Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

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

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

Canon 100-400 II On Sale

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

The Streak

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

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few months, we have sold just about everything in sight. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Wanted to Buy

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

Booking.Com

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

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

Revamped

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

Photographers Wanted

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

Gear Questions and Advice

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

Please Don’t Forget …

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

The DPP 4 screen capture for today’s featured image

Aperture Question

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

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

What Can You Learn From the DPP 4 Screen Capture?

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

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

Image Question

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

Puffin Isolationism/Part I

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

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

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

The Image Optimization: Background Magic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If In Doubt …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

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

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

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

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

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

Canon 100-400 II On Sale

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

The Streak

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

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few months, we have sold just about everything in sight. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the right side of the yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Booking.Com

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

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

Revamped

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

Photographers Wanted

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

Gear Questions and Advice

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

Please Don’t Forget …

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

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

The DPP 4 Screen Capture

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

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

How can the bird’s eyes possibly be sharp?

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

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

The Incredible Gannet Experience

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

The Image Optimization

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If In Doubt …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

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

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

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

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

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

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

Canon 100-400 II On Sale

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

The Streak

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

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few months, we have sold just about everything in sight. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab now on the the left side of the second yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Booking.Com

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

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

Revamped

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

Photographers Wanted

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

Gear Questions and Advice

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

Please Don’t Forget …

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

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

Greedy Pays off for the First Time Ever …

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

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

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

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

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

Head Angle

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

Another Flight Photography Tip for Zoom Lenses

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

Your Call?

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

If In Doubt …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

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

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

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

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

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

The Streak

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

Everybody’s Doing It…

Everybody’s buying and selling used gear on the BAA Used Gear Page. Sales recently have been through the roof. Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They recently folded. And eBay fees are now in the 13% range. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few months, we have sold just about everything in sight. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the original 400mm IS DO lens have been dropping steadily. Even the prices on the new 600 II and the 200-400 with Internal Extender have been plummeting. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab now on the the left side of the second yellow-orange menu bar at the top of each blog post.

Booking.Com

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

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

Revamped

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

Photographers Wanted

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

Gear Questions and Advice

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

Please Don’t Forget …

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

This is a 100% crop of an ISO 1600 image

No Noise at ISO 1600

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

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

Why No Noise at ISO 1600?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

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

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

If In Doubt …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

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

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

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

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

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

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

Vitreous Detachment (or Separation)

From the National Eye Institute/Vitreous Detachment

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

From Wikipedia

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

My Vitreous Detachment Story

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

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

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

To learn more about Vitreous Detachments click here.

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

The Streak

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

Booking.Com

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

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

Revamped

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

Photographers Wanted

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

Gear Questions and Advice

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

Please Don’t Forget …

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

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

Last Morning North Seymour Composite Details

From upper left clockwise to center:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More on 100-400 II Versatility

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

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

Most Apropos New Used Gear Listings …

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

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

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

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

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If In Doubt …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fort DeSoto Site Guide

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

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

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

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

The 2017 Galapagos IPT was the best ever. We had memorable photographic opportunities for virtually 15 straight days, a group of 12 eager to learn nature photographers, and the world’s greatest-by-far Galapagos leader. Aside from Juan Salcedo’s encyclopedic knowledge of everything Galapagos (and more), his pleasant manner, his understanding of photography and photographic situations, his ability to spot even distant situations that might be worth exploring added tremendously to the group’s experience. I will be returning in late-July 2019. Those dates are firm and will be announced here soon. Please shoot me an e-mail if you are interested in joining us. The trip will need eight photographers signed up by next spring to run. Right now it looks as if two of the folks on this year’s trip will be returning …

After a great landing at North Seymour we flew back to Guayaquil yesterday, Tuesday, August 22 and were in the hotel at about 4:30pm. Most of us met for an early dinner. I was in bed and asleep by 7:30pm and up working on this blog post at 2:00 am. Those (including me) on AA 948 to Miami will be on the 4:00am shuttle. Jim will be picking me up at MCO at about 3:00pm. After a refueling stop at Publix in Lake Wales we should be home at about 5:00pm.

As I have a ton to share with you, expect lots of great images from the trip in coming weeks. I will be catching up on e-mails and Used Gear stuff in the next few days and will then be working on my 2016 tax return. Right now the only thing that I have scheduled before San Diego is the DeSoto Fall IPT and the ITF Morning Meet-up Workshop that follows it.

with love, artie

The Streak

Today marks thirty days in a row with a new educational blog post. This blog post took about an hour to create. My plan right now with all of my free time is to break the current record streak of four hundred eighty something … Good health and good internet connections willing.

Booking.Com

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

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

Revamped

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

Photographers Wanted

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

Gear Questions and Advice

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

Please Don’t Forget …

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

This image was created on the 2017 Galapagos IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 241mm) and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering (probably at about -1/3 stop as framed: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. The EXIF shows Custom WB; I have no idea where that came from … LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -3. Bottom Large Zone/AI Servo/Shutter button AF as presented was active at the moment of exposure. The system selected two AF points that fell on the eye and the base of the bill of the bird on the bottom of the frame. Red-billed Tropicbirds (probably at pair) squabbling on a cliff ledge. South Plaza Island, Galapagos, Ecuador.

The Situation

Photographing Red-billed Tropicbirds in the Galapagos is a huge challenge. They are a bit easier on Hood Island where the cliffs are a lot lower and the flight patterns are more predictable than on South Plaza. We struggled in high winds photographing backlit birds overhead. I continued along the high cliffs and finally found a spot where a few tropicbirds were angling in trying to land. I made a few decent flight images but failed miserably on some spectacular chances at point blank range. I noticed one bird land successfully (and and out of sight) high on the vertical rock face about fifteen feet to my right. I gingerly made my way over to the edge of the cliff. I had been photographing the birds in flight at 1/3200 second at f/5.6 in Manual mode so as I approached the spot where I might be able to get a peek at the bird I lowered the shutter speed two clicks as I knew that there would be less light on the cliffs than there had been in the sky. That guesstimate turned out to be perfect.

When I looked over the cliff I was excited to see a tropicbird almost directly below me, perhaps a foot or two to my left. I struggled to frame an image of the whole bird and fired off two images but they failed as the cliff had slightly blocked my view of the bird’s head. Then another tropicbird, probably the bird’s mate, landed. Instinctively I acquired focus and fired off two quick frames. The second was completely mis-framed but the first resulted in a unique image (to say the least). Images of perched Red-billed Tropicbirds are extremely rare and I have never seen an image anywhere similar to this one.

As is typical of birds when they are fighting, both tropicbirds had their nictitating membranes in place. As I had my lens pointed almost straight down I was unsure at first of whether to present this image as a horizontal or a vertical but as it did not make much sense visually as a horizontal the decision turned out to be an easy one.

The Absolutely Amazingly Versatile Canon 100-400mm II

I took the 1-4 II ashore on every landing and on every panga (zodiac) ride. I used it to create probably 80% of my keepers (roughly half the time with the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III and almost always hand held). I used it as a flight and action lens, as a portrait lens, as a macro lens, and as scenic lens. And I used to to create more than a few pleasing blurs. I made many landings with only the 100-400 II (with the 1.4X III TC in my fanny pack). It would be entirely conceivable to make a Galapagos trip with only this great lens. As I left my 1DX II at home all of my Galapagos images were created with one of my three Canon EOS 5D Mark IV bodies.

If In Doubt

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

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

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

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

I will be without internet access from 8 AUG through late in the day on 22 AUG. There will be a brand new educational blog post every day in my absence. I toiled long and hard on August 6th and 7th to make that happen 🙂

Please call the office at 863-692-0906 on weekdays and speak to Jim and Jennifer about all things BAA Online Store- and IPT-related. And anything else that you might need help with or would like to chat about.

Please continue to patronize the BAA Online Store and to use my B&H affiliate links. Both are hugely appreciated.

with much love, artie

The Streak

Today marks twenty-eight days in a row with a new educational blog post. This blog post took about two hours to create.

Booking.Com

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

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

Revamped

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

Photographers Wanted

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

Gear Questions and Advice

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

Please Don’t Forget …

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

This image was created on the 2017 Japan IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 153mm) and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops as framed: 1/640 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. Daylight WB. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: +3. One AF point down from the center AF Point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was a bit down from the center of the frame. Snow Monkeys foraging for seed on snow

Tips on Pattern Images …

My #1 tip for photographing medium sized groups of birds, flowers, or monkeys is to seek out patterns without merges. For today’s image of a group of monkeys on a hillside I did not have to wait long. The individual Snow Monkeys were nicely spaced out on the hill so my main concern was with the framing. That was controlled by zooming in and out till everything looked good. In this case I made only two or three images.

If two of the monkeys had been merged eliminating one of the two in post would have been a difficult proposition because of the fur … With larger groups you can always remove one or two or three whatevers that are cut by the frame edge during post processing.

Hard Question …

What is the one monkey merge that I could do without in this image?

Jigokudani Monkey Park

The famed Jigokudani Monkey Park is about an hour outside of Tokyo. I remember the night before the first time I climbed that big hill. I went to bed dreaming of photographing the monkeys soaking in the natural hots springs and forage for leaves and stems of of low growing bushes and the trees on the hillsides. Surprise! As it turned out, the Monkey Park is really just a big zoo. The natural springs? They turned out to be large manmade rock bathtubs. And while on occasion you will see a Snow Monkey dining on parts of a hemlock, most of them subsist on grain spread by the zookeepers who, by the way, call the monkeys down from the hillsides for breakfast with plastic whistles. Please do not take this as a criticism. Many decades ago the local farmers hatched a plan to kill all the Snow Monkeys as they were eating their crops, apples, and grapes and nuts, perhaps. A local man intervened and came up with a plan to capture, re-locate, and fence in most of the monkeys and feed them with grain. And that is exactly what happened and exactly what carries on to this day.

Still, I have enjoyed photographing at Jigokudani. I have entered several of my Snow Monkey images into prestigious contests (without success). Do understand that every year a Snow Monkey image from the park is honored in one or more major photographic competitions. Realize however, that things are not always as they seem. I will not,however, be climbing that hill anymore. If I do ever return to Japan to do an IPT, my two great loves, the Red-crowned Cranes and the two species of sea eagles, will be on the menu, perhaps with a side order of Whooper Cranes.

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.

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

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

If In Doubt

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. 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 :).

What’s Up?

I will be without internet access from 8 AUG through late in the day on 22 AUG. There will be a brand new educational blog post every day in my absence. I toiled long and hard on August 6th and 7th to make that happen 🙂

Please call the office at 863-692-0906 on weekdays and speak to Jim and Jennifer about all things BAA Online Store- and IPT-related. And anything else that you might need help with or would like to chat about.

Please continue to patronize the BAA Online Store and to use my B&H affiliate links. Both are hugely appreciated.

with much love, artie

The Streak

Today marks twenty-six days in a row with a new educational blog post. This blog post took about two hours to create.

Booking.Com

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

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

Revamped

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

Photographers Wanted

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

Gear Questions and Advice

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

Please Don’t Forget …

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

This image was created on the 2017 Palouse IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/100 sec. at f/2.8 in Av mode. Daylight WB. I used my still flower technique: Live View (for mirror lock-up) and the 2-second timer. Flexi-zone AF with the square right on the KS. Image #1: Nut (I think it’s a nut …) on old farm machinery

Depth of Field at f/2.8

Notice that at f/2.8 only the top of the nut is in sharp focus.

This image was created on the 2017 Palouse IPT with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/3 sec. at f/16 in Av mode. Daylight WB. I used my still flower technique: Live View (for mirror lock-up) and the 2-second timer. Flexi-zone AF with the square right on the KS. Image #2: Nut (I think it’s a nut …) on old farm machinery

Depth of Field at f/16/h3>

Notice that at f/16 the depth of field has increased tremendously. Note only is the top of the subject in sharp focus but the cracks in the paint and the blemishes on the machinery are all rendered sharp.

This principle comes into play in bird photography when you stop down even a bit, to f/8 or f/11, you will –depending on the distance to the BKGR — bring up unwanted background detail.

Your Choice?

Which of the two images do you like best, the one at f/2.8 or the one at f/16?

If you have any ideas on combining the two images, please share them by leaving a comment.

The Art of Flower Photography, a 203 page eBook/a link to the PDF will be sent via e-mail: $29.00.

The Art of Flower Photography

My still flower technique and tons more is covered in detail in this great e-book by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. Learn everything that you ever want to know about flower photography but were afraid to ask (and lots more as well) by getting your copy here. You can learn more about this e-book and see lots of our great images in the Tour de Force blog post here.

If In Doubt

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. 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 :).

What’s Up?

I will be without internet access from 8 AUG through late in the day on 22 AUG. There will be a brand new educational blog post every day in my absence. I toiled long and hard on August 6th and 7th to make that happen 🙂

Please call the office at 863-692-0906 on weekdays and speak to Jim and Jennifer about all things BAA Online Store- and IPT-related. And anything else that you might need help with or would like to chat about.

Please continue to patronize the BAA Online Store and to use my B&H affiliate links. Both are hugely appreciated.

with much love, artie

The Streak

Today marks twenty-four days in a row with a new educational blog post. This blog post took about two hours to create.

Booking.Com

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

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

Revamped

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

Photographers Wanted

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

Gear Questions and Advice

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

Please Don’t Forget …

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

This in-camera Art Vivid HDR image (Dynamic range: +/- 2 stops) was created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 312m) and my favorite bird photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop around a base exposure of 1/400 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. WB = K 4,500. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: +1. Center AF Point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version Black-legged Kittiwakes nesting on wall of the ruins of historic Fort Dunbar (at the harbor entrance)

The Problems with in-camera Art Vivid JPEGs

As stated here previously, when viewed large, the image quality of in-camera HDR JPEGs will always be poorer than the image quality of a sharp RAW file. That as a result of how the image is put together in-camera. There will always be some color fringing and if anything is moving, there will be signs of mis-alignment. So why do I continue to create in-camera HDR images? When using Art Vivid, especially with the WB lowered to tone down the colors a bit, the impact of HDR Art Vivid captures can be quite dramatic. Why? Because of the vivid colors (even when toned down).

If you enlarge the full sized JPEG for today’s featured image to 100%, you will see lots of color fringing and lots of mis-alignment with both the birds and the bricks.

Mistakes Times Two!

I made lots of images of this wall this year. Many of them were made on the tripod with the Mongoose. Mistake #1 was made during the creation of this image: the Auto Align feature was turned off. When hand holding, this is a big mistake.

Mistakes #s 2and 3 were made during the final edit. After the first two edits I had saved about 8 similar images. At least a few of those were RAW files. (I set up my in-camera HDRs to Save all files not just the final JPEGs). During the final edit I deleted all of the images in this series but for the one you see above. I did not enlarge the JPEG that looked best. As it was obviously one that was made hand held, saving that one was a mistake. And not saving at least one RAW file was another big mistake. I could have juiced up the color a bit and added some grunge and wound up with a much higher quality image.

The Good News

It is likely that I have the eight or so images that I saved on a back-up disk that is not back in ILE.

If In Doubt

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

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

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

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Amazon.com

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

Amazon Canada

Many kind folks from north of the border, eh, have e-mailed stating that they would love to help us out by using one of our affiliate links but that living in Canada and doing so presents numerous problems. Now, they can help us out by using our Amazon Canada affiliate link by starting their searches by clicking here.

Facebook

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

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

I will be without internet access from 8 AUG through late in the day on 22 AUG. There will be a brand new educational blog post every day in my absence. I toiled long and hard on August 6th and 7th to make that happen 🙂

Please call the office at 863-692-0906 on weekdays and speak to Jim and Jennifer about all things BAA Online Store- and IPT-related. And anything else that you might need help with or would like to chat about.

Please continue to patronize the BAA Online Store and to use my B&H affiliate links. Both are hugely appreciated.

with much love, artie

The Streak

Today marks twenty-three days in a row with a new educational blog post. This blog post took about two hours to create.

Booking.Com

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

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

Revamped

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

Photographers Wanted

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

Gear Questions and Advice

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

Please Don’t Forget …

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

This image was created in Kukak Bay in Katmai National Park on the Bear Boat Cubs IPT with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 135mm), and my favorite blur photography camera body, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 50. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed: 1/8 sec. at f/16 in Tv mode. WB: K800. LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -2. Two rows down from the center AF Point/AI Servo/Expand/Shutter button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. Do click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Pre-dawn pan blur

As Promised … Part II

Getting up early whenever you are sleeping on a boat on a photography trip can often pays dividends. I always make sure to ask my group, “Who wants to sleep, and who wants to be roused very early in case of a nice pre-dawn sky?” On the bear boat 3 out of five opted for sleep 🙁 Though I never set my alarm, and though the weather overall was not great, I did get lucky more than once when I woke early.

On the morning that I created today’s featured image, July 23, we were again anchored in Hallo Bay — we had gotten very lucky with the winds and the resulting sea condition. The colors on the water were actually nicer than the colors in the sky so I pointed my lens down to take advantage of that. Only Mark Harrington was out on deck with me at the time. When I showed him what I was doing he was eager to learn how I make these. So I shared. With this one I stuck with the out of camera color at 8000 K.

Custom Setting 2

On each of my three 5D Mark IV bodies I use Custom Setting 1 or my LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjusting settings. What a time save that is. And, I use Custom setting 2 for my blur pre-set: Highlight Tone Priority off, ISO 50, +1 stop EC, and TV mode with the shutter speed set to 1/15 sec. One quick twist of the dial and I am good to go.

The funny thing with this image …

The funny thing with this image is that most of the images that I created showed only the water with the blurred wavelets. I made only a few that included the distant shoreline with the low mountains.

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.

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

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

If In Doubt

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. 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 :).