January 27th, 2012
St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia, Southern Ocean Voyage; Best Day Ever?
January 11, 2012 dawned dark and somewhat foreboding, but small patches of slightly brighter sky left me confident that my 17-year streak of photographic good-weather-Karma would continue. We would be visiting the world’s largest King Penguin colony at St. Andrews Bay where more than 320,000 pairs breed. The winds were light but the sky still dark and stormy as we exited the Zodiacs and unpacked our gear. When I was about halfway to the ridge that served as a vantage point above the vast plain of penguins it began to sprinkle. The sprinkle quickly turned to a heavy drizzle and in another minute it was de ja vu all over again as a heavy rain began to pelt down….
Three days before at the glorious and slightly smaller King Penguin colony at Salisbury Plain those who had stayed out all day had been drenched by a pouring rain that left my two EOS-1D MIV professional camera bodies completely dead. Hours inside a pillowcase with a hair dryer set on medium heat had revived them slightly. For the rest of the trip I was unable to see the large LCD on the back of each camera but otherwise they each functioned.
Within minutes and much to my relief, however, the rain at St. Andrews Bay quit.
Soon I was set up on the ridge and making images in the muted light. A quick-flowing stream ran along the edge of an almost endless plain of King Penguins. Each adult stood protecting the single egg that rested atop its feet enveloped in a brood patch. Long lines of fluffy, brown oakum boys, last year’s young, zigzagged through the colony. Staff ornithologist Jim Danzenbaker explained that the young birds are relegated to the lower portions of the plain while the nesting adults chose the higher drier ground; thus, the lovely patterns.
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The King Penguin colony was photographed in the morning with the tripod-mounted Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (at 110mm) with the EOS-5D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/20 sec. at f/32 in Av Mode. Rear Focus Central Sensor AF and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.
For a greater appreciation of this image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it. To see a really cool quasi-HDR grunge version of this image click here.
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The upper reaches of the distant mountains in the background were covered by fog. Mesmerized by the beauty of the scene before me time flew by as I changed lenses and changed perspective often. Before I knew it, it was 11:00am and the sun peeked through here and there revealing the snow-covered peaks. But by the time that I switched to a wide angle lens they were once again shrouded in fog. A bit after noon the sun broke through with a vengeance and just like that it was too bright to photograph. I took a break, sat down on a rock, and enjoyed the lunch that I had scavenged at breakfast: ham and Swiss roll-ups with mayonnaise and a bit of low-sugar ketchup that I had brought from home. Stuffed into a zip-lock plastic bag it was quite the messy meal but it really hit the spot; you can could call it an astronaut style lunch.
I napped for a bit dreaming of how great conditions would be when the light got sweet later in the afternoon. When I awoke I noticed that the wind had come up a bit. Then it roared. The words “katabatic winds” were on everyone’s lips and at times it was difficult to stand. Whitecaps filled the bay around our anchored ship. We soon received word to head back to the landing site and await further instructions…. I packed up my gear and—a bit disappointed–headed back to the beached Zodiacs.
By the time I arrived the winds had pretty much abated but the ½ mile up and down hike turned out to be a blessing in disguise: I drank a ton of water and refilled the three bottles that I had drained in the morning. The light was getting nice and there were penguins entering the water, penguins feeding in the surf, and penguins so stuffed with lantern fish that they could not stand when leaving the water. Had it not been for the wind warning I would have missed some great chances as the wet King Penguins set against the deep blue water and breaking surf made a great combination.
After an hour of the “surf” photography I hiked back up to the ridge and made hundreds of images of the sea of nesting penguins on the plain below–in the sweet light that I had dreamed of. On the way back to the landing several of us had great chances with adult kings feeding chicks in the sweetest light of the afternoon. In all respects the ten hours at St. Andrews Bay turned out to be one of the great days of my 28 years of bird photography.
Your Favorite?
Leave a comment and let us know which of the four images above is your favorite (and why).
My Comments
With a bit of free time I had a chance to respond comments posted to the December 28, 2011 blog post here.
Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.
Remember: you can earn free contest entries with your B & H purchases. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here for details.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the image in today’s blog post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Autofocus Lens. This is Canon’s top of the line wide angle zoom lens.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2X III teleconverter. I also use it a lot–as I did for the image of the eagle with fish–with the 1.4X III TC.
Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens. This lens proved to be ideal on a tripod for both birds and wildlife with both the 1.4X and 2X III TCs. All images were super-sharp and the lens was light enough for hand-holding both in the zodiacs and when doing flight photograph from the ship.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera. Canon’s lightweight full frame body is perfect for serious landscape photography.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders  . And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod. This one will last you a lifetime.
Giottos MH 1302-655 (Tiny) BallHead. I spin off my Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head and mount the tiny ballhead whenever I need to use a short lens on the tripod. The camera goes in the clamp via the Wimberley P-5 camera body plate.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
January 26th, 2012
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Above is the Macaroni Penguin colony on Cooper Bay, South Georgia. As I was making the climb up and down to the colony I was seriously questioning my own sanity…. The image was created with the Canon 24-105mm IS L lens (hand held at 24mm) and the EOS-5D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/11. Learn the fate of my two EOS-1D Mark IV bodies in a future posting. I was, due to human error–mine of course, forced to go the the 5D MII and absolutely fell in love with the camera on the trip (somewhat out of necessity).
See the animated GIF below to learn how NIK Color Efex Pro 4 helped me get the most out of this image.
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Home From the Southern Oceans Trip
After traveling to the ends of the earth–Ushuaia, Argentina–by commercial jet on December 28, 2011 I, along with about 100 shipmates, sailed 3,550 miles on the ice-strengthened vessel Ortelius on a tour of the Southern Ocean that visited the Falklands, South Georgia Island, and Antarctica. I debarked early on the morning of January 25 and flew 3 1/2 hours from Ushuaia to AEP, the domestic airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From there I took a 45-minute cab ride to EZE, the international airport. Then it was a red-eye flight to Miami, land at 5:45am, get through customs, and barely catch my flight to Orlando arriving at 7:45am. There I was picked up by my right-hand man, Jim Litzenberg and after a quick stop at Publix for some eggplant, Brussels Sprouts, and broccoli, I made it to my home office in Indian Lake Estates, FL just before 10:00 am on January 26th.
The trip was an amazing one. We enjoyed great weather nearly every day and avoided any major storms. We saw something in the neighborhood of one million penguins including breeding colonies of the following species: Magellenic, Rockhopper, King, Gentoo, Macaroni, Chinstrap, and Adelie. And–from the ship–we even got to see and photograph a single young Emperor Penguin on an iceberg. We visited the world’s largest Black-browed Albatross rookery on Steeple Jason in the Falklands, saw what seemed like a zillion baby fur seals on South Georgia, and got to photograph Humpback Whales and Orcas (Gerlach Strait Killer Whales) at close range from the ship.
I made some tough hikes and some long walks with my gear to get to some great places–at times through killer stands of tussock grass. I took great care by walking slowly at all times and making sure that I knew where I would place each foot and what would happen when I did. I made many treacherous (for me) downhill stretches on my butt. I got sufficient rest, never got seasick, and never caught so much as a cold. All in all I was blessed. I look forward to sharing lots of great images and lessons with you on both the blog and in future BAA Bulletins over the course of the next few months. It feels good to be home.
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This courting pair of Macaroni Penguins was photographed at Cooper Bay, South Georgia with the tripod-mounted Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens and the EOS-5D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/200 sec. at f/8. On this, my second Southern Oceans trip, Macaroni turned out to be my favorite penguin species in part because of their yellow-spaghetti hair-dos and in part because I had not created any good images of them on my 2007 trip.
There will be lots more on the Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens coming soon; it turned out to be the perfect long lens for me on this trip….
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More NIK Color Efex Pro 4 Magic
On my Southern Ocean trip I used NIK Color Efex Pro 4 on just about every image that I processed. It continues to revolutionize my digital workflow. Note the effect of the Foliage Filter (80%) on the tussock grass and the effect of the Detail Extractor Filter 90%) on that bland sky. A round of Tonal Contrast (50%) out the finishing touches on the image below. (Give the animated GIF a few seconds to play so that you can view both the before and after versions.) I will be sharing some NIK Color Efex Pro workflow tips with you soon.
NIK 15% Discount
You can save 15% on all NIK products by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. You can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images.
NIK Creative Efex Collection
NIK recently announced the availability of a special limited production bundle of 3 of their most popular products, Color Efex Pro 4, Silver Efex Pro 2, and HDR Efex Pro. You can save more than $200 on the bundle which is available only through NIK affiliates. If you would like additional info, please e-mail with the words “Creative Efex Collection” in the Subject line. If you have been on the fence about purchasing the plug-ins mentioned above this is a great chance to save some significant bucks.
Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.
Remember: you can earn free contest entries with your B & H purchases. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here for details.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the images talked about in his blog post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Canon 24-105mm IS L lens. The 24-105 has been my go-to B-roll intermediate zoom lens since it was released about five years ago. Whenever I head into the field without putting mine in one of the big pockets of my X-trahand vest I regret it.
Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens. This lens proved to be ideal on a tripod for both birds and wildlife with both the 1.4X and 2X III TCs. All images were super-sharp and the lens was light enough for hand-holding both in the zodiacs and when doing flight photograph from the ship.
EOS-5D Mark II. Lightweight. An excellent AF system. Fast enough at 3.9 fps. Produces superb 21.1 megapixel files. What’s not to like? I really had my head stuck in the sand on this camera body. More to come.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders
Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod. This one will last you a lifetime.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
Be sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program. All of my MAC friends in the know even find a way to run BreezeBrowser…. I could not live without it.
January 25th, 2012
Image Caption Contest
Write the funniest caption for the image above and win a $20 credit at the BIRDS AS ART On-Line Store. Judges: Jim Litzenburg, Jennifer Morris, and artie.
What’s Going On Here Contest?
Be the first to let us know what I was doing in the image above and win a $20 credit at the BIRDS AS ART On-Line Store. Judge: artie. Note: if you were on either boat in Homer you are NOT eligible for this contest. . And no cheating will be permitted; you need to figure it out on your own (if that is possible…)
Results
The results of both contest will not be announced until January 30, 2012 as artie will not be returning from Antarctica until January 26, 2012.
Earn Free Contest Entries and Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.
More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the image in today’s blog post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens: A versatile all purpose zoom lens for all types of nature and general photography. Several excellent photographers including Dan Cadieux and Aidan Briggs use this lens as their workhorse bird photography telephoto lens.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
January 24th, 2012
A Photographer’s Guide to the Ontario Landscape
BIRDS AS ART is proud to announce the publication of “A Photographer’s Guide to the Ontario Landscape,” a new e-book by Andrew McLachlan of Thornton, Ontario. Andrew’s guide is the latest in a long line of beautiful, inspiring, educational, how-to and where-to treatises brought to you by BAA Books. If you want to skip the spiel you can click here to order. Or see more options below.
A Photographer’s Guide To The Ontario Landscape: $24; YouSendIt file downloads are sent via e-mail.
The vast and varied landscapes of Ontario, Canada’s second largest province, provide photographers with a great variety of outstanding destinations and opportunities. “A Photographer’s Guide To The Ontario Landscape” by Andrew McLachlan is an easy-to-read, easy-to-follow resource that will make it a snap for both local and visiting photographers to plan their outings and to maximize their time afield. Why spend days looking for the best spots when Andrew has already done the legwork?
From the remote Abitibi Canyon in the northeast to Point Pelee in the southwest, from the Ottawa Valley in the southeast to the Algoma Highlands north east of Sault Ste Marie, Andrew has-with skill and passion–photographed them all in every season. In addition he will guide you to the regions famous for fall colour including the Haliburton Highlands and Muskoka.
You will learn where and when to go to create dramatic landscapes. Andrew’s images will educate and inspire you. And his e-book contains dozens of excellent tips (each in its own sidebar) for folks who enjoy creating scenic landscape images. He covers all the bases including exposure and histograms, composition and image design, shutter speed, aperture, and depth-of-field, creative vision and perspective, matters of weather and light, and tips on all types of gear including lens choice, tripods, tripod heads, lens and camera body plates, & filters.
This e-book, the first-ever comprehensive guide to photographing Ontario’s landscapes, is a must for all who enjoy making great images of nature’s vistas.
The simplest and fastest way to order your copy of “A Photographer’s Guide to the Ontario Landscape” is through the BAA On-line Store by clicking here. Alternatively, you can order your copy by sending a check for $24 made out to “Arthur Morris” to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Be sure to include your e-mail address (written legibly). If you prefer to use PayPal you can send $24 to us via e-mail; be sure to include the title of the book.
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Haliburton Highlands, Fall colour at Kennisis River, Ontario. Nikon D200, Nikon 12-24mm lens, polarizing filter. Image copyright 2011: Andrew McLachlan.
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artie is traveling
artie is traveling in the Southern Ocean (Falklands, South Georgia, & Antarctica) and will unable to respond to your questions and comments until after his return on 26 January 2012.
Earn Free Contest Entries and Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.
More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.
Shopper’s Guide
Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
January 22nd, 2012
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This three frame stitched panoramic image was assembled in Photoshop CS-5. The individual frames were created with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV). ISO 200. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 8 seconds at f/11. “Mirror lock” via Live View with the 2-second self timer.
For a much greater appreciation of this image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.
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China Poot
I gotta thank Denise Ippolito again for helping me get started with Tonal Contrast in NIK’s Color Efex; she has been using it for years but as usual, I was simply too stubborn for too long…. Simply put, NIK’s Color Efex has changed my digital workflow drastically; in one or two simple steps it replaces twice that many steps in my traditional Photoshop workflow. And best of all, the images look better. As you can see above and below, the algorithms can do amazing things that pretty much eliminate the time-consuming (and usually impossible) chore of making a perfect selection.
To create the image above I ran both Tonal Contrast and Details Extractor at reduced opacity. The ability of Details Extractor to juice up cloudy day skies without having to create selections (that always leave a black or white halo between the mountains and the sky) is unparalleled. Do note that Details Extractor can be used to restore density and detail to bright WHITEs that are not technically over-exposed. See Image Optimization Magic Part II for details and an example.)
Here are a few tips on using Color Efex. When I first began and I ran first one filter, say Tonal Efex, and then tried to run another, say Details Extractor, I crashed Photoshop every time. I got Greg Benusa at NIK on the phone. He took over my laptop screen and explored the possible causes. My main problem was that in an effort to get Photoshop to run faster I had allocated 80% of the memory resources to Photoshop. Greg advised me to lower that to 60% and that solved the problem immediately. Need to check on your machine? Click on Edit/Preferences/Performance and then check the box that is titled “Memory Usage.” Move the slider until it shows 60% where it says “Let Photoshop Use:”
In the comments on Image Optimization Magic Part I, both Mark Hardymon and PhotoGizzard suggested that I try clicking on the Brush option (rather than OK) when applying the filter. This enables Color Efex to create a Hide-all Mask on the new layer once it opens in Photoshop. I experimented with that option but found it simpler to click OK and to create my own mask as needed. I did not like all the commands in the pop-up box; those included Paint and Apply. At times I need a Hide-all Layer Mask and at times I need a Regular Layer Mask…. Using the brush option creates only the former. Those same folks and Steve Gould suggested that I learn to use NIK’s Control Points and I plan on doing just that soon and to sharing what I learn with you here or on the blog.
Before and after Tonal Contast and Details Extractor from NIK’s Color Efex Pro 4.1. Can you believe the improvement in the sky?
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NIK 15% Discount
You can save 15% on all NIK products by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. You can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images.
NIK Creative Efex Collection
NIK recently announced the availability of a special limited production bundle of 3 of their most popular products, Color Efex Pro 4, Silver Efex Pro 2, and HDR Efex Pro. You can save more than $200 on the bundle which is available only through NIK affiliates. If you would like additional info, please e-mail with the words “Creative Efex Collection” in the Subject line. If you have been on the fence about purchasing the plug-ins mentioned above this is a great chance to save some significant bucks.
artie is traveling
artie is traveling in the Southern Ocean (Falklands, South Georgia, & Antarctica) and will unable to respond to your questions and comments until after his return on 26 January 2012.
Earn Free Contest Entries and Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all of your B & H purchases here.
More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the images in today’s blog post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2X III teleconverter. I also use it a lot–as I did for the image of the eagle with fish–with the 1.4X III TC.
Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders
Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod. This one will last you a lifetime.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
Be sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
January 20th, 2012
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This panorama was created from seven vertical frames stitched together in Photoshop (File/Automate/Photomerge). The individual images were made with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark III (replaced now by the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/800 sec. at 8.
As is my habit, I woke early. I was entranced by the eerie, foggy scene before me. Seen and created at 6:17am on June 10, 2009 from the deck of the bear boat anchored in Kukak Bay, Katmai National Park, AK.
For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.
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My Comments on: For Your Critique/Image #9
On September 30, 2011 I posted For Your Critique: Image #9. I entered this image in the Wild Places category of the 2011 BBC WPOTY Competition. (See “Images for Your Critiques} Revelations here.) This popular image garnered 16 comments; almost all were overwhelmingly positive. One person had to view the image several times to find something not to like–the dark strip of water lower left. For me that served as a nice compositional anchor. I remember darkening it for that purpose. I am sure that toning it down a bit would be fine. I liked this image a lot too and am very proud of it.
John Li was most enthusiastic. He wrote: Now there’s an image that made me sit bolt upright in my seat and go WOW. I mean, of course all the bird photos you post on this site are stellar, so maybe it just really caught my eye because it’s unique from your typical material … but I think it’s more. Something about the minimalism to it that confuses the mind as to whether it’s a photography or a painting, or digital graphic art. Simply astounding. Again, love the bird photos, but definitely this photo is one I’d purchase and print big.
Note to all: all BIRDS AS ART images are available as signed prints, either canvas or traditional. Click here to learn more.
For shame, it did not make the final round of judging. Thanks to all who took the time to comment.
Thanks also to Bob Canepa who suggested the black & white interpretation below.
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I do not do many landscapes and do even fewer black & whites. But when I do I love using NIK’s Silver Efex Pro. Here I clicked on about ten of the different pre-sets, like High Contrast Red best, and moved the Structure Slider to 40. I think that it looks pretty good. But it looks even better when you click on the image to see the larger version.
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Which Do You Like Best?
Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which version you like best, and why.
NIK 15% Discount
You can save 15% on all NIK products (including Silver Efex Pro) by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. You can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images.
NIK Creative Efex Collection
NIK recently announced the availability of a special limited production bundle of 3 of their most popular products, Color Efex Pro 4, Silver Efex Pro 2, and HDR Efex Pro. You can save more than $200 on the bundle which is available only through NIK affiliates. If you would like additional info, please e-mail with the words “Creative Efex Collection” in the Subject line. If you have been on the fence about purchasing the plug-ins mentioned above this is a great chance to save some significant bucks.
Earn Free Contest Entries and Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.
More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.
artie is traveling
artie is traveling in the Southern Ocean (Falklands, South Georgia, & Antarctica) and will unable to respond to your questions and comments until after his return on 26 January 2012.
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For a greater appreciation of this composite image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.
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KATMAI BEAR BOAT IPT: July 24-31, 2012 fr: Kodiak, AK: $6499. Limit 6/Openings 3.
Coastal Brown Bears at point blank range, cubs nursing and playing. Spectacular scenery. Likely: puffins, nesting Bald Eagle and kittiwakes, Steller’s Sea Lions, & rafts of Sea Otters.
Earn Free Contest Entries and Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.
More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the image in today’s blog post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders
Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod. This one will last you a lifetime.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
Be sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
January 19th, 2012
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Sandhill Crane running display, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonion, NM. With the the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop off the grasses: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode (early morning light at 7:22am).
Central Sensor (by necessity) Rear Focus/AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: +4. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.
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Was I Unlucky?
As you can see in the BreezeBrowser screen capture below I did everything perfectly. I had a perfect exposure–see the histogram. The framing was perfect; I had the central sensor on the base of the bird’s neck, right where I wanted it. The image is very sharp. In addition, I was lucky to be in the perfect position with the bird running towards me and winding up right down light angle. And amazingly there were no other birds in the background…. Was I unlucky at all? (Note: there was nothing that I could do about the far shoreline cutting the bird….)
Image Clean-up
You can see the image clean-up in the animated GIF above. Some of the clean-up was done with the Patch Tool and the Spot Healing Brush but most was done with a series of small Quick Masks that were used to cover the various bits of weed and grasses. All as described in detail in Digital Basics, an e-mailable PDF.
If you missed Digital Manipulation and Nature Photography Competitions you can find the post here.
artie is traveling
artie is traveling in the Southern Ocean (Falklands, South Georgia, & Antarctica) and will unable to respond to your questions and comments until after his return on 26 January 2012.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the images talked about in his blog post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon 1.4X III Teleconverter. Designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders
Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod. This one will last you a lifetime.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
Be sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program. All of my MAC friends in the know even find away to run BreezeBrowser…. I could not live without it.
January 17th, 2012
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Harlequin Ducks, two pair on the rocks. Barnegat Jetty, Barnegat Light, NJ. DEC 12, 2011. With the the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop (was still well underexposed): 1/25 sec. at f/18 in Av mode. 1/25 sec. is not a typo.
Central Sensor Rear Focus/AI Servo AF and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: +2. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.
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Just Duckie: Two Depth-of-field Questions
In the two images here you see two very different approaches. For the image above, I moved way back–sun angle was irrelevant as the birds were in the shade. For the image below I got low and used a few other professional tricks to get close enough to the group for a head portrait; this species can be quite skittish.
I write and teach: work wide open unless you can verbalize a reason for stopping down.
For the group image above, why f/18? (Wide open would have been f/5.6.)
For the head portrait below, why f/11? (Wide open with the TC would have been f/8.)
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Harlequin Duck, drake head portrait. Barnegat Jetty, Barnegat Light, NJ. DEC 12, 2011. With the the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 500. Evaluative metering -1 stop: 1/60 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode.
Central Sensor (by necessity) Rear Focus/AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: +4. For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.
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Just Duckie: Additional Lessons
In view of the fact that I have long believed that the best way to teach is to ask, I continue:
For the group image why did I hold the shutter button down?
For the head portrait, why did I hold the shutter button down? Why was I actively focusing at the moment of exposure?
Why did I need to add light for the group image but subtract light for the head portrait? (The subjects and the backgrounds are the same….)
Barnegat Jetty Site Guide
Whenever I visit the Barnegat Jetty (which is every time that I come to Long Island in the winter), I follow Denise Ippolito’s excellent suggestions as detailed in her Barnegat Jetty Site Guide. Yesterday I was following Denise Ippolito and she was on the one who spotted the harlequins. Folks visit from many states and whether you are a local or are flying driving to New Jersey just to visit this famed locale, you will learn a ton of valuable lessons. My tips on getting really close to the Harlequins are included in the guide. See more great images and learn about the guide here.
artie is gone
artie is traveling in the Southern Ocean (Falklands, South Georgia, & Antarctica) and will unable to respond to your questions and comments until after his return on 26 January 2012.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the images talked about in his blog post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon 1.4X III Teleconverter. Designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders
Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod. This one will last you a lifetime.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
Be sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
January 15th, 2012
Pushing the Shutter Speed Envelope
I have been amazed by the new 4-stop Image Stabilization on the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS lens from the get-go. While spending two afternoons on the Barnegat Jetty recently with Denise Ippolito I decided to push the envelope and see what is actually possible with good sharpness techniques…. Here I was working with just about 30X magnification. I started making images at 1/60 sec. and then dropped down to 1/30 sec. With the duck just sitting there in lousy, lousy light I dropped that down to 1/15 sec. and finally made a half-dozen images at the ridiculously slow shutter speed of 1/8 sec. About half of all the images were sharp. The soft images were a result of either the bird moving during the exposure or having turned its head away just before I released the shutter.
Not sure why but I went back to my old-style sharpness techniques with my left hand pressing down on the base of the lens hood. After I focused and the bird held its position I held the shutter button down for 5-6 images at a time. (All with IS Mode 2.) From where I sit, this image is at least acceptably sharp. Do note that the near shoulder is totally out of focus due to lack of depth-of-field. Depth-of-field at 18 feet at f/14 with this set-up is about 1/10 of one inch. Or not much!
Do consider that there are many folks who feel that the Mongoose M3.6 does not offer enough support as good support as the Wimberley V2 with the 800 and a TC…. (Both are great heads for big glass. I prefer the lighter Mongoose while other prefer to stay away from side-mounting gimbal heads.
Why did I do it? I had nothing better to do and I am always looking to learn more about my gear. My only regret: I should have tried 1/4 second!
4-stop IS combined with amazing weight reduction are just two of the reasons that I am looking forward to the eventual release of the 500 and 600mm f/4L IS II super-telephoto lenses…. Learn more on these two lenses here.
Earn Free Contest Entries and Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.
More and more folks are earning multiple contest entries with their B & H purchases. See here for details on that. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here to visit the competition home page.
artie is traveling
artie is traveling in the Southern Ocean (Falklands, South Georgia, & Antarctica) and will unable to respond to your questions and comments until after his return on 26 January 2012.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the image in this blog post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon 1.4X III Teleconverter. Designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
25mm Extension Tube. An extension tube allows you to focus closer than the minimum focusing distance of your lens.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders
Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod. This one will last you a lifetime.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
January 13th, 2012
My Comments on: For Your Critique/Image #8
On September 25, 2011 I posted For Your Critique: Image #8. This Dalmatian Pelican image was entered in the Animal Portraits category of the 2011 WPOTY competition. I love the hairdo and the bird’s expression.The image caused more than a few folks to chuckle. Many folks liked the image and many had some suggestions. Many folks liked the tight crop while others–including my first and only photography teacher, Milton Heiberg, did not like it that the end of the bill was missing. I very much like tight crops on the face when you want to show important details, in this case the colorful eye and the snazzy hairdo. Some complained that the lower part of the bill was out-of-focus. It surely is, but I have been focusing on the eye and working at wide apertures for several decades so it is not likely that I will change soon as I have enjoyed a modicum of success employing that style.
Some folks like the white on white look, others suggested darkening the background.
The oft-asked question popped up again: why did you have the 1.4X TC on the 70-200 if you made the image at 145mm? Setting up with the 1.4X left me holding a 98-280mm lens which I thought would be best for the situation as some of the birds were more distant. And I do not worry at all about sharpness with the 1.4TC in place. Many folks commented that the image was very sharp. Steve Stadler wrote my favorite comment: “I Love it!! It really captures the personification of a grumpy old man who just woke up, and it looks like something Pixar would use as a character in one of their movies.”
This image did not make the final round of judging. Thanks to all who took the time to comment.
artie is traveling
artie is traveling in the Southern Ocean (Falklands, South Georgia, & Antarctica) and will unable to respond to your questions and comments until after his return on 26 January 2012.
Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.
Remember: you can earn free contest entries with your B & H purchases. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here for details.
Shopper’s Guide
Below is a list of the gear used to create the image in today’s blog post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2X III teleconverter. I also use it a lot with the 1.4X III TC.
Canon 1.4X III Teleconverter. Designed to work best with the new Series II super-telephoto lenses.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.
And from the BAA On-line Store:
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine. Also available for the 7D and the Mark III here.
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