Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Stuff

I prepared this blog post on Sunday morning to ensure against a power outage later today or tomorrow messing up the streak. I finished it at 10am and am planning to swim at 11:30 if there is no lightning …

As I type Jim, is assembling out new Weber barbecue in the living room so that we can cook if we lose power 🙂

Funny Hurricane Preparation Story

On Friday, Jim mentioned that he would like to get his car into the garage to protect if from the coming storm. I said, “I am pretty sure that we can do it.” Jim looked doubtful. I have a two car garage but one of the doors is solidly in place as we planned from the start when we had the house rebuilt about ten years ago that the far side of the house would be the BAA warehouse. We moved lots of boxes and rearranged lots of photo gear and Think Tank bags. And I put lots of lenses and camera bodies into the rear compartment of my Sequoia. Then I pulled my car out and Jim angle his car into the small spot that we had cleared in the “warehouse” portion of the garage. At that point I too was doubtful. But working very slowly with Jim directing me I was able to pull my car into the garage. When we were done I noted about 3/4 inch clearance between the left side of my car and the rear right corner of Jim’s little car, a black Hyundai Elantra. Clearance on the right side was perhaps 3/8 of one inch. I am done right now and am heading out into the rain to start letting water out of the pool as we will not be able to do that if we lose power.

The Streak

Today marks forty-eight days in a row with a new educational blog post. This one took about 90 minutes to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time (or not …), the plan right now is to break the current record streak of (I think) four hundred eighty something … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. 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 charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. 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 months, we have sold just about 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. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Booking.Com

I could not secure the lodging that I needed for last year’s UK Puffins and Gannets IPT in Dunbar, Scotland, so I went from Hotels.Com to Booking.Com and was pleasantly surprised. I found the rooms that I needed with ease at a hotel that was not even on Hotels.Com, and it was a nice hotel that I had seen in person. And the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward.

Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Revamped

I recently updated the IPT page. If you doubt that I am really slowing down, click here to see the meager IPT schedule. Right now there are only two US-based IPTs on the schedule. Best news is I now have two folks registered for the Fort DeSoto IPT so that will run. Do consider joining us if you would like to learn from the best.

Photographers Wanted

If you would like to learn to become a much better bird photographer, consider joining me on either the Fort DeSoto IPT in late September or the San Diego IPT in January, 2018. With four folks signed up, DeSoto will offer practically private instruction. And you can tack on the In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for free. Scroll down for details. Click here for complete IPT info and the current but abbreviated schedule.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and many folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This image was created on the 2017 Galapagos IPT on our Punta Pitt landing. I used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens with the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 368mm) and my favorite Blue-footed Booby chick photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop as framed: 1/320 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -1. I selected an AF point that was three to the right of the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF as framed. The selected AF point, placed just to the right of the chick’s eye, was active at the moment of exposure. Blue-footed Booby chick resting at the nest near one of the adult’s feet.

Punta Pitt, San Cristóbal (Chatham) Island

Punta Pitt is not quite up there with Darwin Bay on Genovesa (Tower Island), with Española (Hood Island), or North Seymour, but it is not far behind them as a world-class nature and wildlife location. This year we had lots of nesting Blue-footed Boobies with chicks right on the paths, several very curious Chatham Mockingbirds, and even a few nesting Red-footed Boobies. All that in addition to the gorgeous red carpetweed landscape and the rugged rocky coastline. And the landing beach had lots of sea lions surrounded by beautiful cliffs with striated patterns for the geologically-minded.

Few Galapagos tours visit Punta Pitt but it is always on my Galapagos Photo-cruise of a Lifetime IPT itineraries. If you are interested in the late-July 2015 trip, please shoot me an e-mail.

Image Design Question

I debated executing a small crop from the top (about 1/8 inch or so as presented here). How might that have improved the image (and perhaps with a very small crop off the bottom)?

The Image Optimization

I optimized this image on Sunday morning as the rain was getting harder and the trees were beginning to rustle a bit. I converted the image in DPP 4, again without much fanfare after loading my 5DIV/ISO 800 recipe. Once in Photoshop I began with some Eye Doctor work judiciously lightening the iris and darkening the pupil using Tim Grey Dodge and Burn. Then I applied my NIK 30/30 recipe to the entire image. I fine-tuned that layer with the addition of a Regular Layer Mask; see the details on that below. Next I applied a gentle layer of NeatImage noise reduction, again on the whole image. For the brown feathers and the blue feet of the adult I further reduced the opacity to 10%. Last, I put the whole image on its own layer, applied a 66 pixel Gaussian Blur, and then hid the whole thing by applying an Inverse (aka Hide-All or Black) Layer Mask. Then using a visibility eyeball trick similar to the one detailed below, I painted the effect in only on the upper background making sure to stay well away from the two birds. Then I saved the TIFF and created the JPEG that I needed for this blog post.

Photoshop Screen Capture

A Hot Layer Masking Tutorial Tip

When I applied my NIK 30/30 recipe to the entire image, I knew that I would want to erase the effect on the background and might need to paint a bit of it away on various parts of the adult and the chick. Below is a great trick when you are working with a Regular Layer Mask and want to erase the effect from parts of the image. Here is how I did it.

• 1- I clicked off the visibility eyeballs on all but the top layer.
• 2- Working at 100% opacity, I hit B, D, X to erase the background. With the visibility eyeballs turned off, I was able to see exactly where and what I was erasing. To start, I used a relatively large brush to paint away the unwanted effect on the background. As I got closer to the bird I went to a somewhat smaller brush. You can see by the dark borders in places that there is not need to worry about being 100% exact.
• 3- I clicked the visibility eyeballs back on and then toggled the visibility eyeball for the upper layer off and on to see the before NIK and compare it with the after NIK.
• 4-The effect was a bit too much on the chick so again I clicked the visibility eyeballs off on all but the top layer. I reduced the opacity of the brush to 20% and painted it away in part all the while checking my work as I went. Then I reduced the opacity of the brush to 10% and painted away just a bit of the effect on the brown feathers and the blue feet of the adult.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II) will teach you an efficient Mac/Photo Mechanic/Photoshop workflow that will make it easy for you to make your images better in Photoshop (rather than worse). That true whether you convert your images in DPP 4 or ACR. See the blog post here to learn lots more and to read a free excerpt. You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a Paypal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

Everything mentioned above is covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. The new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow. Do note that you will find the RGB Curves Adjustment Color Balancing tutorial only in the new e-guide. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

The two most recent MP4 Photoshop Tutorial videos releases go hand and hand with the information in DB II):

• The Wingtip Repairs MP4 Video here.
• The MP4 Crow Cleanup Video here.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading, can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here.

You can learn how and why I and other discerning Canon shooters convert nearly all of their Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 using Canon Digital Photo Professional in the DPP 4 RAW conversion Guide here. And you can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The Fort DeSoto 2017 Fall IPT/September 22 (afternoon session) through the full day on September 25, 2017. 3 1/2 FULL DAYs: $1649. Limit 8/openings 4.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Tricolored Heron are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We should get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. And Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork would not be unexpected.

Folks who sign up for the IPT are welcome to join us on the ITF/MWS on the morning of Tuesday, September 26 as my guest. See below for details on that.

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Register soon so that you can be assured of a room at the IPT hotel.

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with ten folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, gear advice, and instructions for meeting on the afternoon of Friday, September 22.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rich with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or early October. I hope that you can join me there this October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

BIRDS AS ART In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session (ITF/MWS): $99.

Join me on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for 3-hours of photographic instruction at Fort DeSoto Park. Beginners are welcome. Lenses of 300mm or longer are recommended but even those with 70-200s should get to make some nice images. Teleconverters are always a plus.

You will learn the basics of digital exposure and image design, autofocus basics, and how to get close to free and wild birds. We should get to photograph a variety of wading birds, shorebirds, terns, and gulls. This inexpensive afternoon workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tour. I hope to meet you there.

To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal non-refundable registration fee. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place at least two weeks before the event.

BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of them here.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, 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 please remember that I am 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, and for everything else in the new store, 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 those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

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.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

Stuff

On Friday morning I just about finished the jigsaw puzzle that is my 2016 tax return. I am waiting for my accountant — now on vacation somewhere — to answer a single question. After that I can wrap everything up and have it to him on 20 SEPT when he gets home.

I exercised and stretched on Friday and got in the pool in mid-afternoon. At 32 lengths — I have planned on 48 — my swim was ended by big clapping thunderclouds. At about 7pm I got back in the pool planning on swimming another 32 lengths but I felt great so I went for the whole 48. But then I added 48 and 32 and came up 80. So I swam another eight lengths to bring my total for the day up to 88. One mile right on the nose.

Used gear sales during the past week have been through the roof! I was glad to learn that IPT veteran Mike Ross sold his Canon EOS 7D Mark II with the Canon BG-E16 Battery Grip all in mint condition for $1,099 on the first day it was listed in early September. In addition, I learned that the sale of Robert Blanke’s EOS 5Ds body in like-new condition for $2249.00 is pending.

Jim and I watched lots of Weather Channel on Friday. Irma is headed our way and with the storm tracking a bit to the west late on Friday that is bad for Indian Lake Estates as the strongest hurricane winds are generally north and east of the storm. That might be good news for Jim who lives in Melbourne; the storm surge might be less than if it had taken a more eastward track. Jim’s family is planning to stay in a shelter while Jim is staying here with me to ride things out. Right now they are forecasting winds of 100mph in Polk County with 10-12 inches of rain. We are hoping of course for a bit of a fizzle before or after the storm hits Miami and makes landfall somewhere in South Florida. Time will tell.

Thanks to the many who sent e-mails of concern. Note: there is no talk at all of evacuation in Polk County. ILE is 70 miles from the Atlantic and 100 miles from the Gulf.

The Streak

Today marks forty-six days in a row with a new educational blog post. This one took about an hour to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time (or not …), the plan right now is to break the current record streak of (I think) four hundred eighty something … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. 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 charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. 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 months, we have sold just about 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. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Booking.Com

I could not secure the lodging that I needed for last year’s UK Puffins and Gannets IPT in Dunbar, Scotland, so I went from Hotels.Com to Booking.Com and was pleasantly surprised. I found the rooms that I needed with ease at a hotel that was not even on Hotels.Com, and it was a nice hotel that I had seen in person. And the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward.

Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Revamped

I recently updated the IPT page. If you doubt that I am really slowing down, click here to see the meager IPT schedule. Right now there are only two US-based IPTs on the schedule. Best news is I now have two folks registered for the Fort DeSoto IPT so that will run. Do consider joining us if you would like to learn from the best.

Photographers Wanted

If you would like to learn to become a much better bird photographer, consider joining me on either the Fort DeSoto IPT in late September or the San Diego IPT in January, 2018. With four folks signed up, DeSoto will offer practically private instruction. And you can tack on the In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for free. Scroll down for details. Click here for complete IPT info and the current but abbreviated schedule.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and many folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This image was created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 340mm) and my favorite bird photography flight camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Daylight WB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -1. Center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF as originally framed. The selected AF point fell one-third of the way up the bird’s left wing and was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Arctic Tern, adult hovering with tiny sand eel for young

High Key Flight

“Hey gang, we have perfect conditions for photographing the Arctic Terns in flight. Meter the sky, add two to 2 2/3rd stops, and set that manually. Then make one image and check to see that there are no blinkies on the bird. A few blinkies in the sky are fine. Be sure to use either the center AF point or center AF point with Expand. Make sure that your limit range switch is not set to Full so that the lens does not have to search down to its minimum focusing distance. Let everyone on the boat walk up the gentle hill to the big stone house ahead of us. By staying behind, them, and with the wind at our backs, the birds will be facing us as they hover right above the visitor’s while trying to peck their heads. Once we get to the top of the path there will be lots of adults on our right coming into their nests with fish for the chicks so we will hang out there for at least a while before we head for the puffins and murres.”

And that’s how it was.

Your Call

Thumbs up or thumbs down for today’s featured image? Why?

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, 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 please remember that I am 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, and for everything else in the new store, 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 those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

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.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

Stuff

I got a bit more work done on my 2016 taxes on Wednesday and Jennifer will be here again today to help 🙂 Jen has been working part time as a lactation counselor at a local hospital for the past year. She absolutely loves it. I swam just before my very late lunch and got in some core exercises and stretching as well. I took me several hours to come up with three fourth row center orchestra seats for Beautiful, the Carol King Broadway musical. On Saturday, October 7, younger daughter Alissa, her husband Ajiniyaz, and I will be attending. We are all very excited. Instead of Jersey Boys, this time we will be seeing Brooklyn Girl!

I was glad to learn of the completed sales of all of Richard Bohnet’s stuff: he sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (the “old” 1-4) in excellent condition for an even $500 in mid-August and then his Canon EOS 5D MK III (with an L-bracket) in near-mint condition for $1449 and his Canon EOS 7D in excellent condition for $279 in late August.

Moments after this blog post was published I learned that Ray Stranagan sold his Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens in excellent condition for $3999, just three days after it was listed!

Important Blog Subscription News

Many folks have been e-mailing recently stating that they have not been receiving blog notices via e-mail after having received them for years. They are actually still subscribed. But, since we went to a new server, we have been having problems with certain e-mail providers, most notably with att.net. Our understanding is that they, and several others including pacbell.net, bellsouth.net, mcn.net (and possibly others) have black-listed us for no reason whatsoever. 🙂 We have been aware of and have been working on this issue but there is a chance that the situation may never be fixed. Actually, the exact same problem has persisted for several years on BirdPhotographer’s.Net. My solution there was to open a free gmail account and get in the habit of checking it every day. I still do just that so that I can get my BPN notices and respond to the various threads that I am following.

At present, there are two viable solutions:

1- You can open a free gmail account and subscribe at that address. You will get your BAA blog notifications there without a problem.

2- You can save the blog address as a favorite and get in the habit of visiting every day. I should be posting every day for at least the next year … And beyond that as well. Barring any serious health or internet problems.

I am glad that folks miss getting their BIRDS AS ART Blog notices. If you have stopped getting yours and use a different e-mail provider than the four listed above, please click here to shoot me an e-mail. Please be sure to let us know your e-mail provider.

The Streak

Today marks forty-four days in a row with a new educational blog post. This one took almost four hours to prepare. What’s wrong with me? With all of my upcoming free time, the plan right now is to break the current record streak of (I think) four hundred eighty something … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. 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 charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. 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 months, we have sold just about 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. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Booking.Com

I could not secure the lodging that I needed for the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT in Dunbar, Scotland, so I went from Hotels.Com to Booking.Com and was pleasantly surprised. I found the rooms that I needed with ease at a hotel that was not even on Hotels.Com, and it was a nice hotel that I had seen in person. And the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward.

Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Revamped

I recently updated the IPT page. If you doubt that I am really slowing down, click here to see the meager IPT schedule. Right now there are only two US-based IPTs on the schedule. Best news is I now have two folks registered for the Fort DeSoto IPT so that will run. Do consider joining us if you would like to learn from the best.

Photographers Wanted

If you would like to learn to become a much better bird photographer, consider joining me on either the Fort DeSoto IPT in late September or the San Diego IPT in January, 2018. With four folks signed up, DeSoto will offer practically private instruction. And you can tack on the In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for free. Scroll down for details. Click here for complete IPT info and the current but abbreviated schedule.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and many folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This stitched pano of the recent solar eclipse was created at Belleville, Illinois at the very edge of the totality path by BPN member Mike Quigley. He used a tripod mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the 1.4X II TC (now replaced by the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. With a Seymour Solar Filter on the front of the lens. ISO 100: 1/200 sec. at f/8. Solar Eclipse stitched panorama. Image courtesy of and copyright 2017: Mike Quigley Be 100% sure to click on the image to enlarge it so that you can see the spectacular larger version.

Thanks to BPN‘s Mike Quigley for allowing me to share his spectacular composite of the recent solar eclipse here on the blog. I had been looking for a good image from that day and found this in of all places, the Eager to Learn Forum; you can see that post here. Thanks again Mike; great work!

Eager to Learn, skillfully moderated by skilled photographer Tim Foltz, was originally designed to help beginners. A quick look at the posted images will show that many of the folks posting there do not need much help! If any. Once again BPN has proven to be an amazing resource.

My younger daughter Alissa with younger son Idris at the solar eclipse minor league baseball game. i-Phone selfie by Alissa Morris

Autism in the Family

I am proud to be the grandpa of four wonderful kids (two of them autistic). It is hard to call Jennifer’s oldest, Sam, a kid anymore; last week Jen accompanied him up to Boston where he will be in the film program at Emerson college. About 1/3 of Sam’s tuition is being covered by a merit-based scholarship. Jennifer’s daughter is Maya, in addition to being a skilled dancer, she is somewhat of a fashionista; whatever Maya wears the rest of the girls in her school wind up wearing in short order. And yes, Sam and Maya begat my personal e-mail address: samandmayasgrandpa@att.net.

Many (except for regular readers of this blog) might be shocked to learn that my younger daughter Alissa’s two boys are on the autism spectrum (also known as autism spectrum disorder –ASD). Estimates are that like one in eleven or one in nine or even one in five autistic children today have an autistic sibling. To a large degree, autistic youngsters have problems with social communication and social interaction skills, and usually exhibit restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. In short, Ilyas is far more challenged than his younger brother, Idris. As a parent, however, Alissa finds dealing with the gifted Idris far more challenging than dealing with Ilyas.

Ilyas, will be 12 in December. Idris is nine. When Idris was three, he began reading the signs in Costco. 100% on his own. By four he was playing piano with two hands and writing his own piano music. By five he was doing junior high school math in his head. And he has always been a geography savant, able to tell you every road, street, and highway (as well as the directions of travel) to any place he has ever been. Idris has been mainstreamed since 1st grade, but still receives services: a one-on-one teaching assistant, speech therapy, and social skills counseling. Ilyas attends a small private school for children with autism. There are six teachers, one for each of the six students in his class. Alissa and husband Ajiniyaz, who met when Alissa served in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan for 30 months after graduating Geneseo (SUNY), moved to Long Island about eight years ago to take advantage of the great services offered there.

Idris has long loved studying the night skies. He wants to be an astro-photographer 🙂 And about two years ago, he took an interest in baseball. On my many visits to Long Island for the past two years, I made it to Lissy’s house most every day to play catch with Idris and to teach him some of the basic skills. We both loved our almost daily sessions and his throwing and catching improved immensely.

Here’s Idris on baseball: I love so many things about baseball. I love the crazy plays, the fact that it’s played outside (mostly–I wish covered stadiums didn’t exist!), and especially I love the statistics. I love reading statistics from today’s game and also from throughout baseball history. I prefer to use underappreciated statistics like OBP (on base percentage) and slugging, and sabermetrics like batting runs and fielding independent pitching, over the old fashioned statistics like saves, wins, batting average, or RBIs. My favorite team is the New York Mets.

(Note: sabermetrics — the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity.)

And here is Idris on astronomy: I’ve been interested in astronomy for the past 3 years. I like learning about different types of stars, my favorite type being young bright blue stars. I also like reading about the Big Bang and thinking about what conditions were present at the creation of the universe.

Idris at the NASA table. i-Phone photo by Alissa Morris

The Love of a Mother …

That both Jennifer and Alissa have always been great mothers is a given. I am sure, however, the Jennifer would agree that with the two autistic boys, Alissa has faced great challenges. I’ve been saying for many years that Alissa should get a Nobel Prize for Motherhood. Every week. Hey, I should have mentioned that two and a half years ago Lissy too got her dream part time job. She provides resources and support for parents of children with special needs.

The day before the eclipse, Lissy and Idris flew from Islip, NY to Portland, Oregon and then drove south and a bit west to Salem. Early on the morning of Eclipse Day, August 21, 2017, they headed for the minor league baseball game between the Salem-Kaiser Volcanoes and the Hillsboro Hops. The game began at 9:51am. Less than a half hour later, the game was delayed nearly an hour as everyone used their NASA eclipse sunglasses to view the total solar eclipse. During the four hour traffic jam back to Portland, Idris said (not unexpectedly), “This was the greatest day of my life!”

Idris with his eclipse sun glasses. i-Phone photo by Alissa Morris

The game even made it into Sports Illustrated. See “Moments In the Sun” in the Leading Off section of the 8/28/17 issue. To experience the first ever solar eclipse baseball game, and the eclipse itself, click here, here, and here, or here.

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The Fort DeSoto 2017 Fall IPT/September 22 (afternoon session) through the full day on September 25, 2017. 3 1/2 FULL DAYs: $1649. Limit 8/openings 4.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Tricolored Heron are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We should get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. And Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork would not be unexpected.

Folks who sign up for the IPT are welcome to join us on the ITF/MWS on the morning of Tuesday, September 26 as my guest. See below for details on that.

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Register soon so that you can be assured of a room at the IPT hotel.

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with ten folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, gear advice, and instructions for meeting on the afternoon of Friday, September 22.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rich with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or early October. I hope that you can join me there this October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

BIRDS AS ART In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session (ITF/MWS): $99.

Join me on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for 3-hours of photographic instruction at Fort DeSoto Park. Beginners are welcome. Lenses of 300mm or longer are recommended but even those with 70-200s should get to make some nice images. Teleconverters are always a plus.

You will learn the basics of digital exposure and image design, autofocus basics, and how to get close to free and wild birds. We should get to photograph a variety of wading birds, shorebirds, terns, and gulls. This inexpensive afternoon workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tour. I hope to meet you there.

To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal non-refundable registration fee. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place at least two weeks before the event.

BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of them here.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, 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 please remember that I am 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, and for everything else in the new store, 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 those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

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.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

Stuff

I got a ton of work done on my 2016 taxes on Monday morning. I swam before lunch and then relaxed with golf and then tennis on TV. I was glad to learn on Monday that the sale of Ron Paulk’s Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens to an overseas buyer is pending.

ps: Web surfers: check out the really interesting Only Engineers Can Understand Facebook page here.

Important Blog Subscription News

Many folks have been e-mailing recently stating that they have not been receiving blog notices via e-mail after having received them for years. They are actually still subscribed. But, since we went to a new server, we have been having problems with certain e-mail providers, most notably with att.net. Our understanding is that they, and several others including pacbell.net, bellsouth.net, mcn.net (and possibly others) have black-listed us for no reason whatsoever. 🙂 We have been aware of and have been working on this issue but there is a chance that the situation may never be fixed. Actually, the exact same problem has persisted for several years on BirdPhotographer’s.Net. My solution there was to open a free gmail account and get in the habit of checking it every day. I still do just that so that I can get my BPN notices and respond to the various threads that I am following.

At present, there are two viable solutions:

1- You can open a free gmail account and subscribe at that address. You will get your BAA blog notifications there without a problem.

2- You can save the blog address as a favorite and get in the habit of visiting every day. I should be posting every day for at least the next year … And beyond that as well. Barring any serious health or internet problems.

I am glad that folks miss getting their BIRDS AS ART Blog notices. If you have stopped getting yours and use a different e-mail provider than the four listed above, please click here to shoot me an e-mail. Please be sure to let us know your e-mail provider.

The Streak

Today marks forty-two days in a row with a new educational blog post. This one took well more than three hours to prepare. What’s wrong with me? With all of my upcoming free time, the plan right now is to break the current record streak of (I think) four hundred eighty something … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. 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 charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. 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 months, we have sold just about 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. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Wanted to Buy Service

If you would like to post a wanted to buy item, I will be glad to run it on the blog provided that you agree to pay me a 2 1/2 per cent finder’s fee if I am successful, 2 1/2% of the what you wind up paying for the item. To list an item, please click only here and let me know what lens or camera body you are looking for.

Those wishing to sell a wanted to by item, please click here to shoot me an e-mail. Once I get your e-mail I will send you the Items for Sale Info e-mail. If you agree to all the usual terms we will work together to determine a fair price and then I will put you in touch with the prospective buyer. If a sale is not completed within two weeks, you agree that I will list the item for sale in a blog post and on the Used Gear page. In addition, you agree not to sell the item to the person who originally wanted to buy the item. As always, we rely on the honor system. Once the seller cashes the check they will pay me 5% of the original asking price. Note: the cost of insured Ground Shipping via major courier is always paid by the seller.

New Listing

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

IPT veteran Mike Ross is offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera body with the Canon BG-E16 Battery Grip (a $209 value) all in mint condition for $1,099. The sale includes the strap, the front body cap, the original product box, the battery and battery charger, an extra Wasabi battery, the cables and insured ground shipping via UPS to US 48 state addresses only. Your item will not ship until payment is made via PayPal.

Please contact Mike via e-mail or by phone at 1-707-864-0614 (Pacific time).

Both Patrick Sparkman and I used and loved the 7D Mark II until about two years ago when we both committed to using full frame Canon bodies. We both made some truly great images with it. Two of my three 2016 Nature’s Best honored entries were created with the 7D II, one still, and one video. It is surely the greatest value ever in a digital camera body .. artie

Booking.Com

I could not secure the lodging that I needed for the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT in Dunbar, Scotland, so I went from Hotels.Com to Booking.Com and was pleasantly surprised. I found the rooms that I needed with ease at a hotel that was not even on Hotels.Com, and it was a nice hotel that I had seen in person. And the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward.

Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Revamped

I recently updated the IPT page. If you doubt that I am really slowing down, click here to see the meager IPT schedule. Right now there are only two US-based IPTs on the schedule. Best news is I now have two folks registered for the Fort DeSoto IPT so that will run. Do consider joining us if you would like to learn from the best.

Photographers Wanted

If you would like to learn to become a much better bird photographer, consider joining me on either the Fort DeSoto IPT in late September or the San Diego IPT in January, 2018. With four folks signed up, DeSoto will offer practically private instruction. And you can tack on the In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for free. Scroll down for details. Click here for complete IPT info and the current but abbreviated schedule.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and many folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This image was created with the beanbag/Visual Echoes Panning Ground Pod-supported Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III (now replaced by my beloved Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 2000. Spot metering off the snow + 2 1/3 stops: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Polar Bears jousting, from a boat in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Mark Needham

Mark Needham

I have known Mark Needham just a bit on BirdPhotographer’s.Net for several years. His images always impressed me and he is obviously a skilled photographer. But — very busy at work — he does not get to photograph a lot or to post often. He is a Professor in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University. In addition, he is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Human Dimensions of Wildlife (both online and in hardcopy at most university libraries). You can see his research and publications listed at Google Scholar and ResearchGate. He is married with no kids, but has a big German shepherd dog named Titan. Mark adds, “His name fits his size and his attitude – LOL!”

You can see what the folks on BPN had to say about today’s featured images here and here. Do note that Mark likes boxy crops.

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 60D (I am impressed …) Mark has since upgraded to the EOS 5D Mark III and the EOS-1D X Mark II. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering at about +2/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Short-eared Owl in flight. Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Mark Needham

An e-mail Conversation with Mark Needham

am: Hi Mark, It is good to hear from you. Thanks for getting in touch. re:

MN: Hope you are well.

am: I am thanks. And ditto.

NM: I have been reading both the DPP4 RAW Conversion guide and also the The Professional Post-processing Guide, both done with Arash Hazeghi. I bought them both a while ago.

am: Thanks for your purchases.

MN: Looking at the converted RAW images I notice quite a big difference in the ones converted in Lightroom and the ones converted in DPP 4. The DPP4 converted images are cleaner with more realistic colors, they are slightly sharper, and the image quality is better (just as you say in your guides).

am: 🙂

MN: So, I think that you have made me a believer and I will likely convert my workflow to DPP as a starting point instead of LR (and then move on to Photoshop and Nik for specific tweaks after that).

am: You might wish to add my new Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II) to the mix.

MN: I have a few quick questions:

First, what is the best and/or easiest way to set the black and white points in DPP? (In LR, I can hit Alt while moving the sliders to reveal the points, or shift and then double-click.)

am: When needed — about 25% of the time — I do just that with a Levels adjustment on a layer in Photoshop. Do note and understand that I do not want my WHITEs at 254, 254, 254 and I rarely want my BLACKs at 1, 1, 1. If you blindly set the black and white points that is where you will wind up …

MN: Second, is there a place to adjust vibrance in DPP, or is that something I can only do in Photoshop?

am: There is no Vibrance slider in DPP 4. There is a however, an Adjust image colors tab, the fourth tab on the bottom row. It is similar to the HSL/Greyscale tab in Adobe Camera Raw. I use it very sparingly. And I only rarely increase the Saturation during a RAW conversion in DPP 4. I often increase the Vibrance in Photoshop, sometimes to as high as 70 or 80.

MN: Third, I assume that the Brightness slider in DPP 4 is the same as adjusting the exposure, correct?

am: Yes, that is correct.

MN: Fourth, I sometimes shoot composites if I am too close to an animal so I do not amputate a body part (e.g., three shots across two rows each) and then merge them in LR into one mega-file that can then be processed. Can this be done in DPP or would I need to do this in Photoshop instead?

am: I am pretty sure that it cannot be done in DPP 4. I batch convert the images, put all the TIFFs in a folder labeled “Pano,” and then use File > Automate > Photomerge to assemble the pano in Photoshop.

MN: Finally, do you recommend Highlight Tone Priority be set in camera, or that it be disabled? The same goes for the lens corrections (e.g., Peripheral illumination, Chromatic aberration, Distortion, Diffraction) . Do you keep them on or off on the camera menus? (I am usually shooting now with a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with the 500mm f/4L IS II lens and a 5D Mark III on a 70-200 f/2.8 L IS II zoom lens)?

am: Since I convert virtually all of my images in DPP 4, I keep HTP on except when I need to get down to ISO 50 when creating pleasing blurs. I do keep HTP on my favorites menu so that I can turn it off and on as needed. If you are not converting all of your RAW files in DPP 4, you must keep HTP off or else you might get a false sense of security with your bright WHITEs, especially when photographing in full sun. That said, Arash never enables Highlight Tone Priority. He says, HTP underexposes your photo and then pulls up the shadows during the RAW conversion. That can increase noise.

I turn off all of the lens corrections on the camera. They are set automatically when I load the camera-specific recipe for a given ISO.

MN: Thanks again guys – you have written great guides!

am: Thanks for your kind words and excellent questions. Having seen your work on BPN and having visited your website, I can only say that the quality of your images lends even more weight to your comments on DPP4 RAW Conversion guide and also the The Professional Post-processing Guide. I hope to see you on an IPT some day.

with love, artie

Big Time Thanks to Mark Needham

Thanks a stack Mark for your original e-mail, for allowing me to share your images with everyone here, and for your his help editing this blog post. I do have a suggestion to you: get out more often!

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, 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 please remember that I am 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, and for everything else in the new store, 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 those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

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.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

BAA Sunday Afternoon Stuff

I hope that you are having a nice holiday weekend.

Important Blog Subscription News

Many folks have been e-mailing recently stating that they have not been receiving blog notices via e-mail after having received them for years. They are actually still subscribed. But, since we went to a new server, we have been having problems with certain e-mail providers, most notably with att.net. Our understanding is that they, and several others including pacbell.net, bellsouth.net, mcn.net (and possibly others) have black-listed us for no reason whatsoever. 🙂 We have been aware of and have been working on this issue but there is a chance that the situation may never be fixed. Actually, the exact same problem has persisted for several years on BirdPhotographer’s.Net. My solution there was to open a free gmail account and get in the habit of checking it every day. I still do just that so that I can get my BPN notices and respond to the various threads that I am following.

At present, there are two viable solutions:

1- You can open a free gmail account and subscribe at that address. You will get your BAA blog notifications there without a problem.

2- You can save the blog address as a favorite and get in the habit of visiting every day. I should be posting every day for at least the next year … And beyond that as well. Barring any serious health or internet problems.

I am glad that folks miss getting their BIRDS AS ART Blog notices. If you have stopped getting yours and use a different e-mail provider than the four listed above, please click here to shoot me an e-mail. Please be sure to let us know your e-mail provider.

Wanted to Buy Service

If you would like to post a wanted to buy item, I will be glad to run it on the blog provided that you agree to pay me a 2 1/2 per cent finder’s fee if I am successful, 2 1/2% of the what you wind up paying for the item. To list an item, please click only here and let me know what lens or camera body you are looking for. As always, BAA Used Gear sales rely 100% on the honor system.

Those wishing to sell a wanted to by item, please click here to shoot me an e-mail. Once I get your e-mail I will send you the Items for Sale Info e-mail. If you agree to all the usual terms we will work together to determine a fair price and then I will put you in touch with the prospective buyer. If a sale is not completed within two weeks, you agree that I will list the item for sale in a blog post and on the Used Gear page. In addition, you agree not to sell the item to the person who originally wanted to buy the item. As always, we rely on the honor system. Once the seller cashes the check they will pay me 5% of the original asking price. Note: the cost of insured Ground Shipping via major courier is always paid by the seller.

What’s Up?

I was hoping to get some more work done on my 2015 tax return on Friday afternoon … Also in my plans were some stretching and core exercises, and a mid-afternoon swim. I am glad to say that I have been eating well since my return from the Galapagos.

Thanks to all who commented on the two Razorbill images in yesterday’s blog post; y’all did a good job. My opinion soon 🙂

Canon 100-400 II On Sale

The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens is on sale right now from B&H for only $2049!

The Streak

Today marks forty days in a row with a new educational blog post. This one took about three hours to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time, the plan right now is to break the current record streak of (I think) four hundred eighty something … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. 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 charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. 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 months, we have sold just about 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. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Wanted to Buy

I have a buyer for a 7D Mark II and an old 100-400. If you would like to sell one or both of those items, please contact me via e-mail.

Booking.Com

I could not secure the lodging that I needed for the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT in Dunbar, Scotland, so I went from Hotels.Com to Booking.Com and was pleasantly surprised. I found the rooms that I needed with ease at a hotel that was not even on Hotels.Com, and it was a nice hotel that I had seen in person. And the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward.

Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Revamped

I recently updated the IPT page. If you doubt that I am really slowing down, click here to see the meager IPT schedule. Right now there are only two US-based IPTs on the schedule. Best news is I now have two folks registered for the Fort DeSoto IPT so that will run. Do consider joining us if you would like to learn from the best.

Photographers Wanted

If you would like to learn to become a much better bird photographer, consider joining me on either the Fort DeSoto IPT in late September or the San Diego IPT in January, 2018. With four folks signed up, DeSoto will offer practically private instruction. And you can tack on the In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for free. Scroll down for details. Click here for complete IPT info and the current but abbreviated schedule.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

The DPP 4 screen capture for today’s featured image

Aperture Question

Why was f/9 a poor choice? (There are two main reasons.)

If you think that you know how I wound up at f/9 when I would rather not have been there, feel free to share your thoughts.

What Can You Learn From the DPP 4 Screen Capture?

Note the AF square illuminated in red that shows the location of the active AF point. Note also that I rarely place the selected AF point on the bird’s eye, trying instead to find a larger area on the same plane as the bird’s eye. With the RGB values for the WHITEs in the RAW file coming in in the high 240s I corrected a similar mistake that I made when converting the gannet image in the blog post here by moving the Brightness slider to -.33. Note again how I used the Color fine-tune box to come up with nearly perfect WHITEs (237, 238, 237) by moving the dot away from BLUE. In addition, I moved the Highlights slider to -1. I tried -2 but that made the WHITEs look dingy.

This image was created on a morning landing on Staples Island on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. I used the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and my favorite puffin photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/9 (a mistake …) in Manual mode. Daylight WB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: zero. The AF point that was two up from the center AF point/AI Servo/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected point was placed on the neck directly below the orange rosette. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Atlantic Puffin on tall rock 🙂 With distant background.

Image Question

Is the head angle here ideal? Why or why not?

Puffin Isolationism/Part I

While Atlantic Puffins dig their burrows in relatively soft earth, they are very sociable creatures; they love to sit on rocky cliffs and they love company. At most puffin colonies, it is easy to create portraits where the bird takes up from 1/2 to 3/4 of the frame. The trick, however, to creating pleasing images is to be able to isolate a single bird against a relatively distant and clean background. Usually a background without any distracting puffins in the frame is preferred. Note: at times, it is possible to create pleasing juxtapositional images, photos where one or more puffins, usually out of focus, are perfectly positioned to add to the image rather than distract.

You can start either by getting very close to your subject or by choosing and using a relatively long focal length, often with a teleconverter. Long focal lengths always make isolating the subject easier. But the biggest key to success is finding a good situation is to find a single puffin sitting on a rock that either rises above the surrounding rocks or is completely isolated from other rocks. Next you can see how getting higher or lower or moving slightly left or right (depending on sun angle and the quality of light of course) effects the background. In nearly all cases a more distant background will be more pleasing a closer background.

In short, you can almost always improve your bird photography by being on the lookout for a teed-up bird on a nice perch with a distant background. If you so choose.

The Image Optimization: Background Magic

If you compare the background in the DPP 4 screen capture that opens this blog post to the background in the optimized image immediately above, most will find the smoother background in the optimized image to be far more pleasing. Read on to learn more.

After converting the image in DPP 4 (as detailed above in the DPP 4 Screen Capture item), I brought the image into Photoshop. Though I was happy with the WHITEs, I thought that the image was a bit too YELLOW overall so I opened Hue-Saturation on a layer, selected YELLOW from the drop-down menu, and moved the Saturation slider to 100%. That the whole image turned YELLOW showed that I was right so I reduced the YELLOW saturation to -20. hat was a big improvement. Next I did a Levels adjustment (Command L) on a new layer (Command J). As it turns out the WHITE point was pretty much perfect but I had a bit of room to darken the BLACKs so I did (while holding down the ALT key).

Then I started to work on the too-dark areas of the background: the section in the lower right and the less but still obtrusive area just below and behind the puffin. I started with Content Aware Fill in the lower right. The results were pathetically bad with some sharp triangular areas and ugly splotches of color. But, I opted to keep them and to smooth things out with a large Gaussian blur. To do that, I duplicated the whole image (Command J) and applied a 66 pixel Gaussian blur. Then I added a Regular Layer Mask and working with a 100% brush, I painted away the whole bird with about a half inch border around it to make sure that none of the blur affected the bird. In these situations this technique works well when the background close to the bird is nicely blurred to start with. If there is relatively sharp detail close to the bird, the Gaussian Blur background smoothing technique will yield unsatisfactory, unnatural results. I still wanted to eliminate the dark area behind and below the bird. For that one, however, I painted a Quick Mask of the mess after trying Content Aware Fill and then applied a 77 Pixel Gaussian Blur. Then I made sure to add a Regular Layer Mask and erase the edge of the rock.

Next I applied my NIK 30/30 recipe to the bird’s head, neck, and breast after making my selection with the Quick Selection Tool. That left the face too dark for my taste so I used Tim Grey Dodge and Burn in varying opacities to lighten only the face. Lastly I selected the face and bill with the Quick Selection Tool, put that on its own layer, and applied a Contrast Mask to add some pseudo-sharpening. I saved the image and compared it full screen in Photo Mechanic with the converted TIFF. I realized that I had made the image just a bit too contrast so I went back to Photoshop, out the whole thing on a new layer, and hit Command M for Curves on a Layer. Then I selected my Reduced Contrast pre-set from the drop-down menu. Voila!

I am quite proud of the image optimization for today’s featured image. One of the many reasons to attend the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT is that there is ample free time during which you will learn a ton about image processing simply by sitting next to me as I work on images, more time than on a typical IPT. And there is also lots of time for image sharing for those who really wish to learn.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II) will teach you an efficient Mac/Photo Mechanic/Photoshop workflow that will make it easy for you to make your images better in Photoshop (rather than worse). That true whether you convert your images in DPP 4 or ACR. See the blog post here to learn lots more and to read a free excerpt. You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a Paypal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

Everything mentioned above is covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. The new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow. Do note that you will find the RGB Curves Adjustment Color Balancing tutorial only in the new e-guide. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

The two most recent MP4 Photoshop Tutorial videos releases go hand and hand with the information in the new guide:

• The Wingtip Repairs MP4 Video here.
• The MP4 Crow Cleanup Video here.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading, can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here.

You can learn how and why I and other discerning Canon shooters convert nearly all of their Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 using Canon Digital Photo Professional in the DPP 4 RAW conversion Guide here. And you can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The Fort DeSoto 2017 Fall IPT/September 22 (afternoon session) through the full day on September 25, 2017. 3 1/2 FULL DAYs: $1649. Limit 8/openings 4.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Tricolored Heron are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We should get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. And Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork would not be unexpected.

Folks who sign up for the IPT are welcome to join us on the ITF/MWS on the morning of Tuesday, September 26 as my guest. See below for details on that.

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Register soon so that you can be assured of a room at the IPT hotel.

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with ten folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, gear advice, and instructions for meeting on the afternoon of Friday, September 22.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rich with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or early October. I hope that you can join me there this October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

BIRDS AS ART In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session (ITF/MWS): $99.

Join me on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for 3-hours of photographic instruction at Fort DeSoto Park. Beginners are welcome. Lenses of 300mm or longer are recommended but even those with 70-200s should get to make some nice images. Teleconverters are always a plus.

You will learn the basics of digital exposure and image design, autofocus basics, and how to get close to free and wild birds. We should get to photograph a variety of wading birds, shorebirds, terns, and gulls. This inexpensive afternoon workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tour. I hope to meet you there.

To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal non-refundable registration fee. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place at least two weeks before the event.

BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of them here.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, 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 please remember that I am 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, and for everything else in the new store, 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 those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

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.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

What’s Up?

I took a break from taxes on Wednesday and spent most of the day exercising and answering a slew of e-mails that had been on the back burner. I enjoyed my easy half-mile swim at 4pm.

Canon 100-400 II On Sale

The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens is on sale right now from B&H for only $2049!

The Streak

Today marks thirty-eight days in a row with a new educational blog post. This one took about two hours to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time, the plan now is to break the current record streak of (I think) four hundred eighty something … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. 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 charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. 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 months, we have sold just about 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. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Booking.Com

I could not secure the lodging that I needed for the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT in Dunbar, Scotland, so I went from Hotels.Com to Booking.Com and was pleasantly surprised. I found the rooms that I needed with ease at a hotel that was not even on Hotels.Com, and it was a nice hotel that I had seen in person. And the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward.

Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Revamped

I recently updated the IPT page. If you doubt that I am really slowing down, click here to see the meager IPT schedule. Right now there are only two US-based IPTs on the schedule. Best news is I now have two folks registered for the Fort DeSoto IPT so that will run. Do consider joining us if you would like to learn from the best.

Photographers Wanted

If you would like to learn to be a better bird photographer in person, consider joining me on either the Fort DeSoto IPT in late September or the San Diego IPT in January, 2018. With four folks signed up, DeSoto will offer practically private instruction. And you can tack on the In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for free. Scroll down for details. Click here for complete IPT info and the current but abbreviated schedule.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

The DPP 4 Screen Capture for today’s featured image Be sure to click on the image to see the larger version so that you can read the fine print

The DPP 4 Screen Capture

There are several things to note on the DPP 4 screen capture for today’s featured image.

• 1-The RGB values for the WHITEs (with the cursor placed on the brightest spot on the bird’s left wing) came in at 246, 246, 246.
• 2-To achieve those perfect WHITEs I moved the dot on the Color fine-tune to the right, away from BLUE. As far as I know, I am pretty much the only nature photographer regularly taking advantage of this neat feature.
• 3-As this image was far from level, it would need some fancy stepping during the post-processing.
• Note that on this very overcast day I exposed miles to the right.
• Lastly, note that there are part of two birds that I opted to remove.

How can the bird’s eyes possibly be sharp?

I was curious as to how the bird’s eye’s could possibly be razor sharp with the AF point on its right foot. After giving it some thought I went back to DOFMaster.com and plugged in the approximate values. With a full frame body at 121mm, the wide open aperture of f/4, and an approximate 20 feet to the subject, the total depth of field worked out to 1.96 feet. With a bit less half of that (.93 feet or 11 1/4 inches) in front of the point of focus, there was just enough depth of field to cover the bird’s face. If you missed the Understanding a Vitally Important Depth of Field Concept item in August 28th blog post, it might behoove you to click here and start studying.

This image was created on the fabulous gannet boat trip morning on Day 4 of the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens (at 121mm) and my favorite gannets-in-flight camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the gray sky: 1/3200 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Daylight WB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: zero. Center AF point/Manual selection/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF and was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on gannet’s right foot yet the bird’s eyes are razor sharp … Be sure to click on the image to see the larger version so that you can check out those sharp eyes. Northern Gannet preparing to dive

The Incredible Gannet Experience

You really owe it to yourself to enjoy a gannet chumming session or two in your lifetime. The action is so furious and frenetic that most folks are forced to quit after the first hour. You might remember that that is why I bring the smaller, lighter 70-200m f/4 to the UK. It also makes a great walk-around travel/Urbex lens. Dates and details for the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT will be announced here soon.

The Image Optimization

During the RAW conversion in DPP 4 (as noted above) I moved the Color fine-tune point to the right to line up the channels in the RGB histogram. That was done of course after entering my recipe for the 5D IV at ISO 800. Next and last was to move the Highlight slider to -1. Many folks do not realize how simple the adjustment for a DPP 4 RAW conversion are. Most times I am done in 30 seconds or so.

Once I brought the image in Photoshop I used my Patch Tool/Content Aware Fill technique to seamlessly eliminate the two extraneous gannets. Next I had to deal with the sliver of the far shoreline in the lower right corner. I toyed with the idea that it would be neat to include the far horizon but after one feeble attempt I decided to limit the image to sky only. I carefully selected the bird only first using the Quick Selection Tool (my keyboard shortcut W) and then refining the selection with Lasso Tool (+ to add, – to subtract). After feathering the selection I always make sure to save it (as recommended in DB II). Then I put the selection on its own layer (Command J) and ran my NIK Color Efex Pro 40/40 recipe on the bird only.

To juice up the somewhat boring sky I loaded the selection (Bird) and hit Shift + Command + I to invert the selection. Then I put the sky on its own layer and opened NIK Viveza. I increased the Structure to about 60 and the Saturation to about 40. Even the edges of the bird came out perfect and the sky looked a heck of a lot more dramatic. Lastly I sharpened the face with a Contrast Mask and did a bit of Eye Doctor work that including lightening the irises.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II) will teach you an efficient Mac/Photo Mechanic/Photoshop workflow that will make it easy for you to make your images better in Photoshop (rather than worse). That true whether you convert your images in DPP 4 or ACR. See the blog post here to learn lots more and to read a free excerpt. You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a Paypal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

Every single thing mentioned above (except for the Viveza on the sky trick) is covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. The new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow. Do note that you will find the RGB Curves Adjustment Color Balancing tutorial only in the new e-guide. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

The two most recent MP4 Photoshop Tutorial videos releases go hand and hand with the information in DB II):

• The Wingtip Repairs MP4 Video here.
• The MP4 Crow Cleanup Video here.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading, can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here.

You can learn how and why I and other discerning Canon shooters convert nearly all of their Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 using Canon Digital Photo Professional in the DPP 4 RAW conversion Guide here. And you can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The Fort DeSoto 2017 Fall IPT/September 22 (afternoon session) through the full day on September 25, 2017. 3 1/2 FULL DAYs: $1649. Limit 8/openings 4.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Tricolored Heron are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We should get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. And Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork would not be unexpected.

Folks who sign up for the IPT are welcome to join us on the ITF/MWS on the morning of Tuesday, September 26 as my guest. See below for details on that.

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Register soon so that you can be assured of a room at the IPT hotel.

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with ten folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, gear advice, and instructions for meeting on the afternoon of Friday, September 22.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rich with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or early October. I hope that you can join me there this October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

BIRDS AS ART In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session (ITF/MWS): $99.

Join me on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for 3-hours of photographic instruction at Fort DeSoto Park. Beginners are welcome. Lenses of 300mm or longer are recommended but even those with 70-200s should get to make some nice images. Teleconverters are always a plus.

You will learn the basics of digital exposure and image design, autofocus basics, and how to get close to free and wild birds. We should get to photograph a variety of wading birds, shorebirds, terns, and gulls. This inexpensive afternoon workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tour. I hope to meet you there.

To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal non-refundable registration fee. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place at least two weeks before the event.

BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of them here.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, 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 please remember that I am 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, and for everything else in the new store, 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 those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

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.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

What’s Up?

On Monday I got lots more work done on my 2016 taxes. I did some stretching, some core exercises, and enjoyed my easy half-mile swim.

I was glad to learn that two more folks signed up for the Fall DeSoto IPT. We are up to four.

Canon 100-400 II On Sale

The Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens is on sale right now from B&H for only $2049!

The Streak

Today marks thirty-six days in a row with a new educational blog post. This one took an hour to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time, the plan now is to break the current record streak of (I think) four hundred eighty something … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. 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 charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. 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 months, we have sold just about 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. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab now on the the left side of the second yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Booking.Com

I could not secure the lodging that I needed for the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT in Dunbar, Scotland, so I went from Hotels.Com to Booking.Com and was pleasantly surprised. I found the rooms that I needed with ease at a hotel that was not even on Hotels.Com, and it was a nice hotel that I had seen in person. And the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward.

Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Revamped

I recently updated the IPT page. If you doubt that I am really slowing down, click here to see the meager IPT schedule. Right now there are only two US-based IPTs on the schedule. Best news is I now have two folks registered for the Fort DeSoto IPT so that will run. Do consider joining us if you would like to learn from the best.

Photographers Wanted

If you would like to learn to be a better bird photographer in person, consider joining me on either the Fort DeSoto IPT in late September or the San Diego IPT in January, 2018. With two folks signed up, DeSoto will offer practically private instruction. And you can tack on the In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for free. Scroll down for details. Click here for complete IPT info and the current but abbreviated schedule.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This image was created on our afternoon landing at South Plaza Island. I used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 220mm) and my favorite gull flight photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero off the water which was +1 2/3 off the bright gray sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -3. Center AF Point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the upper back just left of center. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger, somewhat sharper version. Swallow-tailed Gull, adult in flight — dorsal view

Greedy Pays off for the First Time Ever …

I have written and said many times, “Universal advice for better flight photography with a zoom lens: zoom wider!” Our instincts tell us that the bigger the bird in the frame, the better the image and the more pixels on the subject we have to work with.” This type of thinking almost always results in clipped wings at best. On the afternoon landings at South Plaza we often have lots of opportunities for top shots, images showing the dorsal wing surfaces of gulls, frigatebirds, and tropicbirds as the fly into the cliffs in an attempt to land. With the often fierce winds many of their approaches are aborted. So if you see a bird come into the cliff to land and screw things up, you can be pretty sure that it will circle around and try again. These situations often give you multiple chances to create some flight photography magic.

The 100-400 L IS II versus the 400 DO IS II for Flight Photography

I started the afternoon hand holding the 400 DO II with the 1.4X TC in an attempt to photograph the backlit tropicbirds directly overhead. That turned out to be pretty much of an abject failure. In general, if you need to add the 1.4X TC you are much better off with the 400 DO than with the 100-400 as AF at 5/6 is always going to acquire more quickly than AF at f/8. That true no matter the light levels. But, and this is a huge but, the 400 DO is too heavy for many folks, often including me. And that is even more true with fast flying birds that change direction rapidly and often. With its smaller size and lighter weight (3.5 lbs. vs 4.13 lbs. out of the box), it is far easier to follow birds in flight, adjust to their flight patterns, and enjoy long photo sessions with the 100-400 II.

I was actually surprised when I did the research for this blog post that the difference is only 1.13 pounds as it seems a lot more than that. But, for most flight photograph sessions I remove the base of the lens foot with the P-10 plate attached. This gains me another 4.6 ounces bring the difference up to 1.59 pounds, a bit more than 1 1/2 pounds. In addition, the lighter weight and smaller size of the 100-400 II as compared to the 400 DO II made it easier to use on the pangas. I am glad that I took the 400 DO II for those special low-light fight situations, and for the times that I needed extra reach for flight with distant birds. And I realize that I am blessed to be able to own and travel with both of these great lenses.

Yikes, I almost forgot one huge advantage of the 100-400 II: the ability to zoom out for flight when needed. Note the 220mm focal length used for today’s featured image; with the fixed focal length 400 DO II I would have been dead in the water when that Swallow-tailed Gull banked. Summing up, the huge advantage of the 400 DO II is the extra stop of speed at f/4 that can save you a stop of ISO in low light or gain you a stop of shutter speed or allow you to go to a stop smaller aperture (depending on the situation). The advantages of the 100-400 II include its lighter weight, lesser bulk, close focusing, and focal length range.

Head Angle

Before you leave a comment noting that the bird is looking (and obviously flying) away, ask yourself this question: for this dramatic, frame-filling pose could there have been a better head angle?

Another Flight Photography Tip for Zoom Lenses

It is better to zoom out quickly to the anticipated focal length you will need (as I did to create today’s featured image) rather than try to zoom out slowly as you follow the bird in flight …

Your Call?

Feel free to leave a comment critiquing this image. If you don’t feel qualified, consider this: ask yourself: What do you like? Why? What don’t you like? Why? Could I have done anything in the field to make it better? Could I have done anything better in post-processing? You can learn and practice these skills by joining BirdPhotographer’s.Net.

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The Fort DeSoto 2017 Fall IPT/September 22 (afternoon session) through the full day on September 25, 2017. 3 1/2 FULL DAYs: $1649. Limit 8/openings 4.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Tricolored Heron are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We should get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. And Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork would not be unexpected.

Folks who sign up for the IPT are welcome to join us on the ITF/MWS on the morning of Tuesday, September 26 as my guest. See below for details on that.

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Register soon so that you can be assured of a room at the IPT hotel.

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with ten folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, gear advice, and instructions for meeting on the afternoon of Friday, September 22.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rich with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or early October. I hope that you can join me there this October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

BIRDS AS ART In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session (ITF/MWS): $99.

Join me on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for 3-hours of photographic instruction at Fort DeSoto Park. Beginners are welcome. Lenses of 300mm or longer are recommended but even those with 70-200s should get to make some nice images. Teleconverters are always a plus.

You will learn the basics of digital exposure and image design, autofocus basics, and how to get close to free and wild birds. We should get to photograph a variety of wading birds, shorebirds, terns, and gulls. This inexpensive afternoon workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tour. I hope to meet you there.

To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal non-refundable registration fee. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place at least two weeks before the event.

BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of them here.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, 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 please remember that I am 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, and for everything else in the new store, 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 those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

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.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

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 :).

What’s Up?

On Saturday, I finally started work on my 2016 Federal tax return. I did lots of stretching and core exercises and enjoyed an afternoon half-mile swim. I met Jennifer, Erik, Sam, and Maya in town at 6pm where we enjoyed dinner at Crazy Fish to celebrate Sam’s heading to Boston with Jen on Monday to begin college at Emerson. He is in the film program. Good luck Sam!

The Streak

Today marks thirty-four days in a row with a new educational blog post. This one took about 2 1/2 hours to create. With all of my upcoming free time, the plan now is to break the current record streak of (I think) four hundred eighty something … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. 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 charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. 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 months, we have sold just about 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. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab now on the the left side of the second yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Booking.Com

I could not secure the lodging that I needed for the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT in Dunbar, Scotland, so I went from Hotels.Com to Booking.Com and was pleasantly surprised. I found the rooms that I needed with ease at a hotel that was not even on Hotels.Com, and it was a nice hotel that I had seen in person. And the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward.

Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Revamped

I recently updated the IPT page. If you doubt that I am really slowing down, click here to see the meager IPT schedule. Right now there are only two US-based IPTs on the schedule. Best news is I now have two folks registered for the Fort DeSoto IPT so that will run. Do consider joining us if you would like to learn from the best.

Photographers Wanted

If you would like to learn to be a better bird photographer in person, consider joining me on either the Fort DeSoto IPT in late September or the San Diego IPT in January, 2018. With two folks signed up, DeSoto will offer practically private instruction. And you can tack on the In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for free. Scroll down for details. Click here for complete IPT info and the current but abbreviated schedule.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

This is a 100% crop of an ISO 1600 image

No Noise at ISO 1600

Above is an unsharpened 100% crop of the optimized TIFF. I did not need to run NeatImage on this photo. The only noise reduction applied was during the RAW conversion in DPP 4 where I used Arash’s values for Luminance and Chrominance noise as per the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide. Note the complete absence of noise in the iris where it is often evident. I am not seeing any chrominance noise at all. And I am not seeing any luminance noise anywhere. Are you?

DPP 4 Screen Capture Be sure to click on the image so that you can read the fine print and see the detail in the Color Fine Tune box.

Why No Noise at ISO 1600?

The way to reduce noise at any ISO is to expose to the right. Note the RGB values with the cursor placed on the brightest part of the penguin’s breast: R = 248, G = 246, B = 248. Note that on the left side of the histogram, the dark tones are a proverbial mile away from the left-hand axis. In contrast, the light tones on the right are nearly up against the right-hand axis. With regards to the Color Fine Tune box, the WHITEs in the RAW file were a bit blue so I clicked on a spot away from BLUE to better line up the ends of the RGB histogram.

Knowing that I was using a relatively high ISO and that I wanted to minimize the noise in the dark tones, I pushed the exposure farther to the right that I usually do.

This image was created on our late afternoon panga (zodiac) cruise at Punta Morena on August 13. I used the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and my favorite penguin camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +3 stops off the gray sky: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. AWB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: zero. One AF point to the left of the center AF Point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was placed on the side of the bird’s neck just this side of the plane of the bird’s eye. Click on the image to see a larger version. Galapagos Penguin, immature, head and shoulders portrait

Why I Took the 400mm f/4 IS DO II Lens to the Galapagos/Part I

Though the 100-400 II counterfeits the 400 DO II to some degree — I use it often with the 1.4X TC –I took the 400 DO II on the trip for three main reasons:

• 1: to use on the panga (zodiac) photo outings where the additional stop of speed would often come in handy by allowing me to work at a lower ISO. Had I been using the 100-400 II/1.4X III TC combo I would have needed to be at ISO 3200.
• 2: to use in low light flight situations.
• 3: as a long lens back-up in case I dropped my 500 II into the ocean or in case it was otherwise damaged or disabled.

As things turned out, I used my 100-400 II at least 75% of the time on the trip, very often with the 1.4X III TC. I used the 500 II about 15% of the time, only rarely with the 2X III TC. And I used the 400 DO II less than 10% of the time, never with 2X III TC.

To reduce the weight of my Think Tank roll aboard on the way home, I packed the 400 DO II in one of my two checked bags. It was well padded with dirty laundry inside the Think Tank Glass Limo. And the whole thing was wrapped by my terry cloth travel robe. It survived the journey quite well. If you ever opt to take this route, do so at your own risk.

Final Thoughts

Understand that the skill of the zodiac driver is paramount to the success of all panga photo sessions. Both Juan and apprentice guide Jimmy consistently got the zodiacs into perfect position by hook or by crook, often being able to stabilize the craft using a variety of techniques.

Note that I added canvas above and in front of the bird. I used John Haedo Content Aware fill as detailed in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. Just so you know, the new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow. Do note that you will find the RGB Curves Adjustment Color Balancing tutorial only in the new e-guide. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

You can learn how and why I and other discerning Canon shooters convert nearly all of their Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 using Canon Digital Photo Professional in the DPP 4 RAW conversion Guide here. And you can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The Fort DeSoto 2017 Fall IPT/September 22 (afternoon session) through the full day on September 25, 2017. 3 1/2 FULL DAYs: $1649. Limit 8/openings 6.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Tricolored Heron are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We should get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. And Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork would not be unexpected.

Folks who sign up for the IPT are welcome to join us on the ITF/MWS on the morning of Tuesday, September 26 as my guest. See below for details on that.

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Register soon so that you can be assured of a room at the IPT hotel.

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with ten folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, gear advice, and instructions for meeting on the afternoon of Friday, September 22.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rich with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or early October. I hope that you can join me there this October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

BIRDS AS ART In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session (ITF/MWS): $99.

Join me on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for 3-hours of photographic instruction at Fort DeSoto Park. Beginners are welcome. Lenses of 300mm or longer are recommended but even those with 70-200s should get to make some nice images. Teleconverters are always a plus.

You will learn the basics of digital exposure and image design, autofocus basics, and how to get close to free and wild birds. We should get to photograph a variety of wading birds, shorebirds, terns, and gulls. This inexpensive afternoon workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tour. I hope to meet you there.

To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal non-refundable registration fee. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place at least two weeks before the event.

BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of them here.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, 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 please remember that I am 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, and for everything else in the new store, 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 those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

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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.

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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 :).

What’s Up?

I visited the eye doctor early on Thursday morning. See more on that below. In the afternoon I went back to town to see my chiropractor. Late in the day I exercised a bit and enjoyed an easy 1/2 mile swim. I hope to get started on my 2016 Federal Income Tax return today. And to catch up on more e-mails.

I was glad to learn that IPT veteran Richard Bohnet sold his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens (the “old” 1-4) in excellent condition for an even $500 in mid-August. Used Gear action has heated up since my return …

Vitreous Detachment (or Separation)

From the National Eye Institute/Vitreous Detachment

Most of the eye’s interior is filled with vitreous. There are millions of fine fibers intertwined within the vitreous that are attached to the surface of the retina. As we age, the vitreous slowly shrinks, and these fine fibers pull on the retinal surface. Usually the fibers break, allowing the vitreous to separate and shrink from the retina. This is a vitreous detachment, a common condition that usually affects people over age 50, and is very common after age 80. People who are nearsighted are also at increased risk. Those who have a vitreous detachment in one eye are likely to have one in the other, although it may not happen until years later.

From Wikipedia

The vitreous (Latin for “glassy”) humor is a gel which fills the eye behind the lens. Between it and the retina is the vitreous membrane. With age the vitreous humor changes, shrinking and developing pockets of liquefaction, similar to the way a gelatin dessert shrinks and detaches from the edge of a pan. At some stage the vitreous membrane may peel away from the retina. This is usually a sudden event, but it may also occur slowly over months.

My Vitreous Detachment Story

Early on in the Galapagos trip I noticed a zillion tiny specks when looking at the sky. The first day it did not grab my attention. On the second day I had a really big floater; it had a black head and a long tail. It kept swimming across my field of view and from left to right and then re-appearing, sometimes smaller and sometimes larger. I spoke with Dr. Anita North who was on the trip. She said that it might be a detached retina or it might be a retinal tear. But my peripheral vision was fine as was my visual acuity. So she thought that it was likely something more benign.

The tiny zillion amoebas continued and with Anita’s help (she suggested shutting one eye at a time) I brilliantly deduced that the problem with my left eye. Duh! On the third day I tried my dear friend Alan Levine on the Samba’s satellite phone but failed. Alan is a top-notch (retired) opthalmic surgeon. On the fourth day I reached him. After I shared the whole story with him and told him that I had not seen any lightning flashes, he felt that it was likely not a detached retina or a retinal tear but that it was likely something called vitreous separation (or detachment). With that condition, the vitreous membrane pulls away from the retina. He said that if things got worse that I needed to get to get off the ship asap, fly to Guayaquil, and see a retinal specialist there before flying home. But that if things stayed the same or if they improved that I would be fine to fly home. Things got better every day.

I called Jim and asked that he make me an appointment with Dr. Roy Z. Braunstein for the day after I got home. Dr. B is a fine opthalmic surgeon in Lake Wales (who practiced in New York City for most of his career). When I stood outside his office yesterday and looked at the sky there were no more tiny dots. After a lengthy examination that included my regular diabetic eye testing, I was glad to learn that I had no retinal detachment, no retinal tears, no glaucoma, and that the both eyes were in perfect shape with excellent blood vessels and flow and both macula completely normal. You have the eyes of a non-diabetic, said Dr Braunstein, who suggested follow-up testing in one month. I will be making that appointment today.

To learn more about Vitreous Detachments click here.

ps: As a result of attending the School for the Work last March I did not freak out when my vision problems surfaced. I was weirdly calm. When I got my clean bill of eye health I was glad as though I am right-handed I am left-eyed at the viewfinder 🙂 Which is your dominant hand? Which eye do you use?

The Streak

Today marks thirty-two days in a row with a new educational blog post. This blog post took about four hours to create. The plan right now with all of my upcoming free time is to break the current record streak of (I think) four hundred eighty something … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Booking.Com

I could not secure the lodging that I needed for the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT in Dunbar, Scotland, so I went from Hotels.Com to Booking.Com and was pleasantly surprised. I found the rooms that I needed with ease at a hotel that was not even on Hotels.Com, and it was a nice hotel that I had seen in person. And the rates were great. If you’d like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and you will earn a $25 reward.

Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

Revamped

I recently updated the IPT page. If you doubt that I am really slowing down do click here to see the meager IPT schedule. Right now there are only two US-based IPTs on the schedule. Best news is I now have two folks registered for the Fort DeSoto IPT so that will run. Do consider joining us if you would like to learn from the best.

Photographers Wanted

If you would like to learn to be a better bird photographer, consider joining me on either the Fort DeSoto IPT in late September or the San Diego IPT in January, 2018. With two folks signed up, DeSoto will offer practically private instruction. And you can tack on the In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for free. Scroll down for details. Click here for complete IPT info and the current but abbreviated schedule.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of folks whom I see in the field, and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

Please Don’t Forget …

As always–and folks have been doing a really great job for a long time now–please remember to use the BAA B&H links for your major and minor gear purchases. For best results, use one of our many product-specific links; after clicking on one of those you can continue shopping with all subsequent purchases invisibly tracked to BAA. Your doing so is always greatly appreciated. Please remember: web orders only. And please remember also that if you are shopping for items that we carry in the BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would of course appreciate your business.

Last morning North Seymour composite All images made with the hand held EF 100-400mm II and the 5D Mark IV some with the 1.4X III TC added.

Last Morning North Seymour Composite Details

From upper left clockwise to center:

Image #1: Barnacles. Created at 8:51am on the morning of 22 AUG when all of the images in the composite were made. Focal length: 200mm. This was the last image that I made on the IPT as we waited to board a panga (zodiac) for the short ride back to the Samba.

Image #2: Blue-footed Booby female head portrait. Created at 7:22am. Focal length: 560mm. Note the large pupil as compared to the tiny pinpoint pupil of the male as seen in the center image immediately below.

Image #3: Blue-footed Booby, head portrait of large chick. Created at 7:41am. Focal length:358mm.

Image #4: Blue-footed Booby single foot. Created at 7:50am. Focal length:490mm.

Image #5: Morning sunrise (photo illustration–two birds added, two small birds eliminate). Base image created at 6:10am from the landing. Focal length:100mm.

Image #6: Frigatebird take-off silhouette. Created at 6:23am. Focal length:330mm.

Image #7: Male frigatebird in flight with pouch inflated. Created at 6:25am. Focal length:238mm.

Image #8: Blue-footed Booby, large chick flapping. Created at 8:07am. Focal length:420mm.

Image #9: Blue-footed Booby male head portrait. Created at 7:23am. Focal length: 560mm. Note the tiny pupil as compared to the large pupil of the female as seen in Image #2 directly above.

All of the images above were created on our second abbreviated (6am-9am) landing at North Seymour Island. My trips are the only ones on the planet to land twice at North Seymour, twice at Hood Island (Espanola) for the Waved Albatrosses, and twice at Darwin Bay (Genovesa)for the nesting Red-footed and Nazca Boobies, the nesting frigatebirds and Swallow-tailed Gulls, the Sharp-beaked Ground Finches, and tons more. If you are seriously interesting in learning about my late-July 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a lifetime, please get in touch via e-mail. I already have many interested folks. For good reason 🙂

ps: many of the images above will be featured in upcoming blog posts that will include lots more on the situations as well as expanded learning opportunities.

More on 100-400 II Versatility

I made our last morning landing (and several others as well) with only the 100-400 II/5D IV combo as my “big lens” always being sure to have my 1.4X III/ii TC in my fanny pack. With focal lengths ranging from 100mm to 560mm it helped my create tight head portraits (images 2, 3, 8, and 9), quasi-macro shots (images 1 and 4), flight and action photographs (images 6 and 7), and even a nice scenic (image #5). The lens is incredibly sharp, the 4-stop IS is phenomenal (and helps a ton when hand holding), it focuses to under one meter, it is relatively lightweight and thus can be easily hand held by most folks, and as seen here again today, the combination of its performance, its focal length range of from 100mm to 560mm (the latter with the 1.4X III TC), and its versatility are simply unmatched.

If you were inspired to purchase your own 100-400 II after reading this blog post, please be sure to use this link.

Most Apropos New Used Gear Listings …

Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens

Ivan Kuraev is offering a Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent plus to near near-mint condition for $1699. The lens has been used professionally, but has been cared for exceptionally well. The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it including the front and rear lens caps and the zippered case. Insured ground shipping via major courier is also included.

Please contact Ivan via e-mail or by phone at (781) 475-8061 (Eastern time).

Loving this lens so much — see today’s blog post to learn why — I am not surprised that this is the first-ever used 1-4II to come up for sale … If you have been lusting after this, lens it will be best to grab this one quickly and save a cool $350. artie

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Ivan Kuraev is also offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in excellent plus to near near-mint condition for $2499. The body has been used professionally, but has been cared for exceptionally well. The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it including the front lens cap and the strap. Insured ground shipping via major courier is also included.

Please contact Ivan via e-mail or by phone at (781) 475-8061 (Eastern time).

What can I say. The 5D IV is my favorite ever digital dSLR. I own and use three of them while my 1DX II sits on the shelf in my garage. If you have been dreaming of a 5D IV, grab Ivan’s camera body right now and save a cool $800. artie

Free but Hugely Important Nature Photography (and Photo-Philosophy) Lessons

At dinner with most of the group on the night before most of us would be flying home, participant and good friend Anita North said to me, “You were really on your game on this trip. Look how many great images you made.” I replied, “I was not on my game any more than usual. And please understand that I do not consider myself talented at all when it comes to nature photography. Success is simply a matter of studying and experimenting, seeing what works for you, paying attention to small detail, and then grinding it out.” First you learn to spot the good situations and then you follow up by executing what you have learned. And you do that by following the simple directions.

For two weeks on the Galapagos IPT I emphasized the following points repeatedly:

1: To create tight head portraits it is generally best to hand hold an intermediate telephoto lens, add the 1.4X TC, get low, and choose an off-center upper AF point.

The birds are silly tame so getting low makes a close approach easy. Adding a TC enables you to keep a respectful distance. And getting low helps to create those pleasing, out-of-focus BIRDS AS ART backgrounds. Choosing an off-center upper AF point allows you to create a pleasing image design. If you insist on staying with the center AF point you will have too much dead space above and behind the bird’s head and will be wasting lots of pixels that could be put to better use on the bird’s head! (See images 2, 3, 8, and 9).

2: In pre-dawn or in very low light you can use Tv (Shutter Priority) Mode with great effectiveness. Simply choose a shutter speed that you are confident will yield sharp images for you and then enter the correct exposure compensation. I keep ISO Safety Shift set on all of my cameras so in the low light I set the ISO to 400 –in low light situations the camera will raise the ISO as needed to fit your specifications (as it did dramatically with Image # 7). You can get the same results by setting Auto ISO.

Image #5: 1/500 sec., -1/3 stop EC, ISO 400. Image #6: 1/500 sec., +2 stops EC, the camera raised the ISO to 500. Image #7: 1/1000 sec., +2 2/3 stops EC, the camera raised the ISO to 2500.

3: When working at point blank range near the minimum focusing distance of the lens, be sure to stop down for a bit of extra depth-of-field.

Remember that wide open is f/8 with an f/5.6 lens and a 1.4X TC. Image #1, no TC: f/11. Image #2, with TC: f/11. Image #3, with TC: f/11. Image #4, with TC, f/16. Image #8, with TC: f/10. Image #9, with TC: f/11.

4: When working with an evenly toned scene and subject, working in Av (aperture priority) Mode allows you to select the aperture and EC that you need and then fire away at will.

Image #1: f/11 with +1 EC.

#5: When the sun is strong enough to create shadows it is generally best to point your shadow directly at the subject.

As with images 2, 3, 8, and 9.

There you have it. Recipes for improving your nature photography. Study and experiment. Look at as many great images as you can. See what works for you. Pay attention to small detail. And then grind it out.” Learn to spot the good situations and then follow that up up by executing what you have learned and practiced. You can learn to do all of those things by following the simple directions. And by attending as many IPTs as possible …

It thrills me when my students pay attention and begin making great images on a consistent basis. I will be sharing some of those great images with you here in the coming weeks.

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

The Fort DeSoto 2017 Fall IPT/September 22 (afternoon session) through the full day on September 25, 2017. 3 1/2 FULL DAYs: $1649. Limit 8.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, and Tricolored Heron are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We should get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. And Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork would not be unexpected.

Folks who sign up for the IPT are welcome to join us on the ITF/MWS on the morning of Tuesday, September 26 as my guest. See below for details on that.

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Though I have not decided on a hotel yet — I will as soon as there is one sign-up — do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel (rather than at home or at a friend’s place).

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with ten folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, gear advice, and instructions for meeting on the afternoon of Friday, September 22.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rich with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or early October. I hope that you can join me there this October. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.

BIRDS AS ART In-the-Field/Meet-up Workshop Session (ITF/MWS): $99.

Join me on the morning of Tuesday September 26, 2017 for 3-hours of photographic instruction at Fort DeSoto Park. Beginners are welcome. Lenses of 300mm or longer are recommended but even those with 70-200s should get to make some nice images. Teleconverters are always a plus.

You will learn the basics of digital exposure and image design, autofocus basics, and how to get close to free and wild birds. We should get to photograph a variety of wading birds, shorebirds, terns, and gulls. This inexpensive afternoon workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tour. I hope to meet you there.

To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal non-refundable registration fee. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place at least two weeks before the event.

BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT.

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Can’t make the IPT? Get yourself a copy of the Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Learn the best spots, where to be when in what season in what weather. Learn the best wind directions for the various locations. BAA Site Guides are the next best thing to being on an IPT. You can see all of them here.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, 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 please remember that I am 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, and for everything else in the new store, 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 those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use the logo link above.

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.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

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 :).