You are missed! Love your tips and videos. I do not care what kind of gear you use. Get the channel going.

Josh. Missing you brother. Hoping all is okay with you and your family. Not sure why you’ve been off of platform, none of my business, but hope your back soon. Missing you and the content. My 13 year old son (fellow admirer and budding photographer) wishes you well too. We watch your videos together and he’s really picked up a lot from you. Patiently waiting from Indiana.

I don’t care about what brand you use. You got me into birding….in England…the place where it rains 125% of the time. I miss you and your motivation and your voice (so calm and relaxing). You and your good lady have a lot of fans waiting for when you choose to return.

So great tips and tricks, thanks for sharing!!!

Happy New Year, Lets get the Channel Going!

Great Tipps!! I photograph Birds since 3 years now and still learning many new things!

Just RE-watched a couple of your year-old videos...enjoyed them as much today as I did back then. I've always found it interesting how re-watching, or re-reading (like a manual) something results in more things sticking--either affirmation of things you've learned and know, or new things to learn and/or explore. So I went to your catalogue of videos since I didn't recall seeing anything from you for a while. that's when I noticed a series of comments to this latest video that suggest some personal challenges you've had to deal with which obviously resulted in photography (at least videos) taking a back seat. I'll add my sentiments to those already expressed--your videos are missed, and hopefully you and your family are well and that you'll be returning to the "community" soon! Jon

Katie’s motivational speech mimicking you at the end is fantastic 😂😂

Happy your back! Thanks for the video

Nice to see you so relaxed. Love these outtakes. I think that Kathy of yours is really fun to live with. She has the power of seeing things relativity, it lightens the heavy matters in life with a lovely laugh. Congratulations. I know life is not all roses but I think you're a good matching couple. Every day a new adventure and always full of surprises. Thank you, and indeed Bird photography ain't the easiest of photography, but that makes it challenging and a good reason for getting outdoor. Go on having a good life and thanks for shearing your love for nature.

Great advice and video. Love the bit at the end! You two make a great pair.

Miss your content Josh, hope your well,, hope your enjoying life off socials, and only come back when "you" want to. Take care and hope to see you when you are ready to com back, even if its once a month :-) you're my secret vlogger like most that appreciate your style of shooting, as we are all you, learning, growing, its not about the brand its just you as a person everyone likes.

Another great informative video. Thanks again

Very informative video for beginner photographer's 👍👍I really appreciate your work 👏👏👏

I guess I should have stuck to Landscapes (Ha, Ha) , great advice as always and love Katie picking on you a bit at the end. Although I was out shooting Ospreys today (once again) I was shooting B & W pics on Sunday with a used Rolleiflex camera I picked up and fixed and what a totally different experience shooting street scenes and some beach scenes with that camera, very peaceful and like doing everything old school with my old Minolta light meter.

Great job Katie ha ha

Excellent tips as usual. My frustrations with this hobby run deep but when I am lucky enough to hit a shot it makes it all worth it.

looking forward to more videos Josh, from Australia

Great advice as usual. On the Sony cameras AF-ON works as you have it set up. You can also program the AEL button to the right of it to Reg. AF Area+AF On. This will keep all of your other settings (SS, f#, ISO) but override the focus mode to a secondary setting. It’s real handy when your go to mode on AF-ON isn’t locking and you need to quickly go to what you find works next best.

Good to see you back bud great video as always !!!

Another great video, I’m new to your channel, but love your down-to-earth & realistic approach to all things photographing birds. Would love a comparison video of the real world differences in the field between the A1 and the a7 iv….. I have just ordered the 200-600 lens to go with my a7iii, but will be upgrading bodies shortly! Thanks, and keep up the great videos!

Great video and enjoyed the out takes!!!

great video i am sure. will come back to see it ASA i can. 🥰😘

Nice video… 👏👏👏

Thanks, you finally got me to clean up my available focus modes (for the second time)! Love the outtake

Great tips and advice Josh. I always felt I was really good at still bird photography and not so good at birds in flight until I bought an A-1. Now I'm still really good at still bird photography and I've graduated to extremely adequate and almost decant at birds in flight. Progress.

Merry Christmas, Happy new year. hope the two of you have taken lots of photos in 2023.

Happy new year wherever you are. Take care.

Great Channel! Good tips for bird photography! I used to shoot back button auto focus as well but I've completely given that up with the newer cameras. The speed and accuracy of cameras these days is way faster for me anyway to put focus and shutter back on the shutter button. If I am having trouble focusing on a bird in tree branches or among plants I have a button assigned to DMF.. I grab focus and then shoot. Love your Channel! Keep up the Great Videos!

Backfocus button is a game changer. A before and after for wildlife photo. Great tips Josh!

I just found your channel because of a reply to you from Omar Gonzalez, great content and very enjoyable to watch (yes, I did subscribe to your channel).

Thank you very much, great tips. Wasn't expecting a video so soon, hope you are going well

Great video Josh, so glad I found your chanel. Your video's are always so interesting and entertaining. Your photography style is so similar to mine which makes it so relatable. Love the content and production. The effort you put in is inspiring. This certainly is one of my favourite chanels. Cheers!

Great work, Josh. Many good points raised. I started photographing BIF when it was difficult, back in the late 1990s. My camera had 6 focus points and after 2 shots the whole set-up locked me out for a few days. However, I now use the Sony A1 and 600mm and it is the very best out there, trust me, I've been through them all - Nikon and Canon pro DSLR. For me, the thing that cannot be bought, because you can sell a kidney etc and buy the gear, is birding knowledge and skill. This takes time and I've been a birder for 40 years. It is a passion and a true pleasure, a fact I can see in your work and attitude. I bet you're happy to be with Sony now? Great stuff!

Great video Josh.

Great tips Josh!

Guys, you are great. Thank you, from Extremadura in Spain.

well, been using my a7iv for a couple weeks now.. still adjusting to it, but absolutely loving the setup so far! I have my settings very similar to what yours are and my keeper rate has shot up dramatically! birds in flight are next in my plans to practice.

loved it Josh

Thanks for the help! Just purchased a Nikon p950 and I find the focus system is quite a different from the Cannons I'm used to. Bit of a different personality.

Can't wait to watch!

That was a great KISS on BIF! 😃 Good point on finding the "runways".

Agree with every word. I have been getting some great birds in flight shots with my Nikon Z9 - something I could rarely, if ever, achieve with my Z7ii or Z6. But, as you say, there are also loads of missed shots and frustrations along the way. I think the secret is Ito keep one's expectations low and therefore be really delighted when it all works well!!! I think the real issue is not the camera technology but, in my case, the ability to react quickly enough - certainly getting harder as I get older as I know my reaction times aren't as good as they were!!!

Where did you go? LOL Hope life just got a little busy but you’re not stopping the channel. Love your content!

Hi firstly love the videos, they're amazing and informative, secondly sorry for the complete beginner question, but been wanting to get a camera and start doing photography, particularly birds in flight as where I live is lucky to have an abundance of really great birds, how does the A7IV handle birds in flight, not managed to find much about it online in that area, and budget is pretty tight so something like the A1 and A9II is way out of my range. Thanks.

Wise words! I've almost given up trying to do bird in flight photography. Especially small birds.

I found your video very informative. Thank you.

Thanks for the tips Josh👍

Just started watching your video. The key thing you said was you brought camera and lens used. I have a Canon rebel 5t along kit lens. I like photography birds, and have felt need to get longer lens to reach those birds or wildlife. What I thought about sigma 150-600mm lens but you have talked about prime lens. I do understand the prime lens does provide quality images. What do you suggest? The other thing, I have been thinking is gimbal for my tripod and to set it on the ground, get low.

Outtakes great - that was funny. Shooting birds in flight is difficult for me too. Using a Nikon 810. Still learning how to use it. Different than the 750 I was using.

Great video and tips as well Josh. The Sony A1 is a super good camera for BIF, but also with other Sony's cameras we can do something! Take care!

Danke!

I don't consider myself a bird photographer but I have started taking pictures of birds. I know my M50m2 and 250mm max. lens (400mm equivalent) is not ideal but I do get the occasional picture I am proud of, enough to get me out there and try once more. Thanks for your wonderful videos.

Thanks Josh for another awesome video, I got the new Canon R7 because my budget, its amazing for bird photography 🐦❤️👍

Hello friend, Merry Christmas to you and Katie wherever you are. Take care.

can you make one specific video for how good the animal eye autofocus is in a7iv in Video?

Josh, have you ever considered having a field photo workshop, similar to Mark Smith? Love your channel. I learn so MUCH !!!

I'll def tag you if I get anything interesting. Great video!

Josh fantastic results and video. Can You compare in a few words an effective the AF tracking in Sony A1 and Z9 regard the bird in flight. .

היי רציתי לדעת ב ניקון D850 להשים את הפוקוס על D3 זה עובד טוב ?

not sure how I missed this one Josh. Nice video.

Enjoyed your videos. Are you still using sony? Are you doing any more videos for bird photography

I enjoy your videos. As you say, shooting birds is both fulfilling and frustrating! For birds in flight, do you use the lens Optical Steady Shot? If so, which setting? Some other birders, like Mark Smith, say that the required high shutter speed negates the need for OSS. I know this comes down to personal preference, but regarding back button focus (specific to newer Sony’s), Mark Galer makes a good case to not use it. Thanks again for your informative videos.

Hey Josh, I know you have a life outside of KZfaq and photography. Just dropping in to wish you well. It has been a bit, so I hope the break has served you well. Many good wishes!

Great video Josh! Do you think that bird eye af could be implemented in the Z6ii&Z7ii in the future? Because even if Nikon releases a new Aps-c camera this year with a better autofocus it will not be at the level of the Sony and Canon full frame competitors.

wow, thanks for this video, im having a hard time doing BIF shots… I think i need to find an open place and try.

Josh, with Sony you can set up full time manual focus override AND set up a 100% or 200% zoom when you touch the focus ring. Then you get the bird in focus and press the shutter. When you press the shutter it pops back out to normal viewing. That sounds kinda strange but man, I used that for years with the A7r3 and the 200-600 when shooting elk or moose in low light or birds in brush. You can verify sharp focus and fire away. (I have it set on back button AF so when I press the shutter it doesn’t focus again.) I switch to Canon and man I miss that so much.

The tips are outstanding and carry excellent value, but you have to admit Katie makes the videos fun. There are times I think she is having more fun at this than you are, but Katie now has intrigued my wife into shooting the A7III with the 70-300 and I am teaching her how to get the shots, but she thought that if Katie could, then she could give it a try. My wife has just never seen a lot of women in Bird photography before, and just needed to see someone like Katie involved. This should reassure you that your videos really do inspire other people.

Enjoying your videos even though I'm a DSLR holdout having blown any camera budget on travel to some wildlife hotspots. 😀

Miss your videos and your calming voice and stories. I can’t be the only one who wants to see you make videos again! I really don’t care what you shoot with and I know there are a lot of us out there who feel the same. Nick Page moved from Sony to Canon and Greg Snell just announced he moved from Canon to Sony. And guess what? The world didn’t stop turning and time didn’t stop!! Come back home Josh! You belong on youtube!

Hope to see you back on the channel soon buddy! we miss you!

Miss you Bayou Josh! Seasons are seasons and sometimes you have to take care of business :D. Looking forward to whenever we see you again.

Hi Josh, I'm so happy to have found you on KZfaq. The way you explain things and the calmness in your voice are fantastic. I showed the various films to my wife who enjoyed them so much, especially because I also have the same frustration when a bird does not want to pose in front of the camera and the questions about the setting or when the autofocus failed me again, in short I fully recognize myself in your videos. Still, I have a question that I never get explained properly and I hope you can answer it. How do you do that so that you can always switch between film and photo? I mean, you're filming something that you're sharing with us and then all of a sudden I see a picture' s? Do you cut it out of the film (video) or is there a setting to switch between film and photo? I work with a Sony A1 and would like to film as well, but for now I'll stick to photos because I just don't know how best to do that. Could you have an answer for that? I live in Belgium and the English was done via google translate so sorry for any mistakes. Mvg Redgy

Hi Josh, I was a bit surprised when your switched from the Z9 to the A1. Having owned the Z9 (briefly) now I can understand. The Z9 is so heavy and oversized that I had to send it back. Now have the A1 on order as well..

Yo man, just Seen this episode again...hope everything going well for you Josh. So yeah, feed thé machine, man!

Hey Josh, I'm wondering, how you like new exotic Nikon toy, called 600F4/TC14...:)

Are all flight shots sharp with the Sony, once the AF acquired focus? Have the R5 & 600mm f4 EF IS II and it's just too slow.

Found yah through a microphone review and I'm sure happy I did

Can we expect new videos soon? Your videos are really interesting and excellent.

Will you do a review of the that 600 f4 ? It just looks so light and smooth

Thats one good thing with the A1 and z9 is that you can shoot bursts in ES and not wear the mechanical shutter life down. Because like you said, they definitely arent all keepers but you do need 20-30fps to help capture the right moments. And a little prayer.

It has been a while since the last video. I hope all ok with you and looking forward to watch the next video. All the best josh.

you two are funny 😂😂😄😄😁😁

Enjoyed you video, just watching them fly hard enough for me ! A friend & I rescue songbirds . A recent youtube video shows us in Newark NJ, the video is named ( Volunteers give migrating birds injured in N.J’s biggest city a second chance ) The Raptor Trust made video named ( Window Strikes in the Business District ) of us picking up injured Warblers

Probably hardest bird to photograph are swallows..or least in my experience..then again i was shooting the out in open no trees around ect so difference, still yet to get one super sharp and 110% in focus (eye sharp)

Hi josh. Excuse me but insect macro photography is a lot harder than birds and I do both. Great videos. Best regards from James in Scotland.

Hows things going Josh? Hope things going well, just rewatching an old video on your 600 f4. Hope all's well and lifes good.

I went for a hike this morning with a rented R5 and 100-500mm and saw my first owl. It was a huge barred owl. I thought maybe I could get it flying, but alas it chose a heavily backlit flight path full of twigs. It's like they know, haha! At least my photos of the mockingbirds in the parking lot came out top notch 😂.

Please just tell us you're coming back sometime. If not I can stop checking. I really hope you decide to come back.

I can see most channels movie from gear reviews to similar field content in another 5-10yrs. My assumption is that Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fuji, Pentax, Panasonic, Olympus*, Lumix*, have there 20yr cycle well in motion. However the needle has been sitting in the red for the last 10yrs. Kinda hard to improve when you're already sitting on 95-99%. So quick question, where do you see these companies in 20yrs? It took close to 20yrs to swap DSLR to Mirrorless.

Great vid. Much of the "bleating" is from folk who bought a camera that is too much for them and/or they almost expect the camera to do all the work. The new AI mode "auto shoot" available soon on the next SmartPhone with a 100mp Sony sensor (or just the Iphone 14 pro max 45mp later this year). BIF the hardest 😭----- well not really and technology has changed the game. When Art M changed from a DSLR to Mirrorless he discovered just how easy it could be. But 40+ years of experience and learning behaviours all mean that his shots with the same gear as others will almost always be better. I understand he is still taking 1,500 shots a day. AND not everyone will be 10/10. Hard -- I agree BIF has its challenges -- but not really "hard" -- try War of Foreign Correspondent/shooter, tracking and shooting Big Cats or Bears on foot, Offshore (sports/action), Underwater swimming with......, Shooting Climbers/extreme skiers, Arctic/Antarctic/Mountaineers in extreme conditions, shooting Ice Hockey and other indoor sports or events, working with fashion models and self important talent, and always working with millennials or influencers - all in their own way are much harder. Unless your subject eats or harms you (cats, reptiles, bears, large herbivores, urban equivalents) one can almost always try again (yes even with BIF). The only reason BIF-IF is difficult is the loudness of the community of complainers. Everyone knows better. And yes different types of BIFIF are harder some are easier -- the fact that a Shaheen and other falcons fly at over 200mph close to the ground, between trees and can be highly erratic when hunting prey makes this tough. But other than that most birds like to nest and perch, eat while stationary, have predictable preflight and prestoop behaviours and when they turn up (which is the big issue) one just has to put oneself in the right spot to get the best results. AND wait to see what turns up, what the behaviours are, what interactions happen and infrequent events occur - mating, fighting, first flight, etc... . Then and always be ready and your gear prepared to take the shot -- as you say do your part of the job. Or just buy a phone and watch KZfaq videos of those - Like Bayou Josh who have invested the time to learn and improve their skills. A Z9, A1, AR7IV, R3,R5,R6, R7, etc. and the best fast long glass does not make great photos just happen. Otherwise we would all be employed to take and sell our shots.

Josh in one of your earlier videos you mentioned you and the bride did bird watching before photography. I often wonder if you realized what an education you gave yourself, understanding bird behavior and habits is a big advantage to getting close, getting close is important to great shots. When I go to a new location I always spend time without even taking a camera, just a thermos of hot coffee and a sandwich and I make myself comfortable. I will sometimes bring the RX10 but that is it and I sit there in the rain , snow and cold. By the time I come ready to shoot I know what the birds and the Sun are going to do without even a thought.

@bayoujosh what gimbal do you use?

My biggest problem is keeping fast-moving birds in the viewfinder. I have resorted to using focal lengths of around 200-300mm on my Nikon D500, which would be equivalent to 300-450mm on a full-frame camera. I find it too difficult to use focal lengths greater than 300mm, unless the bird is going fairly slowly on a relatively straight path. Do you have a focal length that you find works best for birds in flight?

I have just done a session with Terns using the Sony A1 birds in flight at 1200mm incredible it is even possible ! Great video Josh 👍😍

I'm a birder and I always like to hear other birders tell their story of how you became a birder. I became a birder by accident it wasn't something I set out to do. So, Josh if you see this, I would love to hear your story about how you became a birder and why you love it so much. Heck if others want to comment and tell their story as well, please do so I would love to hear it and I bet others would to.

Family and personal life first. Regardless I do miss the videos. But I’ll say take all the time you need if you are coming back to posting videos again. If not, totally understandable. Regardless, I’ll stay subbed.

Screw the tips etc... I love the Honest of "Yeah I get lots of missed shots, actually thousands with the 20fps"... I love that! It seems too often that the moment you get an R3 or A1 etc etc, you never have a bad photo

Josh hope all is well, missing your informative and fun videos!

This may sound dumb, I'm extremely new to this. But how close do you need to be to this animals to get a nice photo? I plan to photograph deer here and ky. Is 30 yards to far?