Charles Bush Photography - August 2025 Newsletter
Lake Martin Cypress Scene
Late Summer Notes from Louisiana
August in Louisiana is always a mix of heat, humidity, and anticipation. The cypress swamps are heavy with green, and soon the first hints of autumn will arrive. For me, it’s also the time to put the finishing touches on the Fall Photo Tours and look ahead to what’s coming in spring.
Fall 2025 Cypress Swamp Tours
Sunrise at Lake Dauterive
This fall’s cypress swamp tours are shaping up beautifully. I’ve completely rebuilt the tour page with a clearer overview, collapsible sections for locations, and more direct booking links. Whether you’ve been with me before or are considering your first tour, the page is now much easier to explore and plan your trip.
We’ll spend time at Lake Dauterive, Lake Fausse Pointe, and Lake Martin, each offering unique compositions with fall color, misty mornings, and dramatic cypress reflections. If photographing backlit Spanish moss at sunrise is on your bucket list, this is the season to join.
👉 View Fall 2025 Tour Details & Book Now
Spring 2026 Bird Photography Tours
Roseate Spoonbill Family
The Spring 2026 bird tours are now published, complete with images highlighting the opportunities in April, May, and June. From nesting Roseate Spoonbills to Black-crowned Night Herons and Ospreys, Louisiana continues to deliver some of the best bird photography in the country.
I’ve also added more variety to the galleries, showcasing behaviors such as feeding, flight, and nesting — not just portraits. These tours are small, boat-based, and give you access to locations that casual visitors simply can’t reach.
👉 View Spring 2026 Tour Details & Book Now
Blog Highlights
Nikon Z8 Firmware Updates – If you’re a Nikon Z8 shooter, you’ll find my recent posts useful. I’ve written about the new focus limiter in firmware v3.00, as well as the v3.01 bug fix release. I’m also building downloadable comparison tables that line up menu changes across firmware versions.
Photographing in Fog and Backlit Mist – This post kicked off a new series on photographing in unique light conditions. I’ll soon be sharing a step-by-step on how I processed one of my favorite fog images into a black-and-white print.
One-on-One Consulting
Fiule Grab from One on ONe Online Consulting Session Setting Nikon Z8 Menu Settings.
Alongside tours and blog posts, I’ve launched a new Consulting Services Page. I’m offering Nikon camera setup consulting where I can walk you through the menus of your Z8 or other Nikon body. With screen sharing over Zoom, I can even cast the actual camera menu so you can follow along in real time.
I also cover workflow topics like Lightroom catalog setup, Photo Mechanic ingesting and IPTC metadata, and strategies for protecting your photo files with solid backup systems. Whether you’re just starting out or refining a professional workflow, these sessions are tailored to your needs.
Looking Ahead
As fall approaches, I’m excited to get back out on the water with groups of photographers. There’s nothing quite like watching mist rise over a Louisiana swamp at sunrise — and capturing it with a camera in hand.
If you’d like to join a tour, check out the updated pages for Fall 2025 Tours and Spring 2026 Tours. Or, if you want help setting up your Nikon or organizing your photo library, book a session through the new Consulting Page.
What to Expect on a Louisiana Fall Photo Tour
Photographs Taken on Previous Fall Photo Tours–Click on Image for Fall Tour Page
If you're considering joining one of my Fall Photo Tours in Louisiana, here’s a detailed look at what you can expect each day. These tours take place during peak color and mist season in the Atchafalaya Basin and surrounding swamps, with a small group format (5 participants max) and guided access by boat to areas that are otherwise inaccessible.
Tours are scheduled for:
November 2–5
November 16–20
December 1–4
A Foggy Morning on a Fall Photo Tour
Morning Sessions: Boat Access to Hidden Cypress Swamps
The highlight of the trip is our early morning photography sessions by boat in the cypress swamps. These sessions are where you'll make your best images.
Locations: 1 day at Lake Dauterive and 2 days at Lake Fausse Pointe
Start Time: We arrive at the launch 30 minutes before sunrise (usually around 5:30–6:00 AM)
Hotel Distance: Plan for a 35-minute drive from the hotel to the boat ramp
End Time: We wrap up each morning session by 10:00 AM
Food: I provide a light breakfast for early departures
Weather will guide our exact order of locations to ensure the best light and conditions for photography.
Midday Break: Rest, Download, Recharge
After our morning shoot:
We return to the hotel
You'll have time to download images, review your work, and rest
We break for lunch (on your own)
This is your window to recharge for the afternoon.
Afternoon Sessions: Gardens and Sunsets
Afternoons are lighter and more flexible, but still offer great opportunities:
Two afternoons at Lake Martin: quiet swamp scenes, sunset reflections, and wildlife
One afternoon at Rip Van Winkle Gardens: colorful botanicals, historic backdrops, and peacocks
Sessions begin around 3:30 PM and go until sunset
These shoots are less intense than the mornings and allow for slower-paced exploration and creative compositions.
Tour Structure and Schedule
Here's a quick summary of how the tour flows:
Day 1 (3 PM): Tour begins with an afternoon shoot
Days 2 and 3: Morning + afternoon sessions
Day 4: Final morning shoot; tour ends by 10:00 AM
Small Group Experience, Big Results
I keep the group size small for a reason: it allows me to offer personalized guidance, adapt to conditions, and help you create your best work.
If you're serious about improving your swamp and cypress photography and want to experience these landscapes at their most photogenic, this tour was designed for you.
Spots are limited and tours fill quickly. Reserve your place on the Fall Photo Tour now.
Mastering the Focus Limiter on the Nikon Z8
Why the Nikon Z8 Focus Limiter Matters
Need help setting up your Z8 Focus Limiter? I offer one-on-one consulting for Nikon photographers.
I also teach these techniques hands-on during my Louisiana Photo Tours. Small groups, real-world experience.
As a bird and wildlife photographer, I’ve had countless moments where the perfect opportunity slipped away—not because I wasn’t ready, but because the camera decided to focus on something else. A twig in front of the bird. A bright patch of background behind it. The system locked on, and the bird I worked so hard to track? Blurry.
This kind of misfocus is one of the most frustrating challenges we face in the field. Birds don’t wait around for second chances.
Most telephoto lenses come with a focus limiter switch, but it only controls the minimum focusing distance. It helps, but often it's not enough. That’s why the new Nikon Z8 Focus Limiter—introduced in Firmware v3.00—is such a big deal.
What Is the Nikon Z8 Focus Limiter?
The Focus Limiter lets you define a custom minimum and maximum focus distance directly in the camera menu. When active, the autofocus system ignores everything outside that range. So if you set the limiter from 5 meters to 20 meters, it won’t hunt at 3 meters or lock on to a distant treetop at 40.
Why is that important? Because birds and animals often move in visually cluttered environments:
Branches, vines, and leaves can trick autofocus
Bright sky or background elements can steal focus from your subject
Sudden motion (like a bird taking flight) can shift the AF point away at the worst moment
By restricting the focus range, you keep the camera where you want it: on the subject.
Real-World Example: Bird in Flight
Let’s say I’m photographing a Roseate Spoonbill lifting off from the marsh. Without a limiter, the moment it flies past a distant tree, the AF might jump to that. With the Z8 Focus Limiter active, I can define the working range based on the bird’s flight path, and the camera won’t chase focus beyond it.
Result? Fewer missed shots and more keepers.
How to Set Up the Focus Limiter on the Nikon Z8
The Focus Limiter setting lives in Custom Settings Menu a16 (Focus Limiter). You can enable it there and set your desired range directly.
That said—setting it through the menu each time you need it would be awful in the field. You simply don’t have time to dig through menus when the action is unfolding in front of you.
Instead, you should assign the Focus Limiter to a button. That way, you can:
Activate it with a press
Set the range dynamically using AF-ON and half-press of the shutter
Use the command dials only for fine-tuning, not initial setup
Step 1: Assign to a Custom Button
Go to Custom Settings Menu > f2 Custom controls (shooting)
Assign a button like Pv (Preview) or Fn1/Fn2 to Toggle Focus Limiter
Pro Tip: If you're shooting with a telephoto lens, your left hand will be supporting the lens barrel. So choose a button on the right side of the camera—something easily reachable with your shooting hand. This makes it much easier to toggle the limiter in action without compromising stability.
I assigned mine to the Playback button, since I moved Playback to the Display button. Choose what works best in your setup.
Important: When enabling the Focus Limiter with a button, it may take a few seconds to activate. Be patient—the camera needs a moment to process the range parameters.
Step 2: Set the Focus Range
Once active, you’ll see a live distance scale at the bottom of the screen. You have two ways to set the range:
Preferred Field Method – Fast and Intuitive:
Press AF-ON while aimed at the nearest subject
Half-press the Shutter while aimed at the farthest subject
Then press OK to lock in both distances
This method is ideal in real-world situations where you don’t know exact distances and need to act quickly.
Command Dial Method – For Fine-Tuning Only:
Use the front command dial to tweak the Minimum Focus Distance
Use the rear command dial to tweak the Maximum Focus Distance
Note: All distances are displayed in meters only. There’s currently no option to switch to feet.
Field Tips: Using the Focus Limiter Effectively
Test before a shoot: Spend a few minutes testing it at different distances to get a feel for how responsive the limiter is.
Adjust when subjects move: If birds are now closer than expected, quickly toggle off, refocus, and re-engage with new limits.
Watch the scale: The live distance scale is accurate, but it reads in meters only.
Focus feedback: If you try to focus on something outside your defined range, the focus indicator will blink redto alert you.
Final Thoughts
The Focus Limiter on the Nikon Z8 is one of the most powerful tools introduced in recent firmware. For bird and wildlife photographers who work in chaotic environments, it could mean the difference between a sharp, frame-worthy shot—or a blurry disappointment.
✅ Did you know? I offer personalized consulting for Nikon Z8 users, from setup to custom field strategies. Book a session here →
Keywords: Nikon Z8 Focus Limiter: How to Prevent Missed Shots by Controlling Focus Range for Bird and Wildlife Photography