For those of you waiting for the 2024 Tampa Bay Spoonbill tour dates, here they are: January 13-14, February 10-11 and March 23-24 🙂 Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com to book your spot!
ISO 1250 | f/5.6 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS with 1.4x extender and the Sony Alpha 1
The image above was created during the April 2023 tour and depicts a beautiful spoonbill bathing in splashes. It is not all the time that one gets to witness bathing, so it is always a treat when it happens. The key is often to capture as much water splashing as possible while looking for a good head angle on the bird. The lashing motion of the feather tips is a plus here.
ISO 1600 | f/5.6 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS with 1.4x extender and the Sony Alpha 1
Getting full blue water behind the subject can be a challenge at the Tampa Bay Spoonbills rookery, but when the conditions are right results are usually very spectacular. The image above was created during the February 2023 tour and represents the epitome of the type of images I strive to engineer: breath-taking action on a clear background. The wings fully open in a U shape make for a stunning view, with the added bonus of the open beak.
ISO 1250 | f/5.6 | 1/5000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS with 1.4x extender and the Sony Alpha 1
After bathing, there is usually some wing flapping and feather shaking action. That happens as the bird simply tries to shake off the water drops from its feathers. The image above, created during the April 2023 tour, was captured towards the end of the drying up sequence. I am very pleased with the shine on the beautiful breeding colored feathers and the fine overall detail.
Tampa Bay Spoonbills Rookery Photography Tour – $1,590
January 13th-14th / limit 5 people – 2 Open
February 10th-11th 2024 / limit 5 people – Full
March 23th-24th 2024 / limit 5 people – 5 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 .
Ospreys / Spoonbills mix Photography Tour – $1,490
April 20th-21st 2024 / limit 5 people – 3 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 .
Black Skimmers Colony Photography Workshop – $1,090
June 8th-9th 2024 / limit 6 people – 4 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 .
