600 II plus 1.4X III plus TV (Shutter Priority) Mode = Nickerson Beach Predawn Success « Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

600 II plus 1.4X III plus TV (Shutter Priority) Mode = Nickerson Beach Predawn Success

Stuff

It is Thursday afternoon. I just woke up from a long nap. The Nickerson Beach IPT group is great. They were still smiling this morning despite the continuing NW wind and clear skies. Things are looking great for the afternoon.

I prepared this blog post in my motel room after optimizing today’s image for the private clients in the bagel place where we had brunch on Wednesday. All in all this blog post took less than an hour to prepare and, if I did everything right, it should be published automatically at 6am on Friday, August 14, 2015.


black-skimmer-at-nest-scrape-w-chick-_y5o5421-nickerson-beach-point-lookout-ny

This image was created yesterday on the Nickerson Beach with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/125 sec. at f/7.1.

Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye and re-compose to get the bird out of the center of the frame. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Black Skimmer with chick in nest scrape

600 II plus 1.4X III plus TV (Shutter Priority) Mode = Nickerson Beach Predawn Success

As I pointed out (again) in the recycled blog post here, folks who insist that real photographers work in Manual mode 100% of the time are ignorant of the fact that at times other shooting modes work just great. Here, assuming that folks know what they are doing exposure-wise. But heck, guess what? Simply working in Manual mode does not guarantee getting the right exposure unless the folks using Manual mode know what they are doing exposure-wise.

Here in the low, changing light of predawn I felt confident making sharp images at 840mm with a shutter speed of 1/125 sec. so I worked in TC mode, dialed in the correct EC (Exposure Compensation), and went to work. With success.


bosque-2014-a-card

In 2015, we are offering a 3-DAY IPT before Thanksgiving and a 4-DAY IPT after the holiday. You can attend either and spend Thanksgiving Day with your family. Sign up for both and we will be glad to apply a $100 discount to your balance. We know that there are lots of less costly workshops being offered these days. Many of them are downright cheap. Please remember that you get exactly what you pay for. With us you will have two full time pros there for you every minute we are in the field. Together they have more than 28 seasons of experience at the refuge. If you want the finest in photographic instruction and want to be assured of being in the right spot at exactly the right time every day, do join us.

Bosque del Apache 2015 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). 3-FULL DAY IPT: NOV 22-24, 2015. $1149. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Meet and greet and introductory slide program after dinner on your own at 7:00pm on SAT NOV 21.

Tens of thousands of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 7th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 3 morning and 3 afternoon photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/21, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and to the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We will be photographing lots of Snow Geese and lots of Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2015. If you cancel and the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Whether or not your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.


bosque-cardlarger

In 2015, we are offering a 3-DAY IPT before Thanksgiving and a 4-DAY IPT after the holiday. You can attend either and spend Thanksgiving Day with your family. Sign up for both and we will be glad to apply a $100 discount to your balance.

We know that there are lots of less costly workshops being offered these days. Please remember that you get exactly what you pay for. If you want the finest in photographic instruction and want to be assured of being in the right spot at exactly the right time, do join us.

Bosque del Apache 2015 BIRDS AS ART/A Creative Adventure Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). 4-DAY IPT: (three full and two 1/2 DAYS) NOV 28-DEC 2, 2015. $1499. Two great leaders: Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris. Meet and greet at 3pm on SAT NOV 28 followed by an afternoon photo session at the crane pools and the introductory slide program after dinner on your own.

Tens of thousands of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with two of the world’s premier photographic educators at one of their very favorite photography locations on the planet. Top-notch in-the-field and Photoshop instruction. This will make 21 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. This will be denise’s 7th workshop at the refuge. Nobody knows the place better than artie does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home being able to apply what you’ve learned on your home turf will prove to be invaluable.

This workshop includes 4 afternoon (11/28through 12/1), 4 morning (11/29 to 12/2) photography sessions, an inspirational introductory slide program after dinner on your own on Saturday, 11/28, all lunches, and after-lunch digital workflow, Photoshop, and image critiquing sessions.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and to the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We will be photographing lots of Snow Geese and lots of Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $599 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 7/25/2015. If you cancel and the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Whether or not your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

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7 comments to 600 II plus 1.4X III plus TV (Shutter Priority) Mode = Nickerson Beach Predawn Success

  • avatar Ryan Sanderson

    Hi Artie,

    Just a question on the composition of the Black Skimmer photo–how do you feel about the green OOF highlights at the top of the image? have you considered a possibly tighter crop or perhaps a 16X9? The reason I ask is I can’t decide if the OOF green highlights help or hinder the composition. On the one hand, I feel like it gives the image more depth, but I feel like it somewhat takes away from the isolation of the subject provided by the shallow DOF and the OOF background. I think either would be a great, pleasing image, just wondering what your thoughts are.

    Thanks,
    Ryan

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Hi Ryan,

      I like them. Now that you ask, I should have moved th right-most blob a bit more to our right for better compositional balance. A pano crop as you suggest would work well also albeit with a different mood.

      a

  • avatar Jeff Sielski

    Hi Art, Awesome capture!!

  • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

    Thanks Mike. a

  • avatar Jeffrey Friedhoffer

    Artie,
    Why TV in this case vs AV?
    Thanks
    Jeff

    • avatar Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

      Hi Jeffrey,

      TV makes it easier to select exactly what shutter speed you think will yield a sharp image…. a

  • Black Skimmer with chick in nest scrape
    I really enjoy images like this, where at first look you see a well composed interesting photo and then you see the chick causing you to re-examine the whole image.