Ugly Lessons II

Black Vulture head portrait; immature. Indian Lake Estates, FL. This image was created with the 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 (as framed): 1/400 sec. at f/9 set manually. The lens was supported by the BAA-designed Big Lens Ultimate [...]

Gems Found

Laughing Gull with Black Skimmer background. This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on April 26, 2008 with the Canon 500mm f/4 L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark III (replaced by the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/3200 sec. at 4.

As I had no [...]

Watch Your Step...

Tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, a 25mm Extension tube, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/60 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. I placed the tube on the lens and the TC on the camera for a bit of extra close focus but doing [...]

For Your Critique: Image #8

This image was created on the Lake Kerkini, Greece IPT with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens and the 1.4X III TC (handheld at 145mm) with the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode.

Lens/camera body Micro-adjustment: -8.

For Your [...]

Something From Nothing Sillhouette Lesson

Tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/500 sec. at f/25 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/Rear Focus AI Servo AF and re-compose. Read on to learn about rear focus.

Lens/TC/Camera Body Micro-Adjustment: 0.

For a greater appreciation [...]

Traveling With Your Photo Gear On Puddle Jumpers and Small Regional Jets

This Bald Eagle was photographed at Lower Klamath NWR, CA when I traveled to the Winter Wings Festival in Klamath, OR. As often happens, I flew the last leg on a very small jet (into the Klamath Falls airport–LMT for those of you who are into three letter airport codes.) It is imperative [...]

Juvie Sanderling: Capture, Clean-up and Cropping Lessons

I created this image while seated behind my tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X III TC and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode.

Lens/TC/camera body Micro-adjustment: 0.

Juvie Sanderling Capture Lessons

As regular readers know, wind against [...]

Size Does Matter; The Power of the Square of the Focal Length

Size Does Matter; The Power of the Square of the Focal Length

In the original “The Art of Bird Photography” I wrote something to this effect: the size of the bird in the frame is not a factor of the focal length but rather a factor of the square of the focal [...]

Why Sit Down on the Job?

This image of a an American Oystercatcher chick with one parent was created with 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: 1/1000 at f/9 in Av Mode. Lens/TC/Camera Body Micro-Adjustment: +3. The parent had just fed the chick [...]

Optimism Increasing & Why Bend The Lens?

This image of a displaying Great Egret was created with the Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens, the EF 1.4X III TC, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -2 stops: 1/1250 sec. at f/11 in Manual Mode after histogram and blinkies check. With all that black it was obvious that I [...]