20 August 2020

Birds in Flight Photography - Skills Training Cape Town

Swift Tern Woodbridge Island : Canon EOS 7D Mark II / 400mm Lens

Recent Vernon Chalmers Bird In Flight Photography Cape Town images published here

Private / Small Group Birds in Flight Photography Skills Training Cape Town
Increase your Canon EOS DSLR Birds in Flight photography skills with individual / small group workshop skills development training with Vernon Chalmers in Milnerton / Woodbridge Island Cape Town. Master the required camera and exposure settings with hands-on practical sessions around Woodbridge Island. 


Intermediate to Advanced Birds in Flight Photography Training Cape Town
Any photographer with a Canon EOS DSLR who wants to get a more in-depth understanding of the Canon EOS Exposure Modes, Autofocus (AF) system and its application / tuning for Birds in Flight / Action photography. Detailed instruction will be provided for all modern Canon EOS bodies up to the 65-point AF system. Please see the skills development  / learning areas below.

Egyptian Goose Woodbridge Island (Canon EOS 70D)
Birds in Flight Practical at Woodbridge Island
With more than 25 bird species Woodbridge Island offers year-round opportunities for capturing birds in flight.  A practical / walk-around shooting session will be arranged as soon as possible after completing the theory session. This is an opportunity for experimenting with the various exposure settings, AF system configurations and capturing / composition techniques. Guidance will be on hand for fine-tuning of exposure settings and AF system configurations.

Cost: From R850-00 (depending on training requirements)

What do you need to bring? A Canon EOS DSLR Camera, telephoto or zoom lens & your own memory card.

Recommended min lens focal length

250mm - 300mm ie: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6(L) IS USM zoom or EF 300mm f/4L IS USM prime lens (or any 3rd party lens of similar FL). I predominantly use the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens or Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM lens with both Canon Full Frame or APS-C / Crop bodies. I've had success with the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II lens in the past as well (paired with the Canon EOS 700D).

Continuous Canon AF and body assistance / support for fine-tuning specific Canon EOS body / lens combination.

Contact Me  for more information / booking detail (or Canon EOS training in other areas).

Delegates will receive a ring binder folder with all the relevant information and other useful resources.


Skills Development / Learning Areas*
  • BIF Fundamentals / Considerations 
  • Canon EOS Bodies / Lenses for BIF 
  • Camera / Lens Settings 
  • Exposure Settings 
  • Continuous shooting / AI Servo Modes 
  • Canon AF Systems (9-point to 65-point) 
  • Advanced AF System tuning (AF configuration / Area Selection Modes) 
  • Advanced body / lens focus tuning / techniques / recommendations 
  • Post-processing considerations for Birds in Flight Photography 
* Specific learning areas will depend on learning requirements / current skills levels

Canon EOS Training Cape Town
Canon EOS Bodies / AF Systems
All EOS body owners (or future EOS owners) are welcome to attend. Please note that the in-depth discussion / tuning around AF systems will primarily be focused around the following AF systems with specific emphasis from the 19-point AF system EOS bodies which offers more advanced case and zone configurations:

  • 9-point AF System (EOS 500D / 550D / 600D / 650D / 700D / 60D / 5D / 5D Mark II) 
  • 11-point AF System (EOS 6D) 
  • 19-point AF System (EOS 750D / 760D / 70D / 7D) 
  • 45-point AF System (EOS 1D / 1D Mark II / 1D Mark III / 1D Mark IV)
  • 45-point AF System (EOS 80D) / Canon EOS 6D Mark II
  • 61-point AF System (EOS 5D Mark III / EOS 5Ds / EOS 5Ds R / EOS-1D X) 
  • 65-point AF System (EOS 7D Mark II)

Birds in Flight Photography - Individual Skills Training Cape Town
Canon EOS 7D Mark II (AI Servo Case Menu - Case 2)

Canon EOS AF Guidebooks

Owners / users of the following Canon EOS bodies will receive a matching e-copy of the Canon EOS Autofocus Guidebook:
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II
  • Canon EOS 5D Mark III
  • Canon EOS-1D X
(Click to Enlarge)
Birds in Flight Photography - Individual Skills Training Cape Town
Small Bird Woodbridge Island  (Canon EOS 7D Mark II / 400mm Lens)

Birds in Flight Photography - Individual Skills Training Cape Town
Sandwich Tern Woodbridge Island  (Canon EOS 7D Mark II / 400mm Lens)

Birds in Flight Photography - Private / Individual Training Cape Town
Sandwich Tern Woodbridge Island  (Canon EOS 7D Mark II / 400mm Lens)

Birds in Flight Photography - Private / Individual Training Cape Town
Swift Tern Woodbridge Island  (Canon EOS 7D Mark II / 400mm Lens)

Birds in Flight Photography Private / Individual Training Cape Town
Sacred Ibis Woodbridge Island  (Canon EOS 7D Mark II / 400mm Lens)

Canon EOS 7D Mark II - Birds in Flight Photo Gallery
Canon EOS 7D Mark II - Birds in Flight Photo Gallery

07 August 2020

A few Birds in Flight at Woodbridge Island

Cattle Egret in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town
Cattle Egret in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town
Friday late morning I went for a short walkabout just outside my training studio here in Milnerton, Cape Town (opposite Woodbridge Island) and quite quickly captured a few local birds in flight:
  • Cattle egret
  • African ibis
  • Little egret
  • Pied kingfisher
  • Yellow-billed duck

Conditions and Location
Crisp late morning sun with no wind at Woodbridge Island, Cape Town (just off the small island). Woodbridge Island Map>>

Canon Camera / Lens Settings
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II
  • EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
  • Manual Mode
  • Auto-ISO: 400 - 800
  • Aperture:  f/5.6
  • Shutter Speed: 1/3200s
  • AI Servo: Case 1: Wide Zone
  • 10 fps High Speed Continuous Mode
  • Handheld

Post-Processing
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC 9.0: Colour correction / noise reduction / lens profile correction.

(Click to Enlarge)

African Ibis in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town
African Ibis in Flight above the Milnerton Golf course, Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Little Egret in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town
Little Egret in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town (against the Milnerton Golf Course)

Pied Kingfisher in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town
Pied Kingfisher in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town (against the Milnerton Golf Course)

Yellow-Billed Duck in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town
Yellow-Billed Duck in Flight Woodbridge Island, Cape Town (Against Lion's Head / Signal Hill side of Table Mountain)

Birds in Flight Photography Cape Town

01 August 2020

Birds in Flight variety on a crisp Saturday Morning

Birds in Flight Photography : Woodbridge Island

Yellow-billed duck in in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton
Yellow-Billed in Flight over the Diep River

Birds in Flight along the Diep River / Woodbridge Island 
For large parts of this year the conditions were not great for photographing birds in flight here at the Diep River, Woodbridge Island.

A lack of good light (winter conditions) and the long-term restoration project of the wooden bridge damped my enthusiasm somewhat.

Nevertheless, I will grab a good light day and Saturday was such a day.

Herewith a few birds in flight during a vibrant and sunny morning - even managed to photograph my first juvenile lesser flamingos (not often seen in this part of the world.

Some low flying over the Diep river, with others flying higher and over the Milnerton Golf Course.

Birds in Flight (from the top)
  • Yellow-billed duck
  • African oystercatcher
  • Cape shoveler duck
  • Egyptian goose
  • Black-winged stilt
  • Homer / racing pigeon
  • Lesser flamingos

Lightroom Post-Processing
All images processed in Adobe Lightroom 8. Converted from RAW to JPG. Lens profile correction. Minor colour correction. Sharpness and noise reduction applied.

Cape Town Location
Milnerton Lagoon Woodbridge Island, Cape Town. Over the Diep River flowing past the Milnerton Golf Course

Equipment (Birds In Flight / Action Photography)
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR camera body
  • Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
  • SanDisk Extreme 64GB 120MB/s CF Card

Manual Mode Settings
  • Shutter speed: 1/3200s - 1/4000s
  • Aperture: f/5.6
  • Focal length 400mm
  • Auto-ISO (ISO 320 - 1000)
  • Continuous shooting mode (10 fps) / AI Servo
  • AI Servo / AF Mode Option (Large / Wide Zone AF / Case 1)
  • Lens AF On / No IS / Handheld

(Click to enlarge)
Yellow-billed duck in in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton
Yellow-billed duck in in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton (Against the Milnerton Golf Course)

African oystercatcher in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton
African oystercatcher in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton (over the Diep River with Milnerton Golf Course behind)

Cape shoveler duck in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton
Cape shoveler duck in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton (over the Diep River with Milnerton Golf Course behind)

Egyptian goose in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton
Egyptian goose in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton (low flying over the Diep River)

Black-winged stilt in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton
Black-winged stilt in flight Woodbridge Island, Milnerton (low flying over the Diep River)

Homer / racing pigeon in flight - Woodbridge Island, Milnerton
Homer / racing pigeon in flight - Woodbridge Island, Milnerton (over the Milnerton Golf Course)

Juvenile lesser flamingos in flight - Woodbridge Island, Milnerton
Juvenile lesser flamingos in flight - Woodbridge Island, Milnerton (Over the Milnerton Golf Course)

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Birds in Flight Photography Gallery View

Birds in Flight Photography Training Cape Town View

Birds in Flight Photography Training Gift Vouchers View

Update on the AutoFocus Workshop and Birds in Flight Training

Update on the AutoFocus Workshop and Birds in Flight Training
Pied Kingfisher after a dive - with Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Important Update wrt my current Advanced Autofocus (AF) Training Workshop - to the benefit of all Canon EOS photographers still interested in mastering Birds in Flight Photography. (available during my one-on-one / private training sessions)

The current Advanced AF Training workshop is now being integrated as a module in all Birds in Flight learning sessions.

Historically, the Canon EOS Advanced AF Workshop was mainly offered to photographers with EOS bodies with the 61-Point or 65-Point AF systems (i.e. Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EOS 5D Mark III / IV and the Canon EOS-1D X (Mark II) bodies.

Canon EOS photographers with the 45-Point AF or older 19-Point AF systems are now all offered with more in-depth Canon Optical Autofocus training and resources on said AF Systems (i.e. as deployed in the Canon EOS 60D / 77D / 70D / 80D / 90D).

This will be offered in the current time frames of two or three session options. I will work with every photographer to maximise his / her time ito AF System at no additional cost.

Update on the AutoFocus Workshop and Birds in Flight Training
Cape Canary in flight above Woodbridge Island
What generally happen is the photographers with more advanced AF systems can decide if they want one or two of the sessions spent on AF configurations and settings - or just one (with the other settings / theory) and two practical sessions. The same for all the other systems - I will work with the individual photographer to provide the best settings / practical balance in the two sessions.

All sessions are up to five hours and deemed adequate time to gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of a specific Canon EOS AF System (as applied in Birds in Flight photography). One or two practical sessions will assist for providing a hands-on experience of photographing birds in flight around the Woodbridge Island / Table Bay Reserve areas.

Two Session BIF Photography Training (Less advanced AF)
The option for two sessions will still available at R950-00 (minimum of 10 hours). There will be some Lightroom post-processing orientation (if required) and an extra session could be costed in for Lightroom training at less than half the cost of a separate Lightroom training session.

Three Session BIF Photography Training (More Advanced AF)
The standard three session option will still be available at R1 250-00 (minimum of 15 hours) This option will also get more detailed Lightroom facilitation (if required) and an extra session could be costed in for Lightroom training at less than half the cost of a separate Lightroom training session.

I'm a firm believer that birds in flight photography can be achieved and enjoyed with probably all Canon EOS bodies on the market today. With technique, a 70-300mm lens, understanding of the AF System, a few settings and good light most Canon EOS bodies will produce crisp and well-exposed in-flight images. See image with entry-level Canon EOS / Old EF 70-300mm lens.

For more information / bookings visit the Birds in Flight Photography Training Page 

"Early morning aerobics" Swift tern after a dive

"Early morning aerobics" Swift tern after a dive
Swift Tern : Woodbridge Island Copyright Vernon Chalmers)
Why do (swift) terns fly upside-down?
This a question that was asked on the images I posted of the 'terning'' terns in the Birdlife South Africa Facebook Group

After a dive for fish they shake off the excess water.

In this series of five consecutive images a swift tern just emerged from the water and twist it's head / tail for a very rapid shake off

Description: Swift tern shaking off water after an unsuccessful fishing dive attempt into the Diep river, Woodbridge Island Cape Town.

The swift tern is also known as the greater crested tern (Thalasseus bergii)

Images below are 5 consecutive frames with the quick-shooting Canon EOS 7D Mark II.

This is a regular occurrence during most of our summer months. The sandwich tern follow similar behaviour in an attempt to get rid of the water.

Cape Town Location
Diep River - Woodbridge Island, Cape Town

Equipment Used (Birds In Flight / Action Photography)
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR camera body
  • Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
  • Lexar Professional 800x / 120MB/s 32GB CF Card

Manual Mode Settings
  • Shutter speed: 1/4000s
  • Aperture: f/5.6
  • Focal length 400mm
  • Auto-ISO (ISO 640)
  • Continuous shooting mode (10 fps) / AI Servo
  • AI Servo / AF Mode Option (Wide Zone AF / Case 1)
  • Lens AF On / No IS / Handheld

(Click to enlarge)
Swift tern in flight : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town Frame 1 / 5 Copyright Vernon Chalmers Photography
Swift tern in flight : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town   Frame 1 / 5

Swift tern in flight : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town Frame 2 / 5  Copyright Vernon Chalmers Photography
Swift tern in flight : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town   Frame 2 / 5

Swift tern in flight : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town Frame 3 / 5  Copyright Vernon Chalmers Photography
Swift tern in flight : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town   Frame 3 / 5

Swift tern in flight : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town Frame 4 / 5  Copyright Vernon Chalmers Photography
Swift tern in flight : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town   Frame 4 / 5

Swift tern in flight : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town Frame 5 / 5  Copyright Vernon Chalmers Photography
Swift tern in flight : Woodbridge Island, Cape Town   Frame 3 / 5

Canon EOS 7D Mark II - Birds in Flight Photo Gallery

Woodbridge Island Cape Town Bird Species

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Birds in Flight Photography Gallery

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens: Professional / Consumer Reviews

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens: Professional / consumer reviews
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Prime / Telephoto Lens

This high-performance lens was designed with portability and handling ease in mind. One Super UD-glass element, whose characteristics are similar to fluorite, and one UD-glass element result in sharp pictures from corner-to-corner. The lens also has a built-in hood and a detachable tripod mount. (Source: Canon USA)

An affordable and value 400mm prime lens for Birds in Flight Photography
An affordable and value 400mm prime lens for Birds in Flight Photography

Canon EOS 700D Flamingos
Canon EOS 700D Flamingos

Canon EOS 70D Birds In Flight
Canon EOS 70D / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens

Canon EOS 7D Mark II Birds in Flight Gallery
Canon EOS 7D Mark II Birds in Flight Gallery

Canon EOS 7D Mark II FPS / AI Servo Test
Canon EOS 7 D Mark II FPS / AI Servo Test

Canon EOS 6D Birds in Flight Photography
Canon EOS 6D Birds in Flight Photography

With Canon 500D 77mm Close-Up Lens Filter
With Canon 500D 77mm Close-Up Lens Filter

Comprehensive / Professional Reviews - Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens

Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens Long Term Use
Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens Long Term Use

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens vs Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens (Discussion)
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens vs Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens

Consumer / User Reviews - Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
  • Amazon - read
  • Canon USA - read
  • Photography Review- read
  • Photography-on-the-net - read

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens Features / Specifications

Focal Length & Maximum Aperture
  • 400mm 1:5.6 

Lens Construction
  • 7 elements in 6 groups 

Diagonal Angle of View
  • 6° 10' 

Focus Adjustment
  • Inner focusing system with USM 

Closest Focusing Distance
  • 3.5m / 11.5 ft. 

Filter Size
  • 77mm 

Max. Diameter x Length, Weight
  • 3.5" x 10.1", 2.8 lbs. / 90.0 x 256.5mm, 1250g 

Source: Canon USA

Sample Images : Canon EOS 70D / EOS 7D Mark II paired with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Telephoto Lens

Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (Birds in Flight)
Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (Birds in Flight)


Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (Butterfly in flight)
Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (Butterfly in Flight)


Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (Perched Bird)
Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (Perched Bird)

Canon EOS 70D / EF 400mm f/5.6L Lens (Birds In Flight)
Canon EOS 70D / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (Birds In Flight)

Canon EOS 70D / EF 400mm f/5.6L Lens (Birds In Flight)
Canon EOS 70D / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (Birds In Flight)

Birds in Flight Photography with Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
Birds in Flight Photography with Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens


Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (Birds in Flight)


Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (with Canon 500D Close-Up Lens Filter)
Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens (Canon 500D Close-Up Lens Filter)

Canon EOS 7D Mark II versus Canon EOS R Birds in Flight Observation

Not a true empirical / ideal comparison, but its the best I have on the EOS 7D Mark II and the Canon EOS R (for Birds in Flight / Action photography).

Shooting conditions more / less the same at Woodbridge Island ito weather. Image of the Canon EOS 7D Mark II may have been a tad closer.

Image 1: Canon EOS 7D Mark II (APS-C / Crop body) with EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens @ f/5.6

Image 2: Canon EOS R (Mirrorless Full Frame body) with EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens with EF 1.4x tele-converter @ f/8

Notes on Focal Length and Field of View:
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II / Lens = 400mm focal length x 1.6 crop factor
  • Canon EOS R / Lens / TC = 400mm focal length x 1.4x tele-converter

Notes on Continuous Speed Frames Per Second (fps) Shooting
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II / Lens = 10 fps via Optical Viewfinder (OVF)
  • Canon EOS R / Lens / TC = 5 fps via Electroniv Viewfinder (EVF)

Canon EOS 7D Mark II (APS-C / Crop body) with EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens
Image 1: Canon EOS 7D Mark II (APS-C / Crop body) with EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens Source>>

Canon EOS R (Full Frame body) with EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM with EF 1.4x TC
Image 2: Canon EOS R (Full Frame body) with EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM with EF 1.4x TC Source>>

AF comparison at the time: EOS 7D Mark II much more responsive through the Optical Viewfinder (OVF) than the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) of the EOS R.

I had quite a few opportunities with the EOS R in my Birds in Flight shooting environment (in various light) and at the time could not get / configure the AF responsiveness to anything close to what I'm used to with the EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.

Although the EOS R had a recent Firmware Update addressing the lethargic AF there is no way I would personally change the EOS 7D Mark II for EOS R / EOS RP / EOS M for Birds in Flight / Action photography.

Latest EOS R / RP Full Frame Mirrorless Firmware Updates
Since my initial observations there was a Firmware Update (Canon EOS R) for enhancing various functions and I believe AF performance as well. I have not worked with the body again, but will follow the update(s) with interest.

Canon Releases EOS R Firmware Update 1.4.0  as an AF Improvement Update during September 2019.

Link to the Canon EOS R on my Canon Camera News Cape Town Website: Canon EOS R / RP Firmware Update

Motivation for the Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs EOS R Comparison
As an experienced birds in flight photographer and birds in flight photography trainer I had a fair amount of requests from local photographers to do this comparison. It is probably not a fair comparison to compare the action performance of the Canon EOS 7D Mark II with the Canon EOS R, but it was nevertheless done to provide potential buyers of the EOS R with a sense of the expected action performance of the EOS R vs a high-performance Canon DSLR.  

First Impressions Canon EOS 7D Mark II View>>

First Impressions Canon EOS R View>>

Birds in Flight Photography Cape Town View>>

Birds in Flight Photography Training Milnerton, Cape Town Training>>