Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Stuff

I met Lee Sommie and Noel Heustis early on Saturday for a morning of bird photography. It was not a great morning but we finished up by spending two hours with a very tame and photogenic juvenile Piping Plover. Then a great lunch at the Neptune Grill in Gulfport. No swim. No exercise. Yes nap 🙂

Sunset was tougher than the morning had been with east winds and a clear western sky. There had been a pretty big group — about 20 — of mostly young woman sitting on a rock wall enjoying the sunset. As we walked by one of the ladies asked, “Any good pictures?” I said, “You asked the right person.” I shared a few half-way decent blasting highlights images on the back of the camera. We wound up chatting for a bit and we learned that they were a Girl Scout group from Indian Rocks Beach. I went back to the car for a business card and grabbed my laptop as well. Next thing you know my Macbook Pro was sitting atop one of those big rubber garbage cans and I was doing a slide show for the girls. Everyone was pretty much captivated. The whole thirty minutes represented a wonderful and magical connection.

If you did not chime in on Thursday’s blog post, please do so now by clicking here; the blog is designed to be interactive. As always, the more folks who participate, the more everyone will learn. And yes, that includes me 🙂

The Streak

Today makes one hundred seven days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took less than 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 480 … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Booking.Com

Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all 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.

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.

This 5-frame in-camera multiple exposure was created early on the morning of Thursday, November 9, 2017 down by the lake near my home at Indian Lake Estates, FL. I used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 476mm) and my favorite bird aquatic wildflower photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. AWB in bright early morning sunlight with clear skies. Flexi-zone Single rear button AF in Live View (for mirror lock) with the 2-second-timer. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. No LensAlign/FocusTune Micro-adjustment is needed or applied when you focus in Live View via contrast off the sensor. Pickerelweed, 5-frame multiple exposure

Pickerelweed Multiple Exposure: one frame, five images …

To create this multiple exposure I chose On:Func/Ctrl (see more below) and set the number (of exposures) to 5. Then I went to Live View, set the 2-second timer, rear button focused, and figured the correct exposure using the live histogram in conjunction with Exposure Simulation. After I made the first image, I shifted the lens slightly; the really neat thing about using Live View for Multiple Exposures is that when you shift the lens and half-press the shutter button, you will see the resulting image before you even press the shutter button. Make the second image and then repeat for the next three images for a total of five.

Image Design Question

Why do I wish that I had lowered the position of my lens six inches?

Free 5D Mark IV User’s Guide Free Excerpt

Below is a free excerpt from the 5D Mark IV User’s Guide (in progress). Folks might be wondering “What’s taking him so long?” I want everyone to see the amount of detail, checking, and re-checking that goes into each section of the guide, into each item entry. I need to be 100% sure that 100% of the information is accurate, and that the directions are clear, concise, simple, easy to follow, and completely accurate. That involves first trying to decode the information in the camera body Instruction Manual and then working to understand the implications of each setting wth regards to nature, wildlife, and bird photography. Oftentimes I need to head into the backyard or down to the beach to give the various settings a test drive. Anyway, enjoy, and when you see some nice patterns, follow the directions and create a few multiple exposures.

Note: If you are confused by anything in the excerpt or note any errors or typos, please get in touch via e-mail.

Multiple Exposures

You can create in-camera multiple exposures with your 5D Mark IV. It is easier to access Multiple Exposure (ME) shooting by pressing the Creative Photo button) than by accessing it via the menu item. The Creative Photo button (I call it the “artist’s brush” button) is the topmost button in the vertical row of five buttons to the left of the large LCD on the back of the camera; it looks like an artist’s brush inside a rectangle. Once you press it, turn the thumb wheel clockwise once so that the Multiple exposure icon –the one in the middle — is highlighted in orange. Then press the Set button and proceed as directed below.

Here’s how to create Multiple Exposures:

Hit the Set button to bring up the ME menu. If you wish to check the look of the merged image as you proceed, or if you wish to save all the frames, choose Func/Ctrl (Function and Control Priority). The continuous shooting frame rate will decrease noticeably. If you are in Live View with On:Func/Ctrl set you can see the way the image will look when it merges with the next image in the series before you push the shutter button. This is very helpful when creating pattern multiple exposures or soft/sharp multiple exposures. In On:Func/Ctrl you have a choice on the menu as to whether you wish to Save source images. I always do by setting All images. If you do not want to save all the images set Result only.

If you wish to create a multiple exposure of a moving subject, you must choose ContShtng (Continuous shooting priority); the frame rate will not slow down. Important note: if you select ContShtng, only the multiple exposure will be saved. You will not be able to save all the images in the sequence. See page 268 in the camera instruction manual for a list of operations the will be disabled during this type of shooting.
Be sure to select Disable when you are done creating multiple exposures. You can also cancel Multiple exposure shooting by turning the camera off and then back on again.

For Multi-expos ctrl (Multiple exposure control) I recommend setting Average after setting the correct exposure compensation for a single frame. After creating the first multiple exposure image, you can check the histogram for the final result and adjust your exposure compensation as needed.

For No. of exposures (number of exposures) set the number of images that you wish to include in your final image. You can choose from 1-9 images. To set the number, first hit the Set button, then scroll up or down with the thumb wheel, and then hit Set again to register your choice.
As mentioned above, at Save source imgs (Save source images), selecting All images gives you great flexibility after the fact. If you do not get the image you want, you can assemble your own multiple exposures in Photoshop during post-processing using Layers. In addition, you might love one of the series as a stand-alone image. Remember, if you set ContShtng (Continuous shooting priority) at the outset, only a single image will be saved.

At Continue Mult-exp (Continue Multiple-exposures) set Continuously unless you wish to create only a single multiple exposure and then go back to normal shooting.

For more information and to check out the really fine details and restrictions that are in place when on creating multiple exposures, see pages 268-272 of the camera instruction manual.

Select image for mult. Expo.

If you would like to create a multiple exposure image on top of an image already recorded on the card, you must have Multiple Exposure active with all of your menu choices set and must of course have some images on the card. Then scroll down to Select image for multiple exposure at the bottom of the Multiple exposure sub-menu. Note: the base image must be a full-sized RAW file created with the 5D Mark IV without Highlight Tone Priority (HTP) enabled. You may, for example, wish to put an image of a large moon created with a long telephoto lens into a scenic image to be created with a wide angle lens. There are of course lots of other possibilities here for those with creative minds. The camera indicates Only compatible img’s displayed but that is a lie. ☺ If you do select an image that was created with HTP enabled it will show as Unselectable image.

First set On: Funct/Ctrl. If you wish to shoot only one image on top of your selected image, make sure that you have set the No of exposures to 2. If you wish to shoot multiple exposures on top of your base image then the No of exposures should be set to 3 or more.

Now select Select image for mult. Expo. Then hit the Set button. The images on the card will be displayed. Scroll with the Thumb Wheel to the image to that you wish to use as the base image, press Set, and the scroll to OK and press Set again. Now create the next image of the multiple exposure sequence. If you have set the No of exposures to 2, then you are finished. You can review the image by hitting the Replay (image review) arrow. If you have set the No of exposures to 3 or more, the number of remaining images will be shown near the upper right of the LCD. Continue until you are done. Again, there is lots of room here for creativity and plain old messing around.

Recent Fort DeSoto Images From bottom left clockwise back to center: Great Egret, blasting sunrise highlights; Black Skimmer, winter plumage in pre-dawn light; Roseate Spoonbill foraging; Brown Pelican, juvenile landing; hybrid heron X egret; American Oystercatcher feeding; Royal Tern, worn juvenile; Great Blue Heron from below.

Fort DeSoto Early Winter IPT. 3 1/2 days: $1599

Saturday DEC 2 (afternoon session) through the full day on Tuesday DEC 5, 2017. Meet and Greet Introduction on SAT DEC 2, 2017

With no water in Estero Lagoon, Corkscrew Swamp and Anhinga Trail total busts for many years, and Ding Darling NWR managed into oblivion, Fort DeSoto has emerged as the premier bird photography location in the state. Join me in early winter to escape the cold weather and photograph lots of tame terns, gulls, herons, egrets (including Reddish Egret), shorebirds (including and especially Marbled Godwit), Osprey, and Brown Pelican. Long-billed Curlew, Wood Stork, and Roseate Spoonbill all range somewhere between likely and possible.

Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.

DeSoto IPT Details

This IPT will include four 3 hour afternoon sessions, three 3 1/2 hour morning sessions, three lunches, and after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. Dinners are on your own so that we can get some sleep.

Because of the narrow time frame, your $499 non-refundable deposit can be paid not by credit card. Call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906 to register. Your balance must be paid by check once you sign up. The balance check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART) should me mailed to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your balance check. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.

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 :).

More Blog Subscription Problems 🙂

It appears that our server was recently spammed by AOL and possibly by several other (AOL-related?) e-mail providers. AOL was the first to do that to BPN more than a decade ago and we eventually solved the problem. But, they are back on our case. If you suddenly stopped receiving BAA Blog notices please click here to learn the easy work-around.

Stuff

If you did not chime in on yesterday’s blog post, please do so now as the blog is designed to be interactive. As always, the more folks who participate, the more everyone will learn. And yes, that includes me 🙂

I was glad to learn early on Thursday that Peter Noyes’ Nikon D-810 Digital SLR sold for $1499 just two hours after it was listed and that Multiple IPT veteran Shelly Goldstein sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens (the “old five”) in excellent condition for the $3899 a week after it was listed. I did lots more work on the 5D IV Guide on Thursday. I swam 3/4 mile. Did lots of positional exercises and cardio stuff and answered lots of e-mails; business as usual.

The Streak

Today makes one hundred five days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took more than two hours to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time (or not …), the plan right now is to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Booking.Com

Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all 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.

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.

This image was created on a zodiac photo-cruise at Hope Bay, Antarctica with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the EOS-1DX (now replaced by the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.) ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops as framed: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB in slightly overcast conditions. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: +5. Two AF points above the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Rear Button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point fell on bird’s face below and to the right of it’s eye where the white and black meet. Adelie Penguin on ice floe with wings raised, Hope Bay, Antarctica Be sure to enjoy an enlarged version by clicking on the image.

Why and How to Stand Up in a Zodiac …

Why is it often necessary to stand up in a Zodiac? The most common reason is so that you can have a clear line of sight to the subject over the folks kneeling in front of you. On well-run zodiac photo-cruises, most of the folks on the subject side of the zodiac will be kneeling (if it is physically possible for them to do that). Folks on the opposite side, the side away from the subject, will usually need to stand so that they can enjoy good photographic opportunities. On well-run zodiac photo-cruises experienced drivers will turn the boat around completely after a good pass so that the standing folks kneel and the kneeling folks stand.

With today’s image, there was another big reason for me to stand. What was it?

If you are in decent shape with relatively good balance, the physical process of standing up in a zodiac is not a big challenge. Before standing make sure that the area around your feet is clear of any gear that has been placed on the floor, and most importantly, ask the zodiac driver for permission to stand. This ensures that the driver will not move the zodiac unexpectedly. Have fun. And be safe.

The Southern Ocean Photography Guide: $100, via download link

The Southern Ocean Photography Guide (SOPG) e-book is complete and is available for purchase here for $100.00. Or, you can call us at 863-692-0906 Mondays through Fridays with your credit card in hand. A link to your PDF will be sent ASAP (Monday through Friday). This guide is one hundred twenty-eight pages, 21,500 words, and contains 158 inspirational photographs each accompanied by an educational caption.

Why a Photography Guide rather than a Site Guide? The SOPG includes a ton of information on the complex logistics of a voyage to South Georgia and/or Antarctica. The information in this guide will help you select the right trip, to prepare for your trip properly in terms of clothing and photography gear, and will teach you about the various forms of photographic opportunities that you will have including landings, zodiac cruises, photographing from the ship while underway, and ship cruising. The logistics of getting your gear and yourself safely ashore are covered in detail. For those considering such an expedition, there is a frank discussion about the physical demands of a Southern Ocean voyage.

The new guide does include specific tips for many of the popular landings. In South Georgia these include the landings at Elsehul, Fortuna Bay, Right Whale Bay, Hercules Bay, Grytviken, Stromness Harbor, Godthul, Undine Harbor, and Cooper Bay, as well as the famed landing sites at Salisbury Plain, Gold Harbor, and the mind-boggling St. Andrews Bay. In Antarctica you will–weather permitting–likely land at Brown Bluff, Jougla Point, Petermann Island, Neko Harbor, Danco Harbor, Hannah Point, and for the extremely lucky, Bailey Head. There is lots of zodiac cruising down by the continent at locations that include the ice- and Humpback Whale-filled Cierva Cove, Paulet Island (where landings are possible but not likely), Hope Bay, and lots more. You will learn what to expect on a zodiac cruise and how best to maximize your opportunities while protecting your gear.

Scroll down here for a free excerpt.

Why So Expensive?

Actually, if you consider the value of the information in the PDF that you will receive, the SOPG is cheap. I have spent well more than $70,000 out of pocket on my five Southern Ocean trips. You will likely be spending $10 to $20K or more on your trip. And you will likely be bringing $10 to $20K or more worth of gear on your trip. $100? That is a huge bargain.

As above, the info in this guide will prove invaluable. It will help you be prepared; it will help you to dress properly so that you can stay as warm and as dry as possible; it will help you keep your gear safe and dry; it will help you to maximize your photographic opportunities. And, if you follow the safety tips, it might even save your life.

From Ted Cheeseman

Ted Cheeseman was the Expedition Leader on two of my three Cheesemans’ Ecology Safari voyages. He is skillful, dedicated, and extremely knowledgeable. He is as passionate about ice and penguins as I am about bird photography. I recently sent him a review copy of the SOPG. Here is what he had to say:

Thank you for sharing this. I had no idea you were putting so much work into the guide. It was really fun to see your images. I have, of course, seen many of them, but many more I had not. I read a lot of it, not comprehensively but spent about an hour. Great stuff Artie. Your introduction is solid, honest, appropriate, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the experience from your perspective. Ted

Recent Fort DeSoto Images From bottom left clockwise back to center: Great Egret, blasting sunrise highlights; Black Skimmer, winter plumage in pre-dawn light; Roseate Spoonbill foraging; Brown Pelican, juvenile landing; hybrid heron X egret; American Oystercatcher feeding; Royal Tern, worn juvenile; Great Blue Heron from below.

Fort DeSoto Early Winter IPT. 3 1/2 days: $1599

Saturday DEC 2 (afternoon session) through the full day on Tuesday DEC 5, 2017. Meet and Greet Introduction on SAT DEC 2, 2017

With no water in Estero Lagoon, Corkscrew Swamp and Anhinga Trail total busts for many years, and Ding Darling NWR managed into oblivion, Fort DeSoto has emerged as the premier bird photography location in the state. Join me in early winter to escape the cold weather and photograph lots of tame terns, gulls, herons, egrets (including Reddish Egret), shorebirds (including and especially Marbled Godwit), Osprey, and Brown Pelican. Long-billed Curlew, Wood Stork, and Roseate Spoonbill all range somewhere between likely and possible.

Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.

DeSoto IPT Details

This IPT will include four 3 hour afternoon sessions, three 3 1/2 hour morning sessions, three lunches, and after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. Dinners are on your own so that we can get some sleep.

Because of the narrow time frame, your $499 non-refundable deposit can be paid not by credit card. Call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906 to register. Your balance must be paid by check once you sign up. The balance check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART) should me mailed to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your balance check. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.

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

On Tuesday the folks from Ridge Energy showed up on time to install the new air handler for my central air. They worked long and hard. I am plugging away on the 5D IV User’s Guide but the going is tough and slow. In addition, I answered the usual several dozen e-mails, swam 100 lengths of the pool — a bit more than 1 1/8 miles, and did some of my positional exercises.

With nobody signed up for this coming weekend at DeSoto you have the opportunity to enjoy private or practically private instruction by opting to join me. Friday afternoon is free for those who sign up for the full day on Saturday. Scroll down for details. I am going with nobody 🙂

Coming on Thursday: 15 versions of the Marbled Godwit RAW Conversion Challenge. This and the follow-up will turn out to be one of the most educational BIRDS AS ART Blog posts ever.

Used Camera Body Bonanza

Including record low BAA prices for a Canon 1DX II and a Nikon D-810.

Nikon D-810 Digital SLR Camera Body (with extras!)

Peter Noyes is offering a Nikon D-810 Digital SLR Camera Body in excellent condition (with extras!) for the great low price of $1499. The sale includes one Nikon EN-EL 15 Lithium Ion Battery, the MH 25A Battery Charger, the BF-1B Body Cap, the Nikon camera strap, four Lexar 64 GB 1066X 160MB/s compact flash cards, two Lexar Professional 1000X 32 GB compact flash cards, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Peter via e-mail or by phone at 1-567-356-0878 (Eastern time).

The 36 megapixel D-810 sells new for $2,796.95; it is the high resolution option in the Nikon DSLR lineup. The CMOS sensor does not have an optical low pass filter; this allows for particularly sharp and detailed images. It features low noise throughout the ISO range and continuous shooting speed in FX format of 5 fps and in DX format it tops out at maximum of 7 fps. To this Canon shooter it sounds very much like my beloved 5D Mark IV. artie

artie

Canon EOS-1DX Mark II

Price reduced $400 on 7 NOV 2017

Mansoor Assadi is also offering a used Canon EOS-1DX Mark II professional digital camera body in like-new condition for a BAA record low $4499 (was $4899) with only 23,000 shutter actuations.The camera was recently cleaned and checked by Canon. The sale includes the front body cap, a RRS L-plate, a LensCoat BodyBag, the original box with everything that came in it, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).

The 1DX Mark II is Canon’s rugged, blazingly fast professional digital camera body. It features an amazing AF system and high quality image files with great dynamic range. It is the choice of Arash Hazeghi, one of the world’s premier birds in flight photographers. artie

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Price reduced $200 on 7 NOV 2017

Mansoor Assadi is also offering a used Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body in excellent condition (with slight scratches on top of camera) for a very low and fair $999 (was $1199). The sale includes the front body cap, a RRS L-plate, the original box with everything that came in it, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).

Two dependable, rugged 1D Mark IVs served as my workhorse professional bodies for several years; I really enjoyed their 1.3X crop factors, the fast frame rate, and the excellent image quality. artie

Recent Fort DeSoto Images From bottom left clockwise back to center: Great Egret, blasting sunrise highlights; Black Skimmer, winter plumage in pre-dawn light; Roseate Spoonbill foraging; Brown Pelican, juvenile landing; hybrid heron X egret; American Oystercatcher feeding; Royal Tern, worn juvenile; Great Blue Heron from below.

Fort DeSoto Early Winter IPT. 3 1/2 days: $1599

Saturday DEC 2 (afternoon session) through the full day on Tuesday DEC 5, 2017. Meet and Greet Introduction on SAT DEC 2, 2017

With no water in Estero Lagoon, Corkscrew Swamp and Anhinga Trail total busts for many years, and Ding Darling NWR managed into oblivion, Fort DeSoto has emerged as the premier bird photography location in the state. Join me in early winter to escape the cold weather and photograph lots of tame terns, gulls, herons, egrets (including Reddish Egret), shorebirds (including and especially Marbled Godwit), Osprey, and Brown Pelican. Long-billed Curlew, Wood Stork, and Roseate Spoonbill all range somewhere between likely and possible.

Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.

DeSoto IPT Details

This IPT will include four 3 hour afternoon sessions, three 3 1/2 hour morning sessions, three lunches, and after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. Dinners are on your own so that we can get some sleep.

Because of the narrow time frame, your $499 non-refundable deposit can be paid not by credit card. Call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906 to register. Your balance must be paid by check once you sign up. The balance check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART) should me mailed to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your balance check. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.

The Streak

Today makes one hundred three days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took less than 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 480 … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Booking.Com

Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all 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.

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.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto on the very stormy morning of October 29, 2017 with the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and my favorite Willet blur photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops as framed: 1/30 sec. at f/4.0 in Manual mode. Cloudy WB in dark, stormy, completely overcast conditions. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -2. One AF point above the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Rear Button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point fell on the tip of the bill. Image Snowy Egret on eroding berm in storm Be sure to enjoy an enlarged version by clicking on the image.

Tough Stormy Conditions Part III

As you’ve learned here the past few days, the morning of October 28, 2017 was — with huge storm clouds, spitting rain, and winds at about 45mph out of the north northwest (with higher gusts!) — a difficult one for nature photographers. The Gulf was a roiling mass of whitecaps and breaking waves. Only Lee Sommie and I remained from the Saturday group. It was a big challenge trying to create a few meaningful images in almost un-photographable conditions. In today’s featured image note the beach erosion. When several Snowy Egrets landed on the edge of the eroded berm I thought that it might be possible to make an image with the bird sharp and the background waves completely blurred to white. I chose the relatively slow shutter speed of 1/30 second. In most of the images, the bird was simply not at all sharp and the blurring was unpleasant. The fact that the wind was behind me gave me a chance.

I will be sharing still more images and tales from that very rough morning with you here.

Ron Gates’ Relevant Comments Make My Point

Below the Tough Stormy Conditions Part I: Fun in the High Winds and Spray! And Just Playin’ in Photoshop blog post here, regular Ron Gates left an insightful comment:

Interesting special effects in Photoshop. I liked the Distort/Wave one the best although the Distort Twirl was interesting as well. The original bunker shot didn’t do a lot for me personally. What I liked most of all was the idea to experiment and the results of that.

I replied:

Good thinking Ron. My main (but somewhat unstated) point was that when things are really bad you can either fold up your tent and quit or try something, anything. Quitting is always easier. with love, artie

The Before and After Image Clean-up

One of the things that I strive to do here on a daily basis is to share with you what I was thinking as I assess a situation and what I was thinking as I execute my plan. When I pressed the shutter button on this series I envisioned what the photo would look like with all the beach crap (for lack of a better word) removed in Photoshop; as in the BEFORE & AFTER animated GIF immediately above.

During the RAW conversion in DPP 4 I used the Color fine tune dot to better line up the R, the G, and the B by moving the dot right and down a bit, away from BLUE. That after loading my 5D IV/ISO 800 recipe. Once I brought the image into Photoshop the clean-up was straightforward but time consuming. I made sure to work large and to work slowly and carefully. As always I used the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, the Clone Stamp Tool, Content Aware Fill, and a series of small Quick Masks each refined by the Transform command or a Regular Layer Mask (or by both). Then I selected the eyes, the lores, and the fill and selectively sharpened that layer only with a Contrast Mask. Then — using the Quick Selection Tool — I carefully selected the pupil, the black bill, and the black on the legs, placed the selection on its own layer, and set the black point using a Levels adjustment; wow, what a difference that made! Then I saved the unsharpened TIFF, duplicated the file, used one to create the animated GIF, and the other to create the sharpened (Unsharp Mask at 110/0.3/0) 1200 pixel wide of today’s featured image.

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 and many of the older 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.

More Cheap Weekend Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instruction

Sign up for the full day Saturday 11 NOV and the Friday afternoon session (4:30pm till sunset) on 10 NOV is free!

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149. Add lunch, image review, and Photoshop session: $249 (total).

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Afternoon session — 4:30pm for 3 hours: $99.

Saturday, November 11, 2017, both sessions including lunch: $329. Sign up for the full day Saturday and enjoy a Friday afternoon session for free.

Sunday, November 12, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149.

Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.

Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.

Cheap but great instruction.

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

The UFC 217 Pay Per View on Saturday evening November 4, was the best $59.95 I ever spent on sports entertainment. I was rooting for Rose Namajunas to defeat the big favorite, the undefeated Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. I was rooting for another underdog, TJ Dillashaw, to crush loud-mouthed braggart Bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt. Lastly, I was hoping that Georges (Rush) St-Pierre who had not fought for four years and was moving up a weight class, would be able to dethrone Middleweight champion Michael Bisping. I was a delirious three for three, two huge upsets and three new champions! 🙂

More than a dozen folks responded to the RAW File/Image Optimization Challenge #2 in yesterday’s blog post here. It is not too late for you to take a crack at it.

On Sunday I worked on blog posts, got some more work done on the 5D Mark IV User’s Guide, swam an easy one mile, and exercised a lot. All that while enjoying NFL Sunday Ticket games…

Recent Fort DeSoto Images From bottom left clockwise back to center: Great Egret, blasting sunrise highlights; Black Skimmer, winter plumage in pre-dawn light; Roseate Spoonbill foraging; Brown Pelican, juvenile landing; hybrid heron X egret; American Oystercatcher feeding; Royal Tern, worn juvenile; Great Blue Heron from below.

Fort DeSoto Early Winter IPT. 3 1/2 days: $1599

Saturday DEC 2 (afternoon session) through the full day on Tuesday DEC 5, 2017. Meet and Greet Introduction on SAT DEC 2, 2017

With no water in Estero Lagoon, Corkscrew Swamp and Anhinga Trail total busts for many years, and Ding Darling NWR managed into oblivion, Fort DeSoto has emerged as the premier bird photography location in the state. Join me in early winter to escape the cold weather and photograph lots of tame terns, gulls, herons, egrets (including Reddish Egret), shorebirds (including and especially Marbled Godwit), Osprey, and Brown Pelican. Long-billed Curlew, Wood Stork, and Roseate Spoonbill all range somewhere between likely and possible.

Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.

DeSoto IPT Details

This IPT will include four 3 hour afternoon sessions, three 3 1/2 hour morning sessions, three lunches, and after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. Dinners are on your own so that we can get some sleep.

Because of the narrow time frame, your $499 non-refundable deposit can be paid not by credit card. Call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906 to register. Your balance must be paid by check once you sign up. The balance check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART) should me mailed to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your balance check. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.

The Streak

Today makes one hundred one days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took less than 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 480 … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Booking.Com

Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all 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.

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.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto with the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and my favorite bunker photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops as framed: 1/200 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. AWB in totally beyond overcast conditions. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -2. Center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Rear Button AF on the upper right corner of the large structure and re-compose. Derelict bunker at old fort at Fort DeSoto

Tough Stormy Conditions Part I

On the morning of October 28, 2017 the skies were cloudy and spitting, the winds were about 45mph out of the north northwest, and the Gulf was a roiling mass of whitecaps and breaking waves. Conditions were quite Armageddon-like. Only Lee Sommie and I remained from the Saturday group. We had a ton of fun trying to create a few meaningful images in almost un-photographable conditions. For today’s featured image I chose a derelict offshore bunker that was originally part of the historic fort.

My original plan for the bunker was to go to a low ISO and create some really long exposures of from 2 to four seconds to render the waves a soft, silky blur. It was a great plan but with the relatively fierce wind blowing at me from my right, the lens hood was vibrating like a drum and though I made about 20 very slow shutter speed images, the structure was completely blurred in each and every frame. I could not remove the lens hood — usually a good plan when using a long lens in high winds — because the spray would have covered the front lens element in seconds. Then I tried a variety of fast shutter speeds ranging from 1/80 to 1/200 sec. I like that even with the relatively fast shutter speed of 1/200 second today’s featured image conveyed the stormy day concept quite well.

I will be sharing more images from that memorably stormy morning with you here.

Just Playing: Filter > Distort > Wave

Just Playing: Filter > Distort > Wave

Since my super slow blurs did not work I decided to experiment in Photoshop. I tried Filter > Distort > Wave

Just Playing: Filter > Distort > Twirl/strong>

Just Playing: Filter > Distort > Twirl

Next, and again just for fun, I decided to experiment in Photoshop this time with Filter > Distort > Wave.

Your favorite?

Which of today’s three images, straight up, Wave, or Twirl do you like best. Why?

More Cheap Weekend Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instruction

Sign up for the full day Saturday 11 NOV and the Friday afternoon session (4:30pm till sunset) on 10 NOV is free!

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149. Add lunch, image review, and Photoshop session: $249 (total).

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Afternoon session — 4:30pm for 3 hours: $99.

Saturday, November 11, 2017, both sessions including lunch: $329. Sign up for the full day Saturday and enjoy a Friday afternoon session for free.

Sunday, November 12, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149.

Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.

Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.

Cheap but great instruction.

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

Thanks to Eugen Dolan for getting me off my butt and getting this information together. And to Lee Sommie for the three images that he contributed. On Friday I worked on blog posts, answered e-mails, and entertained the Ridge Energy air conditioning repairman. A team will be here on Tuesday to replace the air handler; everything was so rusted that the fan motor failed and it seemed to make much more sense to replace the whole unit rather than to replace the motor and then try to figure out what was leaking …

Right now nobody is signed up for DeSoto next weekend. That means that if you can join me you will be in a very small group, possibly a very small group of one. I am going with none 🙂

Due to a cancellation there is a single opening on San Diego IPT #1 (click here for details). And with only two folks signed up, there is lots of room on San Diego IPT #2 (scroll down here for details that one). I am offering a free Saturday morning session for those who sign up for San Diego #2.

Recent Fort DeSoto Images From bottom left clockwise back to center: Great Egret, blasting sunrise highlights; Black Skimmer, winter plumage in pre-dawn light; Roseate Spoonbill foraging; Brown Pelican, juvenile landing; hybrid heron X egret; American Oystercatcher feeding; Royal Tern, worn juvenile; Great Blue Heron from below.

More Cheap Weekend Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instruction

Sign up for the full day Saturday 11 NOV and the Friday afternoon session (4:30pm till sunset) on 10 NOV is free!

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149. Add lunch, image review, and Photoshop session: $249 (total).

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Afternoon session — 4:30pm for 3 hours: $99.

Saturday, November 11, 2017, both sessions including lunch: $329. Sign up for the full day Saturday and enjoy a Friday afternoon session for free.

Sunday, November 12, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149.

Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.

Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.

Cheap but great instruction.

The Streak

Today makes ninety-nine days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took less than 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 480 … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Booking.Com

Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all 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.

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.

General Comments on Hand Holding Big Glass

I am not young and I am not strong. I used to be younger 🙂 Hand holding the Canon 600mm IS II (8.65 pounds plus the camera and a TC) is something that I do only rarely. Hand holding the Canon 500mm IS II (7.04 pounds plus the camera and a TC) is a lot easier for me, but still something that I do not make a habit of. I an fairly comfortable hand holding the Canon 400mm f/4 DO II (4.63 pounds plus the camera and a TC), but after awhile even that causes some fatigue. I can, however, hand hold the Canon 100-400mm II (a measly 3.5 pounds plus the camera and possibly the 1.4X TC) pretty much all day long.

That said, there are lots of techniques that you can use to make your hand holding easier, reduce fatigue, and enable you to produce consistently sharper images no matter how young and strong or old and weak you are. Questions are of course welcome.

General Hand Holding Tips

When you are not actively photographing, find a comfortable rest position, one that does not require you to hold the camera up. For the smaller telephoto lenses (up to the 400 DO II), the Black Rapid Curve Breathe Camera Strap is ideal. With big glass some folks use a strap or a belt device of some sort to reduce muscle strain. Others simply hold the rig by the camera with the lens pointing at or even resting on the ground or on a fence rail of on the gunnels or a boat.

The biggest mistake that I see is folks not extending their left hands far enough out on the lens barrel. I will often ask them, “Would you try to hold a log up from one end? Whatever the lens, be sure to get your left hand at least half way out on the lens barrel.

Study and learn from each of the images below and from my brief comments below each photograph. Again, questions are of course welcome.

Kneeling Knee-pod Technique

The kneeling ground pod technique is an excellent one. Note that DeSoto IPT participant Alan Nodes has his left hand well out on the lens barrel of the old 100-400. Because I often get cramps in my hamstrings when kneeling, I rarely if ever use this technique.

Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS Zoom Lens (the original 1-4)

Chesley Swann is offering a Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS Zoom Lens (the original 1-4) in excellent condition for the very low price of $529.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the front lens cap, the tough fabric zippered lens case, and insured Ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact (Chesley) via e-mail or by phone at 1-210-771-9072) (Central time).

The older 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. Over the years I’ve sold 100s of images made with this lens. And Denise Ippolito loved hers for many years forsaking it only recently for the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. Chesley’s lens is priced to sell quickly. artie

Sitting Knee-pod Technique

Here my right-hand man Jim Litzenberg demonstrates the sitting knee-pod technique while hand holding the 200-400 f/4L IS lens with Internal 1.4X TC (7.98 pounds plus the camera and a TC) at Fort DeSoto. Note that his left forearm is firmly and squarely positioned on his left thigh and that his left hand is on the focusing ring. This allows him to pre-focus manually when he needs to. When using short telephoto lenses I usually opt to rotate the tripod collar so that the lens plate faces up to the sky as holding the lens barrel rather than the lens plate that seems more stable to me. Other fine photographers do it exactly as Jim does. Try both and determine which works better for you.

Patrick Sparkman using the sitting knee-pod technique on the low cliffs at LaJolla

Sitting Knee-pod Technique with the 600 II/2X III/5D IV Combo

You need a measure of strength when hand holding at 1200mm even if you use perfect sitting knee-pod technique (as Patrick is doing above). Note that unlike me Patrick keeps the lens plate (actually the CRX-5 Low Foot/Plate) below the lens. But unlike Jim he hooks the pinky of his left hand over the top of the CRX-5. When I do that, I use the last two fingers of my left hand. Try all three ways and see which one works best for you.

Sitting Knee-pod Technique with the 600 II/2X III/5D IV Combo Image courtesy of and copyright 2017: Lee Sommie

Sitting Knee-pod Technique with the 600 II/2X III/5D IV Combo

Above is yours truly demonstrating the sitting knee-pod technique with the 600 II/2X III/5D IV combo while working vertically. Note how far out on the lens barrel I have my left hand; that for increased stability.

Standing Olympic Rifle-shooter Technique with the 600 II/5D IV Combo Image courtesy of and copyright 2017: Lee Sommie

Standing Olympic Rifle-shooter Technique with the 600 II/5D IV Combo

Above is yours truly demonstrating the standing Olympic rifle-shooter technique with the 600 II/5D IV combo while working vertically. Begin by standing roughly square to the subject with your feet shoulder width apart. Note how far out on the lens barrel I have my left hand; that for increased stability. Note that my body is positioned roughly 90 degrees to the subject.

For more information, see the excellent detailed explanation (with photos) on the RifleSilhouette website here.

Standing Olympic Rifle-shooter Technique/side view Image courtesy of and copyright 2017: Lee Sommie

Standing Olympic Rifle-shooter Technique/Side View

In the image above, you can see that my left upper arm is tucked firmly into my side and that my upper body is leaning back just a bit to better balance the weight of the lens. When doing flight photography or photographing birds perched up in trees, you need to lean back a bit more. There are dozens of great tips on hand holding and flight photography in Jim Neiger’s Flight Plan e-Guide.

Flight Plan

I can say without a doubt that after spending more than two months (part time) editing Jim Neiger’s great e-Guide–Flight Plan–four years ago–that my flight photography improved by leaps and bound whether I am working off a tripod or hand holding. His explanation of the bumping the focus technique finally sunk in. Learning to use this technique regularly is a huge help for any all types of flight photography.

You can learn more about Flight Plan here (sorry, we lost the images …) or by clicking here.

2017 in San Diego was a very good year ….

2018 San Diego 3 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART IPT #2: Sunday, JAN 28 thru and including the morning session on Wednesday, JAN 31, 2018 and a free Saturday morning session the day before the IPT starts: 3 1/2 days (+1/2!): $1699. Limit: 8: Openings: 7.

Meet and Greet at 6:30pm on the evening before the IPT begins; Saturday, Jan 27, 2018.

San Diego IPT #2: Shorter and Less Expensive!

Please remember: I go with one.

Join me in San Diego near the end of January to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (usually nesting and displaying) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Ring-necked Duck; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Wood Duck and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heerman’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Whimbrel, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seal (depending on the current regulations) and California Sea Lion; and Bird of Paradise flowers. And as you can see by studying the two IPT cards there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Please note: formerly dependable, both Wood Duck and Marbled Godwit have been declining at their usual locations for the past two years …

With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography. And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You can do most of your photography with an 80- or 100-400 lens …

Did I mention that there are wealth of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter?

The San Diego Details

This IPT will include four 3 1/2 hour morning photo sessions, three 2 1/2 hour afternoon photo sessions, three lunches, and after-lunch image review and Photoshop sessions. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. Dinners are on your own so that we can get some sleep.

A $599 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. You can send a check (made out to “Arthur Morris) to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. Or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, will be due on 11/1/2016. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

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

On Wednesday I watched Game 6 of the World Series on TIVO. Wow, what an exciting series it has been. I am looking forward to Game 7 on Wednesday night. As an old Brooklynite I am rooting for the Dodgers.

The afternoon was spent working on Used Gear Stuff, a nice swim in a cool pool, and exercise.

The next Cheap Weekend Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instructional sessions were moved back one week. See the details immediately below.

If you missed last night’s notice of the insanely low Used Gear prices in the Used Gear Sales Market Downturn post, click here.

This Just In

After six thrilling contests, Game 7 of the 2017 World Series was totally boring. Though the Dodgers had their chances — ten left on base I think –congrats go to the Houston Astros led by their tiny but amazing second baseman Jose Altuve.

Very Recent Fort DeSoto Images From bottom left clockwise back to center: Great Egret, blasting sunrise highlights; Black Skimmer, winter plumage in pre-dawn light; Roseate Spoonbill foraging; Brown Pelican, juvenile landing; hybrid heron X egret; American Oystercatcher feeding; Royal Tern, worn juvenile; Great Blue Heron from below.

More Cheap Weekend Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instruction

Moved back one week

Sign up for the full day Saturday 11 NOV and the Friday afternoon on 10 NOV (4:30pm till sunset) session is free!

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149. Add lunch, image review, and Photoshop session: $249 (total).

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Afternoon session — 4:30pm for 3 hours: $99.

Saturday, November 11, 2017, both sessions including lunch: $329. Sign up for the full day Saturday and enjoy a Friday afternoon session for free.

Sunday, November 12, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149.

Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.

Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.

Cheap but great instruction.

The Streak

Today makes ninety-eight 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 480 … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Booking.Com

Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all 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.

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.

This image was created on Saturday morning October 28, 2017, on the Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instructional Session by Lee Sommie with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 560mm) and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. AWB in sunny but slightly overcast conditions. Two AF points above the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point just caught the tertials at the base of the tern’s near underwing. Sandwich Tern squabbling with Laughing Gull Image #1: Courtesy of and copyright 2017: Lee Sommie

When Unexpected Action Occurs … Do what Lee Sommie did twice!

As I have said here and elsewhere, when unexpected action occurs, strive to push the shutter button immediately. If you even think about changing your exposure or anything to do with AF you will almost surely miss 100% of the action. It seems pretty simple, but with my subconscious desire to have everything perfect, it has been a hard one for me to implement. I am getting better at it on rare occasion. Lee as an intermediate bird photographer is obviously doing quite well at it.

I had been photographing the Laughing Gull on the rock and was walking away in search of a better situation when I looked back and saw the tern fly in at the gull. “Did you get it Lee?” I called out. He answered, “I think so.” And indeed he did.

This image was also created on Saturday morning, October 28, 2017 on the Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instructional Session by Lee Sommie with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 560mm) and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. AWB in sunny but slightly overcast conditions. Two AF points above the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was placed on the plumes at the base of the bird’s neck. Snowy Egret with wings raisedl Image #2: Courtesy of and copyright 2017: Lee Sommie

My Advice for Lee

Lee, for more consistent exposures, quit working in Av mode and start working in Manual mode. Aperture priority can get you in big trouble in situations with changing background tonalities and different subject tonalities …

Which?

Which of Lee’s two images is your favorite? Please leave a comment and let us know why as well.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto in the pitch dark of early morning on Saturday, October 27 with the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 100mm), and my favorite pier photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering ??? 2 1/2 seconds at f/22 in Av mode. WB: 5500. I used my still flower technique: Live View (for mirror lock) and 2-second timer. Flexi-Sone Single rear focus AF. I selected a point 1/3 of the way out onto the pier. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: zero (extrapolated). Please click on the image to see the spectacular larger version. Pier at night, Fort DeSoto Park, Pinellas County, FL

The Fun in the Dark with Digital/Starry Night blog post here included these two questions:

Exposure Question

What exposure compensation do you think that I set to come up with the perfect exposure?

Technique Question

Why were both Live View and the 2-second timer both unnecessary precautions?

Friend and IPT participant David Peake left this (slightly revised) comment:

Exposure comp would be something minus. Maybe -3 stops. With the very long exposure mirror lock up and/or the 2-second timer were not needed because any vibrations would last only for very small portion of the exposure time and thus would not affect sharpness in any way.

Minus three stops is exactly what I had used. And he is right about the self-timer/mirror lock stuff. Well done Mr. Peake.

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

Early on Tuesday morning I prepared this blog post and spent a good part of the day working on the 5D Mark IV User’s Guide. The pool is down four degrees since last week so my swims have been especially enjoyable. I did 50 lengths on Tuesday afternoon along with lots of stretching and exercise.

I decided to move the Cheap Weekend Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instruction back one week. See the details immediately below.

More Cheap Weekend Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instruction

Moved back one week

Sign up for the full day Saturday 11 NOV and the Friday afternoon on 10 NOV (4:30pm till sunset) session is free!

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149. Add lunch, image review, and Photoshop session: $249 (total).

Saturday, November 11, 2017: Afternoon session — 4:30pm for 3 hours: $99.

Saturday, November 11, 2017, both sessions including lunch: $329. Sign up for the full day Saturday and enjoy a Friday afternoon session for free.

Sunday, November 12, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149.

Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.

Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.

Cheap but great instruction.

The Streak

Today makes ninety-seven days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took two hours to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time (or not …), the plan right now is to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Mansoor Assadi is offering a used Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body in excellent condition (with slight scratches on top of camera) for a very low and fair $1199. The sale includes the front body cap, a RRS L-plate, the original box with everything that came in it, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).

Two dependable, rugged 1D Mark IVs served as my workhorse professional bodies for several years; I really enjoyed their 1.3X crop factors, the fast frame rate, and the excellent image quality. artie

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Mansoor Assadi is also offering a used Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital camera body in excellent condition (with slight scratches on top of camera) for a very low $1299 (recently cleaned and checked by Canon). The sale includes the front body cap, the original box with everything that came in it, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).

I have used the 5D III for birds on occasion with excellent results, even with the 2X III TC and the 600 II. For man years it was my go-to dSLR for flowers, landscapes, and Urbex photography until I replaced it first with the 5DS R and then with the 5D Mark IV. In my experience, the quality of the image files is superb. artie

Canon EOS 5DS R

Mansoor Assadi is also offering a used Canon EOS 5DS R digital camera body in like-new condition for only $2649. The sale includes the front body cap, a RRS L-plate, a LensCoat BodyBag, the Canon batter grip (with only one battery), the original box with everything that came in it, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).

The 5DS R is the premier dSLR for landscape photography and as Patrick Sparkman and I proved, it is a great body for bird, wildlife, and nature photographers who have good sharpness techniques, especially those who make large prints; its image quality is unmatched. artie

Canon EOS-1DX Mark II

Mansoor Assadi is also offering a used Canon EOS-1DX Mark II professional digital camera body in like-new condition for only $4899 with only 23,000 shutter actuations.The camera was recently cleaned and checked by Canon. The sale includes the front body cap, a RRS L-plate, a LensCoat BodyBag, the original box with everything that came in it, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Mansoor via e-mail or by phone at 415-559-8027 (Pacific time).

The 1DX Mark II is Canon’s rugged, blazingly fast professional digital camera body. It features an amazing AF system and high quality image files with great dynamic range. It is the choice of Arash Hazeghi, one of the world’s premier birds in flight photographers. artie

Booking.Com

Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all 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.

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.

This image was created on the morning of the October 28, 2017 Saturday In-the-Field Instructional session with the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and my favorite shorebird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero as framed: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. AWB in late afternoon light (at 5:49pm on a clear day). LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -1. One AF point above the center AF point/AI Servo/Shutter Button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was placed jus behind (and right on the same plane) as the bird’s eye; see the illuminated AF point in the DPP 4 screen capture below. Sanderling in winter plumage Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version.

Sandpiper Photography Tips

• 1-If the birds are actively feeding sit behind your lowered tripod; do not lie down flat. It is much easier to follow the birds as they are foraging and much easier to place the AF point where you need it, on the bird’s face or neck or upper breast. Though you will not get lowest possible perspective, the views while seated behind a long lens are still quite intimate. In addition, sitting rather than lying down often eliminates other birds feeding in the background.
• 2-Use AF Expand and move it up or down or left or right as dictated by the bird’s proximity and the position of its body and head while keeping your desired composition in mind. When a bird gets really close, be sure to avoid clipping the tail by moving the AF point in the direction the bird is headed.
• 3-Wait for the pause! If is exceedingly difficult to follow a walking or running shorebird and keep the selected AF point on the bird’s face or neck or upper breast. Wait for the bird to pause. They do so often but usually just for a second or two. If the birds are not particularly skittish you can often freeze them for a moment by making a squeak through pursed lips of kweek noise with your throat. Try relatively soft sounds at first to avoid flushing the whole flock.
• 4-The more you know about your subjects the better your images will be. To that end, get yourself a copy of my Shorebirds; Beautiful Beachcombers and start studying. You will learn to age and identify them and learn about their amazing migrations, their feeding and breeding strategies, and their habitat preferences.

Post Processing Suggestions?

If you would you have done anything more with the post processing, please feel free to leave your suggestion in the form of a comment below. I guess that that is the same as asking if anything about the image bugs you …

Very Glad That I Micro-adjusted/Part II

As noted yesterday, I spent several hours last week micro-adjusting my 600 II alone, the 600 II with my 1.4X III i TC, and then with my 2X III i TC. All with my #1 5D Mark IV body. It was time well-spent. Today’s image shows the remarkable sharpness possible with the 600 II/1.4X III TC/5D Mark IV combo. The AFA with this combo was only -1, relatively insignificant. For me, knowing that I will consistently in the zone of sharpest focus makes the time well spent. And as we say yesterday, some of your AFA values — like -10 with the 600 II and the 2X TC — can make huge differences in sharpness.

Folks interested in getting the greatest across the board sharpness from their expensive telephoto lenses and camera bodies while enjoying peace of mind can click here to learn more about the amazing LensAlign/FocusTune package and here to learn about the LensAlign/FocusTune Micro-adjusting Tutorial e-Guide.

This is an unsharpened 100% crop of today’s featured image

Unsharpened 100% Crop

How does this look to you in terms of sharpness on the eye and fine feather and bill detail? It is rare to see the lashes of a bird’s eye-skin so sharply etched.

The DPP 4 Screen Capture for today’s featured image

The DPP 4 Screen Capture for Today’s Featured Image

First I loaded my 5DIV ISO 400 recipe as always; what a time-saver. Notice that even though I moved the Color fine tune dot towards BLUE,, I did not go for completely neutral WHITEs; R=237, G=234, B=227. Before converting the RAW image I moved the Highlight slider to -.5 as -1.0 made the WHITEs to grey.

Once I brought the converted TIF into Photoshop I did a good amount of beach cleanup and in addition, I eliminated the worst of the specular highlights on the Sanderling’s black legs. Those using the Patch Tool (P), the Clone Stamp Tool (S), the Spot Healing Brush (J), and Content Aware Fill (Shift + Delete). Then I used Select > Color Range to select only the brightest WHITEs. I feathered the selection .7 pixels and saved it after naming it “whites.” Then I put the selection on its own Layer (Command + J), changed the Blending Mode to Linear Burn, and reduced the opacity to 10%. After merging that layer I loaded the selection, applied a 100% layer of NIK Color Efex Pro Detail Extractor, and painted away about 75% of the effect after adding a Regular Layer Mask.

Then I named and saved the master TIF file and created the 1200 pixel wide JPEG that opened this blog post after sharpening it with Unsharp Mask at 80/.3/0.

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 and many of the older 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.

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

After lunch on Saturday the weather was threatening so after a five minute pit stop at the motel we headed back out to make hay while the sun did not shine. We did well at several locations in a light but steady drizzle. We didn’t quit until after four pm. Then it was back to the motel for another hour of image review and Photoshop lessons.

On Sunday morning it was just Lee Sommie and me. The wind was howling from the north northwest with gusts higher than 40 mph. The Gulf seas were raging. There were few birds but the stormy skies were quite dramatic. I did Sea Oat blurs in the dark and and when things brightened up a bit I did Willet blurs and Laughing Gulls and Snowy Egrets with blurred wave backgrounds. Along with lots of slow shutter speed waves. And I played around with the circle lens, the Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM lens.

We switched to a location that was more out of the wind and did well with some shorebirds until the sun broke through. Then it was wind against sun and time to drive home for and afternoon of NFL Sunday Ticket games and game 5 of the World Series.

An e-mail from Noel Heustis

I first met Noel on the beach during the Fort DeSoto Fall IPT. He was and is a nice young man and was very interested in learning bird photography despite his meager gear. The group and I befriended him. He wound up purchasing a 100-400 II and a 7D II. I was delighted that he was able to join us on Saturday. That evening I got this e-mail from Noel (one syllable).

Artie, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I had a great time yesterday. I was absolutely flooded with understanding, ideas, inspiration, and…a lot more questions. I think the most valuable takeaway I got from yesterday was learning to see different situations in the field, trying to photograph them myself, and then seeing your images of the same situation! Your ideas on getting the predawn Snowy Egret against the pink lighting in the water, or another one stretched out away from the rocks feeding in a horizontal position, and then seeing your treatment of the situation was amazing (especially as compared to my versions!)

Thank you for lunch as well. Great lunch, great place, great people, great stories. I loved seeing the process you go through from card reader to edits to DPP 4 to Photoshop. I will send a few edited images from my first week with the new set-up tomorrow. I’m excited to see some of the images the others got as well.

Your friend, Noel

More Cheap Weekend Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Instruction

If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

Sign up for the full day Saturday and the Friday afternoon session is free!

Saturday, November 4, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149. Add lunch, image review, and Photoshop session: $249 (total).

Saturday, November 4, 2017: Afternoon session — 4:30pm for 3 hours: $99.

Saturday, November 4, 2017, both sessions including lunch: $329. Sign up for the full day Saturday and enjoy a Friday afternoon session for free.

Sunday, November 5, 2017: Morning session — 6:45am for 3 1/2 hours: $149.

Learn to get the right exposure every time, to approach free and wild (and often tame!) birds, and to design a pleasing image. And learn the location of my new Fort DeSoto hotspot along with my favorite sunset location (sky conditions permitting). To register call Jim or Jen at the office at 863-692-0906 or shoot me an e-mail.

Canon lens rentals are available on a limited basis: 600 II, 500 II, 400 DO II, and 200-400 f/4 with Internal TC.

Cheap but great instruction.

The Streak

Today makes ninety-five days in a row with a new educational blog post! This one took two hours to prepare. With all of my upcoming free time (or not …), the plan right now is to break the current record streak of 480 … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Booking.Com

Booking.Com came through for me twice again recently with both the DeSoto Fall IPT and next July’s UK Puffins, Gannets, and Bempton Pre-trip room reservations. And all 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.

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.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto with the Induro GIT304L Grand Series 3 Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and my favorite pelican photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the water alone: 1/400 sec. at f/5 in Manual mode. AWB in totally overcast conditions. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -2. One row below and two AF points to the right of the center AF point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter Button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point caught the bottom of the bill pouch 2/3 of the way down the lower mandible. Brown Pelican, juvenile laughing

AF Point Lessons and Action Shooting Strategies …

After explaining my reasoning to the group I selected a low right AF point for this right-facing bird because when the pelican lunge into the water they often extend their bills forward while distending their bill pouches, that to drain the water from them while leaving the fish. I had created several of those just prior to making this image but the head angle was just a tad away on each of them. When the bird opened its bill to swallow the greenbacks (baitfish not currency), I kept firing even though the AF point was not ideally placed.

That is the lesson; when the action happens, do not think to make any adjustments to your focus or exposure settings. Push the button. You might well be rewarded. If you try to make any changes, the only guarantee is that you will wind up with nothing …

Adding Pop to the Laughing Pelican

As I’ve said here often (as recently as yesterday’s blog post), “If your RAW files look good on the back of your camera and on your laptop, they are under-exposed. Your properly exposed RAW files should look washed out, especially those made in low light and those that average to lighter than a middle tone.” Exposing to the right as I did with today’s featured image reduces noise in the dark tones and produces larger, higher quality image files.

I worked this image with the DeSoto In-the-Field group of four during our Saturday working lunch session. After converting the image in DPP 4 on my 15 inch Macbook Pro with Retina Display, I brought the TIF file into Photoshop and expanded the canvas just a bit in front of and below the bird using the Crop Tool as the pelican was a bit too crowded in the frame. I used John Haedo Content Aware Fill to populate the added canvas. As there was a bit of smudging along the seams I ran a 40 pixel Gaussian Blur on a new layer, added an Inverse (Black or Hide-all) Mask and painted in the effect (B, D) where needed along the lower frame edge. Next was some Eye Doctor work and a bit of messy face and head feather clean-up with the Patch Tool and a single Quick Mask to eliminate a substantial whitish smudge on the side of the head.

Next I set the black and white points with a Levels adjustment but even with that the bill was too light and lifeless so I selected the bill and most of the face, placed that on its own layer, and ran my NIK Color Efex Pro 40/40 recipe. Then I increased the Vibrance on that same layer 90 points. It was looking good but the brown feathers of the face had gotten too dark so I added a Regular Layer Mask and painted half the effect away on those feathers with a 50% opacity brush. At that point the image had been brought to life so I save the master file and created the JPEG and the animated GIF for this blog post.

Please note: the red cast and the background posterization are due to the formation of the animated GIF.

Color Balancing Trick on its own layer but still the background dirt and the sand on the beach below needed a lot more color and punch. To that end, I opened a new layer for the whole image and then went Image > Adjustments > Selective Color. I picked the WHIITe channel, added 90 points of black and five points of yellow. Voila.

Then I saved the master TIF file, cropped the image to 900 pixels high, sharpened it with Unsharp Mask at 80/.3/0 and save the JPEG, making sure to hit “D” for Don’t Save when asked if I wanted to save the changes made to _W5A7642. (If you hit save, you replace your master TIF file with a tiny JPEG …)

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 and many of the older 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.

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