Welcome to the Charles Bush Photography June 2024 Newsletter!
Roseate Spoonbill Bathing at Rip’s Rookery
We're excited to bring you the latest updates, tour schedules, and developments in the world of photography. Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for capturing the beauty of nature with us.
2024 Spring Tours Recap
Our spring tours this year were a tremendous success! We visited some of the most picturesque locations, and the experience was magical. Here's a quick recap of the stunning spots we explored:
Tricolored Heron at Miller’s Lake
Sunset at Miller’s Lake
Miller's Lake: As usual, this location was incredible. Home to many thousands of nesting wading birds, we captured images of the Tri-Colored Heron, While-Faced Ibis, Purple Gallinule, and incredible sunsets. Note this opportunity is only accessible by boat, but it’s worth the trip.
Cazan Lake at PJF Farms: Located on a working rice farm, Cazan Lake is home to nesting Great Egrets and Roseate Spoonbills. I purchased multiple annual passes allowing access to this secluded private property. Accessible by land, we photograph on a gravel road, with excellent photography primarily in the morning due to the sun's direction. We captured nice shots of the Spoonbills and the Egrets.
Rip's Rookery at Jefferson Island: Home to Roseate Spoonbills, Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and Cattle Egrets, we photograph along a levy surrounding retainment ponds where the rookery is located. We captured nice photographs of all the species of Birds. We also spent an afternoon visiting the wonderful Garden as well.
Lake Martin: We visited Lake Martin by boat and captured several nice photographs. This year, we didn’t have as much luck photographing the birds there as past years. However, we did capture a nice sunset.
Roseate Spoonbill at Rip’s Rookery
Mating Pair of Great Egrets at Cazan Lake
Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks at Lake Martin
Fall Color at Lake Martin
Our fall tours are just around the corner! We have some exciting tours lined up:
November 17th Tour: Don't miss your chance to join us! Click here to register.
November 3rd and 10th Tours: These tours are already full. Thank you for your enthusiastic response!
Check out this gallery of images taken on the 2023 fall tours.
Given the potential for fog or mist during the last trip, the time of year that historically had the most luck getting fog or mist, Don't hesitate to sign up here.
Lake Dauterive in the Fog
2025 Spring Tours Scheduled
We're thrilled to announce the dates for our 2025 Spring Tours. Mark your calendars and secure your spots early:
April 13th Tour: Register Here
May 11th Tour: Register Here
May 25th Tour: Register Here
We plan a format like the 2024 tours, so check out the section above to see examples of what you may expect. We look forward to exploring new locations and capturing beautiful moments with you.
Developments of Interest
Stay updated with the latest in photography gear and news:
Nikon Z6 III: This new camera is worth checking out for Nikon photographers. It has many of the features of the Z8 that I use, but it is smaller, lighter, and less expensive. However, there are several negatives. One is the 24-megapixel sensor, which leaves little room for cropping, which is a downside, particularly if you’re upgrading from a crop sensor camera such as the D500. Also, unlike the Z8 and Z9, the camera has a mechanical and electronic shutter, with the higher speed shooting limited to the electronic shutter. Finally, my biggest negative is that it doesn't have the Bird Detect Subject Mode, which has really increased my keeper rate on my Z8. However, it appears to be an excellent camera at a much reduced cost than the Z8 or Z9.
Adobe Terms of Service Issue: Recent changes in Adobe's Terms of Service have sparked discussions in the photography community. Ensure you know how these changes might affect you and your workflow. While it is a bit confusing, Adobe appears to have used their customers’ images, which are stored on Adobe’s servers, to train their AI models. The first time many of us noticed the change in their terms and conditions was when Adobe presented us with a popup when signing in to Photoshop to agree or stop using the application. There was no way to cancel the subscription without agreeing to the terms and conditions. While Adobe has made several attempts to Clarify the policy, it is still unclear. There is no viable alternative to Lightroom and Photoshop in my workflow, but it is probably time to start looking at alternatives over the longer term.
Thank you for being a part of the Charles Bush Photography community. We look forward to seeing you on our upcoming tours and continuing to share our passion for photography.
Happy Shooting!
Warm Regards,
Charles Bush
Charles Bush Photography