The January Spoonbill tour is now completed and the February session is on the horizon! Here are a few images from the first run of the 2021 season. There is still space for the June session 🙂

Roseate Spoonbill in flight - Photography tour
Florida Spoonbill in flight above the ocean – Tampa Bay Spoonbill Rookery
ISO 800 | f/5.6 | 1/2500 sec. | Manual mode | AI servo rear focus
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS II with the 1.4x extender and the Canon EOS 1DX mark II.

The first morning was really top notch with many birds congregating in the middle cove. Low tides and proper wind direction allowed for the birds to come far out in the water and the image above is a few wing beats after a take off from the shallow waters. Note the beautiful mating colors on the wings! Flights just above the water line are among my favorites 🙂

Double crested Cormorants sunrise silhouettes
Double crested Cormorants sunrise flight silhouettes – Tampa Bay Spoonbill Rookery
ISO 100 | f/32 | 1/25 sec. | Tv mode | AI servo rear focus
Canon 400mm f/4 DO IS II with the 1.4x extender and the Canon EOS 1DX mark II.

The second morning had an amazing sunrise with many opportunities for pre-sunrise blurs and silhouettes. The above image is a successful silhouette creation of four Double-crested Cormorants in flight above the rising sun. While I have worked a lot on blurs in the past, I might turn to more silhouettes in the future as I am very proud of the outcome.

Roseate Spoonbill taking off - Tampa Bay
Florida Spoonbill in flight above the ocean – Tampa Bay Spoonbill Rookery
ISO 500 | f/5.6 | 1/3200 sec. | Manual mode | AI servo rear focus
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS II with the 1.4x extender and the Canon EOS 1DX mark II.

Still from the second morning, the take off picture above are among the harder images to create. It takes a lot of proper behavior reading to anticipate and capture the beginning part of the take off. The above is my very own favorite stance in this type of sequence: when the wings are all the way up during the very first wing beat propulsion.

Skimmers Colony Photography Tour – $1,090

June 26th-27th 2021 / limit 4 people – 2 open

Black Skimmers colony photography tour teaser

Receive a full refund up to one week prior to the tour in case of COVID-19 issues! 3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring to a unique Florida Black Skimmers colony along the beach. $250 deposit. Limited to 4 participants until social distancing guidelines loosen. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .

Florida Ospreys Photography Tour – $1,490

April 24th-25th 2021 / limit 4 people – Full

Florida Ospreys Photography Tour

Receive a full refund up to one week prior to the tour in case of COVID-19 issues! 3 boat rides and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring on a pristine cypress trees lake. Many nests are at eye level, allowing shooting from up close in a natural habitat. No big lens needed! An ideal setup for beginners… 1 working lunch sessions with lunch included. $300 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com to book the last available spot!

Florida Spoonbills Photography Tour – $1,490

January 30th-31st 2021 / limit 4 people – Full

February 27th-28th 2021 / limit 4 people – Full

June 5th-6th 2021 / limit 4 people – 1 open

Florida Spoonbills Photography Workshop

Receive a full refund up to one week prior to the tour in case of COVID-19 issues! 3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring to the absolute best rookery to photograph spoonbills with breeding colors. $250 deposit. Limited to 4 participants until social distancing guidelines loosen. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .

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