{"id":54088,"date":"2018-03-04T04:29:55","date_gmt":"2018-03-04T08:29:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/?p=54088"},"modified":"2018-03-20T13:45:14","modified_gmt":"2018-03-20T17:45:14","slug":"intimate-views","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/2018\/03\/04\/intimate-views\/","title":{"rendered":"Intimate Views"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Stuff<\/h3>\n<p>Saturday morning was pretty poor at best. We met up with physiotherapist Amy Novotny and friends Bryan Holliday and Kim at Gilbert. They added lots of water to the best ponds &#8230; We did get some nice flight images of Ring-necked Ducks.  <\/p>\n<p>We had a great dinner at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rodiziogrill.com\/mesa-gilbert\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Rodizio Grill, <strong>The<\/strong> Brazilian Steakhouse<\/em><\/a> in Mesa. We had a very nice chat with the general manager, the delightful and &#8212; at only 28 years old &#8212; amazingly polished, Shawna Fitzgerald.                                                                                              <\/p>\n<h3>The Streak<\/h3>\n<p>Today makes two hundred sixteen days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took about 30 minutes to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time (or not&#8230;), the plan right now is to break the current record streak of 480 &#8230;  Good health and good internet connections and my continuing insanity willing.<\/p>\n<h3>The Used Gear Page<\/h3>\n<p>Action on the Used Gear Page recently has been fantastic. You can see all current listings on the Used Photo Gear page <a href=\"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/used-photography-gear-for-sale\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Booking.Com<\/h3>\n<p>Several folks on the Spoonbill IPTs 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.booking.com\/s\/ea1bab74\">here<\/a> and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service. <\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez_banner_container_28_10\" style=\"margin:auto;position:relative;width:300px;height:250px;overflow:hidden;\">\n   <script src=\"https:\/\/ajax.googleapis.com\/ajax\/libs\/webfont\/1\/webfont.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n   <script type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/mer54715.datafeedfile.com\/ez_banner\/?b=28&#038;v=1.0&#038;aff_num=7226&#038;sid=EZBANNER\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<h3>Gear Questions and Advice<\/h3>\n<p>Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.birdphotographers.net\/forums\/content.php?s=52d51423c223b39bdca1765c6839ffc2\" target=\"_blank\">BPN<\/a>, are&#8211;out of ignorance&#8211;using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads&#8230; Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via <a href=\"mailto:samandmayasgrandpa@att.net\">e-mail<\/a>. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and\/or lens choices and decisions.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><center>ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder<\/center><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>This image was created on February 17, 2018 at Gatorland with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.outdoorphotogear.com\/search.php?search_query=indurogrand&#038;rfsn=132487.5cf37.9906\">Induro<\/a> GIT 304L\/<a href=\"http:\/\/birdsasart-shop.com\/mongoose-action-head\/\">Mongoose M3.6<\/a>-mounted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1175034-REG\/nikon_af_s_nikkor_200_500mm_f_5_6e.html\/BI\/6633\/KBID\/7226\/kw\/NI20050056VR\/DFF\/d10-v2-t1-xNI20050056VR\" target=\"_blank\">Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f\/5.6E ED VR lens<\/a> (at 500mm) and the mega mega-pixel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1351688-REG\/nikon_d850_dslr_camera_body.html\/BI\/6633\/KBID\/7226\/kw\/NID850\/DFF\/d10-v2-t1-xNID850\" target=\"_blank\">Nikon D850 DSLR.<\/a>. ISO 800. Matrix metering probably at +1\/3 stop as originally framed: 1\/1600 sec. at f\/6.3 in Manual mode. WB: AUTO0 at 9:02am on a foggy morning. <\/p>\n<p>Center Group\/Shutter Button AF as originally framed; the diamond pattern was on the male&#8217;s shoulder. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Image #1: Great Egret pair copulating at the nest<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"468\" scrolling=\"no\" height=\"60\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mer54715.datafeedfile.com\/widget\/aff_widget_prdt_generate-2.0.php?aff_num=7226&#038;aff_net=1&#038;size=468x60&#038;mode=m&#038;bucket_num=7522&#038;link_target=y&#038;sid=\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\"><\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iFrame.<\/p>\n<p><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Image Design<\/h3>\n<p>Note that though I chose the center AF cluster that the bird is nicely back in the frame, that in part due to a crop from below and from our right. As I often do, I opted to maintain the 3X2 proportion of the original by hitting C for the Crop Tool, selecting 2X3, and then flopping that to 3X2 by hitting the two-way arrow.  <\/p>\n<h3>New Policies, New Possibilities<\/h3>\n<p>The new early entry policy at Gatorland &#8212; now four days a week, and earlier entry times &#8212; opens up some great photographic possibilities for those who know where to be when. Join me at Gatorland to learn my early morning strategies and allow me to share the rest of my BIRDS AS ART Gatorland knowledge with you. <\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><center>ngg_shortcode_1_placeholder<\/center><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>This image was created at Gatorland on the morning of February 22, 2018 with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.outdoorphotogear.com\/search.php?search_query=indurogrand&#038;rfsn=132487.5cf37.9906\">Induro<\/a> GIT 304L\/<a href=\"http:\/\/birdsasart-shop.com\/mongoose-action-head\/\">Mongoose M3.6<\/a>-mounted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1166859-REG\/nikon_af_s_nikkor_600mm_f_4e.html\/BI\/6633\/KBID\/7226\/kw\/NI6004EEDVR\/DFF\/d10-v2-t1-xNI6004EEDVR\" target=\"_blank\">Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f\/4E FL ED VR lens,<\/a> the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1052071-REG\/nikon_2219_af_s_teleconverter_tc_14e_iii.html\/BI\/6633\/KBID\/7226\/kw\/NITC14EIII\/DFF\/d10-v2-t1-xNITC14EIII\" target=\"_blank\">Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1351688-REG\/nikon_d850_dslr_camera_body.html\/BI\/6633\/KBID\/7226\/kw\/NID850\/DFF\/d10-v2-t1-xNID850\" target=\"_blank\">Nikon D850.<\/a> ISO 1250. Matrix metering +2\/3 stop as originally framed: 1\/500 sec. at f6.3. Cloudy WB at 7:28am in the shade. <\/p>\n<p>Center Group (grp) shutter Button AF with the AF cluster centered on the bird&#8217;s neck. <\/p>\n<p>AF Fine-tune: +5. (Please see and carefully read Nikon Focus Fine-tune Guide item below). Click on the image to see a larger version. <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Image #2: Great Egret with single egg in nest<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"728\" scrolling=\"no\" height=\"90\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mer54715.datafeedfile.com\/widget\/aff_widget_prdt_generate-2.0.php?aff_num=7226&#038;aff_net=1&#038;size=728x90&#038;mode=m&#038;bucket_num=7604&#038;link_target=y&#038;sid=\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\"><\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iFrame.<\/p>\n<p><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Your Favorite?<\/h3>\n<p>Which of today&#8217;s two featured images do you like best? Be sure to let us know why. Again, I have a very clear favorite and will share it with you here soon along with my reasons. <\/p>\n<h3>Please Note<\/h3>\n<p>I have been getting lots of e-mails below on qualifying for a free Nikon D850\/D5 Focus Fine-tune Guide (should I ever actually get started on and finish it). &#8220;I once met you in San Diego; do I qualify for a free guide? I bought your micro-adjusting guide; do I get a free copy of the Nikon D850\/D5 Focus Fine-tune Guide? Please read the item below before e-mailing as it clearly states the qualifications for getting the guide for free \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<h3>The Nikon D850\/D5 Focus Fine-tune Guide<\/h3>\n<p>I hope to be working on a Nikon D850\/D5 Focus Fine-tune Guide while I am in Phoenix. There is lots of mis-information out there on Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune. Working with Patrick Sparkman, we perfected a method of using the Focus Peaking feature available only on the D850 to quickly and accurately micro-adjust all of your lenses and TC-Es with your D-850. Both <em>Nikon Automatic AF Fine-tune<\/em> and <em>D850 Focus Peaking AF Fine-tune<\/em> require a LensAlign Mark II kit. If you know for sure whether the very popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1214161-REG\/nikon_1559_d500_dslr_camera_body.html\/BI\/6633\/KBID\/7226\/kw\/NID500\/DFF\/d10-v2-t1-xNID500\" target=\"_blank\">Nikon D500 DSLR Camera (Body Only)<\/a> (or any other of the newer Nikon dSLRs) offer Automatic AF Fine-tune.<\/p>\n<p>Folks who purchase a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1351688-REG\/nikon_d850_dslr_camera_body.html\/BI\/6633\/KBID\/7226\/kw\/NID850\/DFF\/d10-v2-t1-xNID850\" target=\"_blank\">Nikon D850,<\/a> a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1214152-REG\/nikon_1557_d5_dslr_camera_body.html\/BI\/6633\/KBID\/7226\/kw\/NID5XQD\/DFF\/d10-v2-t1-xNID5XQD\" target=\"_blank\">Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (Body Only, Dual XQD Slots)<\/a>, or any Nikon gear totaling more than $2,000 will receive the new guide free. I hope to have it finished in three weeks but don&#8217;t hold me to it \ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n<h3>Registering for an IPT<\/h3>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/Registration-and-Release-Forms.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>. <\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><center>ngg_shortcode_2_placeholder<\/center><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h2><strong>Great Egrets in breeding plumage are quite beautiful<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Gatorland IPT #1. Sunrise: 7:25am,  Sunset: 7:40pm<\/h3>\n<h2><strong>3 1\/2 DAYs: THURS 22 March through and including the morning of SUN 25 MAR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.<\/p>\n<p>(2 1\/2 DAY option) FRI 23 March through and including the morning of SUN 25 MAR. $1199.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gatorland.com\/experiences\/photographers-pass\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a> for details. All early entry. Late stays Friday and Saturday. Thursday late-stay is under discussion. Gatorland IPT #1 is best for killer breeding plumage Great Egrets. With chicks. Also Wood Stork and Cattle Egret. Surprisingly, there are already more than a few Snowy Egrets and Tricolored Herons<strong> <em>in breeding plumage! <\/em><\/strong> Learn 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. <\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><center>ngg_shortcode_3_placeholder<\/center><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h2><strong>Tame birds in breeding plumage are great fun.<strong><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Gatorland IPT #2. Sunrise: 6:48am.  Sunset: 7:58pm.<\/h3>\n<p>3 1\/2 DAYs: THURS 26 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.<\/p>\n<p>(2 1\/2 DAY option) FRI 27 APR through and including the morning of SUN 29 APR. $1199.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gatorland.com\/experiences\/photographers-pass\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a> for details. All early entry. Late stays Friday and Saturday. Thursday late-stay is under discussion. 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. <\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><center>ngg_shortcode_4_placeholder<\/center><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h2><strong>Large Tricolored Heron chicks (lower left) are to die for!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Gatorland #3. Sunrise: 6:33am.   Sunset: 8:10pm.<\/h3>\n<h2><strong>3 1\/2 DAYs: THURS 17 MAY through and including the morning of SUN 20 MAY. $1599. Limit 5 photographers.<\/p>\n<p>(2 1\/2 DAY option) FRI 18 MAY through and including the morning of SUN 20 MAY. $1199. <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Must purchase Gatorland Photographers Pass. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gatorland.com\/experiences\/photographers-pass\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a> for details. All early entry. Late stays Friday and Saturday. Thursday late-stay is under discussion. Gatorland IPT #3 is best for medium sized chicks of the following species: Cattle Egret, Snowy Egret, and Tricolored Heron. Head portraits of handsome fledged Great Egrets are pretty much guaranteed. <\/em><\/strong> Learn 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. <\/p>\n<h3>Help Support the Blog<\/h3>\n<p>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<\/p>\n<h3>If In Doubt &#8230;<\/h3>\n<p>If in doubt about using the BAA B&#038;H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/?BI\/6633\/KBID\/7226\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via <a href=\"mailto:samandmayasgrandpa@att.net\">e-mail<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><center><A href=\"http:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/buy\/Nikon\/ci\/9811\/N\/4288586282+4291315846\/view\/GRID?BI=6633&#038;KW=&#038;KBID=7226&#038;img=bh_nikon_14-728x90.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/images\/affiliateimages\/bh_nikon_14-728x90.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/affiliates.bhphotovideo.com\/showban.asp?id=7226&#038;img=bh_nikon_14-728x90.jpg\" border=0><\/center><\/p>\n<p><center><A href=\"http:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/promotion\/12352\/canon-rebates.html?BI=6633&#038;KW=&#038;KBID=7226&#038;img=CanonSaveBig-728x90.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/images\/affiliateimages\/CanonSaveBig-728x90.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/a><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/affiliates.bhphotovideo.com\/showban.asp?id=7226&#038;img=CanonSaveBig-728x90.jpg\" border=0><\/center><\/p>\n<h3>Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store \ud83d\ude42<\/h3>\n<p>To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&#038;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 <a href=\"http:\/\/birdsasart-shop.com\/\">New BIRDS AS ART Online Store<\/a>, especially the <a href=\"http:\/\/birdsasart-shop.com\/mongoose-action-head\/\">Mongoose M3.6 tripod head<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/birdsasart-shop.com\/plates-and-replacement-feet\/wimberley-arca-swiss-style-lens-plates\/\">Wimberley lens plates<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/birdsasart-shop.com\/digital-media\/\">Delkin flash cards and accessories<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/birdsasart-shop.com\/lenscoat-covers\/\">LensCoat stuff<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"mailto:samandmayasgrandpa@att.net\">e-mail<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>I would of course appreciate your using our B&#038;H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. <font color=red><strong>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. <\/strong><\/font> 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 <a href=\"http:\/\/birdsasart-shop.com\/\">New BIRDS AS ART Online Store<\/a> as well.<\/p>\n<h3>Facebook<\/h3>\n<p>Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.<\/p>\n<h3>Typos<\/h3>\n<p>In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to <a href=\"mailto:samandmayasgrandpa@att.net\">e-mail<\/a><\/center> or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stuff <\/p>\n<p>Saturday morning was pretty poor at best. We met up with physiotherapist Amy Novotny and friends Bryan Holliday and Kim at Gilbert. They added lots of water to the best ponds &#8230; We did get some nice flight images of Ring-necked Ducks. <\/p>\n<p>We had a great dinner at Rodizio Grill, The Brazilian Steakhouse [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[626],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-626","odd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54088\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdsasart-blog.com\/baa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}