The second Spoonbills tour is now concluded and the dates for 2023 will be January 21-22 and February 18-19. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com to book your spot! 🙂
ISO 1600 | f/8 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS coupled with a 2x extender and the Sony Alpha 1
The second tour of the season was a great success! The image above is a spoonbill in full breeding colors soaring up after taking off. The green backdrop are the mangrove trees of the area. Spoonbills suddenly taking off from behind the trees on the beach can be a bit of a challenge to capture in flight as there is little time to notice the bird and actually framing it before it is out of the “shooting zone”. Knowing what trajectory to expect is key and I make sure I lay this down for the participants so they may maximize their chances to create images as above.
ISO 1600 | f/8 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS coupled with a 2x extender and the Sony Alpha 1
By paying attention to the birds coming in from the sides and from behind, it is possible to frame the bird early on in your camera view finder. This greatly helps being perfectly set up for landing shots as above. The bird is about to touch land while having its beak open. Again, it is a beautiful Roseate Spoonbill with full breeding colors. The only way to guarantee having those colors is to shoot near a rookery during breeding season.
ISO 640 | f/5.6 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS coupled with a 1.4x extender and the Sony Alpha 1
I love the out of focus green and blue background here! Take off shots can be more difficult to create as they often require that you anticipate on the actual take off. Anticipation is really what is going to make you get those images. I do my very best to call out to the group when I notice a change of behavior and a bird likely to take off in the next seconds. If you like what you see, consider joining the 2023 tours! 🙂
Black Skimmers Colony Photography Workshop – $1,090
June 25th-26th 2022 / limit 5 people – 2 open
3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring => 3 shoots at the Sarasota Bay Black Skimmers colony. We shoot along the beach, where the nesting colony is easily accessible. $250 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .
Ospreys / Spoonbills mix Photography Tour – $1,390
March 26th-27th 2022 / limit 5 people – Full
April 23rd-24th 2022 / limit 5 people – 1 open
3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring => 2 boat-based Osprey shoots at the Vero Beach Cypress Lake + 1 land-based Spoonbills shoot at a local rookery. $250 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .
Tampa Bay Spoonbills Rookery Photography Tour – $1,490
January 21st-22nd 2023 / limit 5 people – Full
February 18th-19th 2023 / limit 5 people – 2 open
3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring => 3 shoots at the Tampa Bay Spoonbills rookery. We typically shoot while wading in the water in the mornings and from the boat in the afternoon. $250 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .