Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Stuff

The morning of Monday, April 9, 2018 at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch was magical. I found a great spot with perfect reflections and zero wind, made lots of wonderful avocet and stilt images, and was able to cross a nemesis bird off my list: drake Cinnamon Teal. Got both flight and swimming images of a gorgeous male in sweet early morning light. Images to follow.

Thanks to all who commented on the Why did I go with 1/60 second when photographing from a boat? question in yesterday’s blog post here. I will follow up on that fairly soon.

The shoulder is the shoulder and the inguinal hernia is the inguinal hernia. Both were again feeling fine all day on Monday. I will be headed out briefly on Tuesday morning and then get ready to fly home that afternoon.

The Streak

Today makes two hundred fifty-four days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took less than an hour to prepare including the time spent on the image optimization. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to try to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!

Booking.Com

Several folks on the Gatorland IPT used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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 April 7, 2018 at the Riparian Preserve at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, AZ. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 1000. Matrix metering +2/3 stops as framed: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3. AUTO1 WB at 6:42am on a partly overcast morning. Center Group (grp) AF point/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was on the right side of the flock as originally framed. Click on the image to see a larger version Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +6. Long-billed Dowitchers landing

The Situation

This image was made on the not-so-great Monday morning past. There were lots of flocks of Least Sandpipers flying around. I made about 60 images but kept only one. This is the only frame that I made of the Long-billed Dowitchers and I was quite happy with it. The 600 f/4/TC-E14/D850 combo is quickly becoming an extension of my being, my heart, and my soul.

Anything Funky Here?

Please click on Today’s featured image and if you see anything funky, please leave a comment. Any sloppy Photoshop work? Any mismatches? Anything that does not belong. The more folks take a crack at this one the more fun I will have.

IPT Stuff

All IPTs include an introductory briefing before the IPT begins so you know what to expect, frequent in-the-field instruction and guidance (priceless), image editing and small group Photoshop instruction during and after lunch. Breakfasts are on your own so that we can get in the field early. Lunches are on me. Dinners are on your own as well so that we can get to bed as the days in spring will be long.

Rides with the leader are available on a limited basis for $50/day.

Registering for an IPT

To register for an IPT call Jim or Jen in the office at 863-692-0906 from Monday morning through Friday lunch with your credit card in hand to leave your $500 non-refundable deposit. Balances may not be paid by credit card so you will be asked to send a check for your balance along with the signed paperwork that you will find here.

Spring at DeSoto is often magical

DeSoto IPT #1 Sunrise: 7:07 am. Sunset: 6:22pm.

3 1/2 DAYS: SUN 15 APR thru the morning session on WED 18 APR: $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

You must purchase a season Parking Pass in advance for early entry. Click here and scroll down for info. If you are not a local, the six month pass if fine. Best to order by mail. Join me to photograph a wide variety of birds of the shore including pelicans, gulls, terns, sandpipers, oystercatchers, heron, egrets, and night-herons. Many in full breeding plumage. Most are ridiculously tame. Osprey likely. Learn to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret DeSoto locations, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations. Enjoy some great sunrises and sunsets.

Which will offer better opportunities, Desoto #1 or DeSoto #2? I have no idea. Both have the potential to be great.

Tame birds in breeding plumage and heron and egret chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my (stupendous) 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

The Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch is great but is a tough place to shoot. With the constantly changing water levels the spot that was fabulous on Monday is no darned good at all on Tuesday and the location that was excellent on Tuesday is a waste of time on Wednesday … None-the-less, if you walk a lot and put on your thinking cap you can usually find something to photograph every morning.

I enjoyed two extra therapy sessions on Saturday, a nice lunch at Cafe Zupas, and an early dinner at The Original Chop Shop. I will be headed out again in the morning for more avocets.

Nikon AF Problems

If you missed the simple solution to my somewhat mystifying D850 AF problems, click here.

The Streak

Today makes two hundred fifty-two days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about an hour to prepare including the time spent on the image optimization. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to try to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

New Used Gear Listing

Canon EOS-5D Mark III Digital Camera Body

Carl Albro is offering a well used Canon EOS-5D Mark III and a Canon Battery Grip BG-E11 both in good condition (plus extras) for the mega-bargain price of $499 as there is corrosion on the bottom of the camera body and the top of the battery grip. Photos are available upon request. The camera and the grip are in excellent working condition. There are scratches on the rear LCD. The sale includes the front body cap, the strap, an extra Watson LP-E6N battery, the original product box, the owner’s manual, a 16GB Compact Flash card, a 16GB SD Card, the cords, a Really Right Stuff Long L-Tripod Bracket (BGE11-L), a Kirk Regular L-Tripod Bracket, and insured ground shipping via to continental US addresses only. The package will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact Carl via e-mail.

I owned and used this superb, full frame, 22mp digital body for several years. It was always my first choice for scenic, Urbex (urban exploration), and flower photography until I fell in love for a while with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). Then I switched to the 5D IV body. In addition, I loved my 5D III body for birds with my big lenses and both TCs. I used mine to create many dozens of high quality images. Then I switched to Nikon. Carl’s body in less than ideal condition would make a great buy for someone on a tight budget who would like to make take advantage of the great 5D III image files for a bargain price. artie

BIRDS AS ART

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

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!

Booking.Com

Several folks on the Gatorland IPT used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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.

The First Surprise

The MRI Report

This is a summary of the MRI report on my left shoulder that we received on Friday afternoon:

Large L-shaped full thickness rotator cuff tear. Supraspinatus torn and medially retracted 3.2 cm. Small subscapularis tear and Habermeyer type IV biceps pulley injury.

The rest of the report detailed the various damage I’ve done to my left shoulder over the past six decades including my 35 years of photography. An MRI of my right shoulder would reveal a lot more of the wear and tear damage as my left shoulder was always the good one.

I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering +2 stops as framed: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3. AUTO1 WB at 8:30am in the shade on a partly overcast morning. Center Group (grp) AF point/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The upper AF point in the array was just below the bird’s eye. Click on the image to see a larger version Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +6. American Avocet pair, male calling

The Second Surprise

On average, I create from a hundred to several hundred images during a decent morning or afternoon photography session. Most days, when I head home, I have a pretty good idea as to which one, two, or three images are likely to be my best of the outing. And I am almost always right. After the images are ingested with Photo Mechanic I will often go cherry picking, looking for those few special images that I am pretty sure will be pretty good. When I find them I make sure not to tag them, saving that task for a complete go-through of all of the images in the folder. If I cherry pick one or two and tag them there is always a chance that I will hit “T” again during the full edit and actually untag them and have the best one or two images wind up in the trash.

Today’s featured image came as a big surprise as I neared the end of the 378 image editing task. I rarely try to create images featuring two birds. And when I first saw this one, I did not even remember pushing the shutter button. So why do I like it so much? Both birds were on the exact same plane at the moment of exposure. The male was calling. The coy pose of the female. And the white sky/high key look really worked well with this handsome pair. Note that the bird on our left is the female, the one with more of an upcurve near the end of the bill. It’s easy to remember; the female is curvier.

Autofocus Note

When photographing shorebirds on the ground my first choice AF mode with Nikon is d-9. As the possibility for flight and action with the avocets existed, I switch to Group (grp) and used that for flight and for the foraging birds.

Shorebirds: Beautiful Beachcombers

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

The Nikon Autofocus Focus Fine-tune e-Guide

There is lots of mis-information out there on Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune. Working with Patrick Sparkman, we developed a way of using that feature most effectively. Patrick was on a roll and perfected a method for using the Focus Peaking feature available only on the D850 to quickly and accurately micro-adjust all lenses and TC-Es with the D-850. Both Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune and D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune require a LensAlign Mark II kit so that you can obtain accurate results. I learned recently that the Nikon D500 DSLR and the older D7500 both offer Automatic AF Fine-tune.

Folks who use one of my links to purchase a Nikon D850, a Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Body Only, Dual XQD Slots), a Nikon D500 DSLR , or any Nikon gear totaling more than $2,000 will receive the new guide free.

IPT Stuff

All IPTs include an introductory briefing before the IPT begins so you know what to expect, frequent in-the-field instruction and guidance (priceless), image editing and small group Photoshop instruction during and after lunch. Breakfasts are on your own so that we can get in the field early. Lunches are on me. Dinners are on your own as well so that we can get to bed as the days in spring will be long.

Rides with the leader are available on a limited basis for $50/day.

Registering for an IPT

To register for an IPT call Jim or Jen in the office at 863-692-0906 from Monday morning through Friday lunch with your credit card in hand to leave your $500 non-refundable deposit. Balances may not be paid by credit card so you will be asked to send a check for your balance along with the signed paperwork that you will find here.

Spring at DeSoto is often magical

DeSoto IPT #1 Sunrise: 7:07 am. Sunset: 6:22pm.

3 1/2 DAYS: SUN 15 APR thru the morning session on WED 18 APR: $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

You must purchase a season Parking Pass in advance for early entry. Click here and scroll down for info. If you are not a local, the six month pass if fine. Best to order by mail. Join me to photograph a wide variety of birds of the shore including pelicans, gulls, terns, sandpipers, oystercatchers, heron, egrets, and night-herons. Many in full breeding plumage. Most are ridiculously tame. Osprey likely. Learn to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret DeSoto locations, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations. Enjoy some great sunrises and sunsets.

Which will offer better opportunities, Desoto #1 or DeSoto #2? I have no idea. Both have the potential to be great.

Tame birds in breeding plumage and heron and egret chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my (stupendous) 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

Blog regular and IPT veteran Ramona Boone hired me for a morning session at Gilbert in hopes of brushing up her understanding of working in Manual mode, Though Thursday morning paled in comparison to Wednesday morning we had lots of good opportunities for me to teach exposure and for her to learn and practice exposure. Thanks to several folks, most especially Ivan Sebborn who e-mailed alerting me to several typos in the The Nikon Autofocus Focus Fine-tune e-Guide.

The shoulder is coming along slowly. I will be heading out to photography every morning that I am here. I fly home on Tuesday.

The Streak

Today makes two hundred fifty days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about an hour prepare including the time spent on the image optimization. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to try to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!

Booking.Com

Several folks on the Gatorland IPT used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

This image was created at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch on my second day in Phoenix, April 4, 2018. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering +1/3 stop as originally framed: 1/8 sec. at f/16 was confirmed by eliminating blinkies. AUTO1 WB at 8:30am in the shade. AF-S in Live View with the square on the lower right corner of the blue speculum. AF Focus peaking does not apply when in Live View as you are focusing off contrast on the sensor. Click on the image to see a larger version. Mallard, speculum of sleeping drake

Long Lens Still-Life Technique

How I Created the Mallard Speculum Still-Life

• 1- Positioned the tripod with the camera at the minimum focusing distance of the lens, about 4.4 meters, while striving to keep the back of the camera parallel to the plane of the subject.
• 2- Set f/16 to ensure enough depth of field given the curvature of the duck’s body.
• 3- Made several test exposures to eliminate blinkies.
• 4- Turned on Live View and 5-second timer.
• 5- Locked up both tripod knobs and the tightened the tripod collar all to the max.
• 6- Pushed the shutter button three times.

Pro Contrast

Because this image was so flat I added some Pro Contrast to my NIK Color Efex Pro 30/30 recipe and experimented with the sliders. Wow, it really brought the image to life but the WHITEs were too bright in two spots so I added a Regular Layer Mask and painted those hotspots away.

The Nikon Autofocus Focus Fine-tune e-Guide

There is lots of mis-information out there on Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune. Working with Patrick Sparkman, we developed a way of using that feature most effectively. Patrick was on a roll and perfected a method for using the Focus Peaking feature available only on the D850 to quickly and accurately micro-adjust all lenses and TC-Es with the D-850. Both Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune and D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune require a LensAlign Mark II kit so that you can obtain accurate results. I learned recently that the Nikon D500 DSLR and the older D7500 both offer Automatic AF Fine-tune.

Folks who use one of my links to purchase a Nikon D850, a Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Body Only, Dual XQD Slots), a Nikon D500 DSLR , or any Nikon gear totaling more than $2,000 will receive the new guide free.

IPT Stuff

All IPTs include an introductory briefing before the IPT begins so you know what to expect, frequent in-the-field instruction and guidance (priceless), image editing and small group Photoshop instruction during and after lunch. Breakfasts are on your own so that we can get in the field early. Lunches are on me. Dinners are on your own as well so that we can get to bed as the days in spring will be long.

Rides with the leader are available on a limited basis for $50/day.

Registering for an IPT

To register for an IPT call Jim or Jen in the office at 863-692-0906 from Monday morning through Friday lunch with your credit card in hand to leave your $500 non-refundable deposit. Balances may not be paid by credit card so you will be asked to send a check for your balance along with the signed paperwork that you will find here.

Spring at DeSoto is often magical

DeSoto IPT #1 Sunrise: 7:07 am. Sunset: 6:22pm.

3 1/2 DAYS: SUN 15 APR thru the morning session on WED 18 APR: $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

You must purchase a season Parking Pass in advance for early entry. Click here and scroll down for info. If you are not a local, the six month pass if fine. Best to order by mail. Join me to photograph a wide variety of birds of the shore including pelicans, gulls, terns, sandpipers, oystercatchers, heron, egrets, and night-herons. Many in full breeding plumage. Most are ridiculously tame. Osprey likely. Learn to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret DeSoto locations, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations. Enjoy some great sunrises and sunsets.

Which will offer better opportunities, Desoto #1 or DeSoto #2? I have no idea. Both have the potential to be great.

Tame birds in breeding plumage and heron and egret chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my (stupendous) 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

I slept long but not very well on Tuesday morning but did not realize that the sunrise was at 6:11am. I got out of bed and hustled over to Gilbert. As I was setting up I missed a long, wings raised copulation by one minute. I was back at the room early blowing balloons. Amy had a cancellation so I enjoyed an extra treatment. I had my MRI done in the late afternoon. As soon as I finish this blog post I am hitting the sack.

The Nikon Autofocus Focus Fine-tune e-Guide was finished several days ago. I still need to put the finishing touches on it and create the PDF but it is functionally finished. It is currently out for review and should be in the BAA Online Store within a week. It will sell for $30. More soon. See below for the details. If you would like to receive the MS Word file give Jim a buzz at 863-692-0906 and have him run your credit card for $30. He will contact me and I will shoot you the link. I would love to hear about anything that is unclear or does not make sense. You will receive the final PDF when it is completed.

The Streak

Today makes two hundred forty-nine days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about 90 minutes in all to prepare including the time spent on the image optimization. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to try to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!

Booking.Com

Several folks on the Gatorland IPT used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

This image was created at the Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water Ranch on my first day in Phoenix, April 4, 2018. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about -2/3 stop as originally framed: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1 was confirmed by lack of blinkies. AUTO1 WB at 7:16am on a clear morning. One up and to the left of the center Group (grp) shutter Button AF with the right hand AF point on the spot where the bill’s crossed. AF Focus peaking Fine-tune: +4. Click on the image to see the rather spectacular larger version. Black-necked Stilt pair/post-copulatory bill-crossing courtship display

The Behavior

• 1- Two birds hang out together.
• 2- The female leans forward with her tail up and her bill near the water.
• 3- The male walks around her several times splashing water with his bill tip.
• 4- The male mounts the female and copulates. Sometimes with wings raised. This may consume anywhere from a very few to maybe twenty seconds at most.
• 5- The male hops off and the pair crosses bills for five to ten seconds.

Understanding bird behavior can help you anticipate the action and make some great images.

All of the world’s stilts and avocets exhibit the same behaviors described above.

I was onto this pair from step two above. I photographed 2, 3, 4 (briefly), and 5 (very well thank you). The copulation was very quick and I was wishing that I had not had the vertical AF problems that I mentioned in the last blog post. I created about 15 frames of the bill crossing ceremony. All were razor sharp on both eyes. I kept six frames. The raised foot here made this my #1 pick.

The Nikon Autofocus Focus Fine-tune e-Guide

There is lots of mis-information out there on Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune. Working with Patrick Sparkman, we developed a way of using that feature most effectively. Patrick was on a roll and perfected a method for using the Focus Peaking feature available only on the D850 to quickly and accurately micro-adjust all lenses and TC-Es with the D-850. Both Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune and D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune require a LensAlign Mark II kit so that you can obtain accurate results. I learned recently that the Nikon D500 DSLR and the older D7500 both offer Automatic AF Fine-tune.

Folks who use one of my links to purchase a Nikon D850, a Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Body Only, Dual XQD Slots), a Nikon D500 DSLR , or any Nikon gear totaling more than $2,000 will receive the new guide free.

IPT Stuff

All IPTs include an introductory briefing before the IPT begins so you know what to expect, frequent in-the-field instruction and guidance (priceless), image editing and small group Photoshop instruction during and after lunch. Breakfasts are on your own so that we can get in the field early. Lunches are on me. Dinners are on your own as well so that we can get to bed as the days in spring will be long.

Rides with the leader are available on a limited basis for $50/day.

Registering for an IPT

To register for an IPT call Jim or Jen in the office at 863-692-0906 from Monday morning through Friday lunch with your credit card in hand to leave your $500 non-refundable deposit. Balances may not be paid by credit card so you will be asked to send a check for your balance along with the signed paperwork that you will find here.

Spring at DeSoto is often magical

DeSoto IPT #1 Sunrise: 7:07 am. Sunset: 6:22pm.

3 1/2 DAYS: SUN 15 APR thru the morning session on WED 18 APR: $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

You must purchase a season Parking Pass in advance for early entry. Click here and scroll down for info. If you are not a local, the six month pass if fine. Best to order by mail. Join me to photograph a wide variety of birds of the shore including pelicans, gulls, terns, sandpipers, oystercatchers, heron, egrets, and night-herons. Many in full breeding plumage. Most are ridiculously tame. Osprey likely. Learn to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret DeSoto locations, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations. Enjoy some great sunrises and sunsets.

Which will offer better opportunities, Desoto #1 or DeSoto #2? I have no idea. Both have the potential to be great.

Tame birds in breeding plumage and heron and egret chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my (stupendous) 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

I began working on this blog post on the way up to the airport on Monday evening. I took the 4am shuttle to the airport and was at the gate early blowing up balloons. I purchased 4 ounces of stale pistachio nuts for the bargain price of $8.51; that is $34.04 per pound! I was at the gate early and after connecting at Dallas Love Field we arrived on time at PHX Sky Harbor. I wound up getting three treatment sessions (because of cancellations) and the shoulder is feeling somewhat better. Not good, just better. 🙂 MRI late on Wednesday.

I can’t believe that I forgot to mention that I finished the Nikon Autofocus Focus Fine-tune e-Guide several days ago. I still need to put the finishing touches on it and create the PDF but it is functionally finished. It is currently out for review and should be in the BAA Online Store within a week. It will sell for $30. More soon. See below for the details. If you would like to receive the MS Word file give Jim a buzz at 863-692-0906 and have him run your credit card for $30. He will contact me and I will shoot you the link. I would love to hear about anything that is unclear or does not make sense.

There are lots of new Sale Pendings on the Used Gear Page here as the action continues to be hot and heavy.

The Streak

Today makes two hundred forty-eight days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about 90 minutes in all to prepare including the time spent on the image optimization. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to try to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

Canon EOS 40D/EF 28-135mm IS Zoom Lens Kit (with extras)

Price Reduction

David Solis is offering a Canon EOS 40D/EF 28-135 mm IS USM kit with both items in excellent condition for the amazing, ridiculously low price of $249 (was $349.00.) With the camera body the sale includes the original box, the front body cap, LCD screen protectors, and one Delkin 16 GB (60 MB/s, 450x) compact flash card. With the lens the sale includes the front lens cap, the lens hood — EW-78B II — in good condition, a B+W 72mm 010 (UV) filter, a Tiffen 72mm circular polarizer filter, a Tarmac soft pouch 3-filter holder, the user manuals, the EOS Digital Solution Disk, four Canon BP-511A camera batteries, two Canon CG-580 battery chargers, the interface & video cables, a new Canon camera strap, and the BG-E2n battery grip, the 6-AA-battery magazine — BGM-E2 — as an alternative to using two camera batteries, and insured ground shipping via UPS to U.S. addresses only. Photos are available on request. Your purchase will not ship until your check clears the bank.

Please contact David via e-mail or phone at 1-(505) 699-4968 (Mountain time Zone). No text messages please.

The 40D was Denise Ippolito’s favorite camera body. She rued the day that she sold it to get the original 7D. The 40D has an excellent AF system and produces clean 10.1 megapixel files. The 28-135 was the forerunner of the two versions of the 24-105L IS zooms. I used my 28-135 for many years to create a variety of B-roll images, most notably was one of a baby Common Raven in a nest below the roadway of a bridge in Nome, AK. Several folks held my ankles as I hung over the side to get the image. This kit would make a great starter rig for beginning photographers of any age. artie

BIRDS AS ART

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

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!

Booking.Com

Several folks on the Gatorland IPT used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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 Monday April 2 with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 500mm) and the blazingly fast professional digital camera body, the Nikon D5 DSLR camera body with dual XQD slots). ISO 1600. Matrix metering +1 stop as originally framed: 1/1000 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 9:00am on a clear morning. Group/Shutter Button AF. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Nikon Automatic Fine-tune value/Focus Tune AFC test value: +3. Black Vulture scavenging opossum carcass

The Situation

I found the fresh-dead, road-killed opossum on Sunday morning on the way down to the lake after our sunrise tree-scape session. I placed it in the south field sure that the birds would respond within the hour but that did not happen. I did not photograph on Sunday afternoon. By Monday morning the vultures had dragged what was left of the carcass — not much, down the slope to the canal. There were about 25 birds on it when I arrived. I grabbed the carcass and moved it up onto the grass and then drove away. When I returned in 15 minutes the birds were already dining. With my bad left wing working off the tripod is much easier than hand holding so I set up the 200-500/D5 combo and slowly made my way down the slope towards the canal. This has two advantages:

• 1-The birds are much less threatened than if you were standing at full height on the field.
• 2-You can get some really sweet backgrounds including the deep blue water of the lake. By getting just a bit higher or lower you can choose from a variety of almost endless perspectives. I do need to take care to avoid the getting any of the white buildings on the far shore in the frame.

I went with the D5 over the D850 because I was hoping for some action and some flight opportunities. One out of two ain’t bad.

Nikon ViewNX-i Screen Capture

Nikon ViewNX-i

I learned recently that I can get all the EXIF that I need and also see the focus points as well in Nikon ViewNX-i, a free download. ViewNX-i refreshes automatically and but Nikon Capture NX-D does not. Do understand that I use Nikon ViewNX-i only to garner the info that I need to make the blog posts more educational; I do not do any RAW (NEF) conversions in either of the programs that I mentioned.

What We Can Learn from the Screen Capture

• 1- Note the absolutely perfect histogram.
• 2- Note the Nikon automatic fine-tune value/FocusTune AFC test value: +3. With the D5 I do the Automatic Fine-tuning and then follow-that up with a LensAlignFocusTune Autofocus Consistency (AFC) test. The results usually differ by one or two points. I always go with the best AFC test value. When I first started doing the Focus peaking AF Fine-tune with my D850 I would run a LensAlignFocusTune Autofocus Consistency (AFC) test as a follow-up. As the results matched almost perfectly — always within one point at most — I no longer do the follow-up test; I trust Focus peaking AF Fine-tune completely.
• 3- Note that with the bird angled toward me and the the Group AF points centered on the bird’s shoulder, focus on the eye was razor sharp because the shoulder and the near-eye were on the same plane.
• 4-Note that with the bird jerking backwards as it tugged on the carcass the framing was less than perfect. I cropped from below and behind the bird and then expanded the canvas left and above and filled in the new canvas using Content Aware Fill. With the dark blue strip leaving somewhat of a mess I cleaned the new sky up with the Patch Tool.

The Nikon Autofocus Focus Fine-tune e-Guide

There is lots of mis-information out there on Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune. Working with Patrick Sparkman, we developed a way of using that feature most effectively. Patrick was on a roll and perfected a method for using the Focus Peaking feature available only on the D850 to quickly and accurately micro-adjust all lenses and TC-Es with the D-850. Both Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune and D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune require a LensAlign Mark II kit so that you can obtain accurate results. I learned recently that the Nikon D500 DSLR and the older D7500 both offer Automatic AF Fine-tune.

Folks who use one of my links to purchase a Nikon D850, a Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Body Only, Dual XQD Slots), a Nikon D500 DSLR , or any Nikon gear totaling more than $2,000 will receive the new guide free.

IPT Stuff

All IPTs include an introductory briefing before the IPT begins so you know what to expect, frequent in-the-field instruction and guidance (priceless), image editing and small group Photoshop instruction during and after lunch. Breakfasts are on your own so that we can get in the field early. Lunches are on me. Dinners are on your own as well so that we can get to bed as the days in spring will be long.

Rides with the leader are available on a limited basis for $50/day.

Registering for an IPT

To register for an IPT call Jim or Jen in the office at 863-692-0906 from Monday morning through Friday lunch with your credit card in hand to leave your $500 non-refundable deposit. Balances may not be paid by credit card so you will be asked to send a check for your balance along with the signed paperwork that you will find here.

Spring at DeSoto is often magical

DeSoto IPT #1 Sunrise: 7:07 am. Sunset: 6:22pm.

3 1/2 DAYS: SUN 15 APR thru the morning session on WED 18 APR: $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

You must purchase a season Parking Pass in advance for early entry. Click here and scroll down for info. If you are not a local, the six month pass if fine. Best to order by mail. Join me to photograph a wide variety of birds of the shore including pelicans, gulls, terns, sandpipers, oystercatchers, heron, egrets, and night-herons. Many in full breeding plumage. Most are ridiculously tame. Osprey likely. Learn to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret DeSoto locations, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations. Enjoy some great sunrises and sunsets.

Which will offer better opportunities, Desoto #1 or DeSoto #2? I have no idea. Both have the potential to be great.

Tame birds in breeding plumage and heron and egret chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my (stupendous) 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

On Saturday morning, Jim White and I tried for a sunrise but there was none, only clouds. On Sunday, we left early again, headed west on SR 60, and were rewarded with some not=too-bad color. There was lots to learn for Jim as we created some tree-capes. That included the K7690 trick, using self-timer/Live View in the pre-dawn, and some compositional lessons as well. Then it was back to ILE for more cranes. We put out a road killed opossum and I expected some vultures within an hour. That was not to be. Then it was more baby cranes and an accepting Limpkin. When we got back to the ranch, we spent a while reviewing all his keepers. After another great curry lunch, Jim decided to head back down to Naples early as he has a ton to do on Monday afternoon.

I fly to Phoenix late on Monday. The shoulder is the shoulder. 🙂

The Streak

Today makes two hundred forty-six days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about an hour to prepare including the time spent on the image optimizations. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to try to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!

Booking.Com

Several folks on the Gatorland IPT used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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 March 31, 2018 at Indian Lake Estates by student/friend Jim White with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 400mm) and the Nikon D810 DSLR. ISO 1600. Matrix metering +2 2/3 stops off the white sky: 1/1600 sec at f/7.1. SUNNY WB at 11:19am on a totally cloudy morning. Group (grp)/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. Osprey with fresh caught bream (I think.) Be sure to click on the image to see the spectacular larger version.

Master Class Student Outdoes Instructor By a Mile!

I am not a big fan of photographing Ospreys in flight at 11 o’clock on a sunny day. With heavy cloud cover and a brisk northeast wind, conditions were perfect. Jim enjoyed learning how to set the right exposure for white sky flight photography. As on the D850, the analog scale on the D810 only shows +/-2 stops, not +/- 3 stops as on the D-850. The situation is exactly the same with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR (only shows +/-2 stops) and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II (shows +/- 3 stops).

With the analogue scale only showing +/- 2 stops here is how I taught Jim to set +2 2/3 stops off the sky:

• Pick your aperture (f/7.1).
• Set the ISO as dictated by the conditions (ISO 1600).
• Point the lens at the white sky.
• Select the shutter speed that shows exactly +2 stops; for Jim that was 1/2500 sec.
• So if 1/2500 sec is +2, you need to reduce the shutter speed two clicks to let in more light. For Jim that meant going from 1/2500 to 1/2000 to 1/1600 second at which point the analogue scale showed +2 stops with a little arrow at the end of the scale indicating more than 2 stops of over-exposure. He was good to go. And he went.

One of the very nice things about cloudy days is that you do not need to be very concerned at all about light angle. As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog post, Jim had a ton to learn about the various AF modes and the AF system as a whole on his D810. He did quite well and left with a pretty good understanding of when to use Group, Single, d-9, d-21,and 3D. We disabled d-51 and Auto.

The Situation

We both walked slowly toward the telephone pole. The bird raised its wings to let us know that it was going to take flight. Neither of us realized that the handsome bird had a fish in its talons. I made about four frames of the bird, all sharp. The problem with my images was that the bird had its head turned to it’s left, facing away from me. When we were reviewing Jim’s images, I was astounded to see that he had made three sharp images with good head angles before the bird had turned left. Especially because he had been slightly behind me and to my left and the bird had flown to our right.

List of Instructor Excuses

• 1-I am old and weak slow. (Fact: Jim is several years older than I am.)
• 2-My bad shoulder prevented me from raising the lens as quickly as I needed to.
• 3-I was too busy teaching Jim. (Fact: that was done well before we approached the bird.)

The Nikon D850/D5/D500/D7500 Focus Fine-tune Guide

There is lots of mis-information out there on Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune. Working with Patrick Sparkman, we developed a way of using that feature effectively. Patrick was on a roll and perfected a method for using the Focus Peaking feature available only on the D850 to quickly and accurately micro-adjust all lenses and TC-Es with your D-850. Both Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune and D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune require a LensAlign Mark II kit so that you can obtain accurate results. I learned recently that the Nikon D500 DSLR and the older D7500 both offer Automatic AF Fine-tune.

Folks who use one of my links to purchase a Nikon D850, a Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Body Only, Dual XQD Slots), a Nikon D500 DSLR , or any Nikon gear totaling more than $2,000 will receive the new guide free.

IPT Stuff

All IPTs include an introductory briefing before the IPT begins so you know what to expect, frequent in-the-field instruction and guidance (priceless), image editing and small group Photoshop instruction during and after lunch. Breakfasts are on your own so that we can get in the field early. Lunches are on me. Dinners are on your own as well so that we can get to bed as the days in spring will be long.

Rides with the leader are available on a limited basis for $50/day.

Registering for an IPT

To register for an IPT call Jim or Jen in the office at 863-692-0906 from Monday morning through Friday lunch with your credit card in hand to leave your $500 non-refundable deposit. Balances may not be paid by credit card so you will be asked to send a check for your balance along with the signed paperwork that you will find here.

Spring at DeSoto is often magical

DeSoto IPT #1 Sunrise: 7:07 am. Sunset: 6:22pm.

3 1/2 DAYS: SUN 15 APR thru the morning session on WED 18 APR: $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

You must purchase a season Parking Pass in advance for early entry. Click here and scroll down for info. If you are not a local, the six month pass if fine. Best to order by mail. Join me to photograph a wide variety of birds of the shore including pelicans, gulls, terns, sandpipers, oystercatchers, heron, egrets, and night-herons. Many in full breeding plumage. Most are ridiculously tame. Osprey likely. Learn to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret DeSoto locations, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations. Enjoy some great sunrises and sunsets.

Which will offer better opportunities, Desoto #1 or DeSoto #2? I have no idea. Both have the potential to be great.

Tame birds in breeding plumage and heron and egret chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers. Openings: 3.

(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my (stupendous) 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

I went into town in the morning to get a 10,000 watt laser treatment on the shoulder. By afternoon, things seemed to be a bit better. Master Class participant Jim White drove up from Naples and arrived a bit before 4pm. Jim has been on many IPTs over the years, many of them out of the country. He and lovely wife Linda were on a Galapagos Photo-Cruise with me more than a decade ago. By 5pm we were out photographing the baby cranes at close range under overcast skies. Then a great chile dinner, image review, a balloon exercise session for me, cold and moist hear, and then off to sleep.

Thanks to Vic Sheehan for pointing out a recent mistake that I made. He let me know that Nikon Automatic Fine-tune is not available on the D750 as I originally thought and that it is available on the newer D7500.

The Streak

Today makes two hundred forty-four days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about an hour to prepare including the time spent on the image optimization. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to try to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!

The Used Gear Page

Action on the Used Gear Page recently has been fantastic. You can see all current listings here. March 2018 was surely a record-breaking month:

Jim Brennan sold his Canon 5D Mark III camera body in very good to excellent condition for $1,299.00 and his Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens in good condition for $999.00, both within hours of listing in late March, 2018.
Top BAA Used Gear page seller Jim Keener sold a Fujifilm X-Pro2 Mirrorless Digital Camera in like-new condition for $1299.
Katherine Tryon sold her Canon EOS-1D X in excellent condition (with less than 16,000 shutter actuations) for $2324.00 in late March, 2018.
Kevin Hice sold a lightly used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $3099.00 soon after it was listed in late March, 2018.
Ron Thill sold his Tamron SP 150-600 f/5.6-6.5 Di VC USD G2 lens for Canon EF in like-new condition for $949 in mid-March.
Joel Williams sold his Fujifilm XF 16-55 f/2.8 R LM WR lens in like-new condition for only $549 near the end of March 2018.
Jim Brennan sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for only $1,219.00 on the first day of listing.
Jim Burns sold his EOS-1D Mark IV body in excellent plus condition for a BAA record low $998; not sure exactly when 🙂
David Solis sold a brand new Sanho HyperDrive Colorspace UDMA 3 1 TB wireless photo/video memory card backup for $399.00 after being contacted on the first day of listing.
David Solis sold his Canon EF 300 mm f/2.8L IS USM (the original version) lens in excellent plus condition for $2399.00 after being contacted on the first day of listing.
David Solis sold his Canon EF 500 mm f/4L IS USM (the “old five”) in excellent plus condition with perfect glass for the BAA record low price of $3399.00.
Les Greenberg sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM zoom lens in mint condition to a local buyer and is sending me a check for 2 1/2% of the original asking price of $1599.
Joel Williams sold his Fujifilm XF 50 f/2 R WR lens in like-new condition for only $299 in early March.
Rajat Kapoor sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (the “old 1-4”) in near-mint condition the first day is was listed for $649.
Jim Brennan sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens (the “old five”) in near-mint condition and a Canon EF 1.4 III teleconverter in very good condition for $3,599.00 right after listing them in early March.
Gary Meyer sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in near-mint condition for $798 soon after it was listed in early March.

The sale of John Norris’s Canon 1DX Mark II in like-new condition for $3,996.00 is pending.

New Listings

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

Sale pending

James Lewis is offering a used Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for only $1,199.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it. The item will be sent via insured ground shipping to continental US addresses only. The lens will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact James via e-mail.

The 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II is an amazingly versatile lens; I made a zillion great images with it when I was using Canon. It works well with both the 1.4X III and the 2X III TCs, even with the 7D II! It is easily hand holdable. It is great for tame birds, landscapes, urbex, indoor stuff likes concerts and recitals, and just about anything you want to photograph. A new 70-200 II currently sells for $1,949 so you can save a cool $730 by buying Jim’s lens at a great low price. artie

Canon EOS 5D Mark II & a Canon EF 40 mm f2.8 STM lens

James Lewis is offering a used Canon EOS 5D Mark II & a Canon EF 40 mm f2.8 STM lens, both in excellent plus condition, for $749.00. The sale includes the original boxes and everything that came in them. The items will be sent via insured ground shipping to continental US addresses only and will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact James via e-mail.

James’s attractive package would be ideal for a budding landscape or Urbex photographer, as well as for some looking for a great body to convert to IR. My 5D II was expertly converted to IR by Kolari Vision. And I used mine as a back-up for my old 1D Mark IV bodies. It served me very well in that capacity in the Southern Ocean a while back when I foolishly used my two 5D IVs in a driving rainstorm for two hours with the expected result. The 5D II saved the trip for me. That tells you that it is a decent body for birds and all types of nature photography. This package is priced to sell. artie

Canon EOS 7D Mark II & BG-E-16 Battery Grip

Sale pending

James Lewis is offering a used Canon EOS 7D Mark II and a BG-E-16 Battery Grip, both in both in excellent plus condition for an astoundingly low $797.00. The sale includes the original boxes and everything that came in them. The items will be sent via insured ground shipping to continental US addresses only and will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact James via e-mail.

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about two years ago when we both committed to using full frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. One thing is for sure: the 7D Mark II is the greatest value ever in a digital camera body. With a new one going for $1499 you can save a cool $702 by grabbing James’s lens. artie

Canon EF 16-35 mm f2.8 L II USM Lens

Sale pending

James Lewis is offering a used Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM lens in excellent plus condition for only $799.00. The sale includes an 82mm Hoya Circular Polarizer (a $189 value) and the original box along with everything that came in it. The items will be sent via insured ground shipping to continental US addresses only. The lens will not ship until your check clears.

Please contact James via e-mail.

This lens is the landscape photographer’s dream wide angle. artie

Booking.Com

Several folks on the Gatorland IPT used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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 October 17, 2016 on Saunders Island,the Falklands, with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/14 in Manual mode. AWB at 8:31am. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -5. The center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the top of the head about 1/2 inch beyond and slightly to the left of the base of the bill. Right on the same plane as the penguin’s eye. Rockhopper Penguins

New Rockhopper Riddle

In the New Rockhopper Riddle blog post here, I posted the stuff below with regards to the image above;

The Situation

We were carefully making our way down the cliffside rocks to the famed rockhopper shower at Rookery. Many of the handsome small penguins were returning from an early morning fishing run. Seated behind my lower tripod I nestled down in the rocks hoping to get some head portraits as the birds paused on their way back up the hill to the colony. The only thing that I like better than tight head portraits are tight head portraits in early morning light made against distant blue water backgrounds. 🙂 Success is sweet.

Light Angle Considerations and a Real Stumper of a Question

By noting the position of the shadow of the bird’s bill, you can see that the sun was coming ever-so-slightly from over my right shoulder … Here is the real stumper of question: what is wrong in the image, what does not make sense?

Depth-of-Field Question

Why f/14? How many stops down from wide open?

The Easy Answers First …

Everyone who answered the exposure math question got it right: wide open is f/8 so f/16 would be stopped down two stops and thus, f/14 is stopped down 1 2/3 stops. No one correctly addressed the why f/14? issue. The simple answer is that I was close to the minimum focusing distance of the lens where depth-of-field is quite small at best. Tony Z and Warren H were in the right neighborhood.

The Answer to the Real Stumper …

As far as what is wrong in the image, what does not make sense?, UK Puffins and Gannets IPT veteran Tony Z was the only one on the right track and then multiple IPT veteran David Policansky took my response to Tony’s reply, flew with it, and made a nice, smooth, landing. Next are the relevant portions of the exchange that shows that revisiting the comments is always a good plan for serious students.

Tony Z/March 28, 2018 at 9:58am:

Hi Artie, I’ll take a swing at today’s questions. First up, you said you’re shooting downhill, sun over your right shoulder, casts a shadow on the penguins right side. However his right eye is the same brightness as his left eye, despite the fact that his right side face feathers are a little darker. Did you brighten his right eye a bit?

Best, Tony

Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART/March 28, 2018 at 11:13am:

Did not brighten the eye a bit. But that is a trick answer 🙂 See you in the Falklands!!!

with love, artie

David Policansky/March 28, 2018 at 12:19pm:

Artie: Could you have cloned the bird’s left eye and reversed it, and put it in the place where the right eye originally was? Looking at the pupil it seems to me that you might have done that. This occurred to me only after reading Todd Z’s response and your response to him.

Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART/March 30, 2018 at 6:54:am:

You are correct sir. with love, artie

Eyeball Transplant and Bill Cleanup

As Mr. Policansky deduced, I painted a Quick Mask of the bird’s left (completely sunlit) eye, put it on its own layer, flopped and positioned it, transformed and warped it, added a Regular Layer Mask, and refined that warping and re-positioning as needed. Note in the original that the pupil was barely visible under the shadow. I ran my NIK 30/30 Detail Extractor/Tonal Contrast recipe on the darkest tones on the right (shaded) side of the face but my work was not quite good enough to fool Detective Tony Z. Good work Tony!

The bill and surrounding area cleanup was done with my usual cadre of tools, the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, some Content Aware Fill, and several small Quick Masks refined with a Regular Layer Mask.

Some of the comments were a bit off base; one person thought that I had done a head transplant …

The Nikon D850/D5/D500/D7500 Focus Fine-tune Guide

There is lots of mis-information out there on Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune. Working with Patrick Sparkman, we developed a way of using that feature effectively. Patrick was on a roll and perfected a method for using the Focus Peaking feature available only on the D850 to quickly and accurately micro-adjust all lenses and TC-Es with your D-850. Both Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune and D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune require a LensAlign Mark II kit so that you can obtain accurate results. I learned recently that the Nikon D500 DSLR and the older D7500 both offer Automatic AF Fine-tune.

Folks who use one of my links to purchase a Nikon D850, a Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Body Only, Dual XQD Slots), a Nikon D500 DSLR , or any Nikon gear totaling more than $2,000 will receive the new guide free.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II). You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a Paypal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

Your guessed it, everything mentioned above and tons more is covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Do note that you will find the RGB Curves Adjustment Color Balancing tutorial only in the new e-guide. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

The two most recent and many of the older MP4 Photoshop Tutorial videos releases go hand and hand with the information in DB II):

• The Wingtip Repairs MP4 Video here.
• The MP4 Crow Cleanup Video here.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here.

You can learn how and why I converted nearly all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 using Canon Digital Photo Professional in the DPP 4 RAW conversion Guide here. And, yes, I still have many Canon images to work on. 🙂 You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.

IPT Stuff

All IPTs include an introductory briefing before the IPT begins so you know what to expect, frequent in-the-field instruction and guidance (priceless), image editing and small group Photoshop instruction during and after lunch. Breakfasts are on your own so that we can get in the field early. Lunches are on me. Dinners are on your own as well so that we can get to bed as the days in spring will be long.

Rides with the leader are available on a limited basis for $50/day.

Registering for an IPT

To register for an IPT call Jim or Jen in the office at 863-692-0906 from Monday morning through Friday lunch with your credit card in hand to leave your $500 non-refundable deposit. Balances may not be paid by credit card so you will be asked to send a check for your balance along with the signed paperwork that you will find here.

Spring at DeSoto is often magical

DeSoto IPT #1 Sunrise: 7:07 am. Sunset: 6:22pm.

3 1/2 DAYS: SUN 15 APR thru the morning session on WED 18 APR: $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

You must purchase a season Parking Pass in advance for early entry. Click here and scroll down for info. If you are not a local, the six month pass if fine. Best to order by mail. Join me to photograph a wide variety of birds of the shore including pelicans, gulls, terns, sandpipers, oystercatchers, heron, egrets, and night-herons. Many in full breeding plumage. Most are ridiculously tame. Osprey likely. Learn to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret DeSoto locations, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations. Enjoy some great sunrises and sunsets.

Which will offer better opportunities, Desoto #1 or DeSoto #2? I have no idea. Both have the potential to be great.

Tame birds in breeding plumage and heron and egret chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my (stupendous) 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

Went into town for my regular check-up in the morning and followed up with Dr. Cliff Oliver on FaceTime in the afternoon. Blew up lots of balloons and watched a few movies. Answered a ton of Used Gear (and other) e-mails and id a bit of work on the Nikon AF e-Guide. I should have lots of time to work on that tomorrow and start AF Fine-tuning my second D850. Focus peaking makes that easy.

The Streak

Today makes two hundred forty-one days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took less than an hour to prepare including the time spent on the image optimization. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to try to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!

The Used Gear Page

Action on the Used Gear Page recently has been fantastic. You can see all current listings here. March 2018 was surely a record-breaking month:

Jim Brennan sold his Canon 5D Mark III camera body in very good to excellent condition for $1,299.00 and his Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens in good condition for $999.00, both within hours of listing in late March, 2018.
Top BAA Used Gear page seller Jim Keener sold a Fujifilm X-Pro2 Mirrorless Digital Camera in like-new condition for $1299.
Katherine Tryon sold her Canon EOS-1D X in excellent condition (with less than 16,000 shutter actuations) for $2324.00 in late March, 2018.
Kevin Hice sold a lightly used Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in near-mint condition for $3099.00 soon after it was listed in late March, 2018.
Ron Thill sold his Tamron SP 150-600 f/5.6-6.5 Di VC USD G2 lens for Canon EF in like-new condition for $949 in mid-March.
Joel Williams sold his Fujifilm XF 16-55 f/2.8 R LM WR lens in like-new condition for only $549 near the end of March 2018.
Jim Brennan sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for only $1,219.00 on the first day of listing.
Jim Burns sold his EOS-1D Mark IV body in excellent plus condition for a BAA record low $998; not sure exactly when 🙂
David Solis sold a brand new Sanho HyperDrive Colorspace UDMA 3 1 TB wireless photo/video memory card backup for $399.00 after being contacted on the first day of listing.
David Solis sold his Canon EF 300 mm f/2.8L IS USM (the original version) lens in excellent plus condition for $2399.00 after being contacted on the first day of listing.
David Solis sold his Canon EF 500 mm f/4L IS USM (the “old five”) in excellent plus condition with perfect glass for the BAA record low price of $3399.00.
Les Greenberg sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM zoom lens in mint condition to a local buyer and is sending me a check for 2 1/2% of the original asking price of $1599.
Joel Williams sold his Fujifilm XF 50 f/2 R WR lens in like-new condition for only $299 in early March.
Rajat Kapoor sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (the “old 1-4”) in near-mint condition the first day is was listed for $649.
Jim Brennan sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens (the “old five”) in near-mint condition and a Canon EF 1.4 III teleconverter in very good condition for $3,599.00 right after listing them in early March.
Gary Meyer sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in near-mint condition for $798 soon after it was listed in early March.

The sale of John Norris’s Canon 1DX Mark II in like-new condition for $3,996.00 is pending.

New Listing

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens

BAA Record-Low Price

Top BAA Used Gear page seller Jim Keener is offering a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in like-new condition (but for a one-inch scratch on the lens hood) for the BIRDS AS ART record-low price of $1598. The sale includes the front and rear caps, the tan zippered case, and insured ground shipping via major courier to the 48 contiguous states only. The camera will not ship until your check clears. No PayPal.

Please contact Jim via e-mail or by phone at 310-741-7435 (9am-9pm Mountain time).

Y’all know how much I used and loved and miss my 100-400II for its incredible sharpness (even with the 1.4X TC), it’s amazing versatility, and its hard-to-believe close focus. artie

Featured Listing

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

BAA Record-Low, Shock-the-world Price

Greg Morris is offering a barely used EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in mint to like-new condition with extras for the BAA record low price of $9394.00. The sale includes the LensCoat that has protected this lens since day one, a RRS stuff foot (installed), the original foot, the lens trunk, the original box and everything that came in it: front cover, rear cap, manuals, & the rest, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your personal of certified check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Greg via e-mail or by phone at 1-580-678-5929 (Central time).

WMD: Weapon of Mass Destruction!

The 600 II is the state of the art super-telephoto for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports. When I could get it to my location, it was my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new one going for $11,499, you can save a cool $2,005.00 by grabbing Walt’s might-as-well-be-new lens right now. artie

Booking.Com

Several folks on the Gatorland IPT used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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 morning of Thursday, January 12 at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, AZ. I used the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. ISO 1000 (via ISO Safety Shift). Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops in Tv mode: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6. K 7500 at 7:43am in quasi-fire-in-the-mist conditions. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: +3. Center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/shutter button AF as originally framed; the selected AF point Click here to see the last version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see the spectacular larger version. Canada Goose flapping

Why Photograph a Common Species?

I say it often: I’d rather make a very good image of the most common bird than make a crappy image of a rare bird or a life bird, a species I have never seen before. The key to being successful when photographing a Song Sparrow or a Canada Goose is to learn to see the good situations — nice or unique light, clean distant backgrounds, or neat behavior — anything to make an image special, dramatic, different. During my on my first Phoenix visit, I enjoyed two fire-in-the-mist mornings at Gilbert. On both of those days many other photographers showed up an hour after I did. With no idea as to what they missed. Getting up and out early is always a good plan for a nature photographer.

Tv Mode (S in Nikon)

Many folks believe that real photographers work in Manual mode 100% of the time. My thoughts are that there are certain situations when some of the other shooting modes are far superior to Manual. Here, I set a shutter speed that I thought would pretty much freeze the flapping wings, set the EC at +1 1/3 stops, let the camera set the necessary ISO, and reaped the benefits.

The Canon 600 II Does Not Suck

When I look back on my Canon years I say that when I used my six hundred f/4 lenses that I went with the bare lens about 10% of the time, with the 1.4X TC about 60% of the time, and with the 2X TC at least 30% of the time. With Nikon I have been sticking with the 14TC-E14 most of the time, often cropping the super high quality D850 images. I had a lot more confidence with my Canon 600 II at 1200mm than I do with my Nikon 600 at 1200mm.

Another Optical Illusion?

Is the goose in today’s featured image facing toward us or away?

IPT Stuff

All IPTs include an introductory briefing before the IPT begins so you know what to expect, frequent in-the-field instruction and guidance (priceless), image editing and small group Photoshop instruction during and after lunch. Breakfasts are on your own so that we can get in the field early. Lunches are on me. Dinners are on your own as well so that we can get to bed as the days in spring will be long.

Rides with the leader are available on a limited basis for $50/day.

Registering for an IPT

To register for an IPT call Jim or Jen in the office at 863-692-0906 from Monday morning through Friday lunch with your credit card in hand to leave your $500 non-refundable deposit. Balances may not be paid by credit card so you will be asked to send a check for your balance along with the signed paperwork that you will find here.

Spring at DeSoto is often magical

DeSoto IPT #1 Sunrise: 7:07 am. Sunset: 6:22pm.

3 1/2 DAYS: SUN 15 APR thru the morning session on WED 18 APR: $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

You must purchase a season Parking Pass in advance for early entry. Click here and scroll down for info. If you are not a local, the six month pass if fine. Best to order by mail. Join me to photograph a wide variety of birds of the shore including pelicans, gulls, terns, sandpipers, oystercatchers, heron, egrets, and night-herons. Many in full breeding plumage. Most are ridiculously tame. Osprey likely. Learn to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret DeSoto locations, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations. Enjoy some great sunrises and sunsets.

Which will offer better opportunities, Desoto #1 or DeSoto #2? I have no idea. Both have the potential to be great.

Tame birds in breeding plumage and heron and egret chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my (stupendous) 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

I am feeling pretty much like a bird with an injured wing. I have decided to go back to Phoenix next Tuesday for a week to get my shoulder worked on. On Monday I got a ton of work done on the Nikon D850/D5/D500/D750 Focus Fine-tune Guide and plan on doing the same today. See the details below.

There will be a Canon EF 400mm f/4 IS DO II lens listed on the Used Gear page very soon; If you would like advance notice, please shoot me an e-mail

The Streak

Today makes two hundred thirty-nine days in a row with a new educational blog post! I began this blog post from scratch at 4am Tuesday morning; it took 90 minutes to prepare including the time spent on the image optimizations. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to try to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, 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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!

The Used Gear Page

Action on the Used Gear Page recently has been fantastic. You can see all current listings here.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the Gatorland IPT used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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 March 2, 2018 at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, AZ with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 400mm) and the Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about -1 stop: 1/4000 sec at f/7.1. AUTO2 WB at 5:58 lat on a clear afternoon. Center Group (grp) AF area mode/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The upper and left AF points in the array were on the bird’s neck and breast as originally framed. Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +10! American Coot incoming. Baited with goose and duck blend. The ACR defaults. Click on the image to see a larger version so that you can read the fine print.

The ACR Defaults

With the defaults setting in ACR the image looked way too dark. But the RGB values for the brightest part of the white bill were R=231, G=227, B=221. Thus, the image was not as underexposed as it looked. In short, we have another of what appears to be a “Lying Histogram.”

The Exposure

Why was I shooting relatively dark?

80-400 VR/D850 for Flight

The hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 400mm) and the Nikon D850 DSLR is a deadly combination for flight photography. The group AF area mode is quite amazing …

This image was created on March 2, 2018 at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, AZ with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 400mm) and the Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about -1 stop: 1/4000 sec at f/7.1. AUTO2 WB at 5:58 lat on a clear afternoon. Center Group (grp) AF area mode/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The upper and left AF points in the array were on the bird’s neck and breast as originally framed. Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +10! American Coot incoming. Baited with goose and duck blend. The ACR corrections. Click on the image to see a larger version so that you can read the fine print.

The ACR Corrections

The goal here was to open up the dark tones a lot while striving to avoid the grungy, crunch, noisy look and raising the RGB values into the high 240s.

This image was created on March 2, 2018 at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, AZ with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 400mm) and the Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about -1 stop: 1/4000 sec at f/7.1. AUTO2 WB at 5:58 lat on a clear afternoon. Center Group (grp) AF area mode/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The upper and left AF points in the array were on the bird’s neck and breast as originally framed. Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +10! American Coot incoming. Baited with goose and duck blend. The Optimized Image/Version I

The Optimized Image/Version I

After converting the image in ACR (as above) I cropped to 3X2 mostly from the left and below. I toned down the brightest specular highlights using the Spot Healing Brush (J). Then I selected the bird and applied my NIK 50-50 recipe. That was way overkill so I reduced the Opacity to 60%. Then I went Select > Color Range to select the darkest tones on the bird’s face and neck. I put them on their own layer and pulled up the curve. The I added a Regular Layer Mask and painted away the edges at 50% to smooth the transition.

When I posted the image above to the blog I realized that the big splash on the left side of the frame was not white enough; as immediately above, it shows a BLUE/GREEN/CYAN cast so back to Photoshop we went.

This image was created on March 2, 2018 at the Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, AZ with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 400mm) and the Nikon D850 DSLR. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about -1 stop: 1/4000 sec at f/7.1. AUTO2 WB at 5:58 lat on a clear afternoon. Center Group (grp) AF area mode/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The upper and left AF points in the array were on the bird’s neck and breast as originally framed. Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +10! American Coot incoming. Baited with goose and duck blend. The Optimized Image/Version II.

The Optimized Image/Version II

Eliminating the BLUE/GREEN/CYAN color cast was actually fairly simple. I put the whole image on its own layer and went Image > Adjustments > Selective Color. First I selected WHITE from the drop-down menu. Then I adjusted the sliders as follows: CYAN to -100, MAGENTA to +10, and BLACK to -90 (effectively removing BLACK from the WHITES. It was extra work but well worth it to me. Notice how much WHITER the big splashes on the left frame-edge look in Version II.

The Nikon D850/D5/D500/D750 Focus Fine-tune Guide

There is lots of mis-information out there on Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune. Working with Patrick Sparkman, we developed a way of using that feature effectively. Patrick was on a roll and perfected a method for using the Focus Peaking feature available only on the D850 to quickly and accurately micro-adjust all lenses and TC-Es with your D-850. Both Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune and D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune require a LensAlign Mark II kit so that you can obtain accurate results. I learned recently that the Nikon D500 DSLR and the older D750 both offer Automatic AF Fine-tune.

Folks who use one of my links to purchase a Nikon D850, a Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Body Only, Dual XQD Slots), a Nikon D500 DSLR , or any Nikon gear totaling more than $2,000 will receive the new guide free.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II). You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a Paypal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

Your guessed it, everything mentioned above and tons more is covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Do note that you will find the RGB Curves Adjustment Color Balancing tutorial only in the new e-guide. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

The two most recent and many of the older MP4 Photoshop Tutorial videos releases go hand and hand with the information in DB II):

• The Wingtip Repairs MP4 Video here.
• The MP4 Crow Cleanup Video here.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here.

You can learn how and why I converted nearly all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 using Canon Digital Photo Professional in the DPP 4 RAW conversion Guide here. And, yes, I still have many Canon images to work on. 🙂 You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.

IPT Stuff

All IPTs include an introductory briefing before the IPT begins so you know what to expect, frequent in-the-field instruction and guidance (priceless), image editing and small group Photoshop instruction during and after lunch. Breakfasts are on your own so that we can get in the field early. Lunches are on me. Dinners are on your own as well so that we can get to bed as the days in spring will be long.

Rides with the leader are available on a limited basis for $50/day.

Registering for an IPT

To register for any of the IPTs below call Jim or Jen in the office at 863-692-0906 from Monday morning through Friday lunch with your credit card in hand to leave your $500 non-refundable deposit. Balances may not be paid by credit card so you will be asked to send a check for your balance along with the signed paperwork that you will find here.

Tame birds in breeding plumage and chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my (stupendous) 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

Tame birds in breeding plumage and heron and egret chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.

(2 1/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

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

The shoulder continues to feel just a bit better every day. 6pm yesterday (Saturday) afternoon was the two-week anniversary of the big crash and smash. I went down to the lake on Friday afternoon and found a large colt (Image #5) and then relocated the two small colts (seen in Images 1, 3, and 4). Best of all, I was watching a nest where one of the birds has a deformed bill; it has nested successfully in the marsh at the far end of the north field for many years. I thought that the eggs might be duds, but this morning I spotted two tiny chicks that must have hatched over night. Photos of those soon I hope.

The Streak

Today makes two hundred thirty-seven days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about three hours to prepare including the time spent on the image optimizations. With all of my upcoming free time (or not…), the plan right now is to try to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.

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. Patrick Sparkman saved $350 on a recent purchase!

The Used Gear Page

Action on the Used Gear Page recently has been fantastic. You can see all current listings here.

Recent Sales

Ron Thill sold his Tamron SP 150-600 f/5.6-6.5 Di VC USD G2 lens for Canon EF in like-new condition for $949 in mid-March.
Joel Williams sold his Fujifilm XF 16-55 f/2.8 R LM WR lens in like-new condition for only $549 near the end of March 2018.
Jim Brennan sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for only $1,219.00 on the first day of listing.
Jim Burns recently sold his EOS-1D Mark IV body in excellent plus condition for a BAA record low $998; not sure exactly when 🙂
David Solis sold a brand new Sanho HyperDrive Colorspace UDMA 3 1 TB wireless photo/video memory card backup for $399.00 after being contacted on the first day of listing.
David Solis sold his Canon EF 300 mm f/2.8L IS USM (the original version) lens in excellent plus condition for $2399.00 after being contacted on the first day of listing.
David Solis sold his Canon EF 500 mm f/4L IS USM (the “old five”) in excellent plus condition with perfect glass for the BAA record low price of $3399.00.
Les Greenberg sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM zoom lens in mint condition to a local buyer and is sending me a check for 2 1/2% of the original asking price of $1599.
Joel Williams sold his Fujifilm XF 50 f/2 R WR lens in like-new condition for only $299 in early March.
Rajat Kapoor sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (the “old 1-4”) in near-mint condition the first day is was listed for $649.
Jim Brennan sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens (the “old five”) in near-mint condition and a Canon EF 1.4 III teleconverter in very good condition for $3,599.00 right after listing them in early March.
Gary Meyer sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in near-mint condition for $798 soon after it was listed in early March.

In addition, the sale of John Norris’s Canon 1DX Mark II — premium kit — (with less than 2,000 actuations!) in like-new condition but for a few small scuff marks for top left and bottom right for the BAA record-low price of $3,996.00 became pending on the first day it was listed.

New Listings

Fujifilm Two-lens Package!

Top BAA Used Gear page seller Jim Keener is offering a Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR (Black) lens in excellent condition ($449 new) and a Fujifilm XF 50mm f/2 R WR (Black) Lens (also $449 new) in excellent condition for the amazing low give it away price of $399.00. Or buy one for $279. The sale includes the front and rear lens covers and insured ground shipping via major courier to the 48 contiguous states only. Your stuff will not ship until your check clears. No PayPal.

Please contact Jim via e-mail or by phone at 310-741-7435 (9am-9pm Mountain time).

Canon EOS 5D Mark III dSLR with tons of Extras!

Jim Brennan is offering a used Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body in very good to excellent condition for $1,299.00. Included with the sale is a Canon 430EX II Speedlite also in excellent condition. The camera shows small scuff marks on bottom of body and a small, barely visible scratch on rear LCD screen. It was cleaned and checked by Canon Factory Service in August 2017. Also included are the front cap, the LC-E6 battery charger, one Canon LP-E6 battery, the strap, the original box and everything that came in it: manuals, cables, etc. With the flash comes the case, the bounce dome, the instructions, and original box. In addition the sale includes a ton of extras: two (2) extra batteries (one Canon, one Watson), a Better Beamer, the Really Right Stuff B5D3-LA L plate, a lightly used Canon RS-80N3 remote shutter release, a Vello RC-C211 ShutterBoss II Intervalometer Remote Switch, two (2) Lexar Professional 800x 16GB CF cards, one (1) Lexar Professional 64GB 1066 CF card, and insured ground shipping via UPS to US addresses only. Signature required. Personal or certified checks only unless other arrangements are made. The items will not ship until the check clears the bank. Photos and additional information are available upon request.

Please contact Jim e-mail or by cellphone: 1-(609) 432-9210 (Eastern time).

I owned and used this superb, full frame, 22mp digital body for several years. It was always my first choice for scenic, Urbex (urban exploration), and flower photography until I fell in love for a while with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). Then I switched to the 5D IV body. In addition, I loved my 5D III body for birds with my big lenses and both TCs. I used mine to create many dozens of high quality images. Then I switched to Nikon. With the slew of valuable extras Jim’s lens is a sweet deal. artie

Canon EG 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens

Jim Brennan is offering a used Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens in good condition for $999.00. The front element was recently replaced by Canon. There is a small ding between 50 & 70mm marks on aperture ring. The aperture ring movement is smooth but a little tight. The sale includes the lens case (LP1219), the hood (EW-88C), the manual, the front & rear lens caps, the original box, and insured ground shipping via UPS to US addresses only. Signature required. Personal or certified checks only unless other arrangements are made. The items will not ship until the check clears the bank. Photos and additional information available upon request.

Please contact Jim e-mail or by cellphone: 1-(609) 432-9210 (Eastern time).

With the lens now selling for $1749 new, Jim’s lens is an excellent buy for the landscape photographer who has been lusting this one for years. artie

Booking.Com

Several folks on the Gatorland IPT used the Booking.Com link below and got great rates and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks 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 March 24, 2018 at ILE with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 290mm) and the Nikon D5 (with Dual XQD Slots). ISO 400. Matrix metering at zero: 1/1000 sec at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AUTO2 WB at 8:17am on a clear morning. Group (grp)/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the base of the colt’s neck. Automatic AF Fine-tune: -6. Image #1: Sandhill Crane, small colt stretching

Five Very Good Reasons to Buy a Plane Ticket to Orlando Today. Unless you live in Florida …

When I planned the Master Classes — the first one was cancelled when I fell — I selected the dates by checking the dates on my crane chick and colt photos. As it turned out, the first dates would have been too early. But now I have two tame small colts, big chicks if you would, and one larger colt that I have now seen twice. But as above, two chicks hatched early on Saturday morning! So things are shaping up perfectly. Throw in Osprey, Limpkin, big flocks of Cattle Egrets, potential sunset silhouettes, and both vultures, there will be lots to photograph and even more to learn. Please shoot me an e-mail if you would like to learn of the late-registration discount. So far only multiple IPT/Galapagos Photo Cruise veteran and all-around super nice guy James White is signed up.

Tame baby cranes might be a good reason to join me.

This image was created from my SUV on March 22, 2018 at ILE with the BLUBB-supported Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR AF lens the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about -1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AUTO2 WB at 8:18am on a clear morning. d-25/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on center of the bird’s neck. Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +4. Image #2: Osprey, staring

Ospreys on the Ground

It is not unusual to see Osprey on the ground in the large grassy fields. Twice in the past week I have had chances with a pair on the ground. If we get some cloudy weather, there can be good opportunities for this species in flight.

This image was created on March 24, 2018 at ILE with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 330mm) and the Nikon D5 (with Dual XQD Slots). ISO 400. Matrix metering at zero: 1/1000 sec at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AUTO2 WB at 8:17am on a clear morning. Upper d-25/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the base of the bird’s neck. Automatic AF Fine-tune: -6. Image #3: Sandhill Crane, small colt backlit

Backlit

With their fuzzy feathers, crane colts make ideal backlit subjects; the trick is to show a few blinkies on the rim lighting as I did with the RAW (NEF) file for Image #3.

This image was created on March 24, 2018 at ILE with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (at 360mm) and the Nikon D5 (with Dual XQD Slots). ISO 400. Matrix metering at zero: 1/1000 sec at f/8 in Manual mode was an accidental underexposure; I turn the Index finger dial two clicks without know it. AUTO2 WB at 8:07am on a clear morning. Upper d-25/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the upper third of the bird’s neck. Automatic AF Fine-tune: -6. Image #4: Sandhill Crane, small colt walking

Getting Even …

I have a spot where I can pretty much get as low as I want by moving down the bank of a canal. I plan to experiment by getting lower than I did for this image …

This image was created from my SUV on March 23, 2018 at ILE with the BLUBB-supported Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR AF lens the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering at zero: 1/1600 sec at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AUTO2 WB at 6:30pm on a clear late afternoon. d-25/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the base of the colt’s neck. Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +4. Image #5: Sandhill Crane, large colt

Your Calls?

Please leave a comment and let us know which of today’s five images you like best and which one you like least. And why for each.

I did see the large colt in Image #5 again on Saturday afternoon. It looked as if it had taken a nice bath as it was pretty grungy looking on Friday …

Early Spring Photo Opportunities at ILE

BIRDS AS ART First-ever Master Class

Master Class. Two Full and two Half Days/Friday afternoon, March 30 through lunch on Monday, April 2, 2018: $1999.00. Limit: 4/Openings 3.

The Master Classe will be a small group — strictly limited to four photographers — with the first folks who register having the option of staying at my home ($50/night) or at a chain motel in nearby Lake Wales. Live, think, and breathe photography from Friday afternoon through lunch on Monday (late-morning); all meals included. There will be three afternoon photo sessions (FRI – SUN) hopefully with glorious sunsets like the ones you saw one the blog in December we should have good opportunities with the cranes even in the afternoon. We will enjoy three morning photography sessions (SAT – MON) with the main subjects being tame Sandhill Cranes almost surely with chicks or colts. Also vultures and Cattle Egrets and more. Limpkins are possible. Intermediate telephoto lenses are fine for the cranes, even the chicks at times. A 500 or 600mm lens would be best for many of the situations that we will encounter.

During the day we will sit together around my dining room table and pick everyone’s keepers and enjoy guided Photoshop sessions. On Monday before lunch, folks can make a single large print of their favorite image from the weekend. If you so choose, I will micro-adjust one of your lenses (at one focal length with your #1 camera body–Canon or Nikon) during a group instructional session. All will be welcome to practice what they have learned during the breaks using my set-up and my lighting gear.

To register, please first shoot me an e-mail to check on availability. Then you will be instructed to call Jim or Jen at 863-692-0906 during weekday business hours (except for Friday afternoons) to leave you non-refundable (unless the session sells out) $500 deposit. Only the deposit may be left on credit card. Balances must be paid by check immediately after you register (unless you wish to pay by credit card plus 4% to cover our fees).

I hope that you can join me on this new adventure.

with love, artie

ps: bring your bathing suit if you would like to try my pool.

Tame birds in breeding plumage and chicks are great fun.

Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am. Sunset: 7:58pm.

3 1/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 3.

Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click here for details. All early entry. Late stays Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gatorland IPT #2 should have lots of chicks, and lots of birds in breeding plumage. We will get to photograph Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Wood Stork. The Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage will be present in good numbers. Learn my Gatorland strategy, to get the right exposure, flight photography techniques, my secret Gatorland spots, how to see the best situations (nobody is better at that than me), and how to make great images in extremely cluttered situations.

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Typos

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