on my eating habits (I asked him …) and when I told him about my ulcer, he said, “That’s an easy one.” I started a three-month regimen of L-Histidine, L-Glutamine, and DGL, a licorice tablet. My symptoms disappeared in 90 days and so did my bleeding ulcer. I was impressed and have been working with Cliff for nearly a quarter of a century now.
Dr. Klinghardt on Coronavirus
Three days ago directed me to a series of YouTube videos, ‘Dr. Klinghardt’s latest discoveries on COVID-19.”
If you would like to see if an alternative view of coronavirus makes sense to you (it does to me), check these out:
Dr. Klinghardt is a world-renowned medical doctor and researcher, famous for his ground-breaking work on Autism and Lyme Disease. He explains how the disease progresses and his successes in treating patients with COVID-19. When you are done watching the videos you will want to turn your wi-fi off as often as possible. You can access the three videos above and one more on the same subject on the Klinghardt Institute YouTube page here. Learn about the institute here.
Based on the videos and advice from Dr. Oliver, I have ordered the following from Amazon:
BRIOTECH Topical Skin Spray – All Natural Pure HOCl Hypochlorous Solution
Beekeeper’s Naturals Spray 95% Bee Propolis Extract-Natural Immune Support & Sore Throat Relief Antioxidants (any spray-able Propolis will do)
NatureBell Quercetin 1000mg
Progena Meditrend – Andrographis 200mg
Arrival dates vary but nothing is coming really soon as the stuff is hard to get. I will likely try to get the HOCl and the Propolis spray locally today as they are both preventative.
If you would like to learn how I will be using the stuff above, please send me an e-mail.
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The Nikon 500mm PF Lens
Steve Elkins at Bedfords asked me to let folks know that he has two of these hard-to-get-your-hands-on lenses in stock. The 500 PF was my very favorite Nikon lens. Save $50 by getting in touch with Steve as noted below.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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 12 MAR 2020 at Indian Lake Estates. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 397mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 640. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:45pm a sunny afternooon.
Tracking Flexible Spot M AF-C did the job.
Image #1: Osprey in nest on dead palm tree
The Low Osprey Nest
A visiting friend discovered this new Osprey nest atop a dead palm about two weeks ago. It is the lowest osprey nest I have seen here at ILE, about 40 feet up. There are several natural nests that are too cluttered to be great for photography and lots of platform nests from 60 to 80-feet high.
Center Zone AF-C was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Osprey landing with nesting material
Osprey Landing With Nesting Material
I went with 840mm by going to a longer focal length allows for a lower angle of inclination — I am able to move well away from the nest so that I do not have to elevate the lens as much as when I am hand holding the 200-600. The wind and sky conditions determine how well I will do or if I will even try. Note the virtually noise-free SONY ISO 3200 image, a result of exposing well to the right.
Center Zone AF-C was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #3: Osprey landing with nesting material
The SONY a9 ii 20 fps Frame-Rate Has Its Advantages
This frame (_A925143) was actually the second image created after Image #2 (_A925141). _A925142 was deleted because I clipped a wing. In fact, even though no wingtips were clipped, I did expand the canvases with both Image #2 and Image #3 to give the bird more room in the frame.
The Stronger Image?
Which is the stronger image, Image #2 or Image #3? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each image?
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.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
I’ve been swimming every day. And doing my bursts. It was very foggy here this morning but I went down to the lake when it brightened up, but with the west wind, I did not try the low Osprey nest. I did have an Osprey from another nest flying circles right over me for a bit. I addition I did some Black Vulture head portraits and a few of some cranes as well.
My plan again is to get back to work on finishing up the SONY e-Guide this afternoon …
Thanks to the many who commented on yesterday’s Martin Flight Photography blog post. Your comments are always appreciated. I will explain how I lightened the image in tomorrow’s blog post.
Today’s Entertainment
Billy Joel: Too Cool!
Billy Joel sings “New York State Of Mind” with Vanderbilt University student Michael Pollack, filmed during “An Evening of Questions and Answers and a Little Bit of Music” at the university in January 2013. The young man — totally nonplussed — does quite well. See the video here. “Nice going Michael. The guys got chops.”
Billy Joel and Guests
Billy Joel performs “Piano Man” with Kevin Spacey, Boyz II Men, Natalie Maines, Josh Groban, Gavin DeGraw, Tony Bennett, LeAnn Rimes, and Michael Feinstein during the ceremony where he was honored with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song on November 19, 2014, at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Enjoy the video here.. Kevin Spacey is quite multi-talented!
On CBS Sunday Morning in 2018
Learn more about Billy Joel the man and his Madison Square Garden residency here.
Your Favorites?
My three favorite Billy Joel songs — I have seen him live four times, three at MSG — include two huge hits, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant and Piano Man, and the much lesser-known All for Leyna (from the Glass Houses album). Here a very young Billy Joel does Scenes from an Italian Restaurant on Long Island; Mark Rivera on sax whom I believe is still touring with Billy today. Last is Piano Man, Billy Joel, live at Madison Square Garden, New York, May 9th, 2019; MSG Residency; Billy’s 70th Birthday Bash Show here. The video and the sound are not too good, but man, they love him in New York.
Yikes, how could I have forgotten Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway). He often opens his shows with this number — released in 1976; it eerily prophecized the events of 911. See and listen here from Live at Yankeee Stadium.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The Nikon 500mm PF Lens
Steve Elkins at Bedfords asked me to let folks know that he has two of these hard-to-get-your-hands-on lenses in stock. The 500 PF was my very favorite Nikon lens. Save $50 by getting in touch with Steve as noted below.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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: Sandhill Crane with deformed bill/head portrait
Old Gnarly
This crane with its deformed bill has been at ILE for at least the past five years. It has been doing just fine. For the past four nesting seasons, it has nested successfully and raised one or two chicks. It hangs out in the marsh at the north end of the North Field. In most years, three to five pairs of Sandhill Cranes nest successfully at Indian Lake Estates. This year I have only seen one pair with two chicks, that family in the marsh at the south end of the South Peninsula. I am not sure if there are any other nests, but in a typical year, most nests will have hatched by late March. Some days recently I have seen old gnarly in its usual haunts and yesterday I saw it mate. Perhaps I am seeing one bird while the other is on eggs. Did they simply nest late? Time will tell.
I wish the happy couple the best.
This image was created on 23 MAR 2020 at Indian Lake Estates. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 640. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — I went with faint Zebras on the bird’s white chin: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:18am on sunny morning.
Center Zone AF-C performed perfectly.
Image #2: Sandhill Crane with deformed bill/vertical head and neck portrait
Old Gnarly, a wider view
There are lots of ways to skin a cat. Here I went vertical to create a head and neck portrait of an old friend. Me-thinks that I cooled the image down too much.
Your Favorite?
Do you like the tight horizontal or the looser vertical? Please let us know why.
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.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
Wednesday 25 MAR 2020 dawned dark and gray here at Indian Lake Estates. I plan on getting back to work on the almost finished SONY guide this afternoon now that things here are settling down (at least here at ILE). If you missed yesterday’s blog post here, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the tricolored juxtaposition image.
Things brightened up here by 9am so I headed down to the lake. With a southwest wind, I gave up on the idea of doing some flight shooting at the low Osprey nest but did make lots of (yet-to-be-edited) images of foraging Cattle Egrets from the car with the handheld SONY 200-600 and the a9 ii.
Be smart and be safe.
Today’s Entertainment
The Johnny Cash train runs on. I discovered another YouTube Johnny Cash superbly crafted retrospective gem, CMT Inside Fame: Johnny Cash 2003. While watching and listening to that one, I heard a snatch of Drive On. I did a search, found it here, and listened in awe, grateful again for drawing 356 in the first draft lottery … I am very glad that I never got to hear the men and the monkeys in the jungle scream. The complete lyrics are below.
Thanks to Ted Willcox for sharing his favorite Johnny Cash song, Flesh and Blood. I tracked that down and loved it. Discovering great Cash songs that I have never heard before is quite rewarding. The incrediblde greatness of Johnny Cash is hard to fathom.
Drive On
Johnny Cash
Well, I got a friend named Whiskey Sam
He was my boonierat buddy for a year in Nam
He said I think my country got a little off track
Took ’em twenty five years to welcome me back
But, it’s better than not comin’ back at all
Many a good men I saw fall
And even now, every time I dream I hear the men and the monkeys in the jungle scream
Drive on, it don’t mean nothin’
My children love me, but they don’t understand
And I got a woman who knows her man
Drive on, don’t mean nothin’, and don’t mean nothin’
Drive on
What I remember one night, Tex and me
Rappelled in on a hot L.Z.
We had our sixteen’s on rock and roll
And with all that fire, I was scared and cold
I was crazy, and I was wild
And I have seen the tiger smile
I spit in a bamboo viper’s face
And I’d be dead, but by God’s grace
Drive on, it don’t mean nothin’
My children love me, but they don’t understand
And I got a woman who knows her man
Drive on, it don’t mean nothin’, and don’t mean nothin’
Drive on
It was a slow walk in a sad rain
And nobody tried to be John Wayne
I came home, but Tex did not
And I can’t talk about the hit he got
But I got a little limp now when I walk
And I got a little tremolo when I talk
But my letter read from Whiskey Sam
You’re a walkin’ talkin’ miracle from Vietnam
Drive on, it don’t mean nothin’
My children love me, but they don’t understand
And I got a woman who knows her man
Drive on, it don’t mean nothin’, it don’t mean nothin’
Drive on
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The Nikon 500mm PF Lens
Steve Elkins at Bedfords asked me to let folks know that he has two of these hard-to-get-your-hands-on lenses in stock. The 500 PF was my very favorite Nikon lens. Save $50 by getting in touch with Steve as noted below.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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 10 MAR 2020 at Indian Lake Estates. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — I went with lots of Zebras on the sky: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:36am on a cloudy bright morning.
Zone AF-C was the ticket. Click on the image to enjoy a larger sharper version.
Image #1: Purple Martin female in flight
Martin Flight Photography
Wikipedia, on Purple Martins: They are known for their speed, agility, and their characteristic mix of rapid flapping and gliding flight pattern. . Martins like swifts and swallows are fast, darting, erratic flyers. Twenty minutes of trying in a neighbor’s yard left my arms fatigued and my spirit broken; I have not been back since …
One thing is for sure, strong folks with high-level hand-eye coordination and superior fine motor skills would surely do better than I do.
With SONY gear in my hands, even I have a chance; I was thrilled to get one sharp one. Heck, I was thrilled to get one in the frame!
This image was created on 10 MAR 2020 at Indian Lake Estates. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1600. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel — I went with lots of Zebras on the sky: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:36am on a cloudy bright morning.
Zone AF-C was the ticket. Click on the image to enjoy a larger sharper version.
Image #2: Purple Martin female in flight
Difference?
Can you see a difference betweeen Image #1 and Image #2? If yes, what is it? If yes, which one do you prefer?
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
I enjoyed my half-mile swim on Monday afternoon. I headed down to the lake this morning (Tuesday 24 MAR 2020) for a short photo session but did not do much. I got into the BAA Online Store, printed the outstanding orders, and figured out how to print the UPS labels!
COVID-19 News From Dr. Greg Gulbransen
Via text this afternoon from friend and skilled photographer and pediatrician Greg Gulbransen (on Long Island, NY):
46 patients tested. 22 positives. All ages from 6 weeks to teens and college-age (22) and two older folks — 63 and 67. All are doing very well and no one is needing hospital care. It is really not a childhood issue. Two asthmatic patients are doing well. The smokers are doing badly.
Today’s Entertainment
Try the Willie Nelson and Ray Charles Seven Spanish Angels duet here. Two distinctively incredible voices. If you don’t know the words to this love song, listen carefully and bring tissues. For another version and to hear Ray Charles’ comments, scroll to the 47:22 mark of the Wille Nelson retrospective here. Though I am not a huge, huge Wille Nelson fan, I enjoyed listening to the whole thing.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The Nikon 500mm PF Lens
Steve Elkins at Bedfords asked me to let folks know that he has two of these hard-to-get-your-hands-on lenses in stock. The 500 PF was my very favorite Nikon lens. Save $50 by getting in touch with Steve as noted below.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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.
Lower Center Zone AF-C was active at the moment of exposure.
Image #1: Tricolored Heron juxtaposition
The Difficulty of Creating Juxtapositions
As noted often here and elsewhere, you really need to be on your game to create pleasing juxtapositions. Most of the time, one or both subjects are moving. I had moved off the deck to a position to the right of it in an effort to get more on sun angle for the incoming Wood Storks and bird flying low over the dark green waters of the pond. A breeding plumage tricolored landing on the floating dock and walked right in front of me. The bird was completely in the shade of a large oak tree so I went for total Zebras on the background in order to come up with the right exposure for the subject. Suddenly, a second tricolored landed right behind the one I was photographing, its rear half more brightly lit. I moved Center Zone down a notch and grabbed focus ono the front bird but with both birds moving relative to one another getting a perfect juxtaposition was difficult. I finally fired off two frames.
It took some fancy stepping in Photoshop to even out the exposure on the rear half of the bird in the back. Used Tim Grey Dodge and Burn to even out the tonality but that resulted in what had been the brighter area becoming over-saturated. So I painted a Quick Mask of that area, put it on its own layer, and reduced the Saturation on that layer (Control Q) by moving the slider all the way to the left to -100%. Bingo.
Do you like Image #1? If yes, why. If not, why not?
Upper Center Zone AF-C was active at the moment of exposure.
Image #2: Tricolored Heron — head and neck portrait
Zone vs. Tracking Flexible Spot M
With tall birds in vertical frames, Upper Center Zone gives you a bit more compositional freedom while at times, sacrificing a bit of AF accuracy. On the other hand, Tracking Flexible Spot M offers greater focusing accuracy but it is more difficult to use. Mastering the use of this AF Area requires more skill and a steadier hand (even when you are working on a tripod) … The educational SONY gallery in the new guide will offer guidance on determining which AF Area is best for a variety of situations. To order your pre-publication copy now, see yesterday’s blog post here.
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.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
Everything mentioned above (except for Capture One RAW conversions) and tons more — including all of my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — is 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.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
I had a nice 1/2 mile swim on Sunday afternoon and will be headed down to the lake this morning. I was successfully able to order some hard-to-get stuff on Amazon Business, stuff that had been showing as “currently unavailable.” Those included toilet paper, Clorox bleach spray, and elderberry syrup. — another immune system booster.
The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash fans looking to kill 90 minutes of free time will enjoy the moving and revelatory YouTube offering here. Those like me who had hard-to-please Dads — most of WW II vintage — should hear what Cash had to say about his Dad beginning at the 8:36 mark. Check out the smile on Johnny’s face and the energy when he became drug-free in 1968 and got together with June Carter (at the 52:58 mark). He relapsed into drug addiction in the early-1980s. I watched this from start to finish on Monday evening. I cried a lot.
What’s your favorite Jonny Cash song? Mine — Guess Things Happen That Way — was not a big hit.
An E-mail from Craig Elson
Hey artie, I finally shot for first time this morning with my new SONY a9 ii and the 600mm f/4 GM. I just went through all the images and all that I can say is “Wow!” Your quote about the AF being “science-fiction-like” is exactly right. Every … single … frame … drop-dead sharp! Tracking Zone slayed it for flight and Tracking Flex Medium was also amazing with flying birds. I can see how the latter, as you spend more time with the system, will become the go-to AF Area in many situations.
And the best part of all? I brought my tripod and didn’t use it. Not for one minute. I handheld the rig the whole time. A 600! So, so light. And everything sharp. I’ve been smiling all day since!
I just wish I could go back and take every trip over past five years again with the Sony gear. Hmmm … maybe I will. But not quite yet 🙁
Hope you are staying safe. The last version of e-guide looked good. I found a couple of typos and well let you know on those. The content was great, especially many of the new additions.
Craig A. Elson
Instagram: @craigelsonphotography
From Fred Innamorato via e-mail
Hi Artie,
I want to thank you for making the Sony e-Guide and videos available and for the work you put into the blog as well as for your books that teach us how to photograph birds and also for your camera User’s Guides. There is just no possible way I would have been able to get my Sony a9 ii camera settings so technically correct for doing birds in flight on my own without this guide. in my opinion, Sony should pay you for taking on the task of educating their customers. Sony has created an amazing camera but they fail to explain to their customers how to take full advantage of it. I appreciate that you know and have access to some very competent people with the technical backgrounds to assist you in your field experimentation to come up with the best and most practical and useful Menu Settings for bird photography. We all will benefit from your unique ability to pull this together. I am especially happy with your instructions on how to use the Zebra Settings for getting proper exposures. I really can’t thank you enough Artie for making my bird photography hobby so much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. My photography brings me great satisfaction. Sharing quality photographs with my family and friends has generated lots of interest in my hobby and why I do it. Life is good!
I highly recommend the purchase of your Sony e-Guide and Video(s). This information is just not available anywhere else. Even from Sony …
Fred Innamorato
The Sony Camera Videos and Pre-publication e-Guide Costs and Discount Info
I recently sent aa link to the March 19 Version of the SONY e-Guide to the 31 folks who have purchased it. It will siureely be the next-to-last pre-publication version.
The cost of the SONY e-Guide is $100.00 US and will include one of the camera set-up videos — we offer one video each for the a7r iii, the a7r iv, the a9, and the a9 ii — and the written guide with the galleries. The guide is now 98% done and you will — of course, receive the final version when it is completed. I sent out the third draft today to those who have purchased the Guide with or without the discount.
Folks who have used my B&H links or purchased their SONY gear from Bedfords will receive said discount based exactly on how much they spent. If you spent more than $10,000 you will receive one free video and the e-Guide. Additional camera videos are $25.00 each. If you spent $2400, you will receive a 24% discount, and so on and so forth. And again, additional camera videos will be $25.00 each.
I will need time to verify your B&H purchases so folks will need to send their receipts and then be a bit patient. It is much easier to verify Bedfords’ purchases but I need those receipts as well.
If you have not used BAA links, please do so in the future. If that is the case and you would like the e-Guide now, please send a Paypal for $100 US to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words “SONY Pre-publication Guide” in the Paypal e-mail along with the name of your camera or cameras so that you can receive the correct video or videos. Please add $25 for each additional camera video. Be sure to send a copy of the Paypal transaction to me via e-mail.
Folks who have used BAA links to purchase their SONY gear should send their receipts to me via e-mail asap and let me know which camera videos they need. I will verify their purchases as quickly as possible and send a quote to be paid via Paypal as above.
Thanks to all who have properly used my B&H links or gone through the fabulous Steve Elkins at Bedfords, and thanks to everyone for having faith in the information that I provide, knowing that it will be the best available anywhere.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
BIRDS AS ART record low price! Price reduced $800.00 on 23 MAR 2020!
Rob Heifner is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens in mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $9,999.00 (was $10,799.00). The sale includes the original product box, the lens trunk, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, the tough front lens cover, an Aquatech soft rubber front lens cap, a Realtree Max-5 LensCoat, a Really Right Stuff dedicated lens plate (LCF-53B), 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 Rob via via e-mail or by phone at 1-281-967-9178 (Central time zone).
The 600 III is the latest Canon version of my favorite weapon of mass destruction for bird photography. With its super balance, light weight, incredible sharpness, and a five-stop Image Stabilization system, the 600 III is a technological marvel. The lens tips the scales at a relatively svelte 6.71 lb — about one ounce heavier than the SONY 600mm f/4GM OSS lens. It is a fraction under two pounds lighter than the 600 II. Thus, it is eminently hand-holdable for many folks. As this lens sells new for $12,999.00, you can save a neat $3,000.00 by being the one to grab Rob’s pretty much new lens (plus extras!) right now. This lens is super-sharp with either TC, one of the great advantages of Canon over Nikon. artie
Canon EF400mm f/4 IS DO II USM Lens
BIRDS AS ART record low price! Price reduced $500.00 on 23 MAR 2020!
Rob Heifner is offering a Canon EF 400mm DO f/4 IS II USM lens in mint condition for a BAA record-low $3499.00 (was $3999.00). The sale includes the original product box, the lens trunk, the tough front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, an Aquatech soft rubber front lens cap, Realtree Max-5 LensCoat, a RRS lens plate (LCF-52B), 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 Rob via via e-mail or by phone at 1-281-967-9178 (Central time zone).
I owned and used and loved the 400 DO II when I shot with Canon and found a way to take it on most trips. I took it to Scotland and Nickerson Beach and San Diego. It served me well as my (lighter!) big gun several Galapagos and Southern Ocean (the Falklands and South Georgia) trips. It is a killer for flight photography with or without the 1.4X III TC. It is razor-sharp with the 2X on static subjects and skilled folks have had amazing success hand holding it with the 2X III TC for flight and for action. artie
Canon Macro EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro Lens
BAA Record-low Price! Price reduced $50.00 on 23 MAR 2020!
IPT veteran Dane Johnson is offering a Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L Macro Lens in near-mint condition for the crazy low price of only $599.00. There are no scratches, scuffs, or marks of any kind on the glass, lens or hood. The only sign of age is a slight graying of the rubber on the focusing ring. The sale includes the lens, front and rear lens caps, tripod collar, Lens Hood ET-78II, Canon’s fabric Lens Case, lens case shoulder strap, original user documents, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US lower 48 addresses only. Photos are available upon request. Your lens will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Dane via e-mail or by phone at 1-559-593-0989.
The Canon 180 Macro was my mainstay macro lens for more than a decade. I loved the extra reach that it provides over the various 100mm macro lenses. And, assuming that you will be working on a tripod, the Canon EF Extender 1.4X is perfectly compatible. The lens is great for flowers, bugs, butterflies, frogs, toads, and snakes among lots more. This lens — still in production — sells new for $1,399.00. You can save a smooth $800.00 on Dane’s practically new lens. artie
Support Bedfords
Many here on the blog have purchased their camera gear from Bedfords Camera. All have received stellar service. Many in the south-central states visit one of the seven Bedford stores regularly. Many Bedfords associates know their customers on a first-name basis. Your passion has been their passion since 1974. Each shirt ordered through the link below helps an employee at a local Bedford Camera & Video store. Pre-order your shirt now. We don’t have an ETA on delivery, but our goal is to have these available in mid- to late April. Every shirt purchased will go to help one of Bedford’s 80+ employees. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local store if there’s anything you need! Orders can be placed online and be shipped directly to you. All of thee stores are working with customers for drive-thru or curbside delivery. Thank you for your support, we hope to see you in our store once things return to normal.
Sean and Steve
Sean Kaiser/Director of Business Development
Steve Elkins/Executive Vice President
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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 was photographing this and another spoonbill preening and flapping after bathing. I got into position and made a few images at 840mm with the 1.4x TC in place. Wanting to get closer optically, I removed the 1.4X, added the 2X, and created a few nice images of the closer bird flapping. I had dropped down from 1//3200 second to 1/1250 second to do the flapping bird when suddenly they both took flight right at me. I framed and acquired focus on one of the birds — I do not recall which one, and fired off about a dozen frames. Probably seven of the images were framed decently with the bird’s head in the center of the frame. Once I got the images into Capture One, I was astonished to see that most were sharp on the eye; one or two were slightly front-focused. This was not a surprise considering that long bill pointed right at the lens.
Getting 99% sharp flight shops with the 600 GM with our without the 1.4X TC and with the handheld 200-600 is one thing, getting sharp on the eye images on birds flying right at you at close range with a 1200mm focal length is another. Simply put, it is indeed hard to believe for those who have been getting sharp-on-the-feet images in this situation for years … If the shoe fits, wear it.
Capture One-12 screen capture from the unsharpened master file
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Picking Your SONY Keepers
Picking your SONY keepers in Photo Mechanic is not possible because the small embedded JPEGs cannot be enlarged enough to critically judge image sharpness. Bridge in Photoshop takes several seconds to render each RAW file for viewing — much too long for me especially considering the 20-fps frame rate of the a9 ii. Capture One, on the other hand, is fast and has the fabulous Loupe that allows users to check sharpness easily. And don’t forget that the Capture One raw conversions produce the most detailed low noise files in town. For me as a SONY user, Capture One is the only game in town.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
We decided to cut the spoonbill boat gig short by a day. We did two full days, THURS and FRI MAR 19 & 20. We enjoyed a ton of great Brown Pelican flight photography both afternoons, lots of huge am and pm White Ibis blastoffs, and few really good spoonbill flight opportunities. I drove a friend to the airport early on Saturday morning. MCO was pretty much desolate.
As there were very few cases of coronavirus in Polk County, I decided to get myself as protected as possible and do some shopping sooner rather than later so that I could hole up alone (self-isolate) at my home in Indian Lake Estates. So that is what I did. The story is continued below.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Support Bedfords
Many here on the blog have purchased their camera gear from Bedfords Camera. All have received stellar service. Many in the south-central states visit one of the seven Bedford stores regularly. Many Bedfords associates know their customers on a first-name basis. Your passion has been their passion since 1974. Each shirt ordered through the link below helps an employee at a local Bedford Camera & Video store. Pre-order your shirt now. We don’t have an ETA on delivery, but our goal is to have these available in mid- to late April. Every shirt purchased will go to help one of Bedford’s 80+ employees. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local store if there’s anything you need! Orders can be placed online and be shipped directly to you. All of thee stores are working with customers for drive-thru or curbside delivery. Thank you for your support, we hope to see you in our store once things return to normal.
Sean and Steve
Sean Kaiser/Director of Business Development
Steve Elkins/Executive Vice President
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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.
artie dressed for shopping
BIRDS AS ART and COVID-19 and You
In order to self-isolate, I spoke with my two employees — right-hand man Jim Litzenberg and older daughter Jennifer Morris — and informed them that they would be getting a paid vacation for as long as it takes for things to return to normal. When I went shopping yesterday, I wore a single rubber exam glove on my right hand and kept my left hand in my pocket. I grabbed my items and pushed my cart with my right hand and used my left hand to pay with my credit card and open my vehicle when I was done. I discovered a gray headband in my car that I used to cover my nose and mouth (as seen in the image above). Note: The CDC states, If you are NOT sick: You do not need to wear a facemask unless you are caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a facemask). They also say this under Know How it Spreads: Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). Via (sic) respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.. Now I am no doctor but it seems that wearing some sort of face mask would offer at least some protection should you get sneezed on by an infected person … So I opted for the headband-mask and looked a bit dumb.
I saw many dozens of folks in two different Publix supermarkets shopping while conducting business as usual — many with total disregard for social distancing and all but one other person wearing gloves touching cart handles and goods with impunity. What really struck me as odd was seeing couples shopping with their kids — from infants to teenagers — in tow. You might think that having one parent stay at home with the kids while the other shopped would greatly minimize exposure. That especially true because it seems quite likely that folks can have the virus, be asymptomatic and feeling great, all the while infecting others.
When I got home, I gloved both hands and got all the bags out of the car. Then still wearing the gloves mixed one cup of bleach with 16 cups of water, grabbed a hand towel, removed all of my items, discarded the plastic bags, and then wiped each item with a wet cloth soaked in the diluted bleach solution. We are advised to let the items dry rather than drying them with a clean cloth. After a few minutes, I removed my gloves and put each item away. Then I put the gloves back on and wiped down all the counters. Since Jim had been here recently, I went through the house and wiped down all the light switches, doorknobs, desktops, countertops, phones, and computer mouses — it seems strange to type computer “mice.” The I put all of my clothes in the washing machine, added a touch of bleach, and used hot water. Note that the CDC recommends a much more diluted bleach solution be used to disinfect: 1/3rd cup bleach per gallon of water.
I canceled the DeSoto Spring IPT with full refunds. On Monday, with Jim’s phone help, I will try to get into the BAA Online Store and fill any orders. If you have placed an order please shoot me an e-mail with your confirmation e-mail showing your order and I will do my best to get it filled as soon as possible. I plan on heading down to the lake once or twice a day to do some photography, swimming every day, and doing some extra blogging to give others who are self-isolating something to do. Coming tomorrow: 1200mm down-the-lens-barrel Roseate Spoonbill Flight Insanity.
Please, please, pretty please start taking COVID-19 seriously if you have not done so already.
Early predictions are that coronavirus might spread to as many as 50 or 60% of the approximately 331,000,000 million Americans. Some suggest infection rates as high as 40-80% in densely populated US cities. A major factor is that it seems that the virus can live on a surface for a long as 48 hours, and possibly for a lot longer than that. It is entirely possible that we ain’t seen nothin’ yet … The good news is that about 80% of those infected will have mild symptoms. For a different take on things, you might find the STAT First Opinion piece here an interesting read. This op-ed piece is written by John P.A. Ioannidis, professor of medicine, of epidemiology and population health, of biomedical data science, and of statistics at Stanford University and co-director of Stanford’s Meta-Research Innovation Center. Be sure to read all the comments, many of which trash the article and the author. Me? I am not so sure and am hoping that Ioannidis is more correct than not.
Don’t Forget
Washing your hands often with plain old soap is highly recommended.
Your Immune System
Folks interested in strengthening their immune system can consider the following protocol:
Take daily:
2,000mg Vitamin C — the liposomal form is preferable.
5,000 units Vitamin D3
10,000 units Vitamin A
15mg Zinc
I began the protocol above today, Sunday 22 MAR 2020.
At the first sign of viral infection, to turbocharge your immune system, take:
DAY 1: 50,000 units Vitamin D3, 150,000 units Vitamin A.
DAY 2: 35,000 units Vitamin D3, 100,000 units Vitamin A.
On DAY 3, if feeling better, repeat day 2; if not, repeat day 1
On DAY 1 take 15,000mg Vitamin C — the liposomal form is preferable. Follow that with 7,500mg each day thereafter for 10 days — the Chinese experience found this to be helpful.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
DAY 1 on the spoonbill boat was fair at best. In the morning, we had a very few good chances despite perfect conditions — lovely early light, low tide, and an east wind. In the afternoon we enjoyed the wind shift to the southwest, lots of flying Brown Pelicans (many carrying and landing with nesting material), and some pretty neat White Ibis blastoffs. We head back out this morning, Friday 20 MAR 2020.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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 1 MAR 2020, the last day of the 1st Homer IPT. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 312mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1250. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 2:25pm on a cloudy afternoon.
Wide AF-C performed surprisingly well. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #1: Northwestern Crow on snow, the original version
Comments are Always Appreciated
In the What Kind of Nut Photographs Crows on a Mega-Epic Bald Eagle Trip? And Getting the Right Exposure for Black Birds on Snow in Soft Light blog post here, Steve left this comment:
Regarding today’s shot of the crow — the snow behind the bird looks like featureless white, and the bird itself is a dark charcoal-gray rather than black. You don’t think it’s a bit overexposed?
First off Steve, thanks for leaving the comment. All are appreciated. Apologies for not responding sooner but I had a plan for today’s blog post feature and needed a bit of time to execute it.
With regards to the snow, snow, in soft light will rarely show any detail. While it is often possible to pull out some detail using NIK Color EFEX Pro Detail Extractor, even fresh soft snow will wind up looking a bit crunchy. In most cases, I want to avoid that. In addition, I love the detail-less, white background studio-look. Call that artistic license if you would.
With regards to the tonality of the crow, it is very possible that in an effort to reveal detail in the darkest feathers I went a bit too far. That said, interpretations may vary widely due to personal tastes and differences in monitor brightness and viewing conditions. The latter includes the level of ambient light that falls on the monitor being used to view the image … Please scroll down to see a much blacker version.
This image was created on 1 MAR 2020, the last day of the 1st Homer IPT. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 312mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 1250. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 2:25pm on a cloudy afternoon.
Wide AF-C performed surprisingly well. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #2: Northwestern Crow on snow, a blacker version
The Blacker Crow
There are lots of options for making a crow’s feathers darker. I used just a bit of three different methods to come up with Image #2, the blacker version (immediately above). First, working on a separate layer, I pulled the Curve down. The darkened the bird and the snow a bit. Next, again working on a separate layer, I ran Image > Adjust > Auto Color and reduced the opacity to about 15%. This darkened the BLACKs and the MIDTONEs and lightened the snow. The last step was to add a layer of Selective Color, go to the BLACK and the NEUTRAL channels, and add 2-3 points of BLACK.
The breast of the bird in Image #2 looks a bit too BLACK for me with no detail at all. Perhaps the perfect version of this image lies somewhere between the two presented here today.
What Do You Think?
What do you think? Please be so kind as to share your thoughts on the two versions of Northwestern Crow in Snow by leaving a comment.
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.
The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
All the techniques mentioned above and tons more — 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.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
I have added a box of disposable lightweight rubber exam gloves to my coronavirus protection kit; be sure not to touch your face with the gloves on and be sure to turn them inside out and discard theem after each use. I was quite surprised that my local pharmacy had plenty in stock. Be careful, be safe, and stay healthy.
On Monday afternoon I photographed at the Brandon rookery. With a north wind right in my face and the sun behind me, photography was very tough. But I made two very nice images. On Sunday morning DeSoto was great with lots of tern flight, three dark morph Reddish Egrets — one more beautiful than the next, and several big shorebird flocks. I headed back to Brandon on Tuesday afternoon and was glad that the wind switched from north to south at about 5pm. Again, I made two very nice images.
On Wednesday morning DeSoto was beyond spectacular. I am pretty sure that I created no less than 20 family-jewels type images. There were lots of bathing Royal Terns and Laughing Gulls and endless opps with incoming terns in flight. Then a huge Snowy Egret/Red-breasted Merganser feeding spree. As icing on the cake, the gorgeous dark morph Reddish Egret landed right in front of us while the light was still very sweet. I was off the beach before 9:00am. And yikes, I forgot to mention that I had one really good flight chance with a Caspian Tern and did not fan on it …
Please Take a Moment …
in the last blog post here, I wrote, Please take a moment and let us know your choices for the two strongest images and the two weakest images along with your reasons. Only four folks responded (and one was my sister). I’d love to hear your thoughts.
IPT Udpates
You can access the full listings and all IPT details here.
The 2020 Fort DeSoto Spring Sandbar Secrets IPT/April 22 through the morning session on April 25, 2020. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1499.00. Limit 8/Openings: 6.
The Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPTs:
IPT #1: SAT 20 FEB 2021 through the full day on THURS 25 FEB MAR 1, 2021. Six full days: $5499.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
IPT #2: SAT 27 FEB 2021 through the full day on WED 3 MAR 2021. Five full days: $4599.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4
The 2020 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — MAR 19 thru the morning session 22 MAR 2020: $2599.00. Sold out.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 5.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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 8+ image. See The iPhone Photography e-Guide by Dr. Cliff Oliver here (in the BAA Online Store).
Image #1: The difficult-to-photograph Wood Stork rookery
A Hard Place to Shoot
The problems at the Brandon Rookery are myriad:
1- From the deck, your line of sight is often blocked.
2- There are too many Wood Stork nests too close together.
3- As the light gets sweeter late in the day, much of the colony is shaded.
4- Cluttered backgrounds predominate.
5- North or east winds make things very difficult.
6- Working left of the deck opens up sight-lines but creates light angle problems on sunny afternoons.
Center Zone AF-C was active at the moment of exposure. As per RawDigger, the area of sharpest focus was on the leaf just behind and below the stork’s eye. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Wood Stork with nesting material/tight flight
Anticipating Situations
With wind against sun on Monday afternoon, flight photography was difficult at best. The key was watching the birds and noting their flight patterns; the trick with wind against sun is to find the odd bird that is flying toward you (however briefly). I was able to do just that with Image #2. I was, however, quite lucky in that the leaves did not obstruct the stork’s face as they often do.
Upper Center ZONE AF-C was active at the moment of exposure.
Image 3: Great Egret displaying
Great Egret Displaying
Creating this image required a lot of work in the field and during the post-processing as well. In the field, it took me quite a while to find the perfect perspective, one that minimized the large foreground twigs and thhe tops of the heads of serval Wood Storks and provided a distant, relatively distraction-free background. In addition, choosing the right focal length required some thought. Working in vertical format, I settled on 1200mm; that required very careful side-to-side framing to avoid clipping the breeding aigrettes. The last piece to the puzzle was using the best SONY AF Area option. I started with Tracking Flexible Spot (M) but that failed miserably as it could not see enough of the bird’s face to hold focus. My efforts with Tracking Zone proved equally futile. So I switch to Upper Center Zone and did not half-press the shutter button until the bird began to raise its head. Bingo!
I had two major problems in post: removing several large twigs (some of which merged with the erect breeding plumes) and losing some distracting background elements. For the former, I worked very large and employed all of my tricks: the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, the Clone Stamp Tool (often as part of Divide and Conquer), Content-Aware Fill, and a single Quick Mask warped and refined by a Regular Layer Mask. For the background, I used Content-Aware Fill to eliminate several large very dark areas and then cleaned and smoothed things up on a new layer by running at 60-pixel Gaussian Blur, adding a Hide-All Mask, hitting B/D, and painting in the blur as needed with a large, soft 50% opacity brush being sure to stay well away from the bird.
Center ZONE AF-C was active at the moment of exposure.
Image #4: Wood Stork braking to land
The a9 ii and Flight Photography at 1200mm with a Relatively Low Shutter Speed: Astounding
The more I use my two a9 ii bodies the more I love then and the more I am astounded. Though I was concentrating on the u-shaped gap between the two sections of the
colony I did not see this bird heading back to its nest until the last second. I wheeled the lens, acquired focus instantly, and was shocked on my laptop when the image was sharp on the eye. I did clip two primary tips on the bird’s right wing so I added canvas using Content-Aware Fill. That did a perfect job with the smaller missing wingtip but not with the longest feather. That one needed a rotated and warped Quick Mask to come up with a halfway decent result. The background for this image got the same treatment as detailed for Image #3 above. Again, all (plus tons more) as detailed in 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. See also the techniques detailed in APTATS I & II.
Image Question
Do you like the greeting committee of one or would you have evicted the head of the stork in the lower-left corner?. Either way, why?
Center Zone AF-C was active at the moment of exposure.
Image #5: Great Egret isolated in flight-fight
Lucky, Lucky, Lucky!
This is one of the two birds paired at the nest seen in Image #3. I was on the lover’s quarrel right from the get-go but at 840mm had zero chances of getting both birds in the frame. I stayed on the birds until they broke apart and by luck, picked the right one as they split up. One bird flew back to the nest while the other screamed back at it in protest. Center Zone for flight and action rocks even at 840!
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.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who regularly visit the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
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 :).
I am hoping that everyone is staying safe and in good health.
As seemed likely, the Georgia Nature Photographers Association Annual Expo Conference at Villas by The Sea Resort & Conference Center, Jekyll Island, GA has been canceled.
I am heading over to Fort DeSoto today for two days of photography and following that up with three days on the Hooptie Deux for spoonbills and more.
Please Take a Moment …
Please take a moment and let us know your choices for the two strongest images and the two weakest images along with your reasons. All it all, it turned out to be a pretty productive day at Gatorland.
From Fred Innamorato via e-mail
Hi Artie,
I want to thank you for making the Sony e-Guide and videos available and for the work you put into the blog as well as for your books that teach us how to photograph birds and also for your camera User’s Guides. There is just no possible way I would have been able to get my Sony a9 ii camera settings so technically correct for doing birds in flight on my own without this guide. in my opinion, Sony should pay you for taking on the task of educating their customers. Sony has created an amazing camera but they fail to explain to their customers how to take full advantage of it. I appreciate that you know and have access to some very competent people with the technical backgrounds to assist you in your field experimentation to come up with the best and most practical and useful Menu Settings for bird photography. We all will benefit from your unique ability to pull this together. I am especially happy with your instructions on how to use the Zebra Settings for getting proper exposures. I really can’t thank you enough Artie for making my bird photography hobby so much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. My photography brings me great satisfaction. Sharing quality photographs with my family and friends has generated lots of interest in my hobby and why I do it. Life is good!
I highly recommend the purchase of your Sony e-Guide and Video(s). This information is just not available anywhere else. Even from Sony …
Fred Innamorato
The Sony Camera Videos and Pre-publication e-Guide Costs and Discount Info
The cost of the SONY e-Guide is $100.00 US and will include one of the camera set-up videos — we offer one video each for the a7r iii, the a7r iv, the a9, and the a9 ii — and the written guide with the galleries. The guide is now 98% done and you will — of course, receive the final version when it is completed. I sent out the third draft today to those who have purchased the Guide with or without the discount.
Folks who have used my B&H links or purchased their SONY gear from Bedfords will receive said discount based exactly on how much they spent. If you spent more than $10,000 you will receive one free video and the e-Guide. Additional camera videos are $25.00 each. If you spent $2400, you will receive a 24% discount, and so on and so forth. And again, additional camera videos will be $25.00 each.
I will need time to verify your B&H purchases so folks will need to send their receipts and then be a bit patient. It is much easier to verify Bedfords’ purchases but I need those receipts as well.
If you have not used BAA links, please do so in the future. If that is the case and you would like the e-Guide now, please send a Paypal for $100 US to birdsasart@verizon.net and be sure to include the words “SONY Pre-publication Guide” in the Paypal e-mail along with the name of your camera or cameras so that you can receive the correct video or videos. Please add $25 for each additional camera video. Be sure to send a copy of the Paypal transaction to me via e-mail.
Folks who have used BAA links to purchase their SONY gear should send their receipts to me via e-mail asap and let me know which camera videos they need. I will verify their purchases as quickly as possible and send a quote to be paid via Paypal as above.
Thanks to all who have properly used my B&H links or gone through the fabulous Steve Elkins at Bedfords, and thanks to everyone for having faith in the information that I provide, knowing that it will be the best available anywhere.
IPT Udpates
You can access the full listings and all IPT details here.
The 2020 Fort DeSoto Spring Sandbar Secrets IPT/April 22 through the morning session on April 25, 2020. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1499.00. Limit 8/Openings: 6.
The Greatest-ever Bald Eagle Experience IPTs:
IPT #1: SAT 20 FEB 2021 through the full day on THURS 25 FEB MAR 1, 2021. Six full days: $5499.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
IPT #2: SAT 27 FEB 2021 through the full day on WED 3 MAR 2021. Five full days: $4599.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 4
The 2020 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — MAR 19 thru the morning session 22 MAR 2020: $2599.00. Sold out.
The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Archipelago Photographic Experience. August 17-31, 2021 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,999.00. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 5.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase over $1000.00, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your 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. Those include the SONY a7r IV, the SONY 200-600, the SONY 600mm f/4 GM, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is 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. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Anhinga dawn silhouette
Better Late …
I was late leaving ILE and got to watch a spectacular eastern sky from seven to seven-fifteen am :). For those with a Photographer’s Pass, Gatorland opens at 7:00am. I arrived at about 7:30 🙁 But with a few clouds on the eastern horizon, I managed a single nice silhouette.
With the number of nests down 90% and the number of birds down even more, it took some effort to find a few decent situations in these worst of times. Me-thinks that I did OK.
Tracking Zone AF-C. The point of sharpest focus is on the spot where the forehead meets the base of the upper mandible. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Tricolored Heron displaying
Spiffy
On my walk-in, I noted several quite spiffy Tricolored Herons. I was lucky to find one in a decent spot with a decent background and began by creating some nice horizontal head portraits. When the bird began displaying, I went to vertical, clipped the crest on the first two, re-composed and got two with the bird’s bill pointing straight up but turned slightly away. As it ended the display and began to lower its head I got lucky as the bird turned its head toward me. Image #2 waas th result of my good fortune.
This image was also created on March 14, 2020 at Gatorland. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 565mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel (I went with lots of Zebras on the backlit white crest): 1/640 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:49am on a sunny morning.
Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #3: Tricolored Heron backlit
Backlit
With very few front-lit subjects on the west side of the Swamp Boardwalk, I began searching for backlit subjects and was lucky to find two nice ones, this tricolored and the Great Egret immediately below. The trick with backlit subjects is generally to be able to come up with a dark background; sky backgrounds for strongly backlit subjects. For both images, one of the great tips from The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide enabled me to do just that.
This image was created on March 14, 2020 at Gatorland. I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel (I went with lots of Zebras on the brightest sunlit WHITEs): 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:52am on a sunny morning.
Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #4: Great Egret backlit preening
Flash for Backlit Subjects
In the process of creating the two backlit images here, I realized that using flash at zero or +1 in such situations is a big plus. You can lowerr the ambient exposure while allowing the flash to light the shaded side of the subject. In addition, it is much easier to come up with a pleasing and natural color balance. Doing that with Image # 3 required lots of fancy stepping during post-processing.
Exposure Question
Why did I aim to over-expose the brightest highlights in Images #3 and #4?
This image was also created on March 14, 2020 at Gatorland. I used the handheld Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens (at 400mm) with the 61MP monster, the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital camera body ISO 1600. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel (I went with faint Zebras on the highlights): 1/125 sec. at f/16 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:09am in the shade of a shelter a sunny morning.
Flexible Spot (S) AF-C. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #5: Great Egret aigrettes on back
The Right Tool for the Job
Neither the 600/1.4X TC/a7r iv combo or the 2-6/a9 ii rig would have worked for Image #5. I went to the 100-400 for its great close-focus that allowed me to fill the frame with feathers. Remember, you want to go for additional depth-of-field (f/16 here) when you are working at close range.
This image was also created on March 14, 2020 at Gatorland. Again I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by calculation with with ISO on the rear wheel. 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:24am on a sunny morning.
Zone AF-C performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #6: Anhinga male landing in tall tree
Exposure on the Fly
I had been hoping to photograph an incoming Great Egret or a stick-gathering Snowy Egret in flight so I was set up at ISO 400: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 (the equivalent of the oft-recommended ISO 400, 1/2000 sec. at f/8 for bright whites in full sun). When I saw this pretty much black subject flying in, I spun the Control Wheel three clicks clockwise to increase the ISO from 400 to 800 thus doubling the exposure.
I have long loved situations where the subject is in the shade and the background is in full sun. Here the parrot was in the shade of its own personal shelter and the background — actually light-toned vegetation — was in full sun. I made sure to go to total Zebra’s on the background to ensure a correct exposure for the subject. The “over-exposed” background was easily recovered using the Highlight slide in Capture One.
This image was also created on March 14, 2020 at Gatorland. Again I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by calculation with with ISO on the rear wheel. 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:57am on a sunny morning.
Tracking Flexible Spot (M) AF-C performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #8: Great Egret head portrait with dead-tree branches background
This image was also created on March 14, 2020 at Gatorland. Again I used the handheld Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 800. Exposure determined by calculation with with ISO on the rear wheel. ISO 400: 1/250 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. AWB at 10:05am on a sunny morning.
Flexible Spot (S) AF-C performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
Image #9: Fern backlit
Good Images are Where You See Them
As I have explained here often, and especially in the original The Art of Bird Photography, after years of using long telephoto lenses for years I began to view the world in small rectangular boxes. So when I see snatches of light or color or anything else that I find of interest, it is not a big step from there to envision a strong image …
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.
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Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
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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 seems to me that the number of nesting pairs of wading birds along the swamp boardwalk at Gatorland is down 90% from the worst season in recent memory — last season. There are less than a dozen Great Egret nests — several with eggs and one with two fairly large chicks. I noted a grand total of one Snowy Egret nest. The Wood Storks in the big tree opposite the tower seemed to be holding their own but there were no other stork nests across the moat. There were half a dozen spiffy Tricolored Herons flitting about but few other wading birds were present including zero Cattle Egrets and a single fly-by Little Blue Heron. That said, there were a few good photographic opportunities for those willing to see and think outside the box.
Coronavirus Prevention Tips From a Non-Doctor
Yes, we should avoid large crowds. And yes, we should do everything possible to boost our immune systems. And yes, for sure, the best way to contract the coronavirus is to get sneezed upon at close range by someone who is carrying the virus or is currently infected. One of the first lessons that I learned when I began working with Dr. Cliff Oliver nearly 25 years ago is that viruses and bacteria are often spread by touch, and then by self-inoculation. First, you touch a surface that has been touched by an infected person, and then we — all humans — touch our eyes, our noses, or our lips or mouthes involuntarily dozens of times each hour thus transmitting the disease to ourselves.
My suggestion is that when you do go out in public that you touch as few things as possible and that when you do touch something, you do so with a paper towel, a tissue, or a plastic bag protecting your hands. Understand that whatever you are using needs to be discarded and replaced lest the infectious agent live on in your pocket. Open doors with your shoulders. Replace handshakes with elbow bumps. And be sure to take great care when using public bathrooms. Lastly, when you do wash your hands, use soap and warm water for a least twenty seconds.
When I went into Publix yesterday to pick up a few essentials I grabbed one of the conveniently provided long, skinny plastic “wet umbrella” bags and used it to cover the push bar on my cart. The above, for what it’s worth …
Canon Used Gear Bargains
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM Lens
BIRDS AS ART record low price!
Rob Heifner is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens in mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $10,799.00. The sale includes the original product box, the lens trunk, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, the tough front lens cover, an Aquatech soft rubber front lens cap, a Realtree Max-5 LensCoat, a Really Right Stuff dedicated lens plate (LCF-53B), 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 Rob via via e-mail or by phone at 1-281-967-9178 (Central time zone).
The 600 III is the latest Canon version of my favorite weapon of mass destruction for bird photography. With its super balance, light weight, incredible sharpness, and a five-stop Image Stabilization system, the 600 III is a technological marvel. The lens tips the scales at a relatively svelte 6.71 lb — about one ounce heavier than the SONY 600mm f/4GM OSS lens. It is a fraction under two pounds lighter than the 600 II. Thus, it is eminently hand-holdable for many folks. As this lens sells new for $12,999.00, you can save a neat $2,200.00 by being the one to grab Rob’s pretty much new lens (plus extras!) right now. This lens is super-sharp with either TC, one of the great advantages of Canon over Nikon. artie
Canon EF400mm f/4 IS DO II USM Lens
BIRDS AS ART record low price!
Rob Heifner is offering a Canon EF 400mm DO f/4 IS II USM lens in mint condition for a BAA record-low $3999.00. The sale includes the original product box, the lens trunk, the tough front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens strap, an Aquatech soft rubber front lens cap, Realtree Max-5 LensCoat, a RRS lens plate (LCF-52B), 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 Rob via via e-mail or by phone at 1-281-967-9178 (Central time zone).
I owned and used and loved the 400 DO II when I shot with Canon and found a way to take it on most trips. I took it to Scotland and Nickerson Beach and San Diego. It served me well as my (lighter!) big gun several Galapagos and Southern Ocean (the Falklands and South Georgia) trips. It is a killer for flight photography with or without the 1.4X III TC. It is razor-sharp with the 2X on static subjects and skilled folks have had amazing success hand holding it with the 2X III TC for flight and for action. artie
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
Sold First Day of Listing
Kevin Spencer is offering a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II body in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $2,699.00. The body has only 25,914 shutter clicks. The camera was cleaned and checked by CPS on 2-20-20 and the firmware was updated as well. The sale includes the front lens cover, the strap, the CDs, cables and manuals, the original product box, one extra battery with the charger, 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 Kevin via e-mail or by phone at 1-410.984.3361 (Eastern time zone).
The EOS-1DX Mark II is Canon’s flagship professional camera body. I made many fine images with mine. It is rugged and fast and featured Canon’s best AF system for years. The 1DX II sells new for $5499.00 so you can save a very cool $2800.00 by grabbing Kevin’s camera right now. artie
Canon 800mm f/5.6L ISUSM Lens/with extras!
BAA Record-low Price!
Kevin Spencer is offering a Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $6,799.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk and key, the original tough front lens cover, a Real Tree LensCoat, drop-in polarizing filter (PL-C52), and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. The lens was cleaned and checked by CPS on 2-12-20. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Kevin via e-mail or by phone at 1-410.984.3361 (Eastern time zone).
I used this lens, often with a 1.4X TC, as my main super-telephoto lens for close to five years. It is a superb lens that offers lots of reach for those working with birds that are skittish. It is great from the car. I was astounded that about 15 of the 67 images in the San Diego exhibit (and in the 100 Best CD as well) were created with my 800. I missed it terribly for years. As the lens sells new at B&H for $12,999, Kevin’s lens is a superb buy; grab it now and save a very sweet $6200.00! artie
Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4X Extender with Extras!
$1000.00 Price Drop on 11 MAAR 2020!
Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master is offering a Canon 200-400 f/4L IS USM lens with internal 1.4X Extender in excellent condition for $4,999.00 (was $5999.00). The lens has very minor nicks and other blemishes on the finish and the lens foot. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the front lens cover, an Aquatech SoftCap, a Realtree Max4 LensCoat, an Arca-Swiss lens plate, the lens strap, the lens trunk, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Photos are available upon request. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Larry via e-mail or by phone at 1-518-645-1545 (Eastern time zone).
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. And I used mine a lot at Bosque and other dusty places where the built-in TC helps to keep your sensor clean. And I love it in the Palouse for its versatility. At one point, I found myself wishing that I had taken the 200-400 rather than my 500 II on the Bear Boat Cubs IPT. Many nature photographers use this lens as their workhorse telephoto as it offers 784mm at f/8 with an external 1.4X TC added. The lens sells new at B&H right now for $10,999; can save an amazing $6000.00 by grabbing Larry’s excellent lens along with all the great extras right now. artie
