Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

This Green Jay image was created with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/300 sec. at f/9. Fill flash with the Better Beamer at -2 2/3 stops.

On a hot morning this Green Jay jumped up on a perch after taking a bath in a woodland pool, soaking wet and pissed off at something.  With the 800 and the 1.4X TC I had too much focal length so I followed my own advice and created a few images hoping for the best.   The best of the lot can be seen below.  As always, you can click on each image to enlarge it. 

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/300 sec. at f/9. Fill flash with the Better Beamer at -2 2/3 stops.

As you can see, I clipped the tail in the orginal.  I did, however, love the image but hated the clipped tail, so I used modern technology (can you say Photoshop CS3?) to add canvas left, make a copy of the tail using a Quick Mask, and then flop it, transform it, warp it, and put it pefectly in place so that the bird had a complete tail.  I am fine with folks wishing to call me a criminal or saying that the end result is a photo illustration, not a photograph.  As far as I can remember, the bird had a full and complete tail when I pressed the shutter button….

This displaying Bronzed Cowbird image was created with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/5.6.

The males of this species perform elaborate displays where the extend their ruffs, bob up and down, and even stamp their feet.  They look like something out of the Victorian Age. 

This Hooded Oriole image was made with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/6.3

On our last afternoon at Roel’s place, we created a set-up in hopes of enticing a Scaled Quail onto a perch of petrified wood.  We failed at that, but this stunning Hooded Oriole came to our orange and posed for a very few seconds.   Do realize that when working at a good songbird feeder set-up I might create as many as 1,000 images in a day while garnering only two or three that make me real happy.  Chris Dodds calls his best images “wall hangers.”  I call mine “family jewels.”  It was a fitting end to our wonderful stay at Roel’s place.

That's me hard at work in my back seat office. Image with the Canon G-10 courtesy of and copyright Chris Dodds.

Chris Dodds and I have been getting along famously now for nearly two weeks.  We keep things fun with lots of humor.  When we started out Chris could not deal with me working on the computer while sitting in the front passenger seat as the laptop blocked the side-view mirror on my side and in low light, the glare of the computer screen bothered him, so I set up my office in the back seat on the passenger side.   I plug in using an Eliminator brand inverter from Canadian Tire.  It runs silently.  The Radio Shack model that I own operates with a loud hum.  When it is sunny and I need to work on images, I set up the Think Tank Pixel Pop-up Sunscreen V2.0.  It is large enough so that you can actually put your head inside the unit.  I have not found it necessary to do that as it blocks all sun glare except when we are headed down the road angled only slightly away from a low-in-the-sky sun (and that happens very  rarely.)    If you ever have the need to work on your laptop in bright conditios, this is one product that you cannot live without.  (To learn more about the Pixel Sunscreen or the great Airport International rolling bag that I use, click here:  http://www.birdsasart.com/thinktank.htm  Follow the links to receive a free accessory bag with purchases of $50 or more. )

Whether it be luggage or photography gear, I am slower at getting my stuff together than Chris.  He never fails to remind me of this with a smiling, “Hurry up Grandma.”  As I have noted before, Chris has done the great bulk of the driving leaving me free to get some work done.  I shall miss him when he heads back to Montreal early on May 1.  In any case, as I get settled into my back-seat office and we head down this interstate or that state highway, Chris always pipes up with his latest mantra, “Driving Miss Artie.”  It always puts a smile on my face.   (And I have to admit, it’s not that bad having a chauffeur!)

Tommorrow, I will be posting some images from the Ramirez Racnh in Roma, TX where we are currently holed up thanks to the amazing generosity of Roel Ramirez and his family.

That would be Mr. Heupel on your left and yours truly on the right. Image courtesy of and copyright Chris Dodds.

After we left Hill Country, Chris Dodds (www.chrisdoddsphoto.com) and I made a small detour to Fredericksburg, TX on our way down to Roma, TX.   We stopped by the Photography 414 Gallery at 414 East Main Street to visit with Jim Heupel and check out his gallery exhibit, “Out of Africa.”   Jim is a great friend, has been on many BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours, and co-led the Post NANPA BOsque IPT this past February.  If you are within an hour or two drive of Fredericksburg and would like to meet Jiim and see some great images in a lovely setting, you will need to pay Jim a visit today, Saturday April 25th between 11am and 8pm.   (The exhibit is scheduled to hang through May and can be viewed Fridays and Saturdays between 11am and 8pm.  Best, however to call 830-456-1529 and check first).

Congrats to Jim who sold the large zebra print yesterday!

Thie Red-eyed Vireo was photographed with the Canon 800mmm f/5.6 L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and a 25mm extension tube. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/200 sec. a f.8. Fill flash with the Better Beamer at -1 13/ stops.

After the great SUV repair-job adventure, Chris Dodds and I arrived in Dauphin Island, Alabama on Friday afternoon.  There have been lots of birds but photographing migrant songbirds is always a huge challenge:  fast moving subjects, thick brush, tight quarters, low light, too many birders in the way, and cluttered perches all combine to make your efforts frustrating and physically demanding and your best images hugely rewarding. 

BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #288 had been online for a bit.  You can find it here:  http://www.birdsasart.com/bn288.htm.  As always, you will find lots of great info and images with our now legendary educational captions.   Do see the offer of the “Fire in the Mist” Fine Art cancas prints. 

While at the Spacecoast Festival in Merritt Island I was  interviewed by Steve Moore of  www.BirdWatchRadio.com.  You can listen to that interview (along with 3 others including one with birder/bird-watcher/author Pete Dunne) by clicking here:  http://www.birdwatchradio.com/podcast.htm.   Actually, you can either listen to it directly off the site or you can download it to your computer, I-pod or similar listening device.