Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

   

Brown Pelican, La Jolla, CA. Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. The image was created with Fractalius, a Photoshop plug-in filter. See lots more below. And be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.

 BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #315 is now available on-line here:  http://www.birdsasart.com/bn315.htm

Here are the featured items:

SAN DIEGO IPT FOLLOW-UP
ONE IMAGE: MANY LESSONS
ANNOUNCING THE JANUARY 2011 SAN DIEGO IPT 
FRACTALIUS: IMAGES & TUTORIALS BY DENISE IPPOLITO
SARASOTA FLORIDA AUDUBON PROGRAM 
BOK TOWER EXHIBIT OPENING
CANON GEAR FOR SALE
KUDOS
IPT UPDATES

A while back, BPN Out of the Box moderator Denise Ippolito, a talented, creative photographer, introduced me to Fractalius, a Photoshop  plug-in that can be used to create unusual, eccentric artwork from a photograph in a single step.  The effects are based on the extraction of an image’s hidden fractal textures.  It can also be used to simulate various types of exotic lighting  and ultra-realistic pencil sketches.   I was so excited by the look and feel of the images that I asked Denise to create a tutorial for her favortie Fractalius setting, Glow 100.  Click here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn315.htm and scroll down to see four of Denise’s fabulous Fracted images and to read the Glow 100 tutorial.  You can check out both of her Fractalius tutorials and learn more about Denise by clicking here: http://deniseippolito.smugmug.com/ and scrolling down.  Be sure to visit some of her galleries too.

If you are sold on Fracting after seeing the killer pelican image above, you can purchase a copy of Fracalius by clicking here:  https://www.plimus.com/jsp/buynow.jsp?contractId=1720292&referrer=birdsasart.  Please be sure to use this link to purchase; doing so will enable us to bring you more tutorials <smile> You can see the original pelican image here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=55949

I will be on the road for 2 1/2 weeks for the Sarasota Audubon Program (see in the Bulletin), the SW FLA IPT, and the NANPA Summit in Reno, NV.  Then it’s home for a few days and off to Midway!  I will be posting here regularly.

This image was created with the Canon 70-200mm f.4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (handheld at 280mm) and the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3. You need to have absolute confidence in both your and your camera's ability to produce sharp images.

Whenever I take a new camera out of the box, I head down to the lake and create some images just to make sure that the camera is capable of focusing accurately.  I have never had a camera that did not create razor sharp images when I did everything right.   That said, on rare occasion, folks do get a bad camera.  If you are relatively new to photography, reading the article below will be a great help and includes some basic tests so that you can check and see if your camera is a rare dud.  I have never had to perform any of the tests below because my initial  ”test” images with new cameras have always been sharp, that a result of quality products and excellent sharpness techniques.  (See the same in ABP II.)

Basic Sharpness Testing

I receive several e-mails each week from folks who state that this camera does not focus properly or that that lens is not sharp.  In 99% of the cases I am sure that operator error rather than equipment malfunction is the cause.  That said, on rare occasion, folks using quality equipment from Canon or Nikon do experience real problems with focusing accuracy. 

If you are handholding, please do not complain about unsharp images.  I was walking around in Sabine Woods on a spring trip least year.  It was cloudy dark.   I was working at ISO 800 with shutter speeds of about 1/60th second and even slower at times.  There were two folks walking around handholding 500 f/4 lenses; they might as well have gone fishing as there was no way that they could create a sharp image without a tripod in those conditions.  It is best to work on a tripod at all times when using your longest lens (unless you are handholding for flight or for action).

Another factor to consider is that most of the folks who write complaining of unsharp image are using cameras with 1.6X or 1.5X multiplier effects.  They need to realize that these cameras multiply vibrations and movement caused by operator error by the square of the equivalent focal length!

If you are using a tripod you need to check and note the shutter speeds of your unsharp images.  I had one guy on an IPT complaining that none of his images were sharp.  I checked his set-up and saw that he was working in near darkness at ISO 100 with shutter speeds in the 1/8 to 1/15 second range.  Making sharp images with a long lens at such slow shutter speeds is simply not possible for most folks.  When working at long effective focal lengths I am confident that I can make sharp images down to 1/60 second as long as I have time to lock the tripod head and provided that the bird does not move during the exposure.  With the prime lenses alone, I can usually get down to 1/30 second.  With the relatively new Canon 800mm lens and its new 4-stop IS system, I have made some sharp images at shutter speeds as slow as 1/6 sec.

 Below are two simple tests to determine if you have faulty equipment. 

#1: Tape a sheet of newspaper to a sunlit outdoor wall on a relatively still day.  Make sure that it is as taped down as flat as possible.  (A magazine cover with fine print or a plastic or cardboard test chart are of course better options.)  Mount your telephoto rig on a tripod.  Lock down the tripod and the lens collar.  Make sure that you are beyond the minimum focusing distance of your lens and that the distance range switch (if your lens has one) is set to full.  Make a few images at the wide open aperture using both One-Shot or AI Servo with Canon gear or Single (S) or Continuous (C) with Nikon.  Then do the same thing at f/8.  As long as the wall is sunlit you will have more than enough shutter speed to know that your focusing issues are not caused by too-slow shutter speeds. Now download your images and check them for accurate focusing.  If all of the images are sharp, then you can be sure that your unsharp images were being caused by operator error.

#2: Stand well off a somewhat busy road with the sun angled so that the approaching vehicles are coming right down sun angle.   Use the wide open aperture and choose an ISO that results in shutter speeds greater than 1/2000 sec.  Choose AI Servo (Canon) or Continuous (Nikon) and select the center AF sensor.  As the cars approach, place the central sensor on the license plate and hold the shutter button down once focus is acquired.  Even this simple task requires some practice so be sure to take lots of images.  Download the images and sort them into two groups: sharp on the license plate and unsharp on the license plate.  Now using an application that allows you to see the position of the active focusing sensor, in this case the central sensor, note the position of the sensor in the unsharp images.  If the sensor is consistently on the license plate and the images are unsharp, then you likely have equipment problems.  You can repeat this test with various camera bodies and various lenses in an effort to determine the cause of the problem.  When you are pretty sure that you have an equipment problem it is best to send the gear to the manufacturer along with a CD of the test images. 

In most cases, folks will learn that their equipment is perfectly fine but that their poor sharpness techniques are the cause of the unsharp images.  Do also realize the importance of subject movement.  While working at the Cozad Ranch probably well more than half of my images were unsharp.  This was due in most cases to subject movement.  In other cases, the unsharp images were a result of the AF system being unable to maintain sharp focus on the tiny songbirds as they leaped off of their perches.   It is important to understand and to realize the limitations of our equipment.   

The above text was adapted from a feature in BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #289:  http://www.birdsasart.com/bn.html.  The Bulletin Archives here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn289.htm are a tremendous free resource.   And there is a great Google search feature that can help you find what  you need quickly.  

Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (handlheld at 208mm). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/8. In competent hands as seen here, the 7D offers superb image quality. As always, click on each image to see a larger, sharper version.

Early on there were on-line concerns with the quality of images produced with the Canon EOS-7D.   After using the camera extensively in San Diego (especially with the 70-200mm f/4 L IS lens and the 1.4X II TC) I have zero concerns in this area.  I love the 7D files, they are sharp with great edge to edge detail.  The color and contrast levels are excellent.

Canon 70-200mm f.4L IS lens (handheld at 121mm) with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/2 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6. Fill flash at -1 stop. Late afternoon light.

As stated in my previous post, I am very pleased with the AI Servo AF performance (acquisition and accuracy) of the 7D.  (I have used the camera right out of the box without any focus calibration.) When doing flight photography, my preference has been to set AI Servo/Auto Select 19-point AF (the one that features a set of parenthesis-like brackets) and then manually select the central sensor.   If you are in AI Servo AF, the selected sensor will light up when you select this AF Mode. If you are in One-Shot AF, only the brackets will appear.  Others much prefer using either the central sensor alone (via Single Point AF-Manual Selection) or AF Point Expansion (Manual Selection) for flight photography.

The more I study the 7D and the Mark IV Instruction Manuals the more I realize how complex each camera is.  I am hoping to offer a combined 7D/Mark IV User’s Guide for sale at some point but that will most likely not be until spring as I have tons more to learn…

Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (handheld at 235mm) and the EOS-7D. ISO 500. Evalautive metering at zero: 1/250 sec. at f/8. Flash with Better Beamer at -2 stops. When working with tame birds at close range, the 70-200 and a 7D is a great combination with or without the 1.4X teleconverter. As always, you can click on each image to see a larger, sharper version.

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #313 is online now and can be viewed here:  http://www.birdsasart.com/bn313.htm

 

This bloody lion cub was photographed from the top of a safari van in Ndutu, Tanazania with the Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens, a 1.4X TC, and the EOS-1D Mark II on a Todd-Pod-mounted Wimberley head. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/80 sec. at f/5.6.

 

Arthur Morris smiling, San Diego, CA. Image courtesy of and copyright 2010: Rebecca Field (www.RebeccaFieldPhotography.com)

California Brown Pelican in flight, La Jolla, CA. Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens (handheld at 154mm) with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-7D. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops set manually.

With one day to go, the San Diego IPT has been a huge success.  Great folks, great camraderie, great photographic opportunities, great food, and lots of learning.  We have been blessed with the right light, the right winds, and the right weather.  Keep your eyes peeled for the next BAA Bulletin for a complete report.

Everyone is anxious to know my thoughts on AI Servo AF performance with my new cameras:  Canon’s flagship professional body–the EOS-1D Mark IV, and the top of the line pro-sumer model–the EOS-7D.  AI Servo AF performance in both is excellent.  When I get the central sensor on the bird’s eye, face, or head and keep it there, the images are sharp.  When I fail to do that, sometimes the images are sharp, and sometimes they are not.  My initial impression (as you can plainly see in the Mallard image below) is that the Mark IV is surely the best ever Canon body when it comes to tracking incoming subjects that are rocketing towards you. 

And two things are sure: competent photographers will produce excellent flight images with either of these bodies, and excellent flight and action photographers will continue to produce award winning images with either the 7d or the Mark IV.  (Do note that when it comes to flight and action I consider myself in the former group, not the latter.) 

Mallard drake incoming, Santee Lakes, CA. Canon 400mm f/4L DO lens handheld with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/800 sec. at f/4 set manually.

As always, you can click on an image to see a larger sharper one.  I am supposed to be in San Diego until next Saturday but with the gloom and doom weather forecast: rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, I am likely to get out of Dodge well before that.  I will be back soon with more MIV and 7D images.

Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens handheld with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/320 sec. at f/4.

Anxious to create a few pix with one of my new Mark IV bodies I headed to the cliffs at La Jolla yesterday afternoon.  Within minutes, a cormorant flying by overhead unloaded a ton of whitewash on my bald head.  Pretty stinky stuff.  But when I looked down, I saw that he had scored a double hit: the top of my brand new Canon EOS-1D Mark IV was covered with the white goo.  Yikes.  Well, it is supposed to be good luck and I am a lover of what is, so, ….

The two images in this post teach an important lesson.  In the image above, the head angle is perfect; the bird’s head is turned about two degrees towards me.  In the image below, the bird’s head is turned about two degrees away from me.  (I knew it the instant that I pushed the shutter button but had no time to move to my right.)  It is great that the gular sac is inflated but the head angle is far less than ideal….

Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens handheld with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6.

As always, you can click on each image to see a larger, sharper version.  You can learn lots more about head angle at this BPN thread: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7781

It is 4:48 am.  I am sitting at Gate 13 in Orlando International Airport headed for San Diego via Dallas flying American Airlines.  After 9/11, there was huge concern about flying with photography gear.  Other than getting dump-searched at the Dallas Airport right after 9-11–I had been in the air during the attacks– flying with photo gear after 9-11 was exactly the same as it was flying before 9-11.  One rolling bag, one computer case, and my vest.  Sometimes they checked my rolling bag carefully, sometimes they did not.  And once in a very great while I got hassled about my vest.  But getting through security and on the plane was and has been relatively hassle free.

After the last recent security fiasco/terrorist attempt there has once again been huge concern about the “new security measures” that will make it impossible to travel with long lenses and mutliple camera bodies.  Well, aside from the line at TSA being very slow this morning, I can assure you that at least in Orlando things are exactly the same.  Once it was my turn I got through security in record time: one rolling bag, one computer case, and my vest.  And they did not even swab my bag.  No pat down and no body scan even though they have those machines at MCO. 

On a personal note, I was up till after 1am talking to a friend on Sunday night, and then up this morning at 3am to make my 6am flight.  Though I am wide-eyed and alert at the moment, I am sure that I will catch some z’s on my flights.  I will be back soon to post some Mark IV and 7D images.

This image was created with the Canon 180mm macro lens and the EOS-1D MIII. Canopy Lodge, Panama. See below for needed help <smile> As always, you can click on the image to see a larger, sharper version.

On Wednesday of last week I got my brand new Canon EOS-7D.   And on Friday afternoon I received (just in the nick of time) my two Canon EOS-1D Mark IV bodies.  I have been busy packing and getting ready to head to San Diego for the IPT and then a week-long busman’s holiday.  It is cold and clear here at my office/home in Indian Lake Estates, FL this morning but I will not have any time to go down to the lake to try out my three new toys.  I hope to have time to set up a tripod in the driveway and do the focus calibration for each camera with a variety of lenses.  That will take a few hours.   As I have never made a trip before with three brand new cameras I am very excited!

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #312 is on-line and can be accessed here:  http://www.birdsasart.com/bn312.htm

Here are the featured items:

HAPPY NEW YEAR WISHES AND BAA INF

HOME AT LAST BUT NOT FOR LONG

POSSE NEWS: JIM NEIGER

JPI BRADENTON GEORGE LEPP EVENT

 BPN HOT THREADS

MONGOOSE NEWS

SAN DEIGO IPT VERY LATE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT

IPT UPDATES

Here is where I could use a bit of help:   I have spent the last two days creating titles for the 34 images that will comprise my upcoming Canon USA-sponsored exhibit at Bok Tower in nearby Lake Wales.  I am pretty happy with nearly all of the titles.  Several friends including Todd Gustafson, James Shadle, Jim Heupel, and BPN Out-of-the-Box moderator Denise Ippolito pitched in with some creative  stuff.  

But I am least happy with the title for the Red-eyed Tree Frog image above.  If you have any suggestions, please e-mail me (no later than 5pm Sunday, January 10) at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.  Thanks!

Mallard drake on ice, Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6. Fill flash with Better Beamer at -1 stop. There were lots of gulls and Mallards on the pond right outside my Mom's kitchen window in Holbrook. As I approached carefully, every bird but this one walked or flew away.

I am posting this morning from MacArthur Airport in Islip, New York (with free WiFi).  I love Southwest Airlines for a variety of reasons including lots of computer station plugs and comfortable leather chairs with outlets.  No charge for bags, and no ridiculous change fees.  (I changed this flight four times without hassle.)

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #311 is on-line.  You can access it here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn311.htm

Here are the features:

HOLIDAY BEST WISHES/BAA CLOSED TILL 2010!

JIM LITZENBERG KUDOS

ROBERT O’TOOLE: PHOTOGRAPHER, PHOTOSHOP GURU, & GROWTH AS A TRIP LEADER

THANK YOU TEACHER

LONG ISLAND WINTER HOTSPOT: MORTON NWR

SAN DIEGO IPT LATE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT

I made it out onto the Barnegat jetty twice more on this visit.   Conditions on the middle of the three visits were not as benign as they had been on my first visit but the jetty is a relatively safe one as long as you are careful with each step and avoid wet rocks at all costs.  Many of the huge flat boulders near the end of the jetty, the last 100 yards or so, that had been covered with dried seaweed and were perfectly safe on that first afternoon, were–with the wind more from the south–wave splashed and slick on that second afternoon. 

On my third afternoon visit, the wind howled from west at about 25 knots and a bit surpisingly, the end of the jetty was again wave-splashed and dangerous.  There were hundreds of sea ducks with many of them at fairly close range, but photography was extremely difficult as they bobbed up and down in the choppy water.   Species included Harlequin Duck, White-winged Scoter, Common Eider and Long-Tailed Duck (formerly Oldsquaw).

The drake Surf Scoter was photographed with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop (to save the whites). The hardest part of the whole deal was simply getting the central sensor on the ducks as they bobbed up and down violently in the chop.

Thanks for dropping by.  I will be back soon.

ps: Thanks to Ray Wilsson and Gene Herzberg for the ID/brain typo correction on the “White-winged Scoter.”

This image of a Northern Cardinal was created with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 320. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/11 set manually. (Should have been +1 2/3 stops....) Fill flash at -1 stop.

Morton NWR is located in Noyac, Long Island.   I was amazed to learn last year that bird feeding there is not only permitted but encouraged.   After Saturday’s blizzard I was anxious to get out in the snow and put some of what I had learned from Alan Murphy’s “Guide to Songbird Set-Up Photography” to good use.  Heading out to eastern Long Island on Sunday would have been borderline suicidal so I passed on that.  I woke early on Monday, packed my gear and warm clothing, and headed to the refuge.   Thinking that I might need to dig my way out at some point, I threw my Mom’s long-handled spade into the back seat of the car.   It took me a shade more than an hour to make the trip but when I arrived, I noted that the road into the parking lot had not been plowed.   I got my warm coat on, took the long-handled spade out of the back seat, and started digging my own parking space.  After about 30 minutes (when I was about half finished with my one car parking lot) I was wishing that I had brought my Mom’s real snow shovel.   

I stopped one guy with a plow on the front of an SUV; he stopped and was very nice but explained that it was his bosses truck and that he was forbidden to plow anything.   So back to work I went.  After another 15 minutes I was about 3/4 done when I spotted a bobcat with a snow plow on the front.  I waved the guy down and he stopped.  I asked him if I could pay him to finish plowing my spot.  He said, “No.  I will do it for free.”  One, two three and there was a beautiful practically effortless parking spot big enough for two cars.  I tried to give the guy a ten-spot for breakfast but he refused and drove off.

I wound up photographing for more than 7 hours.  I created the cardinal image above just before I left at 4pm.  By that time, my feet were frozen blocks of ice.  I was able to utilize many of the tips in Alan Murphy’s Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography to help me create better images.   The woodpecker image that follows was just one of many of those.   Be sure to click on each image to see a larger sharper version.

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/320 sec. at f/8 set manually. Fill flash at -1 stop.

Tips:  When I am working with songbirds at close range I remove my Better Beamer to avoid over-flashing the birds.   When working in bright sun I use more fill flash than I usually do.

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 250. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/11. Fill flash at -1 stop.

This is another one that was created by following  Alan’s directions explicitly.   His tip on the exact piece of equipment used for placing and adjusting the position of your selected perches is priceless.  You can learn more about Alan’s book or order a copy here:  https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=33

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 250. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/13 set manually. Fill flash at -1 stop.

OK, you have read this far; now we will share some tips for photographing in the snow.   If you are photographing during the height of the storm, always use flash as light levels will be very low.   Once the weather clears, you will often have bright blue skies and northwest winds.  Be sure to select a location that is sheltered from the wind, especially in the mornings when a wind from the north or west can kill you.    During the short days of winter the sun is so low in the sky in the northeast that you can photograph in nice light all day long. 

In places like Morton where the birds are accustomed to being fed, it is fun to create some images of them on the fresh snow.   Do not scatter the seed about as the individual kernels will be distracting.   Instead, poke a small hole in the snow and fill it with seed.  Attempt to photograph the birds as they come to the seed hole or wait their turn.

Wear your warmest boots and clothing.   Hand-warmers can save the day if it is in the low 20s or the teens.  Work right down sun angle.  In addition to Alan’s techniques, I used many of my own from the Practicalities chapter of “The Art of Bird Photography II (916 pages on CD only):     https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32

Important BAA Note:  

HOLIDAY BEST WISHES/BAA CLOSED TILL 2010!

First off, Jim Litzenberg, older-daughter Jennifer Morris, and I would like to wish each of you a safe and enjoyable holiday season.  With luck it will be filled with friends, family, good food, and at least a bit of photography.

Jennifer is flying to Islip on X-mas Eve day with husband Erik and children Sam and Maya to join the rest of the family that includes my Mom, my two sisters, her Mom, and her younger sister Alissa and her family (husband Ajiniaz and two sons, Ilyas and Idris).  And me <smile>

Jim will be in the office until noon on Thursday, DEC 24th and is then taking a rare and much needed vacation.  He will be able to ship or mail any order received before the close of business on Wednesday, DEC 23.   Both Jennifer and Jim will be back in the office on Monday, January 4, 2010.  PayPals and BAA On-Line Mail Order store orders will be processed and shipped on either January 4th or 5th. 

I will be back soon.