Stuff
I am in the airport at Kodiak, AK headed for Anchorage with a 41-minute connection to my Seattle flight and then a nine hour layover before heading to Orlando with a stop somewhere, arriving in Orlando at MCO at 4:40pm where I will be met by my right-hand man, Jim Litzenburg. The Bear Boat IPT was beyond phenomenal. There will be lots of great images and lessons coming soon. The group was great and everyone learned a ton. Details to follow.
Best news: I learned this afternoon that Denise Ippolito finally recovered from the flu; she is currently leading her group on the Swan Island Dahlia Farm Creative Adventure Workshop.
Galapagos 2017
I would assume that after viewing the variety and quality of the images in recent and past blog posts that most passionate nature photographers would wish to join us on the next Galapagos photo adventure during the second and third weeks of August, 2017. For complete details please see the blog post here. It looks as if five deposit checks are on their way. If you would like the complete tentative itinerary, please shoot me an e-mail with the words “Galapagos August 2017 Tentative Itinerary Please” cut and pasted into the Subject Line. The best news is that there will be two great leaders, yours truly and Denise Ippolito.
Please Help Support My Work on the BAA Blog
Thanks a Stack! It’s been a great summer!
The last ten weeks as a B&H affiliate have been quite rewarding. Thanks a stack to the many who used our B&H links for purchases large and small. Right now I am working closely with my B&H rep to have four 400 DO and two 100-400 II BAA Affiliate orders expedited. It has been nearly impossible to come by a 400 DO II. I am hoping that my efforts pay dividends fairly soon…. 100-400IIs are now in stock at B&H. The 400 DO II lenses continue to be in very short supply. The sooner you order, the sooner you will get yours; I am working closely with my contact at B&H to have the current orders expedited when a shipment does actually arrive.
To show your appreciation for my efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially Gitzo tripods, Wimberley tripod heads, and the like. We sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and visiting the BAA Online store as well.
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few weeks we have sold nearly everything in sight. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily.
You can see all of the current listings here.
|
|
|
This image was created at Kodiak, AK on Monday, August 31, 2015. I used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 321mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at-1 stop in soft, cloudy light: 1/160 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. AWB. One AF point to the right of the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Salmon carcass on black sand beach, Kodiak, AK |
Still More 100-400 II Versatility: Black on Black
Depth-of-field Issues…
I did a pretty good job of getting parallel to the plane of the fish. The teeth of the upper jaw are sharply focused but at f/8 the teeth of the lower jaw are not sharp; they were not covered by the narrow depth-of-field. Note: at about 3 feet with a full frame camera and a focal length of 300mm the total depth-of-field is about .01 feet or less 1/8 inch. At f/5.6 with everything else the same the total depth-of-field is zero.
Best would have been to put the lens on a tripod positioned almost directly above and as close as possible to parallel to the plane of the fish and worked at f/32 using my flower technique: Live View (for mirror lock) with the 2-second timer. The total d-o-f would have been about 1/2 inch and would have covered the teeth in both jaws and rendered the grains of sand sharper as well. While hand holding is fun and convenient it is sometimes the easy way out for the lazy photographer, in this case me.
Exposure Question
Considering the quality of the light, cloudy soft in this case, why did I need to go to -1 stop of EC for this image?
The Situation and the Set-Up
I organized a Photo Day on our in case of delay day on Monday, August 31. We rented a Ford Expedition for the day and tooled around Kodiak. After being at Miller Point for sunrise with wind gusts to more than 50mph, we made our way down a rutted road (more on that road someday….) and wound up on a beautiful black sand beach that had recently be cleaned of footprints by high tide. I knew that the beach would make a lovely background and took a walk in search of a good subject. I walked by lots of salmon in various stages of decay, none of them ideal. When I spotted the nearly all black salmon featured in today’s image I thought that it would make a pretty neat image.
I created a few images and noted several imperfections in the sand so I moved the fish to a more pristine section of beach. It took several tries before I was really happy with my placement of the fish.
Diagonals
Incorporating diagonal lines into your compositions will often make them more powerful. I tried this one straight in the frame and with the fish pointed up a bit and with it pointed down a bit. Up a bit was my favorite.
Add Green…
In the CD book, The Art of Bird Photography II, I wrote, “Add green whenever possible.” The bit of seaweed at the end of the fish’s jaw surely added interest to today’s image. ABP II: 916 pages/900 plus images each with its own BAA educational caption, on CD only.
|
|
|
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects. With annual visits spanning more than three decades I have lot of experience there…. |
2016 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) JAN 8 thru the morning of JAN 12, 2016: $1899 (Limit: 10)
Meet and Greet at 7:00pm on the day before the IPT begins
Two great leaders: Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito
Join us in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s and Double-crested Cormorants in breeding plumage with their amazing crests; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Duck; other species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heerman’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lions likely; and Bird of Paradise flowers. And as you can see by studying the two IPT cards there are some nice landscape opportunities as well.
Did I mention that there are wealth of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter?
|
|
|
Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. |
The San Diego Details
This IPT will include five 3 1/2 hour morning photo sessions, four 2 1/2 hour afternoon photo sessions, five lunches, after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions, and a thank you dinner. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility.
A $499 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “Arthur Morris) to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 11/1//2015. 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. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check. 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.
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack!
Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!
Amazon.com
Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:
Amazon Canada
Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here. Many thanks to those who have written.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
|
|
|
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.
Just 2 spots left.
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.
|
|
|
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.
Just 3 spots left.
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 after July 29.
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack!
Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!
We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!
Amazon.com
Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:
Amazon Canada
Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here. Many thanks to those who have written.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
Love the way tou make something out of a perhaps less than exciting opportunity.
Exposure question well answered by others.
Looking forward to seeing the bear essentials from the latest IPT
Kind regards
DP
Others have answered the exposure question, but I actually like the OOF teeth; they give a sense of depth and mystery. That’s no excuse for being a lazy photographer, though, which I am far too often. I like the image a lot; I have taken many photographs of dead and dying salmon in Alaska.
Good point on the depth. I am usually not a very lazy photographer but that day the tripod was left in the truck. I find that hand holding and going out with one lens can be very freeing….. artie
ps: it was good seeing and working with you at Nickerson Beach 🙂
Thanks, Artie. As I’ve mentioned to you before, you might be the least lazy person (and photographer) I know. Thanks re Nickerson Beach. I had a wonderful time and learned a great deal, and made some new friends.
If you set the exposure according to the histogram and kept the important highlights (teeth and skin texture) short of clipping, you would achieve an optimum exposure.
However, as the light is soft cloudy, you would also be shooting at +1 EV compensation in Av mode.
This combination might then be dicing with death (highlight clipping) so a reduction of -1EV would keep highlights safe.
Hi Belinda,
You are confused and are confusing me 🙂 The image was created at -1 stop. The exposure was perfect. The question is, “Why was I at -1 stop?” a
Presumably because the blinkies wouldn’t go away!
That is correct! a
Going by the meter is dumb philosophy and #6 in your ABP II… cloudy, sun at less than full strength and with the Salmon and background being a little darker than a middle tone plus throw in some highlights around the eyes and teeth, you came up with -1.
Doug
Good. I did not think that I would need that much minus EC but the white cheek patch kept blinking. I quit when there were just a few blinkies there. a
“Best would have been to put the lens on a tripod positioned almost directly above and as close as possible to parallel to the plane of the fish and worked at f/32 using my flower technique:”
Interesting question. I noticed the out of focus teeth, but I don’t think I would like the sand to be sharp. It would be too similar to the bulk of the skin. Maybe a tripod to get a second shot with sharp teeth, then mask in just that portion?
A good plan but I was too busy being lazy to even think about it. Hand holding is fun and easy. artie
ps: it looks as if our 2016 land-based Falklands trip might be sold out before a formal announcement 🙂
Exposure set to -1 ev because the overall blackness of the scene. EV at 0 would have made the blacks grey.
Hi Jeff,
What you say would be true for film, but with true black on black with digital the best histogram has data in the fifth box on the right and would properly look completely washed out on the rear LCD. You would get back to the desired tonalities during the image optimization.
As to the original question, you missed the most important factor…. artie