Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

I’ve been walking and swimming every day and am sleeping and feeling great. I am getting ready to head over to the west coast (of Florida) for the Spoonbill Boat IPT and more.

IPT Updates

$200 late registration discount on the Spoonbill Boat IPT! Scroll down for the details.

I have room for two folks on the spoonbill boat and still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip. Please shoot me an e-mail to learn about late registration discounts for both the Spoonbill Boat and Galapagos trips.

• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2. $200 late registration discount
• The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4. Please e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount for this trip.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

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, 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 currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

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.

Roseate Spoonbill sandbar wing stretch

Traditional Fine Art Photographic Prints

All BIRDS AS ART images, both film and digital, are available as traditional Chromagenic photographic prints on luster paper as below. Your print will be hand-crafted by Reed Art & Imaging, Lakewood, CO.

You may purchase an unframed print of any BAA image that you see in a book, on the web site, or on Blog. All prints are digitally prepared, color corrected, and fine-tuned and are signed digitally. The sizes given are the actual image size — the image will be border to allow for easy matting so the paper size will be larger with 2 inch borders all around. Prices are for the print alone, shipped rolled in a sturdy tube via UPS ground. We do not offer matting or framing services. A fee of $15 will be added to the price of your print to cover shipping and handling. To order your print, or for info on larger sizes or special orders, please contact us via e-mail. Thanks for your interest in my work. artie

Print Size	Price
12 x 18″	$149.00
16 x 24″	199.00
20 x 30″	$274.00
24 x 36″	$349.00

Fine Art Canvas Prints

For 1.5 inch thick Gallery Wrapped Canvas prints, please add 40% to the prices above. Our ready-to-hang canvas prints offer rigid, warp-resistant construction, an enclosed back, and all necessary hanging hardware. Your canvas prints will be created by Canvas On Demand, Raleigh, NC.

Thanks!

Big-time thanks to Keith Kleeman and Amy Baskin for their recent print orders. Keith ordered a huge (48X 32″ each) pelican triad for his home in Naples, FL and Amy a 12X18″ print of the spoonbill image above.

A Thank You From Luis

From the Comments section of the Louie’s Life-changing IPT blog post here.

Luis A. Grunauer. February 10, 2019 at 4:04 pm

First of all, I wanted to thank Artie for letting me share both my photos and my IPT experience with all of you; and to all of you for your wonderful comments. What you see in the photos is a true reflection of the teachings and wisdom of Arthur Morris.

Because of my deep love for the animal kingdom, I tried bird and wild life photography since the time when the Canon 5D MK II was released. Early in 2018, when I made a serious commitment to take it to the next level. It all began with the purchase of A Canon 800mm super-telephoto lens and a few weeks later that was followed by an innocent email I sent to Artie inquiring about a tripod selection for that lens. As he suggested on his emails which followed, I joined his blog, watched all his videos on YouTube, took notes of his teachings on line, purchased his books and some equipment from the BAA store , used his store affiliate links, and closely followed his advice. I became fascinated about bird and wildlife photography and at the same time I became a student and a loyal follower of Artie.

Now, my next steps for me was to learn how to “place that rapid flying bird in the camera’s frame…” and how to “come up with a decently exposed and properly focused photo” … I ultimately fulfilled my lifetime dream and attended my first IPT at San Diego – La Jolla in January of 2019, and it was a life changing experience for me, which I humbly had the privilege to share it with all of you. It was a life destiny that I needed to be in that San Diego IPT and meet my lost Big Brother Artie (he is more like a father and a mentor to me). In four and half days, I learned so much about bird photography, stuff that I could have never learned on my own in a lifetime. In short, that is my story.

If you never been on an IPT before, please make your best effort to attend one and you will never forget nor regret the wonderful experience, as it was for me. I promise you that your photography will be elevated to the highest-level and you will gain hands on knowledge and experience from the Best in the Business! I do hope to see you all in a future IPT, so you can not only learn one-on-one from the Father of Bird Photography, but so I can have the privilege to shake your hand and thank you for your wonderful comments and encouragement.

I know this gets kind of old, but Thanks again Artie. I could never thank you enough!

With lots of Love and sincere Appreciation …

Luis “Louie” Alberto Grunauer

This image was created at ILE on February 10, 2019. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 218mm), and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. Auto ISO set ISO 125. Highlight metering at +2 stops: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode was about one stop under. (I am still learning to work with Highlight metering …) AWB at 6:01pm right after the sun had set. Little Blue Heron sunset silhouette

I Can’t Believe I Left Out the Best Part!

Since I purchased the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens and subsequently the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens I have been having more fun with my bird photography than in many years. The freedom of hand holding as opposed to lugging around a 600 f/4 has brought me a new joy. Now with the SONY gear I have a rig that is even smaller and more than 1 1/2 pounds lighter than the 500 PF and a D850 with the grip . And I have great focal length range with both TCs. And the AF performance with the SONY gear is superb; it is fast and sure and accurate. Canon AF at f/8 was better by far than Nikon AF at f/8 and SONY AF at f/8 (with the 1.4X TC) blows away Canon and only the SONY A9 autofocuses with the 2X TC at f/11 (on the 100-400). Combine all of the above with a quiet frame-rate of 15 fps with tracking AF( AF-C) and with seemingly instantaneous initial focusing acquisition there are times when I am absolutely giddy in the field when I am using my SONY gear. It is just too much fun.

Photography and Health Walks

For the past few weeks I have been walking one to two and a half miles each morning along the lakeshore and another 3/4 mile on some evenings. I’ve been carrying the SONY rig that I used to create today’s featured image with me on every walk. On Sunday evening there was a halfway decent sunset. I had walked to the end of the pier and happened to glance behind me. A Little Blue Heron was flying right through the color right over the pier. I would not have tried even with my Nikon gear but I raised the lens and fired off three quick images. I is hard to describe almost instantaneous initial focus acquisition but when you experience it it is pure joy. One of the images had a light pole in it. All three frames were sharp and as fate would have it, the best wing position — the full downstroke, had the bird in the brightest most colorful part of the sky.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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 will be visiting 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. Tanks a stack.

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 have really been enjoying my swims each afternoon along with Florida’s gorgeous weather.

Being open to seemingly serendipitous encounters and following through on them can have some wonderful results. IPT participant Luis Alberto Grunauer is in the process of experiencing just that. You will surely find his story below interesting and possibly inspiring. Feel free to leave a comment for Luis. Also, let us know which of Luis’s images is your favorite. And why.

If you would like a copy of the Health Basics File, please get in touch via e-mail.

IPT Updates

$200 late registration discount on the Spoonbill Boat IPT! Scroll down for the details.

Unsolicited via e-mail from multiple IPT veteran Donna Bourdon

Thank you Artie for another amazing trip! The setting and the access to such spectacular wildlife was more than we could have hoped for. And you, yourself are remarkable. I am always touched by your selflessness in sharing your professional talent and knowledge. Not many working pros would be willing to share their intellectual property as you do. And the group experience was such fun. It was good to make new friends and enjoy food, fun and fellowship together! I hope to meet up with everyone again soon for another “over the top” adventure. with love, Donna

Unsolicited via e-mail from IPT veteran Eugen Dolan

Arthur, Thank you very much for your overwhelming infectious enthusiasm that helped get me up on some mornings. Also, your ability to express yourself- and explain in great detail why you like or may not like an image – was very helpful in allowing me to better analyze my images. Eugen

I have room for two folks on the spoonbill boat and still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip. Please shoot me an e-mail to learn about late registration discounts for both the Spoonbill Boat and Galapagos trips.

• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2. $200 late registration discount
• The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4. Please e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount for this trip.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

Price Reduction

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens/with Extras!

$300.00 Price Drop! New BAA Record-low Price

Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Paul Reinstein is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM in excellent plus condition — it would be near-mint but for a few small paint chips on the bottom of the lens foot — for the BAA record-low price of $6,799.00. (was $7099.00). The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, the instruction manual, the original product box, a LensCoat,a LensCoat Hoodie that has been modified to make it easier to install over the LensCoat, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Photos are available upon request. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Paul e-mail or by phone or text message at 1-310-946-9031 (Pacific time zone).

The 500 f/4 super telephoto lenses have long been the world’s most popular for birds,nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. Canon’s Series II version is light, fast, super-sharp, and produces amazing images with both the 1.4X and 2X III TCs. The 500 II is relatively small, easily hand holdable for some folks, and is much easier travel with, focuses closer than, and costs a lot less than the 600 II. Lastly, and you might find this amazing, the magnification for the 500 II is the same as it is for the 600 II: .15X. How is that possible? Magnification is calculated at the minimum focusing distance of the lens — 12.14 feet (3.7 meters) for the 500 II and 14.77 feet (4.5 meters) for the 600 II. Simply put, the 500 II focuses more than two feet closer than the 600 II. The seller for the last one that sold here had five calls the first day; the first four folks quibbled on price. The fifth one jumped right on it … Please do not tarry if you are seriously interested in Paul’s lens as it should sell almost instantly. Or not 🙂 As the 500 II goes for $8999 new you will be getting an almost new lens while saving $1900.00. I loved my 500 II 🙂 artie

Orlando Camera Club Program Sponsored By Bedford Camera

On February 25, 2019, I will be presenting “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style” for the Orlando Camera Club. They told me that they did not want to see beautiful images as they would rather learn. I told them that I would need to show them lots of beautiful images during the course of the lessons. 🙂 I will be working hard on this brand new program for the next three weeks. The program is scheduled for 6:15 – 8:00pm at the Marks Senior Center, 99 E Marks Street, Orlando, FL 32803. The meeting is free and open to the public. If you learned about the program through the blog be sure to come up for a hug.

Huge thanks to Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera for sponsoring my appearance and to Holly Manus for the invitation. Click on the logo-link above or check out the Money Saving Reminder feature immediately below to get acquainted with Bedford.

From the OCC website here:

Arthur Morris will present “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style”. This slide-illustrated lecture will feature hundred’s of Artie’s spectacular photographs. As he shares images from his favorite locations around the globe he will be telling us about the birds and other creatures that he photographs and about the equipment and techniques that he uses to create his images. Topics to be covered include getting close to free and wild birds, flight photography, getting the right exposure, and image design. A selection of books and CDs will be available.

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, 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 currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

SONY A9 On Sale!

The SONY A9 went on sale at both B&H and Bedford yesterday with a $500 instant rebate. Please consider purchasing your A9 from a BAA affiliate.

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 January 22, 2019 on an afternoon San Diego IPT photo session. I used the hand held i-Phone 8+. Luis Alberto Grunauer at the beach at sunset Scroll down to learn about Cliff Oliver’s The iPhone Photography e-Guide.

Luis “Louie” Alberto Grunauer

Luis’s first contact with BIRDS AS ART was in April 2018 when he wrote for info regarding the right Induro tripod for him and his Canon 800. Soon thereafter he expressed an interest in making this summer’s Galapagos Photo Cruise of a Lifetime. I am still working on him on that one. 🙂 In October he signed up for the San Diego IPT.

All of the e-mails below (including the somewhat personal ones and my commentary) are printed here with Luis’s permission and my sincere appreciation.

This image was created on January 20 on the first afternoon of the 2019 San Diego IPT. Luis used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens with the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/800 sec. at f/8 in Av (Aperture Priority, A in Nikon) Mode. Pacific Race Brown Pelican vertical head portrait with dark background Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Luis Alberto Grunauer/Silvia’s Jovial Photography

Louie’s Canon 800

An 800 is a very long lens when working on the cliffs at La Jolla. For the image above, Luis moved back as far as he could but his technically perfect image is a bit too tight in the frame. Luis liked to work in both Av and Tv modes; I am still working on getting him to use the much more reliable Manual mode …

This image was created on the morning of January 21 on the 2019 San Diego IPT. Luis used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens with the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR. ISO 100. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/7.1 in Av (Aperture Priority, A in Nikon) Mode. Minus .7 stops EC was needed to keep from burning the light pink legs. Black Oystercatcher sleeping on rock Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Luis Alberto Grunauer/Silvia’s Jovial Photography

Luis’s Intermediate Zoom Lens

Intermediate telephoto zoom lenses are deadly on the pelicans with or with a 1.4X TC. Luis really concentrated on executing the principles that we were working on every day. In the image above the framing and the head and bill angle are dead-solid perfect with the pelican’s bill parallel to the back of the camera.

This image was created on the morning of January 20 on the 2019 San Diego IPT. Luis used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens with the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 560mm) and the Canon EOS 6D Mark II DSLR. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Av (Aperture Priority, A in Nikon) Mode. Sub-adult Pacific race Brown Pelican preening Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Luis Alberto Grunauer/Silvia’s Jovial Photography

Luis’s Thoughts (via e-mail) after the IPT

Artie…

My first IPT experience with you was nothing short of an amazing and extraordinary experience; it will be with me for the rest of my life.

On just one IPT (San Diego – La Jolla) I learned so much more about bird photography than I learned in all the years I tried it on my own. I can’t thank you enough for your teachings, your professionalism, your wisdom, your relentless enthusiasm, and for helping us to get better and better in doing what we love. I loved those times that you came to my tripod and worked with me one-on-one to help me to get better sun angles, better compositions and framing, and the right camera settings (among others). And thanks for all the times you called my attention (busted me!) for either staying in just one spot without moving of for not listening! I loved every single second of it!

When you mentioned the words: “You will learn exposure, whether you like it or not” you were 1000% exactly right. After the San Diego IPT I not only learned exposure, but also learned the meaning of the words “You nailed it!” For all of you reading this message, if you are extremely serious about improving your bird and wildlife photography, if you want to take your photography to the next level and learn from the very best in the business, this is where you need to be: on an IPT as soon as possible!

Lastly, I can only wish I still have that magic energy and that endless will that keeps you going on strong when, if God allows me, I grow older. You are truly so blessed!

With lots of Love and sincere appreciation and already looking forward to my next IPT!

Luis

This image was created on the afternoon of January 22 on the 2019 San Diego IPT. Luis used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens with the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR. ISO 400. Evaluative metering probably +2/3 stop: 1/640 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual (hooray!) Mode. Whimbrel walking Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Luis Alberto Grunauer/Silvia’s Jovial Photography

Luis, You are killing yourself with food …

The moment that I met Luis he seemed as if he were my long-lost little brother. I was very comfortable working with him as it was really obvious that he loved bird photography and that he loved life. He is affable and friendly. Near the end of the IPT I felt secure enough in our new friendship to say the following to him: Luis, you are a sweet wonderful man but you are killing yourself with food. I know because I went down that path for about 40 years. I am fine if you tell me to shut up and mind my own business but I think that I might be able to help you. May I send you my Health Basics File?

Luis was open to my suggestion and we talked about our mutual love of food especially sweets. And we talked about our mutual love of sports. I was not surprised to learn that Luis was a baseball catcher. I subsequently sent him the Health Basics File. During one of our lunches at Cafe Vahik Luis met Dr. Cliff Oliver, the man who inspired me to start eating well and taking care of myself about 25 years ago. Cliff remains a great friend. After reading the file that I sent, Luis decided to contact Cliff. Learn more about Cliff here.

Dear Doctor Oliver

Good evening Dr. Oliver,

My name is Luis Alberto Grunauer, Jr. I had the privilege of meeting you last week during lunch during Artie’s San Diego – La Jolla IPT. I was truly inspired by Artie’s experience 20+ years ago in which you saved his life by helping him to change many aspects of his life, particularly his eating habits. This has had a great impact on me, as I can relate to Artie because we both like food, in particular sweets.

I am a food addict, and have been all of my life. I just love the taste of food and eat many times out of pleasure. My weakness are sweets and tasty foods. What has helped in the past from not dying of obesity, diabetes, or a heart condition is that I was a very competitive athlete in my younger years and played competitive baseball and football. I was also a competitive bodybuilder. I spent lots of hours on the fields and at the gym. Although I always ate healthy, I never stopped eating after I quit playing sports. My weight ballooned from 185 lb. at 9% body fat to 245 lb. at 40% body fat, and then lowered to 210 lbs. I have never gotten below 210. I became pretty much sedentary, in part because of injuries to my knees, shoulders and neck. I did power walk and hiking, but had to stop due to injuries. I do not take any opioid pain killers and often use ice, massages and liniments to relieve pain, and occasionally take Tylenol or Naproxen.

At the suggestion of Artie, I recently picked up a book titled Pain Free by Pete Egoscue, and started doing some of the exercises in the book to address my chronic pains, and will continue to do that indefinitely.

If possible, I would like to meet with you to discuss my issues in detail. I will be in the La Jolla area during the next two weeks (weather permitting) and perhaps we can have lunch at the salad place where we met. If there is a consultation fee, please let me know.

Look forward meeting you again.

Sincerely, Luis

This image was created on the early morning of January 20 on the 2019 San Diego IPT. Luis used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens with the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR. ISO 6400. Evaluative metering + 2/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6. Pre-breeding Pacific race Brown Pelican flapping Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Luis Alberto Grunauer/Silvia’s Jovial Photography

The Flapping Pelican

The image above is my favorite of the images that Luis sent for the post-IPT critique. To create it, he remembered my advice, “When unexpected action occurs, push the button. You just might get lucky and come up with something special.”

Life Goes On

Dear Artie,

Thank you for everything you have done for me! The IPT was more than a photography experience for me. It marked a turning point that have allowed me to make drastic changes in my life. I was truly inspired by your story and how you overcame sweet addiction and pain, and by IT participant Matt Feldkamp’s story about eliminating his sugar intake. Today is my 7th day without eating ANY sugars! Also, I have constrained myself to two servings of salads or veggies and a small serving of protein (salmon) at lunch and dinner. And I am drinking lots of water. I have felt the craving for sugar, but I am committed to curbing this craving.

Hopefully, I will meet with Dr. Oliver in the next two weeks.

Take care Art, and see you soon! Sincerely,Luis

Thanks Luis!

Thanks Luis for allowing me to share your images and story here, for your more than kind words, for your enthusiasm, and for your friendship. I wish you luck with improving your health and eating habits. Remember that it is important to think of this process as a new life. If you think of it as being on a diet you are doomed to fail. I fall off the wagon on occasion and thank you also for re-inspiring me to eat better. I am looking forward to seeing you again on the Fort DeSoto Spring PT and to eating some healthy meals at our table. with love, artie

ps: You can see some of Luis’s Los Angeles and travel images on his website here.

The iPhone Photography e-Guide To order your copy of the The iPhone Photography e-Guide please click here. The PDF is sent link by e-mail for downloading: the file is relatively huge at 216 MB.

Hard to Believe

Yes, Cliff has a great eye and wonderfully creative vision. Yet it is still hard for me to believe that he can make so many great images with “just“ an i-phone. Almost more amazingly Cliff captures with his iPhone and does all of his post-processing on the phone! In this great new e-Guide written for BIRDS AS ART you will learn to use set up you iPhone quickly and efficiently and how to to use it. In addition, there are dozens and dozens of tips on Cliff’s favorite apps and his favorite gear. Scroll down to the bottom to see the Table of Contents.

The iPhone Photography e-Guide: $20.00.

To order your copy of the The iPhone Photography e-Guide please click here.

From left to to right clockwise back to the center: Brown Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill downstroke, Brown Pelican sunrise silhouette, Double-crested Cormorant pre-dawn blur, Roseate Spoonbill flapping after bath, Brown Pelican taking flight, Roseate Spoonbill taking flight, Reddish Egret white morph breeding plumage in flight, and Reddish Egret dark morph breeding plumage in flight. All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks on the February 2018 trip. You can click on each card to enjoy a larger version.

2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 1.

3 1/2 days on the boat including four morning photo sessions and three afternoon sessions via customized pontoon boat.

Price per day Reduced from the 2018 rates! $200 late registration discount!

We will be leaving the dock very early for the morning sessions (weather permitting) in hopes of photographing the pre-dawn American Crow and White Ibis blast-offs. All sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. We might consider other options in the unlikely event of horrific weather. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, both morphs of Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White and Glossy Ibises, and Double Crested Cormorant. We should have some good chances with birds carrying nesting material. This IPT includes all boat and guide fees, in the field instruction, chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit), and three working lunches on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. For the most part we will be standing in mid-calf to knee high water behind our tripods. We help you get in and out of the boat with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.

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

The Timing and Tides are Perfect!

I recently saw a similar trip advertised two months too late for breeding plumage spoonbills … The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT represents an incredible opportunity to photograph Florida’s most wanted species. I do hope that you can join us. There will be a meet and greet at 7:00pm sharp on the evening of Friday February 15, 2019. All of the images on the card were made on the Hooptie Duex during the last two weeks of February, prime time for the spoonies in mega-breeding plumage. Many folks have written expressing interest so please do not tarry.

Please e-mail to hold your spot. Then you may either secure your spot by calling Jim or Jennifer at the office at 863-692-0906 and leaving the $500 deposit on credit card or sending your check for payment in full to us as follows with the check made out to:

BIRDS AS ART and sent here via US mail:

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

If you call to leave your deposit you will be asked to mail your check for the balance asap.

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

Everybody Loves Spoonbills!

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

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

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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 will be visiting 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. Tanks a stack.

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’ve been doing lots of walking and swimming and relaxing every day since I got home from San Diego. I am planning on replacing some of the relaxing with lots more stretching exercises.

I was glad to learn that four folks have signed up for the Fort DeSoto Spring IPT, three of them — all great friends — are repeat clients.

IPT Updates

$200 late registration discount on the Spoonbill Boat IPT! Scroll down for the details.

Unsolicited via e-mail from multiple IPT veteran Donna Bourdon

Thank you Artie for another amazing trip! The setting and the access to such spectacular wildlife was more than we could have hoped for. And you, yourself are remarkable. I am always touched by your selflessness in sharing your professional talent and knowledge. Not many working pros would be willing to share their intellectual property as you do. And the group experience was such fun. It was good to make new friends and enjoy food, fun and fellowship together! I hope to meet up with everyone again soon for another “over the top” adventure. with love, Donna

Unsolicited via e-mail from IPT veteran Eugen Dolan

Arthur, Thank you very much for your overwhelming infectious enthusiasm that helped get me up on some mornings. Also, your ability to express yourself- and explain in great detail why you like or may not like an image – was very helpful in allowing me to better analyze my images. Eugen

I have room for two folks on the spoonbill boat and still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip. Please shoot me an e-mail to learn about late registration discounts for both the Spoonbill Boat and Galapagos trips.

• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2. $200 late registration discount
• The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4. Please e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount for this trip.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

Recent Sales

John Wright sold a Canon 500mm f/4 IS USM and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X II, both in very good plus condition for $3399.00 in mid-January.
IPT veteran Mark Overgaard sold hisCanon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM lens in near-mint condition for $1,299.00 in mid-January.
John M Wright sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent to near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $6,950.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of 1,299.00, a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L lens in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $599.00, his Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00,
and a Canon Extender (teleconverter) EF 2X III in near-mint condition for $265.00, all within days of their being listed.
Ramona Boone sold her Canon 600mm IS II in like-new condition for $7,699.00 (was $8,699.00) while I was in the Falklands
Brooke Miller sold her Canon 5D Mark IV for $2,249.00, her Canon Extender EF 1.4X III and Extender EF 2X III for $299.00 each, her Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro lens in near-mint condition for $599.00, and her Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM in excellent plus condition for $7398.00.

New Listings

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR Lens

Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens in like new condition for $10,996.95. The lens is only 2 months old and has seen little use. The sale includes the lens hood, the original product box, the lens trunk, the front lens cover, the rear lens cap, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Patrick via e-mail.

Like its Canon counterpart, the Nikon 600 VR is the state of the art super-telephoto for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports. When I can get my 600 to a location, it is always my go-to weapon unless the birds are silly tame. They are fast and sharp and deadly alone or with a 1.4X TC. With a new one going for $12,296, you can save a cool $1,300.00 by grabbing Patrick’s lens right now. artie

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR Lens

Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman is offering a used Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens in like-new condition for $475.00. The lens was rarely ever used and the glass is perfect. The sale includes the lens hood, the original box, the soft case that came with the lens, the front cover, the rear lens cap, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Patrick via e-mail.

I own and use this incredibly versatile don’t-leave-home-without-it lens and find it much sharper than its Canon counterpart, the almost equally versatile Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens. The Nikon version currently sells new for $$ 1,096.95. artie

Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon F

Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman is offering a Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon F in like-new condition for $799.00. The lens is 2 months old, and was barely used. The glass is perfect. The sale includes the lens hood, the original box, the soft case that came with the lens, the front cover, the rear lens cap, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Patrick via e-mail.

The 14-24 Sigma Art lens is as sharp or sharper than similar Nikon lenses for a lot less money. It is a landscape photographer’s dream wide angle and a superb night sky lens. It sells new for $1,299.00. artie

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens

Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman is offering a used Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens in like-new condition for $910.00. The lens is a year old and the glass is perfect. The sale includes the lens hood, the original box, the soft case that came with the lens, the front cover, the rear lens cap, and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Patrick via e-mail.

This is the lens that hooked me on Nikon and its great AF system. It is sharp and versatile and though AF is a bit sluggish away from the center AF point with a teleconverter, I made some great images with the TC-E14. This lens sells new right now for $1,396.95. artie

Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III

Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman is offering a Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III in excellent condition for $385.00. The sale includes the the front and rear lens caps and insured shipping via Fed Ex Ground. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Patrick via e-mail.

As regular readers know, 1.4X TCs are vital to my existence whatever system I am using … The TC-14E III sells new for $496.95. artie

This image was created on January 20, 2019 on the first afternoon of the 2019 San Diego IPT. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my main (#1) Nikon D850. ISO 3200. I was set up for white sky flight at +1 2/3 stops off the sky at 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 when I saw these two birds playing. As there was less light on the cliff I simply opened up one click (one-third stop) to 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3, turned the camera to vertical, and fired away One up from center Group (grp)/Shutter Button/Continuous (AI Servo with Canon) AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. That turned out to be a fortuitous choice as each of the outer points of the array just caught the edge of each bird’s bill and held focus! Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune: +2. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Pacific Race Brown Pelicans playing

The Situation

I discovered this year that there are some really good late afternoon pelican spots in La Jolla. We took advantage of them on the IPT and during the following week on my busman’s holiday.

The Lesson

There is a bit less light down below on the cliffs than there is in the sky. Experiment to see how much you need to open up from the sky to the cliffs so you are ready to strike when you see some neat action. Do note that the RAW file for today’s featured image was still about one stop under.

A Better Title?

If you have a better title than “Bite Me,” please do share by leaving a comment. If you do not understand the current title, see my reply to Joel Eade below.

From left to to right clockwise back to the center: Brown Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill downstroke, Brown Pelican sunrise silhouette, Double-crested Cormorant pre-dawn blur, Roseate Spoonbill flapping after bath, Brown Pelican taking flight, Roseate Spoonbill taking flight, Reddish Egret white morph breeding plumage in flight, and Reddish Egret dark morph breeding plumage in flight. All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks on the February 2018 trip. You can click on each card to enjoy a larger version.

2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 1.

3 1/2 days on the boat including four morning photo sessions and three afternoon sessions via customized pontoon boat.

Price per day Reduced from the 2018 rates! $200 late registration discount!

We will be leaving the dock very early for the morning sessions (weather permitting) in hopes of photographing the pre-dawn American Crow and White Ibis blast-offs. All sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. We might consider other options in the unlikely event of horrific weather. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, both morphs of Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White and Glossy Ibises, and Double Crested Cormorant. We should have some good chances with birds carrying nesting material. This IPT includes all boat and guide fees, in the field instruction, chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit), and three working lunches on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. For the most part we will be standing in mid-calf to knee high water behind our tripods. We help you get in and out of the boat with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.

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

The Timing and Tides are Perfect!

I recently saw a similar trip advertised two months too late for breeding plumage spoonbills … The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT represents an incredible opportunity to photograph Florida’s most wanted species. I do hope that you can join us. There will be a meet and greet at 7:00pm sharp on the evening of Friday February 15, 2019. All of the images on the card were made on the Hooptie Duex during the last two weeks of February, prime time for the spoonies in mega-breeding plumage. Many folks have written expressing interest so please do not tarry.

Please e-mail to hold your spot. Then you may either secure your spot by calling Jim or Jennifer at the office at 863-692-0906 and leaving the $500 deposit on credit card or sending your check for payment in full to us as follows with the check made out to:

BIRDS AS ART and sent here via US mail:

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

If you call to leave your deposit you will be asked to mail your check for the balance asap.

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

Everybody Loves Spoonbills!

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

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

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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 will be visiting 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. Tanks a stack.

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?

My flight home on Thursday was a breeze. I love Southwest’s Orlando/San Diego nonstops! Thanks as always to Jim Litzenberg for the airport pickup. We were home at 7:30pm. Friday was spent creating this blog post and catching up on e-mails and business. I ordered my Sony gear and should have it some time next week.

The comments, questions, and replies on the last few SONY blogs posts have been excellent, revealing, and packed with solid information. If you are at all interested in the SONY gear, you might wish to re-visit. As always, if you decide to purchase the SONY rig that I am unequivocally recommending based on what you have read here on the blog, please consider using my B&H links or getting in touch with Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera.

Your Favorite?

As you scroll down to view and learn from the images as many folks do, please do consider these questions and leave a comment: which of the five featured images is your favorite? Why did you make your choice? The blog is designed to be interactive; the more folks who participate the more everyone learns. Including me.

IPT Updates

Unsolicited via e-mail from multiple IPT veteran Donna Bourdon

Thank you Artie for another amazing trip! The setting and the access to such spectacular wildlife was more than we could have hoped for. And you, yourself are remarkable. I am always touched by your selflessness in sharing your professional talent and knowledge. Not many working pros would be willing to share their intellectual property as you do. And the group experience was such fun. It was good to make new friends and enjoy food, fun and fellowship together! I hope to meet up with everyone again soon for another “over the top” adventure. with love, Donna

Unsolicited via e-mail from IPT veteran Eugen Dolan

Arthur, Thank you very much for your overwhelming infectious enthusiasm that helped get me up on some mornings. Also, your ability to express yourself- and explain in great detail why you like or may not like an image – was very helpful in allowing me to better analyze my images. Eugen

I have room for two folks on the spoonbill boat and still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip. If you would like to explore the possibilities, please get in touch via e-mail; no reasonable offer will be refused.

• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

Recent Sales

John Wright sold a Canon 500mm f/4 IS USM and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X II, both in very good plus condition for $3399.00 in mid-January.
IPT veteran Mark Overgaard sold hisCanon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM lens in near-mint condition for $1,299.00 in mid-January.
John M Wright sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent to near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $6,950.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of 1,299.00, a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L lens in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $599.00, his Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00,
and a Canon Extender (teleconverter) EF 2X III in near-mint condition for $265.00, all within days of their being listed.
Ramona Boone sold her Canon 600mm IS II in like-new condition for $7,699.00 (was $8,699.00) while I was in the Falklands
Brooke Miller sold her Canon 5D Mark IV for $2,249.00, her Canon Extender EF 1.4X III and Extender EF 2X III for $299.00 each, her Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro lens in near-mint condition for $599.00, and her Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM in excellent plus condition for $7398.00.

New Listing

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8 G VRII N-ED Lens

Errol Bellon is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8 G VRII N-ED Lens lens in new condition for a very fair $1296.95. The sale includes the front & rear lens caps, the lens hood, a Kirk lens plate foot LF-44, the soft lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via United Parcel Service. The lens will not ship until your check has cleared.

Please contact Errol via e-mail or by phone at 216-272-9031 (Eastern time zone).

I owned and used the Canon version of this incredibly versatile lens for birds and wildlife and landscapes and Urbex for many years with both teleconverters. It was great indoors for events like granddaughter Maya’s dance recitals. And Anita North used the Nikon version of this lens often with the TC-E14 to make a slew of great bird photographs in San Diego. This is not the latest version; a copy of the newer version sells for $2,796.95. You can save an amazing $1500.00 by grabbing Errol’s lens ASAP. 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, 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 currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

Bedford’s Special

Purchase a NIKKOR 180-400 super-telephoto zoom lens and choose either a GITZO GT2542LS SYSTEMATIC TRIPOD (a $930 value) or the WIMBERLEY GIMBAL/WH-200 w/ custom plate (a $694 value) at no charge when you purchase the 180-400!

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 January 30, day 5 with the SONY gear. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens (at 194mm) and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 400: 1/5000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. The exposure was determined using the Zebra feature. AWB at 9:53am on a sunny day. Image #1: Heerman’s Gull kiting, baited with whole wheat bread

The Amazing and Versatile Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens

A quick glance at the images featured in this blog post will give you a good idea of the versatility of the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens. Fast, accurate AF with both TCs covering an unprecedented 93% of the image area. And the close focus matches that of the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens.

I had been doing the gulls and Royal Terns in flight with the 1.4X TC in place and had been more than happy with the results. But on the last day I tried flight photography in that same situation with the lens alone and was totally blown away by both the lighting fast speed of initial focusing acquisition, the lightning fast frame rate, the seamless and accurate tracking, and the sharpness of the resulting images.

This image was also created on January 30, day 5 with the SONY gear. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter (at 752mm) and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 400: 1/800 sec. at f/14 in Manual mode. Again, the exposure was determined using the Zebra feature. AWB at 9:27am on a sunny day. Image #2: Heerman’s Gull, near-field guide portrait

With the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter!

With image #2 (and with #3 below), I used the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter. AF performance with the 2X TC — the A9 focuses to f/11! — is fast and accurate and thus totally amazing. Imagine walking around with a 200-800mm zoom lens that offers great AF over 93% of the frame and weighs only five pounds. Though I have done great with the SONY 100-400/1.4X TC/A9 for flight photography, the jury, however, is still out on flight photography with the SONY 100-400/2X TC/A9 combination.

Important Note: while I could have gotten closer and switched to the 100-400/1.4X TC/A9 combination the reach of the SONY 100-400/2X TC/A9 combo allowed me to stay well back, to get the pacific background that I wanted, and to work with a narrower angle of view.

This image was also created on January 30, day 5 with the SONY gear. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter (at 740mm) and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 400: 1/640 sec. at f/16 in Manual mode. Again, the exposure was determined using the Zebra feature. AWB at 9:31am on a sunny day. Image #3: Heerman’s Gull, tight head portrait

What About Image Quality and Sharpness with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter?

In a word, excellent. See the 100% crop below.

Image #3A: An Unsharpened 100% crop of Heerman’s Gull, tight head portrait

The Unsharpened 100% Crop of Image #3

Again, as with the incoming Brandt’s 100% crop, this looks more than fine to me and the optimized TIFF file takes my breath away.

SONY is Garbage!

I just found an e-mail from good friend BPN Avian moderator Arash Hazeghi in the Apple Mail Bulk mail folder. He wrote, and I quote:

Ha Ha! Sony is Garbage.

I have always respected Arash’s incredible technical knowledge and in addition, I’ve been amazed by his skill at hand holding 600mm f/4 lenses for photographing birds in flight. I replied asking him for clarification and inquiring as to whether he had ever use an A9. More on his thoughts soon.

I wanted to let folks know that there are two sides to every story. Patrick Sparkman and I humbly disagree.

This image was also created on January 30, day 5 with the SONY gear. Again I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens (at 192mm) and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 400: 1/5000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. The exposure was determined using the Zebra feature. AWB at 9:53am on a sunny day. Image #4: Bird-scape: Heerman’s Gull on seaweed-covered rock

Going Wide

Intermediate telephoto zoom lenses give you the ability to go wide and to create smaller in the frame images of birds that feature lots of habitat. Creating this image with a long super-telephoto lens would have been pretty much impossible unless I moved back to Arizona … I like this one for a variety of reasons including the diagonal placement of the rock, the green of the seaweed, and the breaking wave that frames the bird. In the original The Art of Bird Photography I wrote something to this effect: add green whenever possible.

This image was created on January 28, 2019, day 3 with the SONY gear. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 218mm), and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 400: 1/1250 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AWB at 9:21am on a clear day. Image #5: Heerman’s Gull poop

Close Focus with the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS

Why publish an image of bird poop? To illustrate the great close focusing ability of the SONY 100-400. The minimum focusing distance of the SONY lens (.98 meters or 3.2 feet) matches the MFD of the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. While standing erect you can focus on your own toes (if you are tall enough …) The close focusing allows you to use your 100-400 as a quasi-macro lens. It is the feature that I missed the most when I switched from Canon to Nikon.

Why the SONY 100-400 (with the A9) kills the Canon 100-400 II and the Nikon 80-400 VR

The SONY 100-400 as compared to the Canon 100-400 II

Obviously the focal length range and the MFD are a tie, but with the SONY 100-400 you have fast, accurate AF across 93% of the frame with the 2X TC.

The SONY 100-400 as compared to the Nikon 8-400 VR

Here the focal length range advantage is with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm but that is trumped by the huge close focusing advantage of the SONY lens, .98 meters (3.2 feet) as as compared to 1.75 meters (5.7 feet), the AF at f/11 with the 2X TC advantage, and the huge AF performance advantage with the SONY FE 1.4x teleconverter. In other words, game over, no contest.

From left to to right clockwise back to the center: Brown Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill downstroke, Brown Pelican sunrise silhouette, Double-crested Cormorant pre-dawn blur, Roseate Spoonbill flapping after bath, Brown Pelican taking flight, Roseate Spoonbill taking flight, Reddish Egret white morph breeding plumage in flight, and Reddish Egret dark morph breeding plumage in flight. All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks on the February 2018 trip. You can click on each card to enjoy a larger version.

2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 1.

3 1/2 days on the boat including four morning photo sessions and three afternoon sessions via customized pontoon boat.

Price per day Reduced from the 2018 rates! Please e-mail for details on IPT veteran and couples’ discounts. Pro-rated options may be available …

We will be leaving the dock very early for the morning sessions (weather permitting) in hopes of photographing the pre-dawn American Crow and White Ibis blast-offs. All sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. We might consider other options in the unlikely event of horrific weather. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, both morphs of Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White and Glossy Ibises, and Double Crested Cormorant. We should have some good chances with birds carrying nesting material. This IPT includes all boat and guide fees, in the field instruction, chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit), and three working lunches on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. For the most part we will be standing in mid-calf to knee high water behind our tripods. We help you get in and out of the boat with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.

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

The Timing and Tides are Perfect!

I recently saw a similar trip advertised two months too late for breeding plumage spoonbills … The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT represents an incredible opportunity to photograph Florida’s most wanted species. I do hope that you can join us. There will be a meet and greet at 7:00pm sharp on the evening of Friday February 15, 2019. All of the images on the card were made on the Hooptie Duex during the last two weeks of February, prime time for the spoonies in mega-breeding plumage. Many folks have written expressing interest so please do not tarry.

Please e-mail to hold your spot. Then you may either secure your spot by calling Jim or Jennifer at the office at 863-692-0906 and leaving the $500 deposit on credit card or sending your check for payment in full to us as follows with the check made out to:

BIRDS AS ART and sent here via US mail:

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

If you call to leave your deposit you will be asked to mail your check for the balance asap.

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

Everybody Loves Spoonbills!

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

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

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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 will be visiting 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. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens

Yours truly is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens in excellent plus condition for only $1799.00. The sale includes the original product box and everything that came it including the front and rear caps along with insured ground shipping via United Parcel Service.

Please contact me via e-mail or on my cell at 863-221-2372.

The 80-400mm VR lens served as my main lens on both the Emperor Penguin and Falklands trip. Focus fine-tuned with both of my D850 bodies it produced some of the sharpest images I have eve seen. artie

For a complete list of the Nikon gear that I am selling please see the blog post here.

What’s Up?

What’s up? Lots.

Sunday and Monday were the two worst pelican mornings I have ever experienced in La Jolla. But we did well both days with the Brandt’s Cormorants and had a ton of fun at the Crevice with a small flock of Royal Terns. Sunday afternoon was a bust at my #2 favorite beach as the tide was too high but we did get some Lesser Scaups late in the day. Monday afternoon was loaded with pelicans everywhere. I am getting better each day with the SONY gear as I get used to handling it and zooming in and out. I am in the process of figuring out why I am underexposing so much with the A9 … I have ordered an A9, the 100-400, and both teleconverters. You will be learning why every other day on the blog starting with today’s post …

IPT Updates

Unsolicited via e-mail from multiple IPT veteran Donna Bourdon

Thank you Artie for another amazing trip! The setting and the access to such spectacular wildlife was more than we could have hoped for. And you, yourself are remarkable. I am always touched by your selflessness in sharing your professional talent and knowledge. Not many working pros would be willing to share their intellectual property as you do. And the group experience was such fun. It was good to make new friends and enjoy food, fun and fellowship together! I hope to meet up with everyone again soon for another “over the top” adventure. with love, Donna

Unsolicited via e-mail from IPT veteran Eugen Dolan

Arthur, Thank you very much for your overwhelming infectious enthusiasm that helped get me up on some mornings. Also, your ability to express yourself- and explain in great detail why you like or may not like an image – was very helpful in allowing me to better analyze my images. Eugen

I have room for two folks on the spoonbill boat and still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip. If you would like to explore the possibilities, please get in touch via e-mail; no reasonable offer will be refused.

• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

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, 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 currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

Bedford’s Special

Purchase a NIKKOR 180-400 super-telephoto zoom lens and choose either a GITZO GT2542LS SYSTEMATIC TRIPOD (a $930 value) or the WIMBERLEY GIMBAL/WH-200 w/ custom plate (a $694 value) at no charge when you purchase the 180-400!

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 January 26, my first day using the SONY gear. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 560mm), and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 1600: 1/2000 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AWB at 7:31am on a clear day. Pacific race Brown Pelican/classic head and shoulders portrait

SONY Gear Does Just Fine in San Diego

As I said here in the last blog post, the SONY rig is pretty darned good. I am not sure why I was at ISO 1600 and f/11 for the image above. I should have been at ISO 800 at f/8 at 1/1000 sec. or even ISO 400 at f/8 at 1/500 sec. But the truth is, SONY’s ISO 1600 is about at good as ISO 400 with most dSLRs …

My Initial Thoughts on the SONY Stuff

The Good

1- The camera is very easy to operate and is comfortable in my hands without the grip. That said, Patrick Sparkman did a great job of setting up the MENU items that needed to be set. Thank you Patrick. I was able to learn to adjust the settings in less than two minutes.

2- AF performance blows away Nikon by a greater degree than Nikon blows away Canon. At least for me. And for Patrick. The incoming Brand’t Cormorants are as difficult a flight subject as I have ever encountered. Canon was hopeless. Nikon did OK at times but many of the images were unsharp. Once you are tracking with the SONY stuff every image is surreally sharp. See Wednesday’s blog post. Initial focusing acquisition seems to be instantaneous.

3- AF performance with both teleconverters is beyond astounding.

4- There is never a need to micro-adjust. AF covers virtually the entire frame and there is no drop-off even when you pick an AF point on the edge of the frame … And that is true with either TC in place!

5- The viewfinder is blindingly bright.

6- The A9 is super fast, about 15 fps with tracking AF (AF-C) with compressed RAWs, and 13 fps with uncompressed RAWs. It is difficult to take fewer than four images once you press the shutter button.

7- The zoom power ratio is great; you can zoom from 100 to 400 with about a 90 degree rotation.. There is no need to re-adjust your grip when you zoom all the way in or all the way out.

8- The controls are easier to use than with Nikon (especially when changing the Focus Area).

9- Moving the AF patterns or points around is fast and easy with the small joystick.

10- I went through a battery only once.

11- High ISO performance is outstanding. See Image #2 below.

12- OSS (Optical Steady Shot) is at least the equal of Canon’s IS and Nikon’s VR technology.

13- There is no mirror black out. When shooting flight, the first image flickers for a milli-second and the you see the bird the whole time. In just three days this has helped me to improve my panning skills by light years as I able to simply follow the bird while keeping it in the frame …

14- The dynamic range and the exposure latitude are fantastic. You can under-expose almost with impunity and then open the image up during post-processing without paying much of a price. affect.

15- Despite the 24mp file size, fine feather detail (FFD) borders on the unbelievable …

16- The minimum focusing distance is the same as the MFD of the Canon 100-400 II, .98 meters.

The Bad

1- The thumb wheel should be larger.

2- It is not possible to pre-focus manually … If you know how to do that, please leave a comment.

3- You have to snap the latch on the battery cover shut after putting in a battery. It should be spring-loaded …

4- With some static subjects AF is blind and the camera does not even attempt to focus. When that happens, I point the lens down at a rock and all is well. That likely happens when the last focusing distance is hugely different from the distance to the subject.

5- With no mirror, sensor dust can be a serious problem …

This image was also created on January 26, my first day using the SONY gear. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens (at 400mm) and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. ISO 5000: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. AWB at 5:13pm in total shade. Image #2: Pacific race Brown Pelican/young bird in a squabble

ISO 5000

As noted above, the high ISO performance, the dynamic range, and the exposure latitude of the A9 are fabulous. The original for Image #2 was at least 1 1/2 stops under-exposed. NeatImage cleans up the high ISO images very nicely. The RAW file for this image was a full two stops under-exposed out of the camera.

Your Favorite

Which of todays’ featured images is your favorite? Please let us know why. Folks have been very lazy recently 🙂

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 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 5. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for a great variety of migrant shorebirds, gulls, terns, and passerines in Spring. Many of the gulls and terns will be courting and copulating. There the migrants join hundreds of Florida resident egrets, herons, night-herons, and pelicans on the T-shaped peninsula. We should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and many of those will be in their spectacular breeding plumages. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is a strong possibility. We may get to see and photograph the amazing heron/egret hybrid that has been present for three years. And we should enjoy some great Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two. Yikes, I almost forgot to mention that nearly all of the birds are ridiculously tame!

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.

Just some of the stuff you will learn …

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

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.

What we do

There will be seven shooting sessions in all: four 3+ hours morning session and three 2 1/2 hour afternoon sessions. There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (lunch is included) on each of the three full days. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with the hotel/lodging information.

You got it, 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.

Signing Up

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please remember that the meet and greet will take place on the evening of WED 17 APRIL. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Early and Late

Getting up early and staying out late is pretty much a staple on all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours; on this particular trip we will get lots of sleep as the days are short. Being in the field well before the sun comes up and staying out until sunset will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers arrive.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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 will be visiting 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. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

Stuff

We got kicked off the cliffs at 7:30am just when things were getting good when a team from the city came to spray the cliffs with soap to reduce the smell of the pelican roosting cliff … I mentioned to the biologist that since the pelicans leave the cliffs between 10 and 11 am every day in winter that they might schedule the spraying for after 11am. She said, “My boss makes the schedule.” I believe that all of the above is per the order of the San Diego City Council to placate the residents of La Jolla who do not like the alleged smell. To me, the cliffs smelled exactly the same before and after the spraying 🙂 I will say, however, that the sea lion spot stinks really badly.

Anyhoo, we headed down the hill, worked the Brandt’s Cormorants for a while, and then headed down the coast to the low cliffs where we again found the tame Black Oystercatcher and a nice variety of gulls including Heerman’s and California. Then I kissed everyone goodbye 🙂 Ken Cook is joining me early this morning, Friday, January 25, to try for the dancing grebes …

The Higher Answer

In the Two What’s blog post here, the Pacific race Brown Pelican — dorsal view in pre-dawn light image was created with AUTO ISO at 10,000. Please note that I neglected to mention that I was in Shutter Priority mode (S with Nikon, Tv in Canon); the caption has been corrected. Blog regular Guido Bee nailed the ISO question when he wrote: A guess on the ISO, given pre-dawn; I’d go with around 10K, maybe a bit more. Just a guess. Nice shot, regardless. Well done Guido. Guy, right?

IPT Updates

I have room for two folks on the spoonbill boat and still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip. If you would like to explore the possibilities, please get in touch via e-mail. No reasonable offers will be refused.

• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

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, 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 currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

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 fourth morning of the San Diego IPT, January 24, 2019. I used the hand Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 180mm) and my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 7200. Matrix metering +1 2/3 stops as framed: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.3 in Shutter Priority mode (S with Nikon, Tv in Canon). NATURAL AUTO WB at 7.19am in pre-dawn light (it takes a while for the sun to get over the big hill in La Jolla). Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Center Group (grp) AF point/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered to the left of the pelican’s neck; the rightmost point of the array was on the center of the pelican’s bill. Not ideal, but with Group the eye is razor sharp. Pacific race Brown Pelican — incoming in pre-dawn light/strong

High

I find that working in TV mode with Auto ISO and the correct exposure compensation (EC) in pre-dawn and dusk light saves a ton of time as compared to working in Manual mode. It allows you to go from creating pleasing blurs at shutter speeds in the 1/4 to 1/60 second range to sharp with shutter speeds in the 1/500 at a minimum to the 1/2000 second range by turning a single dial. I wind up teaching this technique on virtually all IPTs. Whether you are in Manual Mode os an automatic mode like S, you always need to set the correct EC … Shutter Priority mode simply allows you to work much faster. When the sun comes over the hill I turn off AUTO ISO, set the ISO to 400, and get to work with the sweet light.

On Getting Over a Fear of High ISOs …

More and more with both my D850s and my D5 I have been using and loving the higher ISO, those typically ranging from ISO 3200 to as high as ISO 10,000 and even higher on occasion. What has brought about this change? #1 would simply be trying the higher ISO. #2 is the amazing NeatImage (NI) noise reduction software. For both the ISO 7000 image in today’s blog post and the ISO 10,000 image mentioned above, I ran quick and dirty noise reduction on a Layer with varying Y values. With today’s image, I added a Regular Layer Mask and painted away the NR on the bird’s face only at 50%. To learn the quick and dirty noise NI reduction techniques see Digital Basics II here. To learn the much more sophisticated NI NR techniques that allow you to apply more NR to the backgrounds and less NR to the subject, see the two Professional Post Processing Guides here.

Important note: the original Professional Photographers’ Guide to Post Processing was based on NeatImage v7.6. Late in 2016, NeatImage released a new version, v8.2, that is a bit more complicated than v7.6. I continue to use v7.6 which is simpler and easier to use. Arash switched to the newer version, v8.2, and we worked together to create a second guide based on v8.2. As far as the quality of the results, v7.6 and v8.2 are indistinguishable.

New purchasers need to decide if they want to purchase the Pro Version of NeatImage v7.6 or the Pro Version of NeatImage v8.2. Once you have decided, click here to purchase the The Professional Post Processing Guide Based on NeatImage v7.6. Or click here to purchase the The Professional Post Processing Guide Based on NeatImage v8.2

This image was created on the third morning of the San Diego IPT, January 23, 2019. I used the hand Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 180mm) and my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about zero as framed: 1/4000 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual Mode. NATURAL AUTO WB at 9:40am on a dead-clear day. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Center Group (grp) AF point/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The rightmost and bottom AF points just caught the base of the near wing yet the image is sharp on the eye. Western Gull (baited) starting to dive

The Low ISO

Once the sun is out at full strength, there is generally only one ISO for me: ISO 400. Even when using the 500 PF with the 1.4X teleconverter I have more than enough light to work at f/9 with fast enough shutter speeds to create sharp images. It is only very, very, very rarely that I will switch to ISO 200 or 100 or lower when the sun is out. I see no difference in the noise at ISO 400, ISO 200, and ISO 100 …

A Really Bright Exposure

Regular readers know that my suggested starting point for bright WHITE/ISO 400 images made in full sun is 1/2500 second at f/8 (which is the same as 1/3200 second at f/7.1 or 1/4000 second at f//6.3). The exposure for today’s Western Gull image was 1/4000 sec. at f/7.1, one-third stop (one click) darker than the suggest book value. Why? With the super-bright California light I was getting significant blinkies on the bird’s breast at 1/3200 second at f/7.1.

Your Favorite

Which of todays’ featured images is your favorite? Please let us know why. Folks have been very lazy recently 🙂

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 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 5. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for a great variety of migrant shorebirds, gulls, terns, and passerines in Spring. Many of the gulls and terns will be courting and copulating. There the migrants join hundreds of Florida resident egrets, herons, night-herons, and pelicans on the T-shaped peninsula. We should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and many of those will be in their spectacular breeding plumages. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is a strong possibility. We may get to see and photograph the amazing heron/egret hybrid that has been present for three years. And we should enjoy some great Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two. Yikes, I almost forgot to mention that nearly all of the birds are ridiculously tame!

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.

Just some of the stuff you will learn …

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

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.

What we do

There will be seven shooting sessions in all: four 3+ hours morning session and three 2 1/2 hour afternoon sessions. There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (lunch is included) on each of the three full days. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with the hotel/lodging information.

You got it, 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.

Signing Up

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please remember that the meet and greet will take place on the evening of WED 17 APRIL. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Early and Late

Getting up early and staying out late is pretty much a staple on all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours; on this particular trip we will get lots of sleep as the days are short. Being in the field well before the sun comes up and staying out until sunset will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers arrive.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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 will be visiting 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. Tanks a stack.

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?

Monday dawned cold and blustery with strong northwest winds. The traditional pelican spot was a guaranteed waste of time so we made a wiggle and with one large cloud to the east made hay for an hour and a half while the sun did not shine. Once the skies cleared we had brutal wind against sun so headed over to the sea lions and did quite well. Patrick found us a tame Black Oystercatcher that pose and pose for us but with the west wind it took some persistence to create some good images. When it comes to shorebirds I can be very persistent.

On Monday afternoon we headed to my #2 favorite beach and did some nice gulls in flight and on wet sand. I was amazed to see a flock of about 150 completely tame Red Knots feeding in the shallow surf. Several of us managed to successfully isolate single birds. I was bummed that I left my 80-400 in the car as there were some nice flock shots to be had. We finished off with some Marbled Godwit silhouettes.

Tuesday morning it was back to business as usual on the pelican cliffs with lots of gorgeous tame birds. With an early northeast wind we had some good flight photography. That afternoon we visited my #1 favorite beach, came up empty on Marbled Godwit, but worked a cooperative Whimbrel. We also enjoyed several species of gulls including Heerman’s set against gorgeous buff reflections and finished off with gull silhouettes and wide angle i-phone sunset photos.

I was glad to learn that most of John Wright’s Canon stuff sold quickly; the sale of one TC is pending.

Cafe Vahik

Thanks to Dr. Cliff Oliver for turning us on to Cafe Vahik (6780 La Jolla Boulevard, La Jolla, CA). The place is open from 6:00 am to 4:30 pm everyday. The food is great and we have enough room to do our daily in-classroom (aka in-cafe) learning sessions. I had the Playa Del Norte salad the first day — Fresh Spring Mix, Blue Cheese, Cranberry, Caramelized Pecans and Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette — and totally fell in love. I have had it every day since adding various proteins; today was yellowtail tuna! Learn more about this great spot on their website here. The service is fast and the hospitality is wonderful. And it is so, so nice to be able to grab and early lunch rather than having to wait until 11:30 for some taco joint to open …

IPT Updates

I have room for two folks on the spoonbill boat and still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip. If you would like to explore the possibilities, please get in touch via e-mail. No reasonable offers will be refused.

• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

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, 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 currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

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 first morning of the San Diego IPT on January 20, 2019. I used the hand Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 290mm) and my souped up Nikon D850. AUTO ISO at ? Matrix metering +1 2/3 stops off the ocean: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 in Shutter Priority mode (S with Nikon, Tv in Canon). NATURAL AUTO WB at 6:54am in pre-dawn light. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Center Group (grp) AF point/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the pelican’s neck. Pacific race Brown Pelican — dorsal view in pre-dawn light/strong>

What’s the ISO?

Click on the image to see a larger version and then leave a comment letting us know what you think the capture ISO was for today’s featured image.

What’s a 600mm f/4 Lens?

In the Falklands I used my Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens once or perhaps twice. I have not even thought of using my 600 in San Diego. The combination of the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens (often with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III to get to 700mm) and the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens has been amazingly effective and versatile on both trips. Together — with the TC-E14, they cover most focal lengths from 80 to 700mm. The light weight and relatively small size of these two lenses makes the eminently hand holdable and hand holding makes it far easier to get into position when you wish to work from new and unusual perspectives, something that is close to impossible to do with any tripod-mounted lens. Participant Anita North has been killing the incoming Brandt’s Cormorants with her D850 and the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens. I plan to try my lightweight Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR in that situation (albeit at one stop higher ISO).

An as noted yesterday, weekend quasi-co-leader Patrick Sparkman has done all of his photography with the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens and the Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera, at times adding the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter. To say that he has been amazed is a big understatement …

So, are 600mm f/4 lenses now defunct when it comes to bird photography? Absolutely not. I will be using my 600mm f/4VR lens most often with the TC-E14 when I am out of the boat on the Spoonbill IPT (see below for details on that). And there are dozens of additional times that I will be using and depending on that very beloved 600mm focal length. It’s just that as 73 gets closer and closer every day the 600 gets heavier and heavier … That said, those 600mm f/4 lenses will be making great images of birds and wildlife for longer than I will be around.

From left to to right clockwise back to the center: Brown Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill downstroke, Brown Pelican sunrise silhouette, Double-crested Cormorant pre-dawn blur, Roseate Spoonbill flapping after bath, Brown Pelican taking flight, Roseate Spoonbill taking flight, Reddish Egret white morph breeding plumage in flight, and Reddish Egret dark morph breeding plumage in flight. All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks on the February 2018 trip. You can click on each card to enjoy a larger version.

2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 1.

3 1/2 days on the boat including four morning photo sessions and three afternoon sessions via customized pontoon boat.

Price per day Reduced from the 2018 rates! Please e-mail for details on IPT veteran and couples’ discounts. Pro-rated options may be available …

We will be leaving the dock very early for the morning sessions (weather permitting) in hopes of photographing the pre-dawn American Crow and White Ibis blast-offs. All sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. We might consider other options in the unlikely event of horrific weather. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, both morphs of Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White and Glossy Ibises, and Double Crested Cormorant. We should have some good chances with birds carrying nesting material. This IPT includes all boat and guide fees, in the field instruction, chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit), and three working lunches on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. For the most part we will be standing in mid-calf to knee high water behind our tripods. We help you get in and out of the boat with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.

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

The Timing and Tides are Perfect!

I recently saw a similar trip advertised two months too late for breeding plumage spoonbills … The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT represents an incredible opportunity to photograph Florida’s most wanted species. I do hope that you can join us. There will be a meet and greet at 7:00pm sharp on the evening of Friday February 15, 2019. All of the images on the card were made on the Hooptie Duex during the last two weeks of February, prime time for the spoonies in mega-breeding plumage. Many folks have written expressing interest so please do not tarry.

Please e-mail to hold your spot. Then you may either secure your spot by calling Jim or Jennifer at the office at 863-692-0906 and leaving the $500 deposit on credit card or sending your check for payment in full to us as follows with the check made out to:

BIRDS AS ART and sent here via US mail:

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

If you call to leave your deposit you will be asked to mail your check for the balance asap.

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

Everybody Loves Spoonbills!

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

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

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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 will be visiting 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. Tanks a stack.

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 am on my way to the airport for my nonstop Southwest flight to San Diego for the IPT and more. I hope that I did not forget anything important 🙂

Contest News

As below, the deadline for contest entries has been extended until February 7, 2019.

The 2018 B&H/BAA Bird Photography Holiday Contest!

Thanks to the generosity of the great folks at B&H, I am proud to announce the first-ever B&H/BAA Bird Photography Holiday Contest. The rules are simple:

1-Anyone can enter one or two of their favorite avian images that were created in 2018. As below, each image must be sent in a separate e-mail.
2-Image clean-up and repair is permitted.
3-Send you JPEGs in two separate e-mails only by clicking on this link: Contest Entry e-mail.
4-Please size your properly sharpened JPEGs as follows: 1200 high or wide less than 600 kb.
5-If you do not follow the instructions above to the letter your images will not be judged and you will not receive any notification.
6-There is one judge and you can guess who it is.
7-Here are the five prizes:

1st place: a $100 B&H gift certificate
2nd through 4th place: a $50 B&H gift certificate

All prizes will be awarded.

8- Entries my be submitted from now until February 7, 2019. Please remember to do your holiday shopping at B&H using a BAA affiliate link or by clicking here or on any B&H affiliate banner here on the blog.

Amazon

If like me you purchase lots of household stuff from Amazon every month, please consider getting in the habit of clicking on the logo link above the Help Support the Blog feature below or the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post. Doing so is a great way to help support my efforts here on the blog. This post took three hours to prepare. Thanks with love, artie

ps: There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on one of our Amazon links and log into your Prime account if it does not pop up immediately.

IPT Updates

I still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip and two more for the Spoonbill IPT. If you would like to explore the possibilities, please get in touch via e-mail. For the Galapagos trip, no reasonable offer will be turned down.

• 2019 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) SUN JAN 20, 2019 thru and including the morning session on THURS JAN 24: 4 1/2 days: $2099. (Limit: 10/Openings: 4) Introductory Meet and Greet at 7:00pm on the evening before the IPT begins: SAT DEC 19, 2019.
• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

My Listing

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens (with a great and necessary extra)

Price Reduced $100 on January 18, 2019.

Having quickly and completely fallen in love with my much more expensive Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens, I am offering my Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 lens in pretty close to near-mint condition for only $1199.00 (was $1299.00). The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it, the crappy original tripod collar, the RRS Collar Foot Package for Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens (a $250 plus the shipping) value, and insured ground shipping via UPS.

Please contact me via e-mail or on my cell at 863-221-2372 (before next Wednesday, 19 DEC).

This is the lens that hooked me on Nikon and its great AF system. It is sharp and versatile and though AF is a bit sluggish away from the center AF point with a teleconverter, I made some great images with the TC-E14. As the lens sells new right now for $1,396.95 you can save you a cool $346.95 by grabbing my almost like-new lens today. 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, 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 currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

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 January 11, 2019 at Volunteer Point, the Falklands. I used the Induro GIT 204/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering plus about 1/3rd stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 NATURAL AUTO WB at 5:13am with some light clouds on the horizon. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. One up and one to the right of the center Group (grp) AF point/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was on the penguin’s upper body. The trick here to to focus in such a manner that you have included the complete reflection. Gentoo Penguin heading into the surf at dawn

On Getting Up Early

I am glad that I am a morning person. I often wake at 4:00am or so and usually put in almost a full day of work while most folks are just getting to work. When I am photographing, nothing changes. On the recently concluded Falklands land-based IPT we all woke very early almost every day. There are several advantages of getting into the field early:

• 1-You can often find situations where you can put yourself in position to take advantage of nice sky color.
• 2-Birds and wildlife are often more active at dawn than at any other time of day.
• Crowds of bird photographers are usually not a problem early in the day. This is never a problem in the Falklands unless you land by zodiac from a big cruise ship 🙂

On some of the islands we got out really early, came back to be served breakfast at a “normal” hour, and, if it was not full sun, headed back out for a few more hours. At some point we had time for long naps, image review sessions, Photoshop sessions, and even a formal instructional program or two. The it was back out between 3:30 and 5pm depending on the sky conditions. Sometimes we made it back in time for dinner, and sometimes we ate cold food. On our two visits to Saunders Island we self-catered and were thus free to set our own schedules and eat whenever we wanted to.

All in all the days were long and we would put in eight to ten hours of more in the field and still have lots of time for napping and the rest. Of our close to forty photo sessions I opted to stay in on only twice. We walked more at Volunteer Point than at any other location as it was more than a mile to get to the King Penguin colony. I almost always took the longer beach route because I love beaches so much. On the morning of January 11th, getting out early and heading down to the beach paid off handsomely.

I am look forward to getting out early and staying out late on the San Diego IPT.

Are you an early riser or do you like to sleep late?

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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 will be visiting 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. Tanks a stack.

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 spent most of Sunday cooped up in my hotel room at the Santiago airport catching up in the Avian forum at BPN. The flight was scheduled to leave until 11:30pm but was delayed 30 minutes. I did not sleep much or comfortably on that red-eye flight … I had several hours to make my connection to Orlando and Jim picked me up at about 10:15am. After a stop in Publix, I was back to my home in ILE by 12:15. It felt good to be home. Did I mention that I fly to San Diego for the IPT this Friday? Yikes!

If …

If you missed Sunday’s My two very favorite images from the Falkland Land-based IPT: Scrambled Egg for Dinner and Yawning Albatross blog post here, please visit and let me know which of the two images is your favorite.

Very Interesting …

If you would like to read an interesting discussion that I had with my friend, BPN Avian moderator Isaac Grant, about the Nikon 80-400 VR check out panes 11, 15, and 18 in the BPN Avian post here.

IPT Updates

If you are interested in learning about the last-second San Diego late registration discount, please get in touch immediately via e-mail. I still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip. If you would like to explore the possibilities, please get in touch via e-mail. No reasonable offer will be turned down.

• 2019 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) SUN JAN 20, 2019 thru and including the morning session on THURS JAN 24: 4 1/2 days: $2099. (Limit: 10/Openings: 4) Introductory Meet and Greet at 7:00pm on the evening before the IPT begins: SAT DEC 19, 2019.
• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

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

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, 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 currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

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 December 29, 2018 on Bleaker Island, The Falklands. I used the hand Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 1000. Matrix metering plus about 1 1/3rd stops off the sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 NATURAL AUTO WB at 4:44pm on a fortunately cloudy afternoon. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Center Group (grp) AF point/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered just to our left of the bird’s head; that is about as good as I can do. The image is perfectly sharp on the eye. Image #1: Imperial (King or Blue-eyed) Shag (or Cormorant) braking to land

Are You Loving Sun for Flight Photography?

There a 8,000 pairs of this species nesting in a single large colony just four minutes by truck from the lodge on Bleaker Island. Afternoons with the wind out of the west always provide non-stop flight photography action — shoot till your neck muscles ache and you can no longer raise your lens. After the introductory briefing, everyone in the group was really anticipating some excellent flight photography. On our first afternoon, the skies were pretty much clear and the wind was only about 20 degrees from lining up precisely with the sun. On the surface, conditions seemed ideal. But they were not. With a bird flying directly at us and the sun from over our right shoulders, the right side of the bird’s face was always in shadow. Evening out the exposure in these situations is always a challenge and creating a satisfactory master file is often impossible. Working with the 500 PF and the D5 I had a zillion super-sharp images but kept only a very few. Most or all of those will never be processed.

On our second afternoon, we enjoyed cloudy-bright conditions. We needed higher ISOs than we did the previous day, but the light was simply not strong enough to cause any shadows on the bird’s faces. I am not sure why I went to the D850 that afternoon but I was surely happy with the results. I kept dozens and dozens of very sharp on the eyes images. What a pleasure it is to hit Command Z in Photo Mechanic to enlarge each flight image and see that crisp purple eye ring.

The Lesson

Cloudy-bright conditions are often far better for flight photography than full sun …

This image was created also on December 29, 2018 on Bleaker Island, The Falklands and again I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering plus about 1 stop off the sky: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 NATURAL AUTO WB at 4:10pm on a fortunately cloudy afternoon. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. One up from center Group (grp)/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the base of the bid’s neck, again about as good as I can do. The image was perfectly sharp on the eye. Image #2: Imperial (King or Blue-eyed) Shag (or Cormorant) incoming display pose

The Incoming Display Pose

I have seen the incoming display pose in more than a few bird families including the cormorants (as seen in Image #2), terns, skimmers, and gannets. I am 100% positive that when the birds land with their wings swept back (and often with their tails pulled forward) that they are displaying to their mates. That even though some gannet researchers told me that I was wrong …

The Bird With at Least Six Names

The bird pictured in both of today’s featured images may go by any of the following common names: Imperial Cormorant, Imperial Shag, King Cormorant, King Shag, Blue-eyed Cormorant, or Blue-eyed Shag (all possibly Phalacrocorax atriceps). While you are at it you can throw in Antarctic Shag (Leucocarbo bransfieldensis) and South Georgia Shag (Leucocarbo georgianus). I think that the correct name for the species you are looking at is often determined by which side of the bed a given research or ornithologist got out of the bed on or what they had for breakfast. The species (???) mentioned here are often lumped and or split. They all pretty much look the same.

The 500 PF

The hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens is by far the best lens for photographing birds in flight that I have ever used. As noted previously I used it a ton in the Falklands, sometimes with the D5 for flight, usually with the D850, and often with the TC-E14, the latter two for general bird and nature photography. Though I had the TC-E17 with me, I did not use it once on the trip.

Was every one of the thousands of cormorant flight images that I created razor sharp on the eye? No, of course not. Most of the time unsharpness is caused by either of these:

• 1-Operator error. Either I failed to get AF tracking properly because of poor hand eye coordination and/or declining fine motor skills or I simply did not have the Group array on the bird’s face, neck, or upper breast. Note: Fine motor skill (or dexterity) is the coordination of small muscles, in movements — usually involving the synchronization of hands and fingers with the eyes.
• 2-The bird was much too large in the frame. In these cases, the Nikon AF system often picks up a part of the bird that is not on the same plane as the face and the eye.

Getting a 500 PF. Or not.

Right now it is close to impossible to get your hands on a 500 PF as the demand is huge and the supply is miniscule. BAA blog subscriber Gloria Matyszyk was able to secure one as a present for her husband from Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera. She originally made contact with him through the blog as detailed in most blog posts in the Money Saving Reminder feature (see above).

She wrote via e-mail:

I did receive the Nikon 500mm PF from Bedford just after Christmas for my hubby Dick Caldwell. We both loved it so much that we ordered another one for me! And yes, once again I entered the BIRDSASART coupon code on my online order. Thanks for putting me in touch with Bedford Camera. And welcome home in a few days! Gloria

Your chances of getting a 500 PF are greatly increased if you are an NPS member; if you are, please e-mail me for more info on getting yourself a 500 PF. If not, please order yours asap either through Bedford or by using my B&H affiliate link:

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens

From left to to right clockwise back to the center: Brown Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill downstroke, Brown Pelican sunrise silhouette, Double-crested Cormorant pre-dawn blur, Roseate Spoonbill flapping after bath, Brown Pelican taking flight, Roseate Spoonbill taking flight, Reddish Egret white morph breeding plumage in flight, and Reddish Egret dark morph breeding plumage in flight. All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks on the February 2018 trip. You can click on each card to enjoy a larger version.

2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 1.

3 1/2 days on the boat including four morning photo sessions and three afternoon sessions via customized pontoon boat.

Price per day Reduced from the 2018 rates! Please e-mail for details on IPT veteran and couples’ discounts. Pro-rated options may be available …

We will be leaving the dock very early for the morning sessions (weather permitting) in hopes of photographing the pre-dawn American Crow and White Ibis blast-offs. All sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. We might consider other options in the unlikely event of horrific weather. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, both morphs of Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White and Glossy Ibises, and Double Crested Cormorant. We should have some good chances with birds carrying nesting material. This IPT includes all boat and guide fees, in the field instruction, chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit), and three working lunches on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. For the most part we will be standing in mid-calf to knee high water behind our tripods. We help you get in and out of the boat with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.

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

The Timing and Tides are Perfect!

I recently saw a similar trip advertised two months too late for breeding plumage spoonbills … The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT represents an incredible opportunity to photograph Florida’s most wanted species. I do hope that you can join us. There will be a meet and greet at 7:00pm sharp on the evening of Friday February 15, 2019. All of the images on the card were made on the Hooptie Duex during the last two weeks of February, prime time for the spoonies in mega-breeding plumage. Many folks have written expressing interest so please do not tarry.

Please e-mail to hold your spot. Then you may either secure your spot by calling Jim or Jennifer at the office at 863-692-0906 and leaving the $500 deposit on credit card or sending your check for payment in full to us as follows with the check made out to:

BIRDS AS ART and sent here via US mail:

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

If you call to leave your deposit you will be asked to mail your check for the balance no later than December 15, 2018.

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

Everybody Loves Spoonbills!

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

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

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If 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 New 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 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 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 will be visiting 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. Tanks a stack.

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 :).