Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up

On Friday morning I headed to Circle Bar B Preserve in hopes of creating some pleasing blurs. I arrived way before sunrise but — on a completely windless morning — was quickly driven back to my vehicle by swarms of angry, biting mosquitoes. My next stop was Lakeland where there were still hordes of White Pelicans. They should be heading north quite soon. The light was sweet and the photography was excellent.

The next stop was Fields Auto Group where I arranged to lease rather than buy my new vehicle. Then home for a nap and a quick swim.

As I type this morning, Saturday 14 MAR 2020, I am on my way to Gatorland which at present, remains open while all Disney and Universal theme parks in central Florida are closed …

Circle Bar B, Gatorland, and Lakeland are among the many great central Florida bird photography hotspots covered in The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide. See the details below.

GNPA Programs

I was all set to announce that I am scheduled to be presenting at the Georgia Nature Photographers Association Annual Expo Conference at Villas by The Sea Resort & Conference Center, Jekyll Island, GA. They were putting me to work big time. But when I got online this morning, I learned that the even will likely be canceled. C’est la vie.

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.

Homer IPT Kudos from Greg Ferguson via e-mail

I received this e-mail this morning from multiple IPT veteran Greg Ferguson. It was his second trip to Homer with me.

Artie, you really knocked the ball out of the park on the recent Homer IPT. I had high hopes before I arrived; you exceeded my expectations in every area. I wanted to get my new Sony A9II set up and we did that even before we left the dock the first morning. It seemed that we had better and better opportunities every day after that. I also appreciated your announcing aloud why and how you were changing your settings, effectively thinking out loud, As we went through the week we shot eagles flying, banking, backlit silhouettes, and perched head shots. We shot eagles flying, in trees, on snow, on rocks, and on ice. We got all that and more. Thanks so much for the amazing journey! I had a blast.

Greg Ferguson

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.

Another SONY 600 GM Available

Steve Elkins asked me to let everyone know that he has another Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens in stock right now with your name on it. His contact info is below. Grab the 600 GM right now and you earn a free copy of the new Sony e-Guide and Video.

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 13 MAR 2020. I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and the blazing fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 400. Exposure determined by Zebras: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:14am on in on a sunny morning. Tracking Flexible Spot M AF-C was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version. American White Pelican juxtaposition

To Isolate or Not to Isolate? That is the Question.

When I work in Lakeland, I set up and use the 600 GM with the 1.4X TC and keep thee 200-600 with an a9 ii on my shoulder via a Black Rapid Curve Breathe Strap. I usually go with the a7r iv on the big glass but yesterday I used my second a9 ii on the 60omm in hopes that with the nice east wind I would have some good flight opportunities but they never came to pass. Next time.

The more that I work with Tracking Flexible Spot M (or S) and practice using it, the more proficient I become. When mastered, it is is an incredible feature that enables you to create perfect image designs without once ever having to move the AF point around … Learn how to use it correctly and your compositions will improve dramatically. I am getting there.

I work at 840mm at Lake to make isolating these relatively large, relatively tame subjects easy. I made dozens of head and bill portraits — both horizontals and verticals depending on the bird’s posture — with a variety of gorgeous backgrounds. But this one with the second bird placed perfectly in the lower-left corner was my favorite image of the day. Placing the main subject in the upper right corner without having to switch the AF point was done using Tracking Flexible Spot M!

So while clean, tight, and graphic is usually my preferred style, there are times when sublime juxtapositions are the way to go.

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

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide

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

Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

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

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

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

You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

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 :).

What’s Up?

I did well on my flights home. Door to door the journey took 25 hours as we left the hotel at 7am Alaska time and arrived at ILE at exactly 12 noon on Monday. I was able to sleep about 3 1/2 hours on the Seattle to Atlanta leg and another 45 minutes on the flight to Orlando. With last-minute aircraft and gate changes in ATL, one of my two checked bags did not make my Delta flight to MCO. It was delivered to my home at about 8pm the same day. I got into the pool on Monday afternoon and did a slow and chilly half-mile. And I slept well in my own bed on Monday and Tuesday nights. On Tuesday, I got a ton of work done on the Sony Camera e-Guide and Camera User’s Videos project. After eating too well and too much in Homer, I had gained 1 1/2 pounds. Today is Wednesday 11 MAR 2020 and I will continue working on the SONY e-Guide.

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.

Another SONY 600 GM Available

Steve Elkins asked me to let everyone know that he has a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens in stock right now with your name on it. His contact info is below. Grab the 600 GM right now and you earn a free copy of the new Sony e-Guide and Video.

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.

On Selling Used Canon Gear

Craig Elson recently enlisted my help in selling his Canon gear while in the process of switching to SONY. I was glad to learn of the recent sales of his Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $5496.00 (was $5,996.00), a Canon 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for $5001.00 (was $5,299.00), a Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4X Extender in very good condition for a BAA record-low-by-far price of $4750.00 (was $5,699.00), and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with 14,004 actuations in excellent plus condition for $3,000.00 (was $3,299.00), all in late FEB/early MAR 2020.

Over a period of three-weeks, Craig sold the following items: a Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens, the Canon 500mm f/4L IS II lens, the Canon 200-400mm f/4 L IS with Internal Extender lens, a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II dSLR, his Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO II lens, the Canon 300mm f/4 L IS lens, a Canon Extender 1.4X III, a Canon Extender 2X III, a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, and a Canon EOS 7D Mark II. These items were originally listed for $26,938.00. After reducing the prices on all of the higher-ticket items, the entire gear bag brought in $25,488.00. He sent us a commission check for $1,346.90. That left him with $24,141.10 in his pocket. The B&H offer for the entire lot was $17,540.00. And my understanding is that when they get your stuff they almost always downgrade the condition and reduce their offer. IAC, Craig wound up with $6,601.10 (less a few hundred for his shipping costs) more in his pocket than if he would have garnered if he sold the stuff to B&H …

The Moral of the Story

The moral of the story for folks selling used Canon gear in the present market is that they should price it to sell asap because the prices are only going one way: down.

Big Price Reductions

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

Brand-new-in-the box/Incredible Low Price!
$600.00 Price Drop: 10 MAR 2020

Anthony Sakal is offering a brand-new-in-the-box Canon EOS-1D X Mark II body for an incredibly low price of $3099.00 (was $3,699.00). The camera is still in the unopened box along with everything that comes with a new camera. Why? Because it is brand-new! The sale includes insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Anthony via e-mail or by phone at at 1-516 902-6997) (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 features Canon’s best AF system. The 1DX II sells new for $5499.00 so you can save a very cool $2,400.00 by grabbing Anthony’s new-in-the-box camera body. artie

Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4X Extender with Extras!

$1000.00 Price Drop on 11 MAR 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

What’s Up?

After a fantastic beginning, it is difficult to believe that the opportunities to create great Bald Eagle images have continued to be varied and excellent. We are delaying our sailing today in hopes of getting some images of perched and flying eagles in the falling snow predicted for this afternoon. Today, Saturday 7 MAR 2020 will make fourteen out of fifteen days of traveling by boat to Kachemak Bay to photograph our national symbol. As Scott Van Pelt might say, it is day 15 and I am not tired yet. In fact, I am as energized and excited about going out today as I was on day one.

I was glad to learn that Craig Elson, after following my pricing advice, made deals with prospective buyers and was able to finalize the sale of three high=-dollar Canon items by further reducing his already low prices he sold his Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $5496.00 (was $5,996.00), a Canon 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for $5001.00 (was $5,299.00), and a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with 14,004 actuations in excellent plus condition for $3,000.00 all in early March 2020.
Rob Heifner sold his Canon EOS-1D X Mark II in mint condition (<29,000 Shutter Actuations) plus a mint condition Canon Speedlite 580EXII (with the original soft case) for an incredibly low $2799.00, all on the first day of listing in early MAR 2020. With Canon prices tanking, my advice is to sell your Canon gear at almost any price ASAP ...

Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4X Extender

$800.00 price drop on 7 MAR 2020: BAA Record-low Price by far!.

Craig Elson is offering a Canon 200-400 f/4L IS USM lens in very good condition for a BAA record-low-by-far/shock the world price of $4899.00 (was $5,699.00). Other than some paint blemishes, the lens is in great condition. The glass is in mint condition and it has been cleaned and checked by CPS. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens hood, the lens strap, the original lens foot, a 4th Generation replacement foot, RealTree Lenscoat covering, the original product box, manual and warranty card, 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 Craig via e-mail or by phone at 1-704-904-7953 (Pacific 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 so you save a substantial $5300.00 by grabbing Craig’s lens today. artie

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.

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.

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

The 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 photographers/7 openings

An inexpensive add-on day is available.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for breeding terns and gulls and wading birds in spring. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography.

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

We will also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, most especially, Red Knot with many individuals in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures.
With luck, we might get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will almost surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.

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

On the IPT you will learn:

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

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

Morning sessions will run at least three to 3 1/2 hours, afternoon sessions 2 1/2 to 3 hours. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodging information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area (rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away).

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

Payment in full is due now. Credit cards are OK for your $500 deposit. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. If you leave a deposit you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your check out to BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, and clothing and gear advice in mid-August. Please remember that we will meet early on Saturday morning. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

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

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the 2019 Spring Sandbar Secrets IPT. I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR AF lens and the Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 800. Matrix metering +1 /2/3 stops: 1/2500 sec. at f/5. Auto WB at 8:20am on a hazy morning. Center Group AF. Click on the image to see a larger version. Royal Tern with fish for mate.

Royal & Sandwich Terns

Royal and Sandwich Terns, in their handsome breeding plumages, will be two of our top targets species on the 2020 Fort DeSoto Spring Sandbar Secrets IPT. We should have lots of chances to photograph them in flight, on the beaches — tight head portraits should be fairly easy, and courting and copulating.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the 2019 Spring Sandbar Secrets IPT. I used the handheld Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and my favorite Nikon camera body, the Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 1250. Matrix metering +2/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/10. Auto WB at 6:04pm oon a sunny afternoon. D-9 C-AF with the selected pointt on the face of the sharper bird. Click on the image to see a larger version. Shorebirds molting into breeding plumage

Breeding Plumage Shorebirds

From mid-April through mid-May you have a great chance to see a variety of artic nesting shorebirds either molting into or in full breeding plumages. Thsoe include the two birds seen in image #2 above. If you can identify one or both of them, please leave a comment.

Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers

If you are interested in learning to identify and age all of the common North American shorebirds and learn about their amazing migrations, their breeding biology, their feeding habits, and everything else you might have wanted to learn on the way to the nearest mudflats, get yourself a copy of my softcover book, Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

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 :).

What’s Up

Homer continues to offer consistently astounding photographic opportunities. After a delayed start on Wednesday — one of the two big outboards on our watercraft refused to start — we wound up having a totally fantastic day. During the delay, I seized the teachable moment by reviewing in detail all of my My Menu items and explained why and how to use each one. Just as in the Sony Camera Videos and e-Guide. In the morning, everyone got some tight Bald Eagle head portraits and some great eagle-striking shots against green or black water backgrounds In the afternoon we worked on the eagles-banking-in-front-of-snow-covered-mountains images and finished off with a slew of great sunset silhouette opportunities. The moisture in the air provided the color despite a relatively clear sky.

Those who can’t wait to get their Canon EOS-1DX Mark III bodies after reading Clemens’ review are advised to contact Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera rather than spending six to twelve months on the B&H waiting list … Clemens was thrilled that Steve got him his 1DX III just in time for the Homer trip. Steve’s contact info is below.

Homer IPT group 2 will be heading out for DAY 3 early today, Thursday 5 MAR 2020. I head back to Florida on Sunday arriving in Orlando next Monday morning.

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.

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II Lens with tons of extras! Australian Sale Only

$500.00 AUD Price Drop on 4 MAR 2020

Barry Barfield is offering a Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II in near-mint condition for a very low $4999.00 AUD(was $5,499.00 AUD). The sale includes the 1.4X III and 2X III teleconverters, the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, a RRS Arca-Swiss foot, the Canon drop-in polarizer, a Realtree LensCoat, the original product box, and insured courier shipment to anywhere in Australia. In addition, the lens will be covered by the remainder of the Canon Australia Factory warranty until May 30, 2020. Barry is located in Brisbane. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Barry via e-mail or here: MOB: 0418780575.

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. With all the great extras and the super low price of about $3753.00 US you might wish to contact Barry and explore the possibility of shipping the lens outside of Australia … artie

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 at Kachemak Bay, AK on 25 FEB 2020. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (at 200mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 1600. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/1600 sec. at f/3.2. AWB at 11:45am in a snowstorm. Image copyright 2020: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Please note that all of the rest of the images in this blog post were created by Clemens Van der Werf. Clemens Van der Werf at Homer in a blizzard — the man in black!

Clemens van der Werf and BIRDS AS ART

I first met Clemens van der Werf — long-time friend and surely my most accomplished student — on the 2010 Southwest Florida Presidents Week IPT. Clemens had had an interest in black and white photography as a teenager when he bought his first serious camera — an Olympus OM 2, and began photographing on local bicycle trips. In addition, he photographed sailboat regattas when he was not racing himself. He even sold a few prints to the sailors to finance his hobby. When he entered college he developed other interests and shelved photography. In 2006 he was in Newport, Rhode Island for work when he came across a beautiful gallery that featured the work of a Dutch photographer, Onne Van der Wal.

Onne, a Canon Explorer of Light, got him to sell all of his by-then Nikon gear and switch to Canon. In 2007 Clemens bought an EOS-5D, the 70-200/2.8 IS, the 300/2.8 IS, and the 24-105 f/4 IS. From 2007 through 2009 Clemens casually photographed his family and some more sailboat races. For the sailboats, he used the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS lens. Early in 2008 he bought an EOS-1Ds Mark III and in April 2009 added the 500mm f/4 IS. Soon thereafter he drove to the St Augustine Alligator Farm with his daughter for a day trip; it was the first time he used the 500mm f/4. He remembers that he photographed during the middle of a bright sunny day! All handheld as that is how he and Onne did it when photographing boats from the water. Clemens thought that tripods were for dummies. He was not happy with the results. Coincidentally, Onne had attended a program that I did in Newport, RI in the fall of 2008. I gave him an ABP II CD and in early 2009, Onne passed it along to Clemens who gleaned it for the technical information. Clemens had no interest in birds at all. Still in search of good technical information, he googled “Arthur Morris” and subscribed to and devoured our free Bulletins. Still, he rarely got out to photograph.

This image was also created near Homer, AK by Clemens Van der Werf. He used the handheld Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (at 255mm) and his brand-new latest greatest Canon body, the 20 fps Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader. ISO 2000: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Bald Eagle landing on The Perch. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020 Clemens Van der Werf.

The First IPT …

In late 2009 Clemens thought it would be a good idea to do a workshop with me. He figured that he could learn a lot. The workshop that caught his eye was scheduled for February 2010 close to his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He did not care at all for the subjects that we would be photographing: birds. His only goal was to learn about the technical side of photography. His knowledge of birds was pretty close to zero at that time, as was his interest in them. When all the workshop participants got together on the first evening he seriously wondered if he had made a mistake and thought that he might not make it through the week. The average age of the participants was well above retirement age and they all were avid birders; there seemed to be no connection at all.

This image was created near Homer, AK by Clemens Van der Werf on our big blizzard day. He used the handheld Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (at 145mm) and his brand-new latest greatest Canon body, the 20 fps Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader. ISO 2000: 1/3200 sec. at f/4.5 Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Bald Eagles in near-whiteout conditions. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020 Clemens Van der Werf.

Clemens continues the story

How deceiving my first impression of the workshop had been! It turned out to be a fun week during which I started to appreciate birds and their behaviors. The information exchange during the week was close to overload as I had to deal with lots of new things such as manual mode, flash, Photoshop, Artie’s rules of art, etc. But the bottom line was that I became hooked on bird photography and wanted more. During March/April of 2010, I went out on Tampa Bay twice with artie and Captain James Shadle to photograph Roseate Spoonbills and visited Sanibel Island with my family. That August, I joined Artie again at Nickerson Beach, NY. In November I joined him again at his beloved Bosque del Apache. I attended the San Diego IPT that January and visited Homer on an IPT later that year. After a Florida IPT, I bought an EOS-1D Mark IV and borrowed the new 800mm lens for the Florida and Nickerson Beach IPTs. I purchased that great lens just before the Bosque IPT.

This image was also created near Homer, AK by Clemens Van der Werf. He used the handheld Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II (now replaced by the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III (at 125mm) with his brand-new latest greatest Canon body, the 20 fps Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader. ISO 2000: 1/3200 sec. at f/4.5. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3: Bald Eagle landing in snowstorm with conifers in the background. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020 Clemens Van der Werf.

The Challenge as Clemens See It

The challenge is to combine one’s creative eye and the techniques of digital photography to create pleasing image captures. Creating technically perfect images is by no means equal to capturing images worthy of being hung on your wall or ones that leave you with the constant urge to look at them again and again. Once you have created an image that gets and keeps your attention, you know that you will have met the challenge and hit the jackpot. Now there are two subjects that have my special attention: birds and boats.

This image was also created near Homer, AK by Clemens Van der Werf. He used the handheld Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (at 135mm) and his brand-new latest greatest Canon body, the 20 fps Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader. ISO 1600: 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #4: Bald Eagle with talons extended. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020 Clemens Van der Werf.

You Too Can Learn a Ton on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)

From the September 8, 2014 blog post here:

Interestingly enough, when Clemens came on his first IPT he had no interest in bird photography. He just wanted to learn photography. As noted above, Canon Explorer of Light Onne van der Wal recommended that Clemens study with artie. He did that in spades, having attended well more than a dozen IPTs, Photo- Cruises, Expeditions, and Bear Boat trips in all.

This image was created near Homer, AK by Clemens Van der Werf on our big blizzard day. He used the handheld Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (at 135mm) and his brand-new latest greatest Canon body, the 20 fps Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader. ISO 800: 1/2500 sec. at f/4.5 Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #5: Bald Eagles tussling. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020 Clemens Van der Werf.

The New EOS-1DX III as Clemens sees it; Part I.

The Canon 1Dx bodies have been solid performers under challenging conditions for many years. The autofocus performance of the 1Dx and 1Dx MkII had been lacking as compared to Nikon or lately Sony (A9) especially when it comes down to dynamic focusing using the whole sensor array or specific zones. on the 1DX Mark II, the Automatic AF area selection never did a great job of acquiring and tracking the subject; thus, that mode was pretty much useless for photographing birds in flight. Single-point AF or AF Expand (4 or 9 points) with the tracking sensitivity set at -2 often produced good results for me with flying birds, but the fact that you were limited as far as image design always bothered me. Nikon’s dynamic focusing and Sony’s tracking capabilities provided extra compositional flexibility. As a result, many bird photographers decided to leave Canon and switch to Nikon or a Sony a9 series body. I decided to stay the course with Canon for two reasons: my collection of great Canon lenses, and the fact that the development of sensor and AF technology is like an arms race: one day Nikon is ahead, the next day Canon is ahead. I was lucky enough to get the new Canon 1Dx MkIII camera body from Steve Elkins just in time for my trip to Alaska to photograph the bald eagles. It was the perfect place to test the improved AF capabilities of the new Canon flagship body, the EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader.

This image was also created near Homer, AK by Clemens Van der Werf. He used the handheld Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (at 340mm) and his brand-new latest greatest Canon body, the 20 fps Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader. ISO 2000: 1/800 sec. at f/8. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #6: Bald Eagles: juvie/adult head shot juxtaposition. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020 Clemens Van der Werf.

The New EOS-1DX III as Clemens sees it; Part II

The new Canon 1Dx MkIII is a hybrid camera with an Optical Viewfinder (OVF) and Live-View shooting making it a mirrorless camera at the same time. There are a ton of other great new features, but I focused primarily on testing the new enhanced AF system. I was especially interested to see if the new dynamic 191-point Automatic AF selection and the AF zones would perform better than the previous versions of the 1Dx. The conclusion is that even under difficult circumstances — the first two days with heavy winds and heavy snow) — the camera had no issue focusing on the subject and keep tracking it with the Automatic AF selection mode. I used the center point to acquire focus and as soon as it locked the focus on the bird, it did a great job keeping multiple AF points on the subject and tracking it through the frame and through the snowflakes. The same applied for the Zones — smaller AF areas with multiple AF points active. Even with busy backgrounds, the AF stayed locked on the subject. The AF modes have been reduced to 4 compared to 5 in the previous 1Dx models. I primarily used Mode 2 (Continue to Track Subjects, Ignoring Possible Obstacles) and Mode 4 (For Subjects That Accelerate or Decelerate Quickly) but was not able to see a significant difference between the modes. Even with trying the “Deep Learning” Automatic setting (Tracking Automatically Adapts to Subject Movement) I did not notice a significant difference. They all performed really well. The conclusion is that Canon has produced a camera that is now on-par or even better than its competitors with respect to AF performance. Although I did not test the mirrorless capabilities yet, other tests show that this function is also equal to or better than the Sony A9 performance, the only difference is that you can not use the OVF in mirrorless-mode with the 1DX III and have to use the display on the back of the camera (the rear monitor) instead. Due to the fact you have to keep the camera away from your eye, this is somewhat awkward for photographing birds in flight. I am very happy with the AF performance as compared to the previous Canon models and am looking forward to testing it further on Florida birds this coming spring.

This image was also created near Homer, AK by Clemens Van der Werf. He used the handheld Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II (now replaced by the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III (at 382mm) with his brand-new latest greatest Canon body, the 20 fps Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader. ISO 1250: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #7: Bald Eagles juveniles squabbling. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020 Clemens Van der Werf.

Canon EOS-1DX Mark III versus the SONY a9 ii

First off, I am glad for my many Canon friends — including and especially Clemens — that they now have a body that features a consistently accurate AF system that can track birds flying right at them and maintain accurate focus with birds flying against backgrounds other than sky. Here is my take on comparing the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with the Sony Alpha a9 II.

The 1DX III weighs 2.75 pounds. The SONY a9 ii weighs 1.49 pounds. For many of us, that is game over.

For bird photographers, the “mirrorless” capabilities of the 1DX III simply do not exist. When photographing birds in flight you cannot use the rear monitor and — with the mechanical shutter — you suffer from viewfinder blackout.

At 24.2MP the SONY a9ii images files are approximately 20% larger than the Canon EOS-1DX Mark II files (20.1MP). Nineteen point 52381 percent larger to be exact.

I know for a fact that when creating uncompressed RAW files and using AF-C, the a9 ii maintains its advertised 20 frames per second frame rate. I am not sure if the same is true of the 1DX III. All previous Canon (and Nikon) dSLRs — all with mechanical shutters — have slowed down from their advertised frame rates when using AI Servo (Canon) or C (Nikon).

The a9 ii offers the amazing Zebras technology that enables even SONY beginners to consistently come up with perfect or near-perfect exposures (after five minutes of instructions. And the a9 ii features Tracking Flexible Spot AF that enables folks to easily perfect their image designs when photographing static birds with every image sharp on the eye.

Like Clemens new 1DX III, my a9 ii has performed superbly in Homer. I have had it covered in wet snow and continued shooting without a problem. Despite creating as many as 2,500 images in a single session, I have not had to change a battery once in temps as low as 13 degrees F. And best of all, well more than 98% of the flight images that I have created in Homer are razor-sharp on the eye.

This image was also created near Homer, AK by Clemens Van der Werf. He used the handheld Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (at 227mm) and his brand-new latest greatest Canon body, the 20 fps Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader. ISO 2000: 1/800 sec. at f/8. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #8: Bald Eagle banking in front of snow-covered mountain. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020 Clemens Van der Werf.

The Clemens Advantage

Folks who are strong, who have excellent reflexes, who have excellent stamina, whoo have superior hand-eye coordination and fine-motor-skills will always have an advantage over the rest of us when it comes to handholding relatively heavy gear, especially when doing flight photography. Period.

This image was also created near Homer, AK by Clemens Van der Werf. He used the tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens (now replaced by the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III (at 1200mm), and his brand-new latest greatest Canon body, the 20 fps Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader. ISO 2000: 1/640 sec. at f/8. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #9: Bald Eagle — tight face-shot of adult. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020 Clemens Van der Werf.

It is Quite Obvious …

It is quite obvious that Clemens is a highly-skilled, highly-motivated photographer who works very hard at his craft. And it is equally obvious that he created a slew of great images with his new Canon dSLR. Thank you, Clemens, for allowing me to share your images and your thoughts on the 1DX Mark III here on the blog. Folks can be inspired by more of Clemens’ great work here.

While picking your favorites, be sure to study the composition of each image; one of Clemens’ great strengths is creating carefully and superbly designed photographs.

This image was also created near Homer, AK by Clemens Van der Werf. He used the handheld Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II (now replaced by the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III (at 170mm) with his brand-new latest greatest Canon body, the 20 fps Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR with CFexpress Card and Reader. ISO 800: 1/3200 sec. at f/4. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #10: Bald Eagle striking at breaking wave top with sunset color. Image courtesy of and copyright 2020 Clemens Van der Werf.

Your Two Favorite Clemens’ Images?

I have two very clear favorites from the wonderful collection of images presented here today on the blog. I will share my two favorites with you here soon along with my reasons. All are invited to do the same. I’d be totally shocked if anyone’s choices matched mine …

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

Please note the slightly revised dates for IPT #2 above.

From Homer, Alaska

We will do two 2-hour or one 4-hour photographic boat trips at Kachemak Bay each day (weather permitting). Our schedule will be flexible and driven by the wind and sky conditions. We will have numerous and varied mind-boggling opportunities to photograph Bald Eagle, a hugely popular species. We will be feeding the eagles to attract them into photographic range. The trip is costly because chartering the boat is expensive, the fish are very expensive at $1.25/pound (all on me), the costs of in-room breakfasts and one sit-down meal/day are included, hotel to dock transfers are included, as is lodging (double-occupancy). The cost of a single supplement is $90.00/night. I need to mention that two other Bald Eagle trips led by North American photographers include only breakfast and do not include lodging; this makes my trips an even greater value.

We will do lots of flight photography from the boat and on land until you can no longer lift your lens. We will get off the boat on various islands to photograph the birds both perched and in flight. It would be entirely possible to do this entire trip with just a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and a 1.4X teleconverter. Bald Eagles take five years to reach maturity; we will get to photograph birds of all age-classes from juvenile plumage to full adults with their gleaming white heads (and everything in between). There will be numerous informal Image Editing, Photoshop, and Image Review sessions throughout each trip. As I am conversant in Canon, Nikon, and SONY I can help you better understand your gear no matter what you are shooting.

Going up earlier than all other tours this year proved to be fantastic with tons of snow on the ground to light up the eagle’s underwings. You will usually not enjoy those conditions on the March tours (unless you are very lucky). In addition, the eagles are more ravenous early in the season. In FEB 2020 we often had 30-40 or more eagles in the air around the boat with as many as 75 perched in trees or resting on the black sand beaches. Folks who want to do some photography locally during downtime may wish to rent a vehicle.

It is best to register right now to save your spot. Register for both trips and apply a $300 discount. If you have been on a previous IPT, a $100.00 discount will be applied to your balance.

A $2000 credit card deposit is required to hold your spot. Call Jim ASAP at the office weekdays at 863-221-2372 to leave your deposit. Your balance will be payable only by check no later than July 31, 2020. If you fail to pay your balance, your spot will be forfeited to someone on the waiting list and you will lose your deposit. If you plan on joining me, please e-mail immediately or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372 with any questions or to let me know of your plans. First come, first served.

Not included: your round-trip airfare from home to Homer, AK through Anchorage and back. Your second sit-down meal each day. Alcoholic beverages at our sit down meal.

On these IPTs you will learn:

• 1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
• 2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
• 3- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
• 4- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
• 5- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
• 6- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 7- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
• 8- More than you could ever imagine.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

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 :).

What’s Up?

Sunday past, the last day of the first Homer IPT, was yet another fantastic one. All but two folks from the first group are on their way home. One is staying for the second IPT, the other flies to Anchorage this afternoon, Monday 2 MAR 2020. Everyone was thrilled and sated with great eagle images. Two folks from this year’s IPT have already signed up for three sessions next year between them! I will be picking up the rest of the second IPT gang this afternoon and early evening.

With my lone day off today, I have been working a ton on the big SONY e-Guide. We get closer to completion every day.

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.

An e-mail conversation with Fred Innamorato

AM: Hi Fred,

Re:

FI: There is no need for a discount on your new SONY e-Guide. Your help over the years is so greatly appreciated.

You are most kind.

I am sure you put a lot of time and thought into making the instructional video and the e-Guide. I am also grateful for what you do.

AM: 🙂

FI: I really don’t know how I would have gotten to the level of making quality photographs that I currently am at without you … Two years ago I knew absolutely nothing about bird photography. Your book, The Art of Bird Photography is a classic that a good friend recommended. He advised me that any serious bird shooter needs to read it. Wow, that was excellent advice! It is the best and most effective instructional bird photography book I have ever read.

AM: Many thanks for your kind words and thoughts.

FI: Your Blog has educated and informed and explained the best camera equipment to purchase. From Canon to Nikon to SONY! I would have never known to make the switch from Canon to SONY. You were way ahead of the curve on this call. All my more experienced photographer friends are now moving to SONY. Who knows what you will recommend doing in the future but I completely trust your expertise and sincerity. I am lucky and grateful to have access to such knowledge and experience on a daily basis.

M: Thanks again. I just try to use the best gear for me at any given moment … Be sure to let your friends know to visit the blog to learn about SONY and to use my affiliate links.

FI It is a privilege to have the ability to email you with my questions.

That’s my job!

I will be purchasing the new guide for the full price when it is available for purchase …

AM: Please see my last mail.

FI: I also really enjoyed the fun Zebra Video you made. It was a classic artie production. It offered excellent technical advice on setting up Zebras that is not publicly available as far as I know. SONY doesn’t even offer this technical insight that you provide.

AM: You are correct sir. And know that your kind words are greatly appreciated.

FI: Anyway, I just wanted to offer some words of appreciation and thanks artie!

AM: Huge thanks again. You made my day!

With love, artie

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens (with extras!)

Price Dropped $400.00 on 2 MAR 2020

Barry McKenzie is offering a Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for a very low $2,999.00 (was $3,399.00). The sale includes the hood, the rear cap, the lens trunk, a LensCoat, the CD, two front lens covers, the Canon PL-C52 polarizer, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Photos available on request. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Barry via e-mail.

The 300mm f/2.8 lenses have long been the favorites of the world’s best hawks-in-flight photographers. And since they perform superbly with both teleconverters, they make a great workhorse lens for bird photographers who wish to handhold, especially those with crop factor bodies like the 7D Mark II or those with some of the newer Canon bodies likee the very popular Canon EOS 90D… artie

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.

Capture One Screen Capture: Bald Eagle landing RAW file representation

Capture One Screen Capture

I cannot recall whether this bird was landing on a lower perch or on the ground. But in the original image capture above, the image design is not very well balanced; it certainly does not seem as if the bird would be landing on the perch … So after converting the image in Capture One, I brought the TIFF into Photoshop and decided to move the bird up and to the left in the frame after adding canvas top, left, and right. Even though the sky looks fairly even-toned it is not; there are gradations. When I tried to move the bird up and left in one fell swoop, the edges of the darker and lighter sky were obvious. Such edges are difficult to deal with. So, using the tools at my disposal, I simply moved the bird up and left in five small steps and had zero problems with the darker/lighter sky edge lines. I used techniques from ATATS 1 & 2 and from Digital Basics II and did not have to use a single Layer Mask or a single Quick Mask. I used the Patch Tool to eliminate the various wingtips that showed after each small move.

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.

To purchase Capture One, please use this link. Then you can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here.

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.

This image was created at Kachemak Bay, AK on 25 FEB 2020. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 280mm) with the blazingly fast AF King, the Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 2500. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/1600 sec. at f/4. AWB at 2:52pm on a cloudy afternoon. Wide AF-C performed beautifully. Click on the image to see a larger version. Bald Eagle landing

The Perch

While on my busman’s holiday last week photographing with friends Clemens Van der Werf and Greg Gulbransen, we discovered — in a seldom-visited lagoon — what surely must be the most beautiful perch in all of Kachemak Bay. The green and yellow lichens are to die for. I visited several more times with my first Homer group when the wind, the sky conditions, and the tides were just right. In today’s featured image, only the very top of that perch is visible in the image. More of the perch is visible in Image #1 in the last blog post here, and the whole perch can be seen in Image #2 in the same blog post. We will be visiting again with my second Homer group — we just need to make sure that we are not being followed …

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

Please note the slightly revised dates for IPT #2 above.

From Homer, Alaska

We will do two 2-hour or one 4-hour photographic boat trips at Kachemak Bay each day (weather permitting). Our schedule will be flexible and driven by the wind and sky conditions. We will have numerous and varied mind-boggling opportunities to photograph Bald Eagle, a hugely popular species. We will be feeding the eagles to attract them into photographic range. The trip is costly because chartering the boat is expensive, the fish are very expensive at $1.25/pound (all on me), the costs of in-room breakfasts and one sit-down meal/day are included, hotel to dock transfers are included, as is lodging (double-occupancy). The cost of a single supplement is $90.00/night. I need to mention that two other Bald Eagle trips led by North American photographers include only breakfast and do not include lodging; this makes my trips an even greater value.

We will do lots of flight photography from the boat and on land until you can no longer lift your lens. We will get off the boat on various islands to photograph the birds both perched and in flight. It would be entirely possible to do this entire trip with just a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and a 1.4X teleconverter. Bald Eagles take five years to reach maturity; we will get to photograph birds of all age-classes from juvenile plumage to full adults with their gleaming white heads (and everything in between). There will be numerous informal Image Editing, Photoshop, and Image Review sessions throughout each trip. As I am conversant in Canon, Nikon, and SONY I can help you better understand your gear no matter what you are shooting.

Going up earlier than all other tours this year proved to be fantastic with tons of snow on the ground to light up the eagle’s underwings. You will usually not enjoy those conditions on the March tours (unless you are very lucky). In addition, the eagles are more ravenous early in the season. In FEB 2020 we often had 30-40 or more eagles in the air around the boat with as many as 75 perched in trees or resting on the black sand beaches. Folks who want to do some photography locally during down-time may wish to rent a vehicle.

It is best to register right now to save your spot. Register for both trips and apply a $300 discount. If you have been on a previous IPT, a $100.00 discount will be applied to your balance.

A $2000 credit card deposit is required to hold your spot. Call Jim ASAP at the office weekdays at 863-221-2372 to leave your deposit. Your balance will be payable only by check no later than July 31, 2020. If you fail to pay your balance, your spot will be forfeited to someone on the waiting list and you will lose your deposit. If you plan on joining me, please e-mail immediately or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372 with any questions or to let me know of your plans. First come, first served.

Not included: your round-trip airfare from home to Homer, AK through Anchorage and back. Your second sit-down meal each day. Alcoholic beverages at our sit down meal.

On these IPTs you will learn:

• 1- The basics and fine points of digital exposure; how to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure (or before if you are using SONY gear).
• 2- How and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
• 3- Lots about bird behavior and how to use that knowledge to help you create better images.
• 4- To spot good situations and to choose the best perspective.
• 5- To see, evaluate, and understand the light.
• 6- To design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 7- And perhaps most importantly, to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
• 8- More than you could ever imagine.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

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 :).

What’s Up?

Bald Eagle photography at Kachemak Bay has continued to be phenomenal. On Thursday afternoon we took the boat to a seldom-visited bay and with a brisk southwest wind we found a relatively sheltered spot; it was an absolute slaughter as we had birds diving right at the boat and banking in front of a spectacular snow-covered mountain. Everyone photographed until they could no longer raise their lenses. Photos soon!

The first sign-up for the DeSoto IPT (below) can share my AirBNB two-bedroom place with me if that works for them.

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

Please note the slightly revised dates for IPT #2 above.

Click here for complete details.

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.

Recent Sales

IPT veteran Cris Hamilton sold her Canon EF 600 f/4L IS III USM Lens in mint condition for $10,899.00 (was $11,499.00) to a local buyer and is kindly sending me a check for 4% as per the recently-revised Items for Sale Info e-mail.
Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens in mint condition (but for a very few minor blemishes on the lens hood) for the BAA record-low-by-far price of 9,999.00 (was $10,999.00) and a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II dSLR in very good condition with 95,000 actuations for the very low price of $2499.00 (was $2,899.00).
Karl Schneck sold his Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens in excellent plus condition for a very low $5399.00 and a Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II in excellent plus condition for a very low $3799.00, both on the second day of listing in mid-FEB 2020.
Tim McCreary sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto lens in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $2399.00 on the first day of listing.
Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Canon EF Extender 1.4X III (teleconverter) in excellent condition for $229.00 in mid-FEB 2020.
Craig Elson sold his Canon 400 f/4 DO IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for $3,599.00, a Canon 300 f/4L IS USM lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00, a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with 13,140 actuations in excellent to near-mint condition for $1,698.00, a Canon 7D Mark II with only 7,169 actuations in near-mint condition for $649.00, a Canon 1.4x Extender EF III in mint condition for $249.00, and a Canon 2.0x Extender EF III in mint condition for $249, al on the first day of listing in mid-FEB 2020.
Joe Randle sold his Canon Speedlite 430EX II in near-mint condition for $50.00 (was $75.00) and his Canon Fisheye EF 8-15 1:4 L USM zoom lens (the “circle lens) in near-mint condition for a crazy low $549.00 (was $749.00) both in mid-FEB 2020.
Bob Lester sold his Sony A7r iii Mirrorless camera body in Very Good Plus condition (shutter count < 14,000) for only $1698.00 in mid-FEB 2020. Jim Lewis sold his Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital camera body in-near mint condition for an incredibly low $449.00 (was $699.00) in early FEB 2020. I learned in FEB 2020 that Joe Randle sold his EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens in excellent condition for $149.00 in mid-JAN 2020. Multiple IPT participant Sheldon Goldstein sold his Sigma Contemporary 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG Lens for Canon in like-new condition for $675.00 (was $725.00) in early FEB 2020. IPT veteran Richard Russ sold his Nikkor 105mm Micro f/2.8G AF-VR lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $496.95 and a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Special Edition Lens lens in near-mint condition for the silly low price of $106.95. Barry McKenzie sold his Canon 2X III TC in excellent plus condition for a very low $219.00 and a Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens for Canon EF in like-new condition for a very low $449.00, both in early FEB, 2020. Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EOS 5DS R dSLR in very good condition for only $799.00 (was $999.00), a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in good plus condition for an amazingly low $1,099.00 (was $1,499.00), and a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II dSLR in very good condition with 95,000 actuations for the very low price of $2499.00 (was $2,899.00), all on 9 FEB 2020. Barry McKenzie sold a Canon 1.4X III TC in very good condition with a single "ding" for a very low $160.00 in early February 2020. Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in good plus condition for an amazingly low $1,099.00 and his Canon EF Extenders (teleconverters) 1.4X III and 2X III in excellent condition for $200 each on 6 FEB 2020. Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II USM Zoom lens in very good plus condition for $999.00 on 5 FEB 2020. BAA friend and multiple IPT veteran Paul Reinstein sold his Canon 600mm f/4L IS III lens in absolutely like-new condition (with extras) for $11,499.00 in mid-December 2020. IPT veteran Steve Leimberg sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II Lens in near-mint condition for a BAA Record-low $5400.00 (was $5,989.00) in mid-JAN.

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

BAA Record-low Price!

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

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 $5999.00. The lens has 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 $5000.00 by grabbing Larry’s excellent lens along with all the great extras right now. artie

The Last One

Good friend, the incredibly talented and oft-major international-photo-contest-honored Paul Mckenzie, is switching to SONY and has sold all of his Canon gear but for the item below. As you saw in yesterday’s blog post, the 70-200 f/2.8 lenses can be deadly on flying birds, with and without the 1.4X TC.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens

Paul Mckenzie is offering a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in good plus condition for $700.00. This lens, the first IS version, shows lots of wear but the front element is perfectly clean. The sale includes the lens hood, the soft carrying case, and insured shipping via FedEx. Your item will ship upon receipt of your wire transfer. This sale is subject to the restrictions noted here.

The 70-200 f/2.8 lenses are extremely versatile. I have a hundred uses for mine including bird-scapes, scenics, and dance recitals! They perform superbly with both teleconverters. artie

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on May 6, 2019. I used the handheld Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at at 560mm) and the high mega-pixel Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 500. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/1000 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:00am on sunny morning. Center Zone AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and did a fine job of getting the eye sharp. The sharpest focus was at a point just behind and below the eye, pretty much on the exact same plane as the eye. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Snowy Egret in mega-breeding plumage — head portrait

DeSoto in Spring

There are many stunning birds in full breeding plumage in April and in early May at Fort DeSoto each year, perhaps none more beautiful than the cherry-red lored Snowy Egrets. Many species of wading birds attain their brightly colored lores (the skin in front of the eye) and other soft parts like the legs and feet when actively breeding, those changes due to increased hormonal levels. While many species like Great Egret may show the super-bright lores for a week or more, Snowy Egrets hold the brightest color only for a day or two before it begins to fade to pink.

SONY AF Tip

While center Zone AF-C worked to perfection here, understand that if I had been using Tracking Expand Spot M I could have slowly moved the lens left and created an image that included the entire raised crest … The more Patrick and I use our SONY gear, the more we love it and the more we learn about using it effectively and efficiently. We will, of course, be sharing everything that we have learned with you in the nearly-finished SONY e-Guide and Videos fairly soon. If you cannot wait and would like to purchase a pre-publication copy, please e-mail for purchase details.

If …

If you have purchased a SONY 600mm f/4 GM lens (or more than $10,000 worth of SONY gear) using a BAA link and have not received your free SONY e-Guide and Videos, please shoot me an e-mail with a copy of your receipt so that I can send it along.

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

The 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 photographers

An inexpensive add-on day is available.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for breeding terns and gulls and wading birds in spring. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography.

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

We will also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, most especially, Red Knot with many individuals in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures.
With luck, we might get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will almost surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.

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

On the IPT you will learn:

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

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

Morning sessions will run at least three to 3 1/2 hours, afternoon sessions 2 1/2 to 3 hours. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodiing information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area (rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away).

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

Payment in full is due now. Credit cards are OK for your $500 deposit. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. If you leave a deposit you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your check out to BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, and clothing and gear advice in mid-August. Please remember that we will meet early on Saturday morning. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

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

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

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 :).

What’s Up?

Homer has been beyond amazing. Coming earlier than usual the weather has been wild, the eagles have been ravenous, and the photography has been insanely outstanding — far beyond what anyone could have dreamed of. My recovered SONY gear has stood up quite well. On Friday and Saturday, both the 7r iv and the a9 ii were covered with wet snow by the blizzard. Both have kept on ticking after taking a licking. Despite creating as many as 2450 images in a single session with the temps in the teens, I have not once had to change a single camera battery. And a9 ii AF continues to perform in a science-fiction-like manner with virtually 99% of the flight images sharp on the eye. Yesterday, in sunny conditions, I made some super-sharp flight images with the hand held 200-600 and the a7r iv! The latter rig has been deadly for head portraits. The 70-200mm has been my most valuable lens for flight photography with and without the 1.4X TC with both bodies. My SONY 600 GM has been parked on the floor of my room for days and I will not be using it at all. Next year I will do the whole trip with the 70-200mm f/2.8 and the 200-600. Once again my close-focusing SONY 100-400 GM lens is having smooth zooming issues …

I already have several commitments for the 2021 Homer IPTs. If you are interested, please contact me via e-mail.

Catch this: multiple IPT veteran and great friend Donna Bourdon e-mailed me on Monday morning asking if I had room for her on the first IPT. II did. She purchased her flights that morning, headed to the Atlanta Airport late on Monday afternoon, landed at Anchorage at 3am on Tuesday morning, and is waiting to board her Ravn Air flight to Homer as I type at 4:57am Alaska time on 25 FEB. Good on Donna for living life now!

Coming Soon: More on the Canon 1D X Mark II

The next blog post up will be several more great Clemens Van der Werf 1D X III images along with Clemens’s comments on the new Canon body.

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

The 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 photographers

An inexpensive add-on day is available.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for breeding terns and gulls and wading birds in spring. Migrant shorebirds are in abundance, and many are exceedingly tame. We should have great chances on Royal and Sandwich Terns and both white- and dark-morph Reddish Egrets. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two along with some American Oystercatchers. We will enjoy lots of great flight photography.

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

We will also get to photograph a variety of other shorebirds including Black-bellied, Semipalmated, Wilson’s, and Piping Plovers, Willet, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, most especially, Red Knot with many individuals in their handsome breeding plumages. In spring the T-shaped peninsula and the newly formed sandbar, Outback Key, are literally packed with avian treasures.
With luck, we might get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable species: Roseate Spoonbill. And we will almost surely get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. With luck, they will have Laughing Gulls landing on their heads. And though not guaranteed, Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.

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

On the IPT you will learn:

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

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

Morning sessions will run at least three to 3 1/2 hours, afternoon sessions 2 1/2 to 3 hours. There is never a set schedule on an IPT — we adapt to the conditions. There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time. This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with lodiing information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same general area (rather than at home or at a friend’s place a good distance away).

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

Payment in full is due now. Credit cards are OK for your $500 deposit. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand. If you leave a deposit you will receive an e-mail with your balance statement and instructions for sending your balance check. If you wish to pay in full right off the bat, you can make your check out to BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, and clothing and gear advice in mid-August. Please remember that we will meet early on Saturday morning. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

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

This image was created on February 12, 2020 at Fort DeSoto. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 840mm), and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/1000 sec. at f/11. AWB at 4:30pm on a sunny aftenroon. Tracking Flexible Spot M Continous (C) AF performed beautifully. Image #1: Molting adult Laughing Gull resting behind a tree! Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Situation

After our first great afternoon and an even better first morning, pickings were a bit slim for Larry Master and me on our second afternoon. At a seldom-visited beach, there were some interestingly handsome Laughing Gulls beginning to molt into breeding plumage. I had attempted to get some good photographs of the molting gulls that morning but pretty much failed. When we attempted to get really close to the birds that afternoon, we could not get anywhere close enough for head portraits. So I added my 1.4X TC to the mix and utilized and old strategy to get the deed done.

This image was also created on February 12, 2020 at Fort DeSoto. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 840mm), and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/800 sec. at f/11. AWB at 4:32pm on a sunny aftenroon. Tracking Flexible Spot M Continous (C) AF performed beautifully. Image #2: Molting adult Laughing Gull yawningbehind a tree! Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Old Strategy

Though I have used this exact strategy many times over the years, I have never described it in detail in writing. Anyhoo, with my rig on a Black Rapid Curve Breathe Strap, I approached a small flock of the gulls to about 20 feet where they were still quite comfortable with my presence. Then I sat carefully. Next, I put my rig on my lap, placed my hands a bit in front of me, and propelled myself to my right to get on sun angle and then forward a bit to get closer. The effort was well rewarded. I guess you could call it ‘butt-crawling with your gear on your lap.” Once I was in position I cleaned the sand off of my hands before touching my gear (for obvious reasons). All in all, it worked quite well.

This image was also created on February 12, 2020 at Fort DeSoto. Again I used the hand heldSony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 840mm), and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/1250 sec. at f/9. AWB at 4:35pm on a sunny aftenroon. Tracking Flexible Spot M Continous (C) AF performed beautifully. Image #3: Molting adult Laughing Gull head portraitbehind a tree! Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Hand Held SONY 200-600/1.4XTC/a9 ii Combination

The hand held SONY 200-600 with the 1.4XTC is obviously a deadly combination. Yes, if you use it on cloudy days you will need to up the ISO and possibly work on a tripod. But with good technique, your images will be tack sharp. The ability to be mobile in the field while having 840mm of hand held reach at your disposal when needed is simply incredible. And once you learn to master Tracking Flexible Spot, the combination becomes even more powerful. Still to come: flight photography with this same rig and the 200-600 with the 1.4X TC and the 7r iv, the latter still in the works.

This image was also created on February 12, 2020 at Fort DeSoto. Again I used the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 840mm), and the blazingly fast Sony Alpha a9 II Mirrorless Digital camera body) that features incredibly accurate AF. ISO 400. Exposure determined via Zebras on the rear wheel: 1/1250 sec. at f/9. AWB at 4:39pm on a sunny aftenroon. Tracking Flexible Spot M Continous (C) AF performed beautifully. Image #4: Molting adult Laughing Gull yawning widebehind a tree! Click on the image to see a larger version.

Your Favorite?

Please leave a comment and let us know which of the four Laughing Gull head portraits is your favorite. And 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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

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 :).

This Got My Attention!

It may have been that I had forgotten that you were forced to check your photo rollers or large backpacks on the planes for the short flight to Homer. Or it is possible that either they used to allow regulation roll-aboards like my large and sturdy ThinkTank Airport SecurityTM V2.0, or that they flew larger planes. But that is no longer the case. I was forced to check my roller bag for the short hop flight. And that privilege only cost me $75 as that was my third “checked” bag. They do not allow you gate-check your photo stuff.

The Ravn Air flight was delayed about 35 minutes. We flew on a Penn Air plane. When we got to Homer, it took about ten minutes for the bags to come out. My two Samsonite Spinners came right out. In a jiffy, all the bags were claimed. All but my Think Tank bag, the one with well more than $30,000 worth of SONY gear in it. We eventually found a baggage guy who said something to this effect: “that should never happen.” Duh!

Steve, who was being helpful, said “I will have your bag here tomorrow, hopefully on the first flight. BTW, I am off tomorrow.”

Before the IPTs I am doing four days of Bald Eagles with good friends and former students — they are both too talented now — Clemens Van der Werf and Greg Gulbransen. Clemens got to Homer on Thursday morning. Greg was delayed en route from NYC to Seattle and he missed the last flight to Homer, the one that I was on. He got to spend the night in Anchorage. Clemens kindly picked me up last night. We meet at 6:40am this morning to meet Greg’s early flight. Either my rolling bag will be on the plane or not. Time will tell.

Am I upset? No, not at all. Will I be upset if the bag does not arrive on the first flight? No, not at all. What would the point be? If worse comes to worst, I will deal with that when it happens. And again, I will not be upset. You gotta love The Work of Byron Katie.

And BTW, if you wish to learn more about the origins of the worse comes to worst idiom, click here.

These Just In

5:15am Alaska time: Greg Gulbransen is working with the folks at Ravn Air to try and find my missing Think Tank bag. It is not in their baggage area and the manifest shows that it was on the plane to Homer last night. So as of now, the $30K plus bag with my SONY gear has apparently disappeared into thin air. According to Greg, the folks at Ravn Air are currently panic mode. You gotta love it.

5:54am Alaska Time: Just got off the phone with Steve Elkins at Bedford. He is holding a contingency stop-gap order for me: two a9 ii bodies, a 200-600 G, a 70-200 f/2.8 GM, and a 1.4X TC.

6:22am Alaska time: no word on the missing bag. My. resting pulse standing is 68.

7:35am Alaska time: my missing bag was located in Kodiak, AK and should be in Homer at some point today.

7:40am: The bag will be arriving in Homer today at 4:12pm if all goes well.

I was blessed to have attended the 2017 School for the Work and to have me Byron Katie.

The Work: A Simple Yet Powerful Practice

As we do The Work of Byron Katie, not only do we remain alert to our stressful thoughts—the ones that cause all the anger, sadness, and frustration in our world — but we question them, and through that questioning, the thoughts lose their power over us. Great spiritual texts describe the what — what it means to be free. The Work is the how. It shows you exactly how to identify and question any thought that would keep you from that freedom.

What’s Up?

I am packing like a fiend today, WED 19 FEB 2020. Jim will be taking me to an Orlando Airport motel late this afternoon. I fly to Homer on Delta via Seattle and Anchorage. It is a little bit of a challenge to make Homer by plane in a single day but if I make my (legal) 62-minute connection in Seattle it will be a piece of cake. But it will be a very long travel day as I have a 4-hour 29-minute layover in Anchorage … Wish me luck.

I was glad to learn that the sale of Steeve Leimberg’s Canon 600 II is pending.

SONY 600 GM in Stock at Bedfords

Good friend Steve Elkins of Bedford Camera asked me to let you know that he has a SONY 600mm f/4 OSS GM lens in stock. Please contact him immediately if it has your name on it. Please remember that if you purchase a SONY 600 GM using one of my affiliate links that the new soon-to-be-released SONY Video and e-Guide will be yours for free. (The free offer gets you one of the foud camera-specific video and the complete e-Guide.) Details soon. Remember to use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout too secure the $50 discount on your online order. Steve’s contact info is immediately 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.

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.

Very Recent Sales

Bob Lester sold his Sony A7r iii Mirrorless camera body in Very Good Plus condition (shutter count < 14,000) for only $1698.00 in mid-FEB 2020. Jim Lewis sold his Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital camera body in-near mint condition for an incredibly low $449.00 (was $699.00) in early FEB 2020. I learned in FEB 2020 that Joe Randle sold his EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens in excellent condition for $149.00 in mid-JAN 2020. Multiple IPT participant Sheldon Goldstein sold his Sigma Contemporary 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG Lens for Canon in like-new condition for $675.00 (was $725.00) in early FEB 2020. IPT veteran Richard Russ sold his Nikkor 105mm Micro f/2.8G AF-VR lens in near-mint condition for the very low price of $496.95 and a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Special Edition Lens lens in near-mint condition for the silly low price of $106.95. Barry McKenzie sold his Canon 2X III TC in excellent plus condition for a very low $219.00 and a Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art Lens for Canon EF in like-new condition for a very low $449.00, both in early FEB, 2020. Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EOS 5DS R dSLR in very good condition for only $799.00 (was $999.00), a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in good plus condition for an amazingly low $1,099.00 (was $1,499.00), and a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II dSLR in very good condition with 95,000 actuations for the very low price of $2499.00 (was $2,899.00), all on 9 FEB 2020. Barry McKenzie sold a Canon 1.4X III TC in very good condition with a single “ding” for a very low $160.00 in early February 2020. Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in good plus condition for an amazingly low $1,099.00 and his Canon EF Extenders (teleconverters) 1.4X III and 2X III in excellent condition for $200 each on 6 FEB 2020. Paul Mckenzie sold his Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II USM Zoom lens in very good plus condition for $999.00 on 5 FEB 2020.

New Listings

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto Lens

Sale Pending first day of listing

Tim McCreary is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto lens in near-mint condition for a BAA record-low $2399.00. The sale includes the lens hood, a drop-in polarizing filter, a LensCoat, the lens trunk, a. replacement foot, the front and rear lens caps, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 PDT.

The 500mm f/4 lenses have been the world’s most popular telephoto lenses for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. I owned and used and loved my “old five” for many years. If you use Canon and don’t have the cash for a 500 II and can handle the additional 1 1/2 pounds, then this is your best super-telephoto option. Most everyone can produce sharp images with this lens and a 1.4X TC. Folks with good to excellent sharpness techniques can do the same with a 2X TC. A new 500 II sells right now for $8,999.00 so you can save a big bundle by grabbing Tim’s lens right now. artie

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II Lens w/1.4X II TC

Tim McCreary is also offering a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $1099. The sale includes the lens hood, the original box, the carrying case, a Canon Extender EF 1.4x II, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 (Pacifc time zone).

This incredibly versatile zoom lens — with its .98 meter close focus — was my favorite Canon telephoto zoom lens. By far. artie

Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens

Sale Pending first day of listing

Tim McCreary is also offering a Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in near-mint condition for $399.00. The sale includes the lens hood, the front and rear lens caps, the original lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 (Pacifc time zone).

The 24-105 was my nerver-leave-home-without-it all purpose mid-range zoom lens. I made a zillion sale-able images with miine. artie

Canon EOS 7D dSLR

Tim McCreary is also offering a Canon EOS 7D dSLR in near-mint condition for an incredibly low $199.00. The sale includes the body cap, the strap, the original box, manual, a third-party battery grip, 2 batteries, the charger, a memory card, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim McCreary via via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 (Pacifc time zone).

This is a great body for anyone looking to get started with digital photography, nature or not. Paired with Tim’s 100-400 II, it would make a great starter kit. artie

Canon EOS 7D Mark II dSLR

BIRDS AS ART Record-low Price!

Tim McCreary is also offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II dSLR in near-mint condition for BAA record-low by far price of $599.00. The sale includes the body cap, the strap, the original box, the manual, a Meike battery grip with remote release, 2 batteries, the charger, a memory card and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim via via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 (Pacifc time zone).

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about four years ago when we both committed to using full-frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. One thing is for sure: the 7D Mark II is the greatest value ever in a digital camera body. artie

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Lens for Canon EF

Tim McCreary is also offering a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Lens for Canon EF in near-mint condition for $229.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the original box, and insured ground shipping via UPS to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Tim via via e-mail or by phone at 702 328 6159 (Pacifc time zone).

The Canon EF-mount atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 CF from Tokina is a versatile ultra-wide zoom well-suited for landscape, architecture, and interior shooting. Characterized by its bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture, consistent brightness is afforded throughout the zoom range and benefits working in available lighting conditions. The optical design incorporates a series of aspherical and low dispersion elements, which suppress a variety of aberrations for improved sharpness and clarity. Individual elements are also multi-coated to resist flare and ghosting for greater contrast and color accuracy when working in bright or backlit conditions. Complementing the optics, this lens features a One-Touch Focus Clutch Mechanism for fast changing between AF and MF settings, and an internal focusing design is used for responsive focusing performance. B&H

This lens sells new for $449.00. artie

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 Cozad Ranch in Lynn, TX on April 18, 2005. I used the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens and the long-defunct Canon EOS-1D Mark II. ISO 640: 1/1000 sec. at f/4. At 11:02am on a cloudy morning. Click on the image to see a larger version. The redone optimized file for Crested Caracara landing

The Backstory

After I did the program at ILE two weeks ago a lady named Sally, who works in the office there, e-mailed asking if I have any images of caracaras. She wanted a 4X6 inch print for her husband’s birthday. I sent her a few screen-captures and she liked today’s featured image. We agreed on a price and Jim kindly found the optimized file. He copied it to our PC > MAC > PC hard drive. I opened it in Photoshop and was amazed to see how noisy the underwings were. I asked Jim to find the matching RAW file and he did that quickly. (Note: Be sure to save all of your RAW files. Be sure to save them with the file number and the location. And be sure that the file number and the location remain part of the file name for your optimized file. With those steps in your workflow, it is always easy to locate various versions of a given image. The magic file name here was _H2D2400 Cozad Ranch, Lynn, TX.)

The RAW file was originally processed in DDP 3, the predecessor of DPP 4. Purely out of curiosity, I decided to re-convert the RAW file in Capture One. I upped the exposure a bit, adjusted the white and black points, and used only the default noise reduction values. I was astounded to note that the horrific color noise (along with a bit of luminance noise) had been completely eliminated by the Capture One RAW conversion.

400% View of the old Crested Caracara landing file

Noise in Old File

As you can see, the color noise in the original image was really bad despite the fact that the RAW file was only about 1/2-stop under-exposed.

400% View of the redone Crested Caracara landing file

Noise in New File

As you can see, the noise in the new file was pretty much eliminated completely during the Capture One RAW Conversion, again, using only the default noise reductions (on an image created with a 25-year old camera body. To me, the difference is quite remarkable. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here.

Photoshop Improvements

Note that after the RAW conversion in C-1, I brought the TIF file into Photoshop and eliminated the YELLOW cast in the WHITEs and cleaned up the WHITEs as well. For the former, I created a new layer, reduced the YELLOW saturation, and painted the bill and the legs back in via a Regular Layer Mask. Removing the YELLOW from the orange bill and legs had made the image far too dull. Again working on a new layer, I cleaned up the WHITEs by taking BLACK out of the WHITEs in Selective Color …

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.

To purchase Capture One, please use this link. Then you can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here.

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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

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 :).

What’s Up?

As planned, I tried for pre-dawn blurs on Saturday at Circle Bar B preserve and had lots of good chances. A GBH flew right up to me and posed for about ten minutes on the dark, cloudy, morning. Then I headed to Lakeland for the white pelicans and did just fine keeping 39 images. Then I headed to the Fields Auto Group showroom about 15 minutes to the east, arranged to trade in my Sequoia, and ordered a brand-new 2020 SUV. On Sunday I worked for 11 hours on the new SONY guide and will be doing the same today. I was fortunate to have lots of help from co-author Patrick Sparkman and old friend and skilled photographer Ellen Anon. Today, Monday 17 FEB 2020, will be more of the same.

I fly to Homer, AK on Thursday. If anyone out there is interested in making the first Homer IPT, please know that no reasonable offer will be refused.

I was glad to learn on Sunday that the sale of Cris Hamilton’s Canon 600 III is pending.

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 in Lakeland on the morning of Saturday 15 FEB 2020. I used the Induro GIT 304L/FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and the Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera body. ISO 400. Exposure determined by Zebras with ISOO on the rear dial: 1/500 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. AWB at 7:51am before the sun hit the lake. AF: Tracking: Flexible Spot M. American White Pelican horizontal head and shoulders portrait

First, and Simple …

It is very rare that the first image you create during a given shooting session is anything special, but for me, today’s featured image was just that. The image design is quite simple and I just love the aqua water background. The light is soft and the head-angle spot-on with the bill perfectly parallel to the imaging sensor. I created only two frames of this bird. In this image, the first, the nictitating membrane covered the eye. In frame two, the eye was clean and green but the bird had turned its head a bit toward me. So after converting both RAW files in Capture One, I grabbed only the pupil from frame two and — using techniques from APTATS I & II — moved it into place on frame one using the Move Tool (V). That chore took about 30 seconds.

The more that I practice with Tracking: Flexible Spot M, the more proficient I become with creating the exact composition that I want …

I spent most of the rest of the morning working with the 600 GM, the 2X TC, and the a7r iv before leaving the lake to go car shopping. I learn more about my SONY gear every time I am out photographing and wind up loving it more and more. There are still two major things that tick me off about the SONY system. I will share them both with you here soon.

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

The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide

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

Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.

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

• Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts in late winter and spring, 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 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

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 :).