Jim and I made it to DeSoto with plenty of time to spare. We did pretty well with several species of the shorebirds including Short-billed Dowitcher, Sanderling, Willet, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, and Black-bellied Plover. Saturday morning was very slow at the traditional morning spot but we followed the advice in the Fort DeSoto site guide by moving east and struck gold with both a white and a dark morph Reddish Egret that fished and posed for us. One minute after I mentioned to Jim that we were overdue for a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron one flew in and landed right next to us. It too was a very cooperative bird. Aside from the heat and no breeze it wound up being a great morning. We are headed back out at about 5pm.
It is not too late to join me at DeSoto next week for the Fall IPT, for part of the IPT, or for the Sunday Morning (cheap) In-the-Field Workshop; scroll down for details.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak: 317!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 317 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
This image was created on the 2014 Fort Desoto Fall IPT with the hand held Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens (at 24mm) with the greatest ever buy in a digital camera body, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/640 sec. at f/6.3 in Av mode. Cloudy WB.
Five AF points to the right of the center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected AF point was on the subject’s ear. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial.
Photographer and shorebirds at Fort DeSoto
Perfect Kneeling Knee-pod Technique
I think that the photographer here is Bill Eaton… He is showing y’all perfect kneeling knee-pod technique:
1: Left palm facing the sky for proper support.
2: Left hand well out on the lens for proper balance.
3: Left elbow planted firmly on left knee.
His only mistake: wearing shorts and short sleeves for nature photography… More on the dangers here soon.
This Could Be You!
For details on the late-registration discount for the Fort DeSoto Fall IPT give us a ring at 863-692-0906 on Monday. You can see all the details below.
Image Design Question
Why was it important to get close at 24mm? Same question in a different form: what would the big negative have been if I had moved back and zoomed in?
Pick Your Prize ID Quiz
Be the first to identify the six species of birds in this photograph in a comment below and we will be glad to send you either the Top 100 CD or APB II. I may very well reserve judgement to give more folks a chance to play but only the first correct answer wins.
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife 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 fall one way or another. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
BIRDS AS ART Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up Workshop (ITFW): $99
Join me on the morning of October 2, 2016 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 morning workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.
To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal registration fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place one week before the event.
Folks attending the IPT will be in the field early and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto Short Notice Fall IPT/September 28 (meet & greet at 2pm followed by our afternoon session) through the full day on October 1, 2016. 3 1/2 DAYs: $1549. Limit 10/Openings: 5. Sunday morning ITFW free to IPT registrants.
Late Registration Discount: please call 863-692-0906 for discount info
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds in fall. There they join dozens of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With any luck, we should 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 likely. 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 me as my guest on the ITFW on the Sunday morning following the workshop. See above for details on that.
On this and all other IPTs 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 and age many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
At brunch (included) we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at a few of your images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.
As I already have one signed up for this workshop, it is a go. Hotel info will be e-mailed when you register. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). It is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel so if you are interested it would be a good idea to register now and make your hotel reservations as soon as you hear from us. We can, however, coordinate with local folks who opt to stay at home.
Because of the relatively late date, payment is full is due upon registration either by check or credit card. If the former, please e-mail us immediately so that we can save you a spot. If the latter, please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to register. Your registration fee is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight so please check your plans carefully before committing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and gear & clothing advice a fairly soon.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
After some early Friday morning work on even more blog posts–I have about 40 stock-piled as I type–and an early swim and core exercise session, Jim and I headed to Fort DeSoto on Friday afternoon to do some scouting for the upcoming IPT. I had planned on heading farther south to visit the new spoonbill pool but it has dried up quite a bit. If there is a storm at that location, we will head down there at some point in hope of getting in on the action on Sunday morning.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak: 316!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 316 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few 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. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the right side of the menu bar above.
September Used Gear Sales Continue to be Flaming Hot!
Yours truly, Arthur Morris, sold one of his two Canon EOS 5DS R bodies in excellent condition but for a very small, very fine sort of x-shaped crack in the upper-right corner of the top LCD screen, for $2549 in late September.
Doug Rogers sold his Vortex Razor 85mm Ultra High Definition Scope in like-new condition for $795.00 in mid-September.
Ed Hutchinson sold his Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM lens, the “old 1-4,” in like-new condition for $649 and his EOS 5D Mark III in like-new condition for $1499 within days of listing them in mid-September.
Hisham Atallah sold his Canon 600mm f/4L IS II lens in excellent condition for $9499 in mid-September within days of listing it.
Good friend and BAA Japan IPT co-leader–the oft-honored BBC and Nature’s Best photographer Paul McKenzie–sold his Canon EOS 1DX in excellent condition with an extra Canon battery for $2299 in mid September two days after it was listed.
Eric Karl sold his Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal Extender in excellent condition for the full asking price, a very low $8,099 in mid-September.
Gary Meyer sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III in mint condition for $1599 with an off-brand battery grip in mid-September.
IPT veteran Ken Siegel sold his Canon EOS-1DX in excellent condition with several extras for $2899 in early September.
Roger Doughty sold his Canon EOS-1DX in “like-new” condition for $2,749 and his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition for $1,049 both within hours of listing them in early September.
Multiple IPT veteran Phil Frigon sold his barely used Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 within three hours of listing it on September 6.
Joe Alexander sold his Gitzo GT3532LS carbon fiber tripod and a Wimberley V-2 WH-200 gimbal head both in like-new condition for $799 within an hour of listing it on September 6.
IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 in early September.
Top pro Jim Zuckerman sold his Canon 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $899, his 5D Mark II in excellent condition for $799, and his Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM lens in very good condition for the amazingly low price of $1049 in early September, all within a week of listing.
Yours truly sold his Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in near-mint condition for $4783 in early September.
New Listings and More…
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
Joe Alexander is offering a Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM lens, in excellent plus condition for $599. There are no scratches, scuff marks, or other blemishes. The lens comes in the original box with all original stuff: the tripod Collar, the E-77 II 77mm lens cap, the rear Lens Dust Cap E, the ET-83C lens hood, and the LZ1324 Lens Case with Strap. The cost of insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only is also included. Paypal is preferred and the seller will pay Paypal fee. If paying by check, your item will not ship until your check clears.
Please contact Joe via e-mail or phone at 301-639-0783 or 301-371-9607 (Eastern time).
The 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. I’ve sold 100s of images made with the old 1-4. Joe’s 100-400 is priced to sell quickly. And from what I can tell, this lens is closer to like-new than it is to excellent plus. artie
Canon EF 1.4x III and EF 2x III Extenders
Sold in one hour!
Joe Alexander is also offering one of each of these: Canon EF 1.4x III and Canon EF 2x III Extender. Each is in excellent plus condition. The price of each TC is $249. Buy the pair for $498. There are no scratches, scuff marks, or other blemishes on either TC. The extenders come in the original box with the lens pouch LP811 included. The cost of insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only is included. Paypal is preferred and seller will pay the Paypal fee. If paying by check, Your item will not ship until your check clears.
Please contact Joe via e-mail or phone at 301-639-0783 or 301-371-9607 (Eastern time).
As everyone here knows, both TCs are vital to my work and my style. I routinely travel with three 1.4X TCs and two 2X TCs. These two, the latest versions, sell new for $429 so you can save a bundle by grabbing the pair asap. And from what I can tell they are closer to like-new than they are to excellent plus. artie
Canon 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 Telephoto Zoom Lens
Gerold Hanck is offering a Canon 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 telephoto zoom lens, the “old 1-4,” in excellent condition for $549. The sale includes the original lens case and strap, the front lens cap, the rear lens cap, the lens hood, the removable tripod collar, and insured ground shipping via UPS to US addresses only.
Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Gerold via e-mail or by phone at 773-263-6730 (Central time).
The 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. I’ve sold 100s of images made with the old 1-4. Gerold’s 100-400 is priced to sell. artie
Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens
Price Reduced $200 on SEPT 22, 2016.
Ron Ozuna is offering a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens in near-mint condition for $2775 (was $2975). The sale includes the original lens front lens cover, the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original Canon product box, and insured Ground Shipping via FedEx Ground to US addresses only. This lens was recently cleaned and checked at the Canon Service Center in Costa Mesa, CA. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Ron via e-mail or by phone at 1-626-799-7616 (Pacific time).
The older version of the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS is a super sharp lens that is great for hand held flight and action photography and great with both teleconverters. It has long been the favorite focal length of the world’s best hawk photographers. artie
Canon EOS-5DS R with Extras!
Dear friend and multiple IPT veteran Patrick Sparkman is selling his Canon EOS 5DS R with the Canon battery grip in like-new condition for $2899. Includes the original box and everything that came in it, an extra battery for a total of two, and insured ground shipping via FedEx.
Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
I waited a bit too long to get my first 5DS R but once I did, I quickly added a second. I used each of them more for birds than I did my EOS-1DX Mark II. Go figure. I fell in love with the amazing sharpness and fine feather detail of the 5DS R image files and the AF system was great as well. It is the premier landscape body in the Canon system. artie
This image was created on the 2014 DeSoto Fall IPT with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens with the greatest ever buy in a digital camera body, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops: 1/1000 sec. at f/2.8. Cloudy WB.
65-point Automatic selection AF point/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The system activated and array of 4 AF points in the center of the frame. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial.
Sea Oats in low light
Simplicity at f/2.8…
I created this image with the sea oat frond positioned pretty much horizontally in the frame knowing that I would want to optimize it with the frond oriented diagonally. To do that, I created a duplicate layer and used the Transform command to tilt and position the frond so that it entered the frame from the bottom right. As there was a slight gradient to the sky I needed to use the Clone Stamp Tool to even things out after the crop.
Remember That What You See is What You Get…
If you are curious as to why I did not stop down more for this photo, remember that if everything looks sharp through the viewfinder, then everything will be sharp in the final image; there is no need to stop down. In addition, when working with a 1.6X crop factor camera body the increased distance to the subject will yield additional depth of field. Lastly, I positioned myself so that I was parallel to the plane of the subject.
On Diagonal Compostions…
I have long believed and taught that diagonals are usually most powerful when they enter the frame precisely from a corner (as in today’s featured image). Others are equally adamant in feeling that diagonals should never enter the frame precisely from a corner. Please leave a comment and let us know which camp you are in.
Notice…
Notice here another fine image created with the EOS 7D Mark II.
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife 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 fall one way or another. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
BIRDS AS ART Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up Workshop (ITFW): $99
Join me on the morning of October 2, 2016 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 morning workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.
To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal registration fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place one week before the event.
Folks attending the IPT will be in the field early and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto Short Notice Fall IPT/September 28 (meet & greet at 2pm followed by our afternoon session) through the full day on October 1, 2016. 3 1/2 DAYs: $1549. Limit 10/Openings: 5. Sunday morning ITFW free to IPT registrants.
Late Registration Discount: please call 863-692-0906 for discount info
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds in fall. There they join dozens of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With any luck, we should 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 likely. 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 me as my guest on the ITFW on the Sunday morning following the workshop. See above for details on that.
On this and all other IPTs 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 and age many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
At brunch (included) we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at a few of your images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.
As I already have one signed up for this workshop, it is a go. Hotel info will be e-mailed when you register. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). It is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel so if you are interested it would be a good idea to register now and make your hotel reservations as soon as you hear from us. We can, however, coordinate with local folks who opt to stay at home.
Because of the relatively late date, payment is full is due upon registration either by check or credit card. If the former, please e-mail us immediately so that we can save you a spot. If the latter, please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to register. Your registration fee is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight so please check your plans carefully before committing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and gear & clothing advice a fairly soon.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
On Wednesday, my planned late swim was cancelled by a thunderstorm so on Thursday I swam early in the day after doing my shoulder stretching and exercises. I spent a good part of the day stock-piling blog posts and working on Used Gear Sales stuff. The latter has taken up a lot of my time lately 🙂 I did learn on Thursday that Doug Rogers sold his Vortex Razor 85mm Ultra High Definition Scope in mid-September and that Ed Hutchinson sold his Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM lens, the “old 1-4,” his EOS 5D Mark III, and his old five, the Canon 500mm f/4L SI lens, all within a day or two of listing.
If anyone would like to join the Fort DeSoto Fall IPT for a day or two on a pro-rated basis, please contact me via e-mail. Scroll down for the IPT details and late registration info.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak: 315!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 315 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
65-point (Automatic selection)/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF on the gull’s bill and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial.
Image #1: Laughing Gull silhouette at f/11
(Not So) Blasting Highlights Intensity Lesson
In The Art of Bird Photography II (ABP II: 916 pages, 900+ images on CD only) in the section on Creating 11 a.m. Silhouettes I detail the suggested exposure compensation settings for true blasting highlights situations. The backlight in today’s featured images was somewhat muted; this allowed me to work with much less negative ECs and at wider than typical apertures than I would in true blasting highlights situations.
65-point (Automatic selection)/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the gull’s bill and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial.
Image #2: Laughing Gull silhouette at f/5.6
(Not So) Blasting Highlights Aperture Lesson
By comparing today’s featured images you can see that with the smaller aperture in Image #1, f/11, that the specular highlights are much more sharply defined than the specular highlights in Image #2 that was created wide open at f/5.6.
Which look do you like better? Why?
Please Don’t Ask Me…
Please don’t ask me why I was in Tv (Shutter priority) mode or why I chose 65-point Automatic selection AF. Neither make much sense but they worked quite well…
The Image Conversions and Optimizations
With two pretty much perfect exposures the RAW conversions in DPP 4 were quite straightforward. I warmed the image up a bit by raising the color temperature and then warmed it up a bit more with a Color Fine-Tune adjustment. All that I did in Photoshop was save the master files as TIFFs and then size (1200 pixels wide) sharpen (Unsharp Mask: 110/.3/0) and save the two JPEGs.
To learn why and how Arash and I use only DPP 4 to convert our Canon image files see the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide click here.
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife 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 fall one way or another. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
BIRDS AS ART Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up Workshop (ITFW): $99
Join me on the morning of October 2, 2016 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 morning workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.
To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal registration fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place one week before the event.
Folks attending the IPT will be in the field early and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto Short Notice Fall IPT/September 28 (meet & greet at 2pm followed by our afternoon session) through the full day on October 1, 2016. 3 1/2 DAYs: $1549. Limit 10/Openings: 5. Sunday morning ITFW free to IPT registrants.
Late Registration Discount: please call 863-692-0906 for discount info
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds in fall. There they join dozens of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With any luck, we should 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 likely. 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 me as my guest on the ITFW on the Sunday morning following the workshop. See above for details on that.
On this and all other IPTs 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 and age many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
At brunch (included) we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at a few of your images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.
As I already have one signed up for this workshop, it is a go. Hotel info will be e-mailed when you register. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). It is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel so if you are interested it would be a good idea to register now and make your hotel reservations as soon as you hear from us. We can, however, coordinate with local folks who opt to stay at home.
Because of the relatively late date, payment is full is due upon registration either by check or credit card. If the former, please e-mail us immediately so that we can save you a spot. If the latter, please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to register. Your registration fee is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight so please check your plans carefully before committing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and gear & clothing advice a fairly soon.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
I realized this week that I lost one of the two sets of my keys for my Toyota Sequoia so I decided to drive over to Vero Beach to the dealer. Purchase two keys… Simple matter, no? Actually not. It took more than 3 1/2 hours, and at that, they were only able to make me one key… But I had my laptop so I answered e-mails and worked on blog posts. My planned late afternoon swim was cancelled by thunderstorms…
I was thrilled to learn yesterday of the sale of Hisham Atallah’s 600 II for the full asking price of $9499 just a day after it was listed. Another gem of a 600 II is listed below.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Interview Now on YouTube
The interview by Peggy Farren of Understand Photography can be seen and heard on YouTube. And, the sound is now synched perfectly. If you missed it (or not), you can access it here.
The Streak: 314!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 314 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens
Another Weapon of Mass Destruction!
IPT veteran Mark Overgaard is offering a Canon EF600 f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for $9,495. The sale includes a LensCoat, the rear lens cap, the front lens cover, the lens trunk, the monopod mount, and both the lens and lens trunk straps, the lens manual and warranty card–the latter included for record-keeping purposes only since the warranty is expired, and insured ground shipping via either FEDEX or UPS to US addresses only.
The lens just underwent an 11-point clean and check service from Canon Professional Services.
The lens will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Mark via e-mail.
As y’all know, the 600 II has been my go-to long lens since its introduction several years ago. It is relatively lightweight and super-sharp. It goes great with the 1.4X III TC and with a bit of practice and good sharpness techniques, you should be able to make sharp images with the 2X III TC down to 1/60 sec. As a new one goes for $11,499 you can save a nice $2005 by grabbing Mark’s lens right now. artie
birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100
The companion e-book to the solo exhibit at TheNat, San Diego, California
birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100
My latest e-book, created on a wing and a prayer in less than two weeks–see Harebrained Scheme here–includes the 67 spectacular images that hung last winter and spring in the Ordover Gallery at the San Diego Natural History Museum in a career-retrospective solo exhibition. In addition, there are 33 additional images in the spectacular e-book that barely missed making the show.
This exhibition companion e-book makes it possible for everyone to “visit” TheNAT gallery and, in addition, to enjoy seeing my top one hundred bird photographs under one roof. Each image includes a title, the species name, the location, relevant EXIF data, and an anecdotal caption. The short story: the collection is inspirational.
birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100: $23 for the professionally produced CD (includes shipping to US addresses only)
Please click here to purchase the physical CD. As above, your purchase price includes shipping to all US addresses. If you would like your CD signed on the inside cover with a black Sharpie, you will need to place your order by phone and request a signed copy: 863-692-0906. For our Canadian friends we are offering the CD for $28 with shipping to Canada via phone orders only: 863-692-0906.
Those who purchase the CD are advised to copy the file to their computers and then archive the CD.
The new e-book via is also available via convenient download for $20 by clicking here.
birds as art: The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris/The Top 100: $20 via convenient download.
Overseas folks, and anyone else as well, can purchase the e-book via convenient download for $20 by clicking here.
Kindly Note
Please share this e-book only with your spouse or significant other. If a friend asks you to share a copy with them, please direct them either to this blog post or to the appropriate link in the BAA Online Store as above. All of the images and text are protected by international copyright law and may not be copied or printed without written permission from the photographer/author. Many thanks for honoring these requests.
You will–of course–need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF.
Roseate Spoonbill with wings raised.
Image #1: Courtesy and copyright 2016: Jim Robellard
Southwest Florida Free Site Guide Update (or should we call it a Downerdate?)
As most of you know, Ding Darling has gone downhill over the past decade in large due to anti-photographer management attitude and policies. Though I have not been in years, I hear that on occasion it can still be worth a visit at times at different seasons. Be clear though, that it is no longer close to being the crown jewel of the National Wildlife Refuge System that it was in the 1990s and a bit beyond.
Little Estero Lagoon on Fort Myers Beach has also hit the skids as the lagoon has pretty much dried up after being cut off from the Gulf. Least Terns and Black Skimmers nest on the beach most years about 3/4 mile east of the Wyndham Garden Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn).
The Venice Rookery ain’t what it used to be, but neither am I; both are still pretty good. And lastly, my understanding is that Corkscrew has been poor forever most likely due to small ecological changes related to the water levels. And to the fact that the Wood Storks have been moving north for more than a decade.
There are however, still lots of tame birds in Southwest Florida and lots of great places to photograph them. Pretty much all of them are covered in detail in the Southwest Florida Site Guide.
Roseate Spoonbill dipping bill before preening.
Image #2: Courtesy and copyright 2016: Jim Robellard
Southwest Florida Roseate Spoonbill Site Guide Update
Multiple IPT veteran Jim Robellard and all-around nice guy, who kindly supplied the images for today’s blog post, recently alerted me of a new hotspot with spoonbills and skimmers and an assortment of wading birds and shorebirds. The birds are coming to a fairly large but surely temporary rain pool. We are not sure how long it will last. But it is quite active right now.
Folks who have previously purchased the Southwest Florida Site Guide (and those who purchase it now) who would like to learn about this location must contact us via email. You must click on the preceding link and you must cut and paste either the first page of the site guide or your order confirmation e-mail. E-mails from folks who do not include proof of purchase will be deleted.
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
On Tuesday, I got lots of work done on the two upcoming Falklands land-based IPTs and stockpiled a few more blog posts for your enjoyment while I am away. I was thrilled to learn that Ajit K Huilgol’s friend, MN Jayakumar, will be joining him on the August 2017 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. Both will be traveling from India. We have already gotten some great feedback on the new ISO 6400 Killdeer MP4 video. See yesterday’s blog post here if you missed it.
On Monday evening my swim was in fact cut very short by thunder and lightning. So on Tuesday, I made up for it in part by swimming a very slow 100 lengths of the pool, 50 laps, or just a bit more than a mile and an eighth. My shoulder is doing quite well.
Please note that the “you must gotta read this” in the title was a tongue-in-cheek play on words 🙂
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak: 313!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 313 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few 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. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the right side of the menu bar above.
September Used Gear Sales Flaming Hot!
Good friend and BAA Japan IPT co-leader–the oft-honored BBC and Nature’s Best photographer Paul McKenzie–sold his Canon EOS 1DX in excellent condition with an extra Canon battery for $2299 in mid September two days after it was listed.
Eric Karl sold his Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal Extender in excellent condition for the full asking price, a very low $8,099 in mid-September.
Gary Meyer sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III in mint condition for $1599 with an off-brand battery grip in mid-September.
IPT veteran Ken Siegel sold his Canon EOS-1DX in excellent condition with several extras for $2899 in early September.
Roger Doughty sold his Canon EOS-1DX in “like-new” condition for $2,749 and his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition for $1,049 both within hours of listing them in early September.
Multiple IPT veteran Phil Frigon sold his barely used Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 within three hours of listing it on September 6.
Joe Alexander sold his Gitzo GT3532LS carbon fiber tripod and a Wimberley V-2 WH-200 gimbal head both in like-new condition for $799 within an hour of listing it on September 6.
IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 in early September.
Top pro Jim Zuckerman sold his Canon 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $899, his 5D Mark II in excellent condition for $799, and his Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM lens in very good condition for the amazingly low price of $1049 in early September, all within a week of listing.
Yours truly sold his Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in near-mint condition for $4783 in early September.
Multiple IPT-veteran Sheldon Goldstein decided to keep his Canon EOS-5D Mark III and have it converted to Infrared by Kolari Vision using the link on the right side of each blog page. Folks who use that link will receive a free copy of my IR White Balance Guide.
New Listings
Canon EOS-5DS R with Extras!
Yours truly, Arthur Morris, is selling one of his two Canon EOS 5DS R bodies with the Canon battery grip for $2549. The camera is in excellent condition but for a very small, very fine sort of x-shaped crack in the upper-right corner of the top LCD screen. The battery grip is in good plus condition. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it, an extra two battery for a total of two, and insured ground shipping via FedEx.
Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Credit card or Paypal +4% is fine with me.
Please contact artie via e-mail or by phone at 863-692-0906.
I waited a bit too long to get my first 5DS R but once I did, I quickly added a second. I used each of them more for birds than I did my EOS-1DX Mark II. Go figure. I fell in love with the amazing sharpness and fine feather detail of the 5DS R image files and the AF system was great as well. It is the premier landscape body in the Canon system. artie
Canon EOS-5DS R with Extras!
Dear friend and multiple IPT veteran Patrick Sparkman is selling his Canon EOS 5DS R with the Canon battery grip in like-new condition for $2899. Includes the original box and everything that came in it, an extra battery for a total of two, and insured ground shipping via FedEx.
Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
I waited a bit too long to get my first 5DS R but once I did, I quickly added a second. I used each of them more for birds than I did my EOS-1DX Mark II. Go figure. I fell in love with the amazing sharpness and fine feather detail of the 5DS R image files and the AF system was great as well. It is the premier landscape body in the Canon system. artie
Like-new Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS USM Lens
Sold!
Ed Hutchinson is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS USM lens in like-new condition for $3795. There are no scratches, scuff marks, or other blemishes to suggest that the lens has been used. It comes in the custom Canon lens trunk with keys and includes the lens hood, the leather hood, the rear lens cap, and the strap. Also included is a brand new LensCoat for this lens (#LC500M4) in an unopened package. The Canon manual and registration card are provided, The registration card has only the purchase date entered. The lens will be shipped in the original Canon box by insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only.
Your lens will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Ed by e-mail or phone at 832-689-8111 (Central time).
I owned and used this great lens for well more than a decade before upgrading to the 500 II. Lenses of this versatile focal length have long been the world’s most popular super-telephoto lenses for good reason: they are long enough for bird, fast enough for big mammals, and–in the right hands–can produce razor sharp images with both the 1.4X ad the 2X TCs. artie
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens
Sold!
Ed Hutchinson is also offering a Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM lens, the “old 1-4,” in like-new condition for $649. There are no scratches, scuff marks, or other blemishes to suggest that the lens has been used. The lens comes with all original accessories: E-77 II 77mm Lens Cap, Lens Dust Cap E (Rear), ET-83C Lens Hood, LZ1324 Lens Case with Strap, Tripod Collar, User Guide, and Warranty Card. The cost of insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only is included.
Your lens will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Ed by e-mail or phone at 832-689-8111 (Central time).
The 100-400 is a versatile intermediate telephoto zoom lens with 1,000+ uses. It makes a great starter lens especially for folks who do general nature and wildlife in addition to birds. I’ve sold 100s of images made with a 1-4 and denise loved hers for many years forsaking it only recently for the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. Ed’s 100-400 is priced to sell. artie
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Sold!
Ed Hutchinson is also offering an EOS 5D Mark III camera in like-new condition for $1499. There are no scratches, scuff marks, or other blemishes to suggest the camera has been used. The camera comes in the 5D Mark III/EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens Kit box, butthe lens is not included in this offer. The box contains all in-box items as purchased, including battery pack & charger, strap, cables, discs, documentation, and warranty card.
The camera will be shipped by insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your camera will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Ed by e-mail or phone at 832-689-8111 (Central time).
I have owned and used this superb, full frame, 22mp digital body for several years. It was always my first choice for scenic, Urbex, and flower photography until I fell in love with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). And I used it quite a bit for birds and wildlife with great results. artie
Canon EOS 7D Camera
Ed Hutchinson also is offering an EOS 7D camera in like-new condition for $379. There are no scratches, scuff marks, or other blemished to suggest the camera has been used. The camera comes in the original box with all in-box items as purchased (except as noted below), including battery pack & charger, strap, cables, documentation, and warranty card. One of the two discs originally included, EOS Digital Solutions Disc, is missing, however downloading the current software from the Canon web site is recommended as the information on the disc is now outdated. The package also includes David Busch’s Compact Field Guide for the Canon EOS 7D. The camera will be sent by insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only.
Your camera will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Ed by e-mail or phone at 832-689-8111 (Central time).
This 7D would make a great starter camera body for any new digital photographer. artie
This image was created at Nickerson Beach on my 5-week Long Island visit.
Geoffrey Montagu on our left, Bill Dix on our right
They Didn’t Know! Do You?
I have known Bill Dix on BirdPhotographer’s.Net for more than few years and met his good buddy Geoffrey Montagu there only recently. Bill’s photography has improved by leaps and bounds since I first saw some of the images he posted for critiquing many years ago. Bill and Geoffrey are big time photography buddies and do many trips together. I met them at Nickerson Beach on the All Time Greatest-ever Black Skimmer Chick morning. As we got back to the parking lot we were chatting about this and that. I am not sure how the subject of drop-in filters on big telephoto lenses came up but it did. I did have my beach cleaning kit in my Wheeleeze… (To learn more about this great big-wheeled beach cart click here and scroll down.)
Next I asked them how often they cleaned the drop-in filters on their Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR lens. I was shocked when both Bill with 8 years of bird photography experience and Geoffrey after 3 years of working with long lenses asked “What’s a drop-in filter.” I explained that all of the big super-telephoto lenses, both Canon and Nikon, had clear glass drop-in filters that needed to be cleaned every few weeks at the least…
I asked permission to remove the filter from Bill’s lens and as expected, it looked as if it had spent some time in the cat’s litter box… Geoffrey’s was in the same condition. I grabbed my soft-bristled paint brush, the small bottle of LensClens, and my old t-shirt from my lens cleaning kit (see same along with the how-to instructions below) and went to work…
If You Own a Super-telephoto Lens You Must Read This!
The above image is pretty much self-explanatory. To clean the drop-in filter, Canon users simply squeeze in the two silver tabs and lift the filter drawer straight up. Nikon users have to press in the knob and turn it counterclockwise release the filter drawer. Be sure to note the orientation of the filter drawer, the direction that it faces. With Canon lenses, the letters that spell Canon face the front of the lens.
Cleaning the Drop-in Filter
Hold the filter drawer by the edges so that you do not touch the surface of the glass while cleaning the filter. If your filter looks pretty clean try tilting it while viewing it against a dark background. You will likely be surprised. Then take your soft-bristled brush and whisk the surface of both sides of the filter. You will likely need to do wet cleaning as well unless you cleaned it recently. For a wet cleaning, place several drops of LensClens fluid on a small area in a corner of your old t-shirt. Never put the LensClens fluid directly on the filter or on any lens surface. Next bunch up a totally dry part of the t-shirt and dry and buff the glass taking care to get right to the edge all the way around. Again, check the filter by tilting it while viewing it against a dark background. One you are satisfied that it is clean, check for proper orientation and then replace it carefully by inserting it straight in until it snaps.
Why Clean the Drop-in Filter?
A dirty drop-in filter will destroy the accuracy of your autofocus system and seriously degrade image quality.
My Cleaning Kit
My Cleaning Kit
My cleaning kit–stowed in a heavy duty zip lock bag–consists of an old but clean t-shirt–I do throw it in the washing machine every once in a while, a soft-bristled brush, a bottle of LensClens, and some clean, dry Q-tips. I use the Q-tips to clean the viewfinder but not as often as I should. After moistening the tip I rub it onto the viewfinder, then I dry it with the other end of the Q-tip. Then I break the Q-tip in half and stick the shaft end into a balled up section of the old t-shirt and polish the viewfinder until it is completely dry.
LensClens is amazing stuff. I use it to clean all lens surfaces and external elements. I use it to clean the screen on my MacBook Pro. I use it to scrub my camera bodies clean; it works great on the LCDs. It is used to clean the the finest multi-coated lenses on earth (and in space too!) LensClens #1 is for multi-coated optics–the only one that BAA sells, has a fast evaporation rate and leaves no zero; that makes it the perfect lens cleaning fluid.
When heading out in damp or threatening conditions I place 2or 3 dry t-shirts into their own zip lock bag so that when one gets damp there is another dry one waiting in the wings. You cannot dry the front element of a lens with a damp cloth… The more dry t-shirts the merrier.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Bodies in Stock Right Now at B&H!
I learned on Tuesday afternoon that B&H received an unexpected second shipment of this hot, hot camera body earlier today. Order your Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR using my B&H affiliate link and you just might have your camera on Wednesday or Thursday. Be sure to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
A Thank You Bonus
As a thank you for using my link I will be glad to share a little 5D IV AF Surround secret with you…
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
On Monday I did lots of work and accomplished a lot but as I was finishing up my work on this post at 5:25pm I cannot remember exactly what I was so busy with… IAC, it seems to have stopped thundering and lightning so I am gonna head for the pool until proven otherwise. I did get in my core exercises before lunch.
Do see the new MP4 video offering below. There are already three more in the pipeline and there will be regular offerings from here on.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak: 312!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 312 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
New MP4 Video!
Many folks have long been asking for more MP4 videos. I finally got my act together and started back up with Camtasia last week. Camtasia for Mac is actually a lot easier to work with than Camtasia for Windows. The one negative is that the MP4 files are much larger. Today’s offering checks in at 167.9 mbs so you will need a decent web connection to download it and at that, it will take some time.
This Just In
We have a relatively slow connection here at ILE; downloading the 170 mb file (if I am correct about the size…) took only ten minutes. Finder shows this: 167.9 MB
Killdeer 5D IV ISO 6400 DPP 4 Conversion/Clean-Up & NeatImage Noise Reduction MP4 Video
The title pretty much says it all but there are lots of great details in this 33 minute screen capture video. Though it is a stand alone product, it will be most beneficial to folks who have studied Digital Basics, the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide, and the The Professional Photographer’s Guide to Post Processing. Most interestingly, I take you through the steps of determining good chrominance and luminance noise reduction values for a new camera at a high ISO. Without Arash 🙂 I take you through my complete digital workflow from Photo Mechanic to DPP 4 to Photoshop for the image clean-up to the NeatImage plug-in for noise reduction. Then I save the master file and create a JPEG for the blog and for BPN. (Note: NeatImage requires a separate purchase.)
Killdeer 5D IV ISO 6400 DPP 4 Conversion/Clean-Up & NeatImage Noise Reduction MP4 Video: $10
Click here to order the Killdeer ISO 6400 MP4 Video. You can see the older video offerings here. You can order either through the store and pay via Paypal if you wish.
This Just In!
From Mike Ross via a comment on the blog:
I just purchased and watched the Killdeer ISO 6400 MP4 Video. Best $10 I have spent on photography training! Highly recommended.
I selected a single AF point one row to the right and rows up from the center AF point (Manual selection)/AI Servo/Shutter Button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point fell just below the bird’s eye.
LensAlign/FocusTune microadjustment: -1
Killdeer
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV ISO 6400
From where I sit, ISO 6400 images created with the 5D Mark IV should be–for the most part–quite usable. The chrominance noise is easily eliminated during the RAW conversion in DPP 4. Controlling the luminance noise is a two part procedure, first during the RAW conversion and then again in Photoshop via the amazing NeatImage plug-in. Most surprisingly, the noise levels in the RAW file are excellent, on par with the Canon EOS-1D X and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.
For a close look at the noise levels, check out the animated GIF immediately below.
Check out the before and after noise level in the dark tones of the eye, the bill, and the neck band. Remember that noise reduction had been applied during the RAW conversion in DPP 4.
Image Question
It is rare for me to increase saturation at all. With this image however, I balanced the warm colors resulting from the Shade WB capture by going to Auto WB and then making a small adjustment of the Color Fine Tune box to bring the WHITEs very close to neutral. So as a last step, I increased the Saturation 10 points after I had already saved the master file.
Do you think that I overdid the saturation? (Do also consider the full frame image that opened this blog post.)
The Image Clean-up
After converting the RAW image in DPP 4 and bringing the TIFF into Photoshop, the orange “thing” behind the bird, whatever it was, was eliminated with some difficulty with a Quick Mask that was refined two ways with the Transform command. The rest of the debris was eliminated using my standard clean-up tools, the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, and the Clone Stamp Tool.
Everything above plus tons more is of course detailed in my Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete (former PC) digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, details on using all of my image clean-up tools, the use of Contrast Masks, several different ways of expanding and filling in canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, the basics of Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs, Dodge and Burn, a variety of ways to make selections, how to create time-saving actions, and tons more.
Learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
On Sunday I made it down to the lake yet again with my relatively new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. At this time of year, but for the cranes, bird photography at ILE is a slow pick at best.
I did lots more work on stock-piling blog posts, watched the UFC on TV in the morning, lots of NFL games afternoon and evening, enjoyed a late 3/4 mile swim, and did my shoulder stretching and exercises.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
Wanted to Buy
A friend is looking for a used 7D Mark II in excellent or better condition. If you are looking to sell one, please contact me via e-mail.
The Streak: 311!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 311 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Learning About Life and Light Angle From Fan Mail
The following comment came up for moderation with regards to the “200-400 w/Internal TC at the Beach/Bug-eyed But Not Bushy-tailed/7D II Pretty Darned Good…” blog post here.
Sorry, Artie, but how can you reconcile this image with your constant pounding of sun angle? I have seen a lot of your critiques that put an otherwise good image into the trash can because of slightly less than ideal sun angle. By opening up the shadows, aren’t you doing the same thing here? I am trying to learn and got confused by this blog post.
It seemed to me that the guy, let’s call him DH for now, was being a bit negative, and probably looking for a piss-fight. And it was even more obvious that he had a really big problem expressing himself clearly via written English. But I approved it anyway and followed up with a few questions. I am sure that as you continue reading you might figure out why I opted to refer to him as DH.
Here is what I posted:
What are you sorry about?
Whom do I need to reconcile with?
What are you referring to when you say “constant pounding of sun angle”?
Critiques of my work or of the work of others?
You wrote, “By opening up the shadows, aren’t you doing the same thing here?” I would ask, the same thing as what???
Please be sure to answer each of my questions above. Thanks.
I have long espoused that folks work on sun angle or within 15 degrees of sun angle and this image follows those guidelines.
later and love, artie
A few minutes later I received the following e-mail:
am: Whom do I need to reconcile with?
DH: With your own stupid and aggressive opinions.
am: What are you referring to when you say “constant pounding of sun angle”?
DH: Your constant pounding of sun angle, stupid.
am: Critiques of my work or of the work of others?
DH: Why, invariably others – your work is invariably beyond reproach.
am: You wrote, “By opening up the shadows, aren’t you doing the same thing here?” I would ask, the same thing as what???
DH: Trying to correct shadows created by shooting off sun angle in bright sunny conditions, stupid. Art, you are a master of deliberately misunderstanding a straightforward and well meant question with the with the express purpose of delivering a demeaning putdown. What a sad, self important old knob you are.Yep, I know, I’m spammed.
Talk about understanding and appreciation. Do note that DH’s question was not “well meant” and it certainly was not straightforward. He was looking to be nasty and pick a fight. I have no idea why the bitter and unhappy folks like him cannot control their need to spread their poison. I simply deleted his e-mail and yes, I spammed him.
Please understand that the purpose of publishing DH’s e-mail is not to solicit pats on the back. I get plenty of those; do know that each one is greatly appreciated.
From UrbanDictionary.com
Internet Troll
A person whose sole purpose in life is to seek out people to argue with on the internet over extremely trivial issues. Such arguments can happen on blogs…
Dickhead
A person who is an idiot and shows it all too well…
This sidelit image was created at Punta Suarez, Espanola (Hood) Island on a BAA Galapagos Photo-Cruise with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens (the “old five”) (now replaced by the much lighter Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens), the 1.4X II TC (now replaced by the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III)and the Canon EOS-1D Mark III (now replaced by the rugged, blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II.) ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/640 sec. at f/7.1. AWB.
The far left AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye as framed was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Waved Albatross sidelit!
Working Off Light Angle…
As for working off light angle, my advice has always been to try to work on or close to light angle, or at least within 15 degrees of light angle while paying careful attention to how the light strikes the bird’s face(as I did with the yellow-crowned “Big Eyeball” image. Except of course when creating silhouettes or backlit images.) Do understand that each and everyone of you is free to work 90 or even 135 degrees off sun angle on clear day if you wish. You are the artist. It will be your picture. And you are free to like those images. Or not. On rarer than rare occasion I might like one of every 100,000 images made 90 degrees off sun angle. Might. I think that I have seen one of those in my 33+ years…
Sidelit Waved Albatross
As near as I can figure, this image was created while I was about 40 degrees off sun angle. Why did I push the button?
1: the area to my left was off limit.
2: the bird’s head was being hit nicely by the very late afternoon light.
3: I was pretty much square to the world.
I think of this one whenever the discussion turns to sidelit images…
All but a handful of pairs of Waved Albatross in the world breed on Espanola (Hood) Island. My two-week Galapagos trip is the only trip to visit Hood and the equally spectacular Tower Island twice each on a single cruise… Join us.
Tame birds and wildlife. Incredible diversity. You only live once…
GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. August 8-22, 2017 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $12,499. Limit: 13 photographers plus the leader: yours truly. Openings: 4.
Same great trip; no price increase!
My two-week Galapagos Photo-Cruises are without equal. The world’s best guide, a killer itinerary, a great boat (the Samba), and two great leaders with ten Galapagos cruises under their belts. Pre-trip and pre-landing location-specific gear advice. In-the-field photo instruction and guidance. Jeez, I almost forgot: fine dining at sea!
The great spots that we will visit include Tower Island (including Prince Phillips Steps and Darwin Bay), Hood Island (including Punta Suarez, the world’s only nesting site of Waved Albatross, and Gardner Bay)—each of the preceding are world class wildlife photography designations that rank right up there with Antarctica, Africa, and Midway. We will also visit Fernandina, Puerto Ayora for the tortoises, Puerto Egas—James Bay, and North Seymour for nesting Blue-footed Boobies in most years, South Plaza for Land Iguanas, Floreana for Greater Flamingoes, and Urbina Bay, all spectacular in their own right. We visit every great spot on a single trip. Plus tons more. And there will be lots of opportunities to snorkel on sunny mid-days for those like me who wish to partake.
It is extremely likely that we will visit the incredible Darwin Bay and the equally incredible Hood Island, world home of Waved Albatross twice on our voyage. The National Park Service takes its sweet time in approving such schedule changes.
We will be the first boat on each island in the morning and the last boat to leave each island every afternoon. If we are blessed with overcast skies, we will often spend 5-6 hours at the best sites. And as noted above, mid-day snorkeling is an option on most sunny days depending on location and conditions. On the 2015 trip most snorkeled with a mega-pod of dolphins. I eased off the zodiac to find hundreds of dolphins swimming just below me. Note: some of the walks are a bit difficult but can be made by anyone if half way decent shape. Great images are possible on all landings with either a hand held 70-200mm lens and a 1.4X teleconverter or an 80- or 100-400. I sometimes bring a longer lens ashore depending on the landing. In 2017 I will be bring the Canon 400mm IS DO II lens. In the past I have brought either the 300mm f/2.8L IS II or the 200-400mm f/4 L IS with Internal Extender.
Do consider joining me for this once in a lifetime trip to the Galapagos archipelago. There simply is no finer Galapagos photography trip. Learn why above.
An Amazing Value…
Do know that there are one week Galapagos trips for $8500! Thus, our trip represents a tremendous value; why go all that way and miss half of the great photographic locations?
The Logistics
August 6, 2017: We arrive in Guayaquil, Ecuador a day early to ensure that we do not miss the boat in case of a travel delay.
August 7, 2017: There will be an introductory Galapagos Photography session and a hands on exposure session at our hotel.
August 8, 2017: We fly to the archipelago and board the Samba. Heck, on the 2015 trip some people made great images at the dock in Baltra while our luggage was being loaded!
August 22, 2017: We disembark late morning and fly back to Guayaquil midday; most will overnight there.
Most will fly home on the early morning of July 23 unless they are staying on or going elsewhere (or catching a red-eye flight on the evening of the 22nd).
$12,499 includes just about everything: all transfers, guide and park fees, all food on the boat, transfers and ground transportation, your flights to the archipelago, and three nights (double occupancy) in a top notch hotel in Guayaquil. If you are good to go, a non-refundable deposit of $5,000 per person is due immediately. The second payment of $4,000 is not due until 11/1/16. The final payment of $3449 per person will be due on 2/1/17. A $200 discount will be applied to each of the balances for couples or friends who register at the same time.
Purchasing travel insurance within 2 weeks of our cashing your deposit check is strongly recommended. On two fairly recent cruises a total of 5 folks were forced to cancel less than one week prior to the trip. My family and I use Travel Insurance Services and strongly recommend that you do the same.
Not included: your round trip airfare from your home to and from Guayaquil, beverages on the boat, phone calls, your meals in Guayaquil, personal items, and a $600/person cash tip for the crew and the guide—this works out to roughly $40/day to be shared by the 7 folks who will be waiting on us hand and foot every day for two weeks. The service is so wonderful that many folks choose to tip extra.
Please e-mail for the tentative itinerary or with questions. Please cut and paste “Galapagos 2017 Tentative Itinerary Please” into the Subject line.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
My plans for Saturday include working on the future blog post stockpile, making hotel reservations for the Ushuaia/Torres del Paine segments of my South America busman’s vacation, my shoulder stretching and exercises, and a nice swim.
Join the DeSoto IPT and get to use my 5D Mark IV for one hour. And consider renting my 200-400 cheap! Click on the BAA IPTs tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above for complete details.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak: 311!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 311 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few 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. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the right side of the menu bar above.
September Used Gear Sales Flaming Hot!
Eric Karl sold his Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal Extender in excellent condition for the full asking price, a very low $8,099 in mid-September.
Gary Meyer sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III in mint condition for $1599 with an off-brand battery grip in mid-September.
IPT veteran Ken Siegel sold his Canon EOS-1DX in excellent condition with several extras for $2899 in early September.
Roger Doughty sold his Canon EOS-1DX in “like-new” condition for $2,749 and his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition for $1,049 both within hours of listing them in early September.
Multiple IPT veteran Phil Frigon sold his barely used Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 within three hours of listing it on September 6.
Joe Alexander sold his Gitzo GT3532LS carbon fiber tripod and a Wimberley V-2 WH-200 gimbal head both in like-new condition for $799 within an hour of listing it on September 6.
IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 in early September.
Top pro Jim Zuckerman sold his Canon 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $899, his 5D Mark II in excellent condition for $799, and his Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM lens in very good condition for the amazingly low price of $1049 in early September, all within a week of listing.
Yours truly sold his Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in near-mint condition for $4783 in early September.
Multiple IPT-veteran Sheldon Goldstein decided to keep his Canon EOS-5D Mark III and have it converted to Infrared by Kolari Vision using the link on the right side of each blog page. Folks who use that link will receive a free copy of my IR White Balance Guide.
New Listing
Canon EOS-1D X with extra battery
Good friend and BAA Japan IPT co-leader–the oft-honored BBC and Nature’s Best photographer Paul McKenzie–is offering a Canon EOS 1DX in excellent condition (but for a few fine scratches) with an extra Canon battery for the very low price of $2299 USD. The body has 61,000 actuations. The sensor was recently cleaned by Canon Professional services and has not been used since. The original box with all the accessories, the spare LP-EN4 battery mentioned above, and insured ground shipping via major courier are included in the sale price.
Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
I used, depended on, and loved my two fast, rugged 1DX cameras as my workhorse bodies for more than three years after their release. The 1DX offers a great AF system, a very fast frame rate, and excellent high ISO performance. It is ideal for birds (especially in flight), wildlife, and sports. The extra battery LP-EN4 battery currently sells $164.95 new at B&H making Paul’s body a great buy. As for the 61,000 actuations, I have never had to have a shutter replaced on any Canon camera body that I have ever owned… artie
WMD: Weapon of Mass Destruction
Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens
Sold!
Hisham Atallah is offering a Canon 600mm f/4l IS II lens in excellent condition for $9499.The lens is like-new but for two very small blemishes on the top of the lens barrel near the lens info plaque; the glass is 100% clean. The sale includes the: rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original leather front lens cover, an Acquatech front lens cover, the Wimberley P-50 plate, the extra monopod foot, the lens trunk, a LensCoat, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Hisham via e-mail or by phone at 720 771 2693 (Eastern time).
As y’all know, the 600 II has been my go-to long lens since its introduction several years ago. It is relatively lightweight and super-sharp. It goes great with the 1.4X III TC and with a bit of practice and good sharpness techniques, you should be able to make sharp images with the 2X III TC down to 1/60 sec. As a new one goes for $11,499 you can save an even $2000 by grabbing Hisham’s lens right now. artie
Four rows up and one to the right of the center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Shutter Button AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point fell on the base of the bill, right on the same plane as the crane’s eye.
LensAlign/FocusTune microadjustment: +5.
Sandhill Crane vertical head and neck portrait in early morning light
ILE’s Dependable Sandhill Cranes…
When I moved from Deltona–an hour north of Orlando–a few year’s after Elaine’s death, it was the Sandhill Cranes walking about everywhere that made me determined to find a home to buy in Indian Lake Estates (ILE). It is wonderful to live in a place where you can find a few cranes to photograph just about every day of the year. The big problem right now is that the big fields down by the lake are so wet and soft from the rains that I am pretty much limited to photographing them from the roads. Whenever I have ventured off-road a bit on my photo outings of the last three days I wound up holding my breath thinking that I might get stuck despite being in low gear… So far, so good.
Question…
Why is the distal 3/4 inch of the crane’s bill darker than the rest? Be specific please.
This is a 100% Crop of Today’s featured image…
The 100% Crop
When I reviewed my images from Thursday morning made with the 600 II/1.4XIII/5D Mark IV combo I was not thrilled with the sharpness with the micro-adjustment set to +7. I was in bed on Thursday night at 8:30, woke at 3:30am, worked on a blog post or two, and then decided to redo the LensAlign/FocusTune work. I wound up at +5, not much of a difference in theory, but I was much happier with the sharpness of the images.
This is a 100% crop Friday’s featured image…
What Do You Think?
Going by the two 100% crops, what do you think of the sharpness of today’s image as compared to Friday’s featured image… Please realize that the bird in Friday’s image was a brighter individual and that that image had a lot more pixels on the bird’s face…
Three AF points to the right and two rows up 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 fell right on the bird’s eye as seen in the DPP 4 screen capture in Friday’s blog post here.
LensAlign/FocusTune microadjustment: -1
Sandhill Crane, tight head portrait
The Answer
The focal length used to create Friday’s featured image was, as above, 1200mm.
My Comments
Making really sharp images off the BLUBB is a bit tougher than making really sharp images from a tripod. For that reason I almost always use Shutter Button AF when working on the BLUBB. That and perfect sharpness techniques. Many folks assumed that the 600 II is too heavy and bulky to use from the car but I have been doing just that for several decades, often with the 2X TC. Many images are lost to unsharpness but the good ones can be really, really good.
Friday’s image was exceptionally sharp by any standards pretty much for any focal length capture… Most everyone who commented agreed. Kudos to Neil Caithness who nailed the anwser.
I will share my initial thoughts on the 5D Mark IV with y’all here soon.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
I made some more 5D IV images on my morning outing down to the lake. I will share my favorite here tomorrow. I worked on a few more blog posts including this one. I started my core exercises at 12:15 and swam at 1pm. Then I was a lazy bum for a few hours. And enjoyed it. It is now 6:30pm and I am back at work with renewed vigor. I plan on heading down to the lake in the morning.
Most everyone thinks that my first 5D Mark IV image in yesterday’s blog post here was pretty darned sharp. I will reveal what lens and focal length I used to make it in tomorrow’s blog post. Right now the guesses are all over the lot…
Join the DeSoto IPT and get to use my 5D Mark IV for one hour. And consider renting my 200-400 cheap! Scroll down for details.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal Extender
I learned via e-mail at 12:53am last night that this lens sold and is being shipped today!
Eric Karl is offering a Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal Extender in excellent condition for a very low $8,099. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Eric via e-mail or by phone at 1-503-272-1055 (Pacific time).
This is the world’s best lens for a trip to Africa. It kills also in the Galapagos and in South Georgia, the Falklands, and Antarctica. And I use mine a lot at Bosque and other dusty places where the built-in TC helps to keep your sensor clean. And I love it in the Palouse for its versatility. The lens sells new at B&H right now for $10,999. You can save a slew of dollars by grabbing Eric’s lens now. artie
The Streak: 310!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 310 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Three AF points to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF as originally framed (see the DPP 4 screen capture below) was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron sidelit
Canon EOS 7D Mark II Pretty Good
With today’s featured photograph, the superb image quality of this 7D II file allowed for a decent crop. Sharpness and feather detail are outstanding. Though I have forsaken my two 7D IIs, I firmly believe that the 7D Mark II represents the best ever value in a Canon digital camera body.
Canon 200-400 w/Internal TC at the Beach
I write often, The 200-400 with Internal Extender is is the world’s best lens for a trip to Africa. It kills also in the Galapagos and in South Georgia, the Falklands, and Antarctica. And I use mine a lot at Bosque and other dusty places where the built-in TC helps to keep your sensor clean. And I love it in the Palouse for its versatility.
As today’s featured image shows, the 2-4 can be a great bird photography lens for folks who routinely work with silly tame birds as in some part of Florida and California. Though I am able to hand hold it only for short periods of time I am able to work with it all day using the knee pod technique: while seated with your left hand under the front of the lens and with your left knee bent, place the back of your left forearm on your left knee to support the lens. This is the next best thing to a tripod.
Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal Extender
Save almost $3,000!
Eric Karl is offering a Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal Extender in excellent condition for a very low $8,099. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Eric via e-mail or by phone at 1-503-272-1055 (Pacific time).
The DPP 4 screen capture for today’s featured image
The DPP 4 Screen Capture
Note the selected AF point illuminated in red. The 7D II suffered from what I call the AF Grid Void. Once you cross the boundary between the central AF array and either side AF array, the AF system losses contact with the AF points across the void. When I created this image, Surround offered only five AF assist points, not the usual eight. Learn more about the AF Grid Void here. This problem, that exists only on the 7D II, can hamper your image design efforts.
Another Lying Histogram
Note that with the RGB values for brightest whites below the bird’s right eye at 238, 234, 220, that we should see at least some data very close to the right axis of the histogram… When there are small patches of bright white be sure to check for blinkies, especially on sunny days.
A Rare BAA Sidelit Image
By comparing the optimized image with the screen capture, you can see that I opened up the shadowed side of the night-heron’s head; I used my NIK Color Efex Pro 50-50 Recipe. I hid the effect with a Hide-all, Black, or Inverse Layer Mask and painted the effect in (B, D) as desired with brushes of varying opacities.
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife 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 fall one way or another. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
BIRDS AS ART Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up Workshop (ITFW): $99
Join me on the morning of October 2, 2016 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 morning workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.
To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal registration fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place one week before the event.
Folks attending the IPT will be in the field early and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto Short Notice Fall IPT/September 28 (meet & greet at 2pm followed by our afternoon session) through the full day on October 1, 2016. 3 1/2 DAYs: $1549. Limit 10/Openings: 5. Sunday morning ITFW free to IPT registrants.
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds in fall. There they join dozens of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With any luck, we should 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 likely. 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 me as my guest on the ITFW on the Sunday morning following the workshop. See above for details on that.
On this and all other IPTs 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 and age many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
At brunch (included) we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at a few of your images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.
As I already have one signed up for this workshop, it is a go. Hotel info will be e-mailed when you register. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). It is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel so if you are interested it would be a good idea to register now and make your hotel reservations as soon as you hear from us. We can, however, coordinate with local folks who opt to stay at home.
Because of the relatively late date, payment is full is due upon registration either by check or credit card. If the former, please e-mail us immediately so that we can save you a spot. If the latter, please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to register. Your registration fee is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight so please check your plans carefully before committing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and gear & clothing advice a fairly soon.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
I got down to the lake early in the morning to find lots of Sandhill Cranes and White Ibises. I worked from the car. I created a few keepers with the new camera. I will likely share my impressions of the 5D IV in Sunday’s blog post. I want to use it a bit first.
I had my teeth cleaned, shopped at Publix, and enjoyed a great swim in the late afternoon. And still had time to stockpile some more blog posts. Amazingly, I have over 30.
Please remember that the blog is intended to be interactive; the more folks who participate, the more everyone learns, including you. And me.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak: 309!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 309 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
This image was created on the morning of Thursday September 15, 2016 with my new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.
Sandhill Crane, tight head portrait
What focal length?
Please leave a comment and let us know what focal length you think was used to create this image. Please remember, the cranes at ILE will walk right up to you… I will post the answer on Sunday. The image quality–see the 100% crop below, might help you. Or not…
This is a 100% crop of today’s featured image
Whaddya Think?
Whaddya think of the sharpness, the image quality, and the FFD (fine feather detail)?
The DPP 4 Screen Capture
The DPP 4 Screen Capture
Note the active AF point (AF Expand) squarely on the bird’s eye. Note also the greenish color cast and the two bits of crud on the bird’s crown. Both were eliminated during the post processing.
The 5D IV and the DeSoto IPT
Join the IPT and get to use my 5D Mark IV for one hour 🙂 See immediately below for details.
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife 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 fall one way or another. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
BIRDS AS ART Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up Workshop (ITFW): $99
Join me on the morning of October 2, 2016 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 morning workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.
To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal registration fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place one week before the event.
Folks attending the IPT will be in the field early and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto Short Notice Fall IPT/September 28 (meet & greet at 2pm followed by our afternoon session) through the full day on October 1, 2016. 3 1/2 DAYs: $1549. Limit 10/Openings: 6. Sunday morning ITFW free to IPT registrants.
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds in fall. There they join dozens of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With any luck, we should 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 likely. 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 me as my guest on the ITFW on the Sunday morning following the workshop. See above for details on that.
On this and all other IPTs 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 and age many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
At brunch (included) we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at a few of your images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.
As I already have one signed up for this workshop, it is a go. Hotel info will be e-mailed when you register. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). It is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel so if you are interested it would be a good idea to register now and make your hotel reservations as soon as you hear from us. We can, however, coordinate with local folks who opt to stay at home.
Because of the relatively late date, payment is full is due upon registration either by check or credit card. If the former, please e-mail us immediately so that we can save you a spot. If the latter, please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to register. Your registration fee is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight so please check your plans carefully before committing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and gear & clothing advice a fairly soon.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
I got down to the lake with my new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. See how I did in tomorrow’s blog post.
It looks as if we are up to six for the Fort DeSoto IPT 🙂 Click here and scroll down for the complete details.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
Download DPP 4.5.0.0 for Mac for Canon EOS 5D Mark IV RAW Files
Not wanting to have to dig up the CD drive for my Macbook Pro I did a search on line for the latest version of Canon Digital Photo Professional. I found a You Tube video by Cherry Wong Photo an bingo, in the text below the video I found the link for DPP 4.5.0.0. If you would like to download it you can click here. You will need to enter your 5D IV serial number. Downloading and installing took only minutes.
Important DPP 4.5.0.0 Note
DPP 4.5.0.0 can be found on the a CD that came in the box with your 5D Mark IV. For folks without an internal or external CD drive/reader (like me and Cherry Wong) this can be a hassle.
This Just In on Downloading DPP 4.5.0.0
You can also download DPP 4.5.0.0 for Mac or Windows here. Again, you will need to enter your 5D IV serial number.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
I spent the most of the morning micro-adjusting my new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with LensAlign/Focus Tune. Patrick Sparkman called while I was at work and we both agreed that we had never seen tighter AF cluster. That says good thinks about the AF system. And though Patrick has not used the body extensively he is loving it, especially the AF system. And Bosque IPT veteran Joe Subolefsky prefers his 5D IV to the 1DX II and the 5DS R… Time will tell. I did get two more blog posts done. And then I spent five hours researching SealLine Dry Sacks and Dry Bags before placing a big order for the South Georgia cruise. Click here or on the Beach Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above to learn more.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak: 308!
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 308 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF on the plover’s eye and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Black-bellied Plover/Marbled Godwit juxtaposition
Sharp/Soft Juxtapositions
When I first began making a few good images–maybe 25 year ago or so–I used to say regularly, “I want nothing in the background but pure color.” After a few years, I showed some growth as a photographer when I realized that if you line things up just right, having a second bird or animal in the background in just the right spot can add interest and impact. And rather than trying to have both subjects in sharp focus, I learned quickly that the images are far more successful with the foreground subject in sharp focus and the secondary background subject nicely out of focus. To accomplish that it is best to work wide open or close to it.
High Level Image Design Question
How would taking a half step to my right and zooming out a bit have helped to improve today’s featured image?
The Canon 200-400 f/4L IS with Internal Extender/7D Mark II Combo
The 200-400 f/4L IS with internal extender/7D Mark II combo can be deadly when working with fairly tame birds or large mammals. When you have a decent amount of light, most folks will be fine taking the lens off the tripod and hand holding it. Sitting and using the knee-pod technique is the way to go if possible and the 2-4’s great four-stop IS system helps a great deal when it comes to making sharp images hand held. With the internal TC in place you will have 896mm of effective reach. Adding an external 1.4X TC gets you to 1254.4mm; best to be on a tripod with the latter set-up.
Eliminating Color Casts
The original image here featured a sickly greenish color cast. During the RAW conversion in DPP 4 I made a Fine-tune color adjustment by dragging the dot down a bit and a bit to the left, in other words, away from green. That helped but the color cast still needed more work. I did that in Photoshop with an Average Blur Color adjustment at about 85% opacity.
You can learn about Average Blur Color Balancing and several other ways to adjust the colors in your images in my Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my (former) complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, details on using all of my image clean-up tools, the use of Contrast Masks, several different ways of expanding and filling in canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, the basics of Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs, Dodge and Burn, a variety of ways to make selections, how to create time-saving actions, and tons more.
In my
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife 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 fall one way or another. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
BIRDS AS ART Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up Workshop (ITFW): $99
Join me on the morning of October 2, 2016 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 morning workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.
To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal registration fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place one week before the event.
Folks attending the IPT will be in the field early and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto Short Notice Fall IPT/September 28 (meet & greet at 2pm followed by our afternoon session) through the full day on October 1, 2016. 3 1/2 DAYs: $1549. Limit 10/Openings: 6. Sunday morning ITFW free to IPT registrants.
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds in fall. There they join dozens of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With any luck, we should 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 likely. 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 me as my guest on the ITFW on the Sunday morning following the workshop. See above for details on that.
On this and all other IPTs 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 and age many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
At brunch (included) we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at a few of your images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.
As I already have one signed up for this workshop, it is a go. Hotel info will be e-mailed when you register. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). It is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel so if you are interested it would be a good idea to register now and make your hotel reservations as soon as you hear from us. We can, however, coordinate with local folks who opt to stay at home.
Because of the relatively late date, payment is full is due upon registration either by check or credit card. If the former, please e-mail us immediately so that we can save you a spot. If the latter, please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to register. Your registration fee is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight so please check your plans carefully before committing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and gear & clothing advice a fairly soon.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
On Tuesday I did some more work on getting ready for the big South America trip and still had time to stockpile several additional blog posts. It was a good day in the office as Arden McCurdy and her sister Jacke signed up for the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT and Fern Trujillo, a retired NYC police detective, signed up for the 7-day Palouse IPT. I look forward to meeting and working with all three of them. And with you somewhere 🙂 I enjoyed my 3/4 mile swim at 1pm and will get back to my exercise routine tomorrow.
5D Mark IV Comment
My loaner 5D Mark IV arrived late on Tuesday afternoon. I will be micro-adjusting it on Wednesday morning and hope to head down to the lake early tomorrow. I have been thinking a lot about the Dual Pixel RAW feature and must say–having never even used the camera–that I would be stunned if it turns out to be beneficial for bird photography… I hope, of course, that I am wrong.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 307 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The selected AF point was on the middle of the bird’s upper back just this side of the centerline, pretty much on the plane of the bird’s eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Caspian Tern/winter plumage adult
Nemesis Bird
Caspian Tern has always been a tough species for me. They are a lot shyer than Royal Terns and tend to stay in small tight groups so that isolating a single bird in clean blue water is difficult at best. With today’s featured image I was able to isolate the bird in beautiful blue water but the water was anything but clean. Though I new it would be a pretty difficult clean-up, I decided to tackle the job. See more below.
Caspian Tern ID
Though superficially similar to royals, Caspians are a much larger, stockier species with a heavier bill. Though there is some overlap in bill color, most Caspians are usually much redder than the bills of the usually more orange-billed royals. In flight, the loud raspy call of the Caspians and their under-primary feathers, very dark out towards the end of the wings, make them easy to identify. In breeding plumage both species sport rich black crowns with the black running just below the eye. In winter plumage, white feathers molt into the black caps of Caspian Terns especially above and towards the bill leaving a dark stripe below and behind the eyes. Contrast that with the snazzy rear caps of Royal Terns as seen in the recent Winter Plumage Royal Terns blog post here.
7D Mark II Not So Bad
Note the extreme sharpness and the gorgeous colors. All that with an effective focal length of 672mm in a package that is hand holdable by most folks.
The Image Optimization
After converting the image in DPP 4, I leveled the image using the Ruler Tool and Image > Rotate > Arbitrary. I used Content Aware to fill in the canvas added after my crop. For the clean-up, I began working on each stick and bit of beach grass debris individually. After a while, I gave up and created a large Quick Mask of the water on the bottom right, put it on its own layer, dragged it into place with the Move Tool (V), warped the selection, and then refined it with a Regular Layer Mask. Much better. I made a Selective Color adjustment to bring the bill to a more natural red color. It is notoriously difficult to get the Caspian Tern’s bill color to match what you remember from life.
Everything above is detailed in my Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, details on using all of my image clean-up tools, the use of Contrast Masks, several different ways of expanding and filling in canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, the basics of Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs, Dodge and Burn, a variety of ways to make selections, how to create time-saving actions, the Surface Blur settings that I use to smooth background noise, and tons more.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II; save $15 by purchasing the pair.
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife 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 fall one way or another. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
BIRDS AS ART Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up Workshop (ITFW): $99
Join me on the morning of October 2, 2016 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 morning workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.
To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal registration fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place one week before the event.
Folks attending the IPT will be in the field early and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto Short Notice Fall IPT/September 28 (meet & greet at 2pm followed by our afternoon session) through the full day on October 1, 2016. 3 1/2 DAYs: $1549. Limit 10/Openings: 6. Sunday morning ITFW free to IPT registrants.
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds in fall. There they join dozens of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With any luck, we should 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 likely. 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 me as my guest on the ITFW on the Sunday morning following the workshop. See above for details on that.
On this and all other IPTs 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 and age many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
At brunch (included) we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at a few of your images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.
As I already have one signed up for this workshop, it is a go. Hotel info will be e-mailed when you register. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). It is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel so if you are interested it would be a good idea to register now and make your hotel reservations as soon as you hear from us. We can, however, coordinate with local folks who opt to stay at home.
Because of the relatively late date, payment is full is due upon registration either by check or credit card. If the former, please e-mail us immediately so that we can save you a spot. If the latter, please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to register. Your registration fee is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight so please check your plans carefully before committing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and gear & clothing advice a fairly soon.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
On Monday, I stock-piled two more future blog posts and did some serious work on my upcoming 9+ week trip to South America that will include two trips to the Falklands, the Cheesemans’ last South Georgia voyage, a week or more at Torres del Paine, and a few weeks of bird photography R&R. A swim, some stretching, and an afternoon trip to town rounded out my day.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 306 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Center AF point (by neccessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point fell just on the end of the bird’s toe. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
LensAlign/FocusTune micro-adjustment: -3.
Marbled Godwit scratching
High-key, Pano-cropped, Scratching Marbled Godwit Image: Turning Grey Water to Blue
With the ISO at 1600, you know that the original capture featured bland, light grey water. I did some work on the Adjust image colors tab in DPP 4 and followed that up with a layer of Selective Color Adjustments in Photoshop. But only an Average Blur Color Balance adjustment brought the blue in the water to life. For this image I was surely seated. I am much better able to frame and follow action while seated as compared to being flat down on the ground. And the long focal length greatly reduces the angle of declination to the bird and makes it look as if I were really low.
Learn how to make an Average Blur Color Balance Adjustment (and tons more) in my Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes what used to be my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, details on using all of my image clean-up tools, the use of Contrast Masks, several different ways of expanding and filling in canvas, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, the basics of Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs, Dodge and Burn, a variety of ways to make selections, how to create time-saving actions, and tons more.
Scratching Bird Photo Tips…
1-Get low.
2-As always, work in manual mode.
3-Try to use a shutter speed of at least 1/500 sec. if you want everything sharp.
4-If you want to try for a blurred foot and a sharp eye, you can work between 1/125 and 1/320 second (or even a bit slower).
5-Be even more aware of head angle than you usually are. Birds will very often turn the heads away from the plane of their bodies when scratching. Fire only when the bird’s head is at least square to the imaging sensor as it is in today’s featured image. Moving to the side to get squarer to the bill can sometimes help a bit but don’t overdo it…
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife 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 fall one way or another. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
BIRDS AS ART Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up Workshop (ITFW): $99
Join me on the morning of October 2, 2016 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 morning workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.
To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal registration fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place one week before the event.
Folks attending the IPT will be in the field early and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto Short Notice Fall IPT/September 28 (meet & greet at 2pm followed by our afternoon session) through the full day on October 1, 2016. 3 1/2 DAYs: $1549. Limit 10/Openings: 6. Sunday morning ITFW free to IPT registrants.
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds in fall. There they join dozens of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With any luck, we should 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 likely. 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 me as my guest on the ITFW on the Sunday morning following the workshop. See above for details on that.
On this and all other IPTs 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 and age many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
At brunch (included) we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at a few of your images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.
As I already have one signed up for this workshop, it is a go. Hotel info will be e-mailed when you register. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). It is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel so if you are interested it would be a good idea to register now and make your hotel reservations as soon as you hear from us. We can, however, coordinate with local folks who opt to stay at home.
Because of the relatively late date, payment is full is due upon registration either by check or credit card. If the former, please e-mail us immediately so that we can save you a spot. If the latter, please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to register. Your registration fee is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight so please check your plans carefully before committing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and gear & clothing advice a fairly soon.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
Sunday was spent on the Sisyphean task of stock-piling blog posts… I got my core exercises done in the morning and was in the pool by noon. Watched lots of NFL football for the rest of the day while working.
Please remember that the blog is intended to be interactive; the higher the number of folks who participate, the more everyone learns, including you. And me.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
Speaking Gigs
If you are a member of a photography club that can put more than 100 folks in the seats–200 or more is way better–and are looking for a 2017 or 2018 keynote speaker for a year-end event or a seminar weekend, please contact me via e-mail with the pertinent details. I will do my best to arrange for Canon support for my appearance.
The Streak
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 305 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
My Great Weekend Telling Stories
I worked out a deal for extra days off with my right-hand man, Jim (Litzenberg) in return for him driving me to Naples on Friday, manning the sales table on Saturday, and getting us back to ILE safely on Saturday after the DPI-SIG program. On the drive down, I put the finishing touches on a brand new, longer version of the very popular “A Bird Photographer’s Story.” Then I made some notes on the interview script that Peggy Farren and I had worked on for a week. When I was done and satisfied, I answered a bunch of e-mails, many dealing with the Used Photo Gear Page which has been red hot recently with lots of stuff selling the day it is listed.
We made it Peggy’s home in Naples by about 2:45pm. The Facebook Live interview was scheduled for four sharp in her living room which turned to be ideal. I should have taken a quick nap but instead we chatted and got acquainted. Peggy’s technical assistant, the very pleasant and capable Joe Fitzpatrick, got us miked up and ready to go. When we started getting ready for the interview I assembled a list of questions from my blog and a Facebook post. I sent them to Peggy. From those, she crafted a script for the interview and sent it to me. I revised it a bit and sent it back to her. Then, as mentioned above, I created some cheat-sheet notes on my copy.
Peggy began the interview right on script with “So tell us about Arthur Morris.” After that we were off to the races. As is typical with me, one story led to another. For the most part, our carefully designed script of questions went out the window. At times the effervescent Peggy managed to get us back on target, but for the most part we went here and there and everywhere. In no time flat is was almost 5:30 so we called it a wrap. Afterwards, while discussing our efforts, we were both elated. We felt that we has been totally relaxed and that the conversation had flowed naturally throughout. And to our great shock, we realized that we had covered a good deal of the material that had been planned for. I will go back over the script more carefully and create a blog post answering the few big misses and possibly expanding on some of the points that I made.
Peggy and Joe graciously took Jim and me to dinner at Shula’s Steak House in Naples. We all had the same thing, the Filet Mignon Trio. On our plates came three small portions of perfectly cooked (rare for me) center cuts of “premium black angus beef, hand selected and aged to perfection.” One had a peppercorn crust, one was prepared oscar style, and the third with a blue cheese crust. I started with the peppercorn and it was excellent. The oscar style one was just a bit better. And the blue cheese crust was fantastic. I had the creamed spinach side and it too was delish. After dinner when discussing our steak topping preferences, we all agreed: blue cheese first, then the oscar, and lastly but still really, really good, the peppercorn. Thanks again to Peggy and Joe for the great dinner and the great conversation.
Click here, scroll down, and then hold your cursor over the pane above to view the complete interview video.
Update!
You can view the entire interview, with the sound synced properly, by clicking here.
Viewing the Interview Video
Some folks have had trouble finding and viewing the video so complete directions for computer dummies like me follow. To view the unexpurgated version of the video, click here. Scroll down a bit until you get to Facebook pane that you see above. Hold your cursor over that pane and you will see the video commands appear at the bottom. Un-mute it and hit play and you will be good to go. (Please bear with us as at this time, most likely due to a Facebook error, the sound does not sync properly with the video.)
Note: The logo below is currently at the top of the Understanding Photography page. Resist clicking on is as it will not lead you directly to the video…
Peggy and Joe are going to edit the interview down to 50-60 minutes and make it into a podcast. She noted, “Hopefully that will be a quick and painless project but who knows?” In addition, they will also upload the entire near-90 minutes to their YouTube channel. As you might suspect, you will be seeing links to both of those here on the BAA Blog soon after they are posted.
Peggy Farren’s Take on the Interview
First, a little backstory: the leader of our local camera club here in Naples, Sonny Saunders, is an amazing guy. He has grown DPI-SI–which stands for Digital Photography Imaging – Special Interest Group–into a world-class camera club. When he announced a lecture series with the first guest this season as Arthur Morris, I knew I had to start a podcast to take advantage of these amazing photographers coming right here to my hometown. The podcast didn’t seem as if it would be enough, so I decided to start with a Facebook Live show and then turn the content into a podcast.
I was super-nervous to even approach someone at the level of Arthur Morris. I had met him briefly when we were both speaking at a convention in 2012. He was very nice but I still felt intimidated. I bit the bullet and sent him an email. Artie responded very quickly with a “yes!” Happy dance! I studied his blog, read a couple of his books (okay – I skimmed them) and put together a list of questions. Artie suggested he ask people on his blog and Facebook what they’d like to ask. So we redid our script based on the feedback we received. Artie has a big fan base so we condensed the questions and we were ready to go! I was pleased by how responsive and nice Artie was in all our communications ahead of time. He really put me at ease. By the time he arrived in Naples, I felt like we were friends.
The week before the live show was filled with technical problems and stress. We resolved everything Friday morning, just in the nick of time! Joe Fitzpatrick, without whom I couldn’t have done any of this, studied the Facebook rules and learned that we had to limit the Live show to 90 minutes or we would be cut off. I knew that would be a problem even before we began as we had so much to cover!
We got started right on time and as Artie mentioned, go off script right away. But honestly, Artie was so interesting that I didn’t think it was a big deal. Everyone wants to know how Artie went from “regular guy” to “world famous bird photographer”. At times, I coaxed him back on to the script, which I had on my iPhone in my hand. Well, somehow after about 40 minutes the script disappeared so I was listening and trying to remember what to ask him! When I saw that we only had 15 minutes left, I started to panic a bit. We had quite a few questions about focusing, which Artie answered very well. And very quickly. Thank goodness he remembered to give his Top Ten Bird Photography Tips since that went out of my mind when I lost the script! We ended at about 89 minutes! Talk about cutting it close!
I could not have had a better guest for my first show. I never expected Artie to be so helpful and so extremely nice. He helped me with the script, had great suggestions, and he helped promote the show – even after we were done! Because he was so accommodating and kind, I felt at ease. And he was amazing on camera! The next day, he gave a fabulous presentation at DPI-SIG. Artie shines on stage, as he did in the interview. I am forever in your debt, Arthur Morris, for making my first “Understand Photography Show” a success!
The DPI-SIG Program
With the program scheduled for three full hours, I expanded “A Bird Photographer’s Story”into two parts with a break. Though the program is primarily a general interest biography, I always weave in lots of photo tips. My biggest problem when speaking is keeping my stories short and persuading myself to leave a few out… I simply love telling stories. In spite of my extensive story-telling, I was able to keep the first segment right at 90 minutes as planned. During the potty break, lots of folks visited Jim at the sales table. We started back up at 10:45am and were finished in 45 minutes. That left a half hour for demos and questions. Lots of folks came up afterwards to thank me and many stated that they really loved the personal stuff that I included about my Mom and Dad, my two daughters and their families, and The Work of Byron Katie.
After the program many multiple IPT veterans Stokes and Pat Fishburne who recently moved back to Fort Myers, kindly took Jim and I to lunch at Sushi Thai Too in North Naples. Thanks again guys! I have been to this place before and the Panang Curry is so good that I always get a second one as takeout. We had a ball and everyone enjoyed the great food.
Having been up at 4am on Friday morning with no nap all day and then doing the DPI-SIG program on Saturday morning, I was exhausted by the time we got in the car and headed home. I got some work done and then set my cell phone alarm for 25 minutes. I fell asleep pretty quickly and felt refreshed after my short nap. Jim got us back to ILE just after 5 and headed home to Canaveral quickly, another two hour drive for him. I do not know how he does it but I surely appreciate all he does for me. He is taking Monday off 🙂
Palouse 2016 Horizontals Card
Why Different?
Announcing the 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour
In what ways will the 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour be different from the most other Palouse workshops?
There are so many great locations that a seven-day IPT (as opposed to the typical three- or five-day workshops) will give the group time to visit (and revisit) many of the best spots while allowing you to maximize your air travel dollars. In addition, it will allow us to enjoy a slightly more relaxed pace.
You will be assured of being in the right location for the given weather and sky conditions.
You will learn and hone both basic and advanced compositional and image design skills.
You will learn to design powerful, graphic images.
You will visit all of the iconic locations and a few spectacular ones that are much less frequently visited.
You will learn long lens landscape techniques.
You will learn to master any exposure situation in one minute or less.
You will learn the fine points of Canon in-camera (5D Mark III, 5DS R, and 7D II) HDR techniques.
You will learn to use your longest focal lengths to create rolling field and Urbex abstracts.
You will learn when and how to use a variety of neutral density filters to create pleasing blurs of the Palouse’s gorgeous rolling farmlands.
As always, you will learn to see like a pro. You will learn what makes one situation prime and another seemingly similar one a waste of your time. You will learn to see the situation and to create a variety of top-notch images.
You will learn to use super-wide lenses both for big skies and building interiors.
You will learn when, why, and how to use infrared capture; if you do not own an infrared body, you will get to borrow mine.
You will learn to use both backlight and side-light to create powerful and dramatic landscape images.
This trip will run with one participant.
Palouse 2016 Verticals Card
The 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour
June 8-14, 2017. Seven full days of photography. Meet and greet at 7:30pm on Wednesday, June 7: $2,499. Limit 10/Openings: 9.
Rolling farmlands provide a magical patchwork of textures and colors, especially when viewed from the top of Steptoe Butte where we will enjoy spectacular sunrises and at least one nice sunset. We will photograph grand landscapes and mini-scenics of the rolling hills and farm fields. I will bring you to more than a few really neat old abandoned barns and farmhouses in idyllic settings. There is no better way to improve your compositional and image design skills and to develop your creativity than to join me for this trip. Photoshop and image sharing sessions when we have the time and energy…. We get up early and stay out late and the days are long.
Over the past three years, with the help of a friend, we found all the iconic locations and, in addition, lots of spectacular new old barns and breath-taking landforms and vistas. What’s included: In-the-field instruction, guidance, lessons, and inspiration, my extensive knowledge of the area, all lunches, motel lobby grab and go breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions. As above, there will be a meet and greet at 7:30pm on the evening before the workshop begins.
To Sign Up
Your non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to hold your spot. Please let me know via e-mail that you will be joining this IPT. Then you can either call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 during business hours to arrange for the payment of your deposit; if by check, please make out to “BIRDS AS ART” and mail it to: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail: artie.
Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options. You can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
The Understand Photography interview with Peggy Farren was huge fun. In tomorrow’s blog post I will let you know how to see the interview video. And the DPI-SIG program was extremely well behaved. It is looking very much as if I signed up two very nice sisters for the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT and perhaps six or seven folks for the DeSoto In-the-Field morning session. All pending the receipt of the deposit checks of course 🙂
Please remember that the blog is intended to be interactive; the more folks who participate, the more everyone learns, including you. And me.
Yikes, I almost forgot: my loaner 5D Mark IV will be here on Monday. I can’t wait to share.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
The Streak
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 304 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Which is Best for Me, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV or the EOS-1DX Mark II?
Everybody wants to know, which camera body should they buy, which of the two is best for them? Below are two e-mail conversations that will shed lots of light on these questions. You will find the definitive answer in each e-mail and I will summarize it near the end of this blog post.
The original e-mail from David Bates
Artie, Since you have the 1DXII and have raved about the 5DSR, when would you use the 5DIV? My real question is I have the 1DXII, 1DX and the 5DS R. I’m trying to decide if I should swap my 5DSR for the 5DIV. Do you think I should?
My answer
David, I am not sure yet as I have not used the 5D IV yet. I cannot, however,believe that you do not study the blog regularly; there have been several blog posts in the past two weeks dealing with the 5D IV.
I have explored many 5D IV issues here, here, and here. Please go back and study them and let me know then if you have any questions. If you buy a 5DS R, please use my link. And do get in touch if you want me to try to sell your 5DS R.
Our Next Conversation
DB: I do read and enjoy your blog daily. I had read and reread all of the blog entries you directed me to. I did not see an answer to my question: Should I swap my 5DS R for a 5D Mark IV?
am: David, The material in the links that I sent and you studied covered all of the important factors. I can never tell what is best for the other guy. After the DeSoto IPT—you should come on that one by the way, I will know a lot more and have images to share. But do remember that I I can only tell folks what I think, share my experiences, and show them the images. Those last two only after I get the camera 🙂 But even then I cannot and will not tell anyone what to do. What I try to do is educate and enlighten them so that they can decide. Best would be to come on the IPT and get to use my 5D IV for an hour!
DB: I look forward to reading about your impressions. Thank you.
am: Many thanks and thanks also for your purchase.
MC: I have the 7D Mark II and love it. I find, however, that the image quality in low light with the higher ISOs is lacking and I don’t like the noise with images above 800 ISO. I am seriously considering purchasing either the 5D Mark IV or the 1DX Mark II. I know that you are going to write a blog post regarding this topic and look forward to it.
am: I have already commented on the blog on many of the relevant factors, at least in theory. Stay tuned until after the DeSoto IPT when I will get to use a 51D IV…
MC: Here are my personal thoughts as far as upgrading to either the 5D IV or the 1DX II: Full frame offers better low light performance.
am: The edge there goes to the 1DX II, the current high ISO king.
MC Enhanced focus when using the 2X III teleconverter.
am: Again the edge goes to the 1DX II especially as far as the speed of initial AF acquisition is concerned. With the lens alone or with the 1.4X III TC, I would be willing to bet the once you have acquired focus that the 5D IV will track beautifully and accurately just as it does with the 5DS R.
MC: Video
am: Here the 5D Mark IV is the clear winner.
MC: The 5D IV has 30 mp files so I could crop and still have a nice image.
am: yes, when it comes to cropping and maintaining image quality goes to the 5D IV.
MC: The 1DX II has a very frame capture rate.
am: Yes, the frame rate edge goes to the 1DX II by about double.
MC: The 5D IV is less expensive.
am: Yes, at about half the price you could by two for the price of a 1DX II… BTW, I am pretty sure that I covered everything above on the blog 🙂
MC: What are your personal thoughts about upgrading from the 7D Mark II to either the 5D Mark IV or 1DXII?
am: I am 100% sure that you should upgrade from the 7D Mark II. I owned two of them and sold them both. I cannot know which body will be best for you. But you have all the facts and will learn a lot more after the Fort Desoto IPT. Keep studying and then decide for yourself which is best for you.
MC: Thank you for sharing your thoughts. When I decide which body to purchase, I will definitely use your B&H affiliate link to purchase it.
am: Many thanks. Please remember to send me your B&H receipt via e-mail when you purchase.
thanks and later and love, artie
The Definitive Answer
The definitive answer of course–and I am sure that more than a few of you came to this conclusion when you read the title–is that I can never tell you which camera is best for you. Just as I can never let you know if purchasing this camera or that lens will be “worth it for you.” I will continue to try new gear, to see how it works for me, and to share my experiences and the images made with that gear. Please, however, remember that it ain’t the camera and it ain’t the lens. As always it is what is in the heart, mind, and eye of whomever is holding the gear at the moment of exposure…
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
On Friday morning Jim and I packed up the Sequoia with our overnight bags and with mail order product to bring to the Saturday morning program in Naples. B&H is generously supporting the event by providing two $50 and one $100 B&H gift certificates. You need to be present to win.
I was glad to learn that Roger Doughty sold his two like-new Canon bodies, a 1DX and a 7D II, the first day they were listed, each for a price that thrilled him. That is what I called hitting the nail on the head! In addition, the sale of multiple IPT-veteran Mike Goldhamer’s
Canon 400mm f/4 DO lens is pending.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
DPI-SIG Naples Speaking Gig
Though it is probably too late for you, do know that on the morning of Saturday September 10, I will be presenting “A Bird Photographer’s Story” from 9am to noon in the auditorium at Florida SouthWestern State College located at 7505 Grand Lely Drive, Naples, Florida, 34113. Learn more here. If you live anywhere near SW Florida, I hope to see you there. Be sure to come up for a hug.
The Streak
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 303 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few 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. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the right side of the menu bar above.
September Used Gear Sales Flaming Hot!
IPT veteran Ken Siegel sold his Canon EOS-1DX in excellent condition with several extras for $2899 in early September.
Roger Doughty sold his Canon EOS-1DX in “like-new” condition for $2,749 and his Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition for $1,049 both within hours of listing them in early September.
Multiple IPT veteran Phil Frigon sold his barely used Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 within three hours of listing it on September 6.
Joe Alexander sold his Gitzo GT3532LS carbon fiber tripod and a Wimberley V-2 WH-200 gimbal head both in like-new condition for $799 within an hour of listing it on September 6.
IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 in early September.
Top pro Jim Zuckerman sold his Canon 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $899, his 5D Mark II in excellent condition for $799, and his Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM lens in very good condition for the amazingly low price of $1049 in early September, all within a week of listing.
Yours truly sold his Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in near-mint condition for $4783 in early September.
Multiple IPT-veteran Sheldon Goldstein decided to keep his Canon EOS-5D Mark III and have it converted to Infrared by Kolari Vision using the link on the right side of each blog page. Folks who use that link will receive a free copy of my IR White Balance Guide.
New Listings
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Gary Meyer is offering a Canon EOS 5D Mark III in mint condition for the great price of $1599; it has only 3015 shutter actuations. The sale includes the original box, the front body cap, the unopened owner’s manual, the unopened software disk and cords, the camera strap, the battery charger, an extra Canon battery, the Vellow BG-C9 battery grip, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Gary via e-mail of by phone at 1-612-221-0150 (Central time).
I owned and used this superb, full frame, 22mp digital body for several years. It was always my first choice for scenic, Urbex, and flower photography until I fell in love with the 5DS R (for a lot more money!). artie
This in-camera Art Vivid image was created on the second Palouse IPT with the Induro GIT 304L tripod and the Induro BHM1 ballhead-mounted Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens (at 28mm) with the mega mega-pixel Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +/-3 stops around a base exposure of 1 second at f/8 in Av mode. Color temperature 5000K. Live View to raise the mirror along with the two-second timer, my “sharp flower: technique.
Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Farm implements in old barn
A Norman Rockwell?
This image evolved over a period of two weeks. I photographed it much tighter on the first Palouse workshop, as a horizontal that included neither the ceiling nor the floor. After seeing a participant’s image during a critiquing session–I think that it was made by Sheena Wilkie–I was inspired to go back and try again. First I shared the concept with the larger second group, and then found other things to do as pretty much everyone worked the tranquil Americana scene. It was during that break that I looked up and discovered the golden treasure that I shared with ya’ll in the blog post here.
When everyone was done, I went back to work on the farm implements trying different compositions and straight shots and various HDRs. I wound up with this, my favorite image design, just as we were leaving.
I Shoulda Used the Broom…
There were several brooms in the treasure-filled old barn, but I am not sure if I wielded it in the vicinity of the farm implements. I should have. But I did not, so it was Photoshop to the rescue. I decided to leave the single faded yellow cottonwood leaf. I used my usual friends for the clean-up: a series of transformed and warped Quick Masks refined by regular Layer Masks, the Patch Tool, the Patch Tool, and only rarely, the Clone Stamp Tool. Total time: about 30 minutes for the clean-up alone.
If you could only have one lens, many non-wildlife photographers would pick the upgraded EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens due to its exceptionally versatile zoom range from wide-angle to short telephoto, a constant f/4 aperture, and an outstanding build quality befitting an L-series lens. This version II of the popular lens makes improvements to image quality through the use of a new optical design with four glass-molded aspherical elements which helps to limit vignetting in your images. Also, it users an Air Sphere Coating to reduce ghosting and flaring.
A ring-type Ultrasonic Motor AF system provides fast and accurate autofocus while built-in optical image stabilization can help compensate for about 4 stops of shutter speed, minimizing the effects of camera shake. This lens also offers a zoom lock switch to prevent lens creep when not actively in use as well as an internal focus system. Full-time manual focus override is available for making adjustments regardless of the AF mode. Additionally, it has a rounded 10-blade aperture diaphragm for smooth out of focus elements.
As with all L-series lenses, this optic has a dust- and water-resistant construction thanks to numerous seals that prevent intrusion when working in inclement weather. It also uses a fluorine coating on the exposed front and rear elements to help prevent smudges and make cleaning easier. Offering a versatile zoom range of 24-105mm, this L-series lens is a staple of many shooters’ kits. This updated version offers improved image quality, with a notable enhancement in peripheral brightness. Designed for use with full-frame DSLRs, this optic is compatible with APS-C format cameras as well where it will provide a 38.4-168mm equivalent focal length range.
The constant f/4 maximum aperture offers consistent performance and light transmission throughout the zoom range. Four glass-molded aspherical elements, including one large-diameter double-sided glass-molded lens, help to minimize distortions throughout the zoom range in order to maintain edge-to-edge sharpness and illumination. An Air Sphere Coating (ASC) has been applied to lens elements to reduce backlit flaring and ghosting for maintained light transmission and high contrast in strong lighting conditions. A ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM), along with an internal focusing system, high-speed CPU, and optimized AF algorithms, are employed to deliver fast, precise, and near-silent autofocus performance.
Optical image stabilization minimizes the effects of camera shake by compensating for up to 4 stops of shutter speed. Full-time manual focus operation is available for fine-tuning of your focus position when working in the AF mode. Zoom lock prevents lens creep when not in use. A weather-resistant design protects the lens from dust and moisture to enable its use in inclement conditions. Additionally, fluorine coatings have also been applied to the front and rear lens elements for further protection against fingerprints and smudging. Ten rounded diaphragm blades contribute to a pleasing out of focus quality that benefits the use of shallow depth of field and selective focus techniques.
Shipping from B&H on Monday, Oct 31
I am sure that I will be replacing my dependable and versatile B-roll lens fairly soon and selling the old version at a bargain price. Bummer that I will be headed to South America for ten weeks before this lens will be available. The sooner you order yours, the sooner you will own it.
I learned several days ago that the new Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens will begin shipping from B&H on Monday, Oct 31. If you order one, please be sure to use my product-specific B&H link (in this paragraph) or the to click on the logo link above. Once you to the B&H product page, please click on Pre-order. Please do NOT click on Request stock alert (as that option will not track to me).
Why use my B&H affiliate link? It’s the best way to thank me for so many days in a row with a new educational blog post and for the time spent answering dozens of e-mails each week on a variety of photography related subjects.
Palouse 2016 Horizontals Card
Why Different?
Announcing the 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour
In what ways will the 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour be different from the most other Palouse workshops?
There are so many great locations that a seven-day IPT (as opposed to the typical three- or five-day workshops) will give the group time to visit (and revisit) many of the best spots while allowing you to maximize your air travel dollars. In addition, it will allow us to enjoy a slightly more relaxed pace.
You will be assured of being in the right location for the given weather and sky conditions.
You will learn and hone both basic and advanced compositional and image design skills.
You will learn to design powerful, graphic images.
You will visit all of the iconic locations and a few spectacular ones that are much less frequently visited.
You will learn long lens landscape techniques.
You will learn to master any exposure situation in one minute or less.
You will learn the fine points of Canon in-camera (5D Mark III, 5DS R, and 7D II) HDR techniques.
You will learn to use your longest focal lengths to create rolling field and Urbex abstracts.
You will learn when and how to use a variety of neutral density filters to create pleasing blurs of the Palouse’s gorgeous rolling farmlands.
As always, you will learn to see like a pro. You will learn what makes one situation prime and another seemingly similar one a waste of your time. You will learn to see the situation and to create a variety of top-notch images.
You will learn to use super-wide lenses both for big skies and building interiors.
You will learn when, why, and how to use infrared capture; if you do not own an infrared body, you will get to borrow mine.
You will learn to use both backlight and side-light to create powerful and dramatic landscape images.
This trip will run with one participant.
Palouse 2016 Verticals Card
The 2017 BIRDS AS ART Palouse Instructional Photo-Tour
June 8-14, 2017. Seven full days of photography. Meet and greet at 7:30pm on Wednesday, June 7: $2,499. Limit 10/Openings: 9.
Rolling farmlands provide a magical patchwork of textures and colors, especially when viewed from the top of Steptoe Butte where we will enjoy spectacular sunrises and at least one nice sunset. We will photograph grand landscapes and mini-scenics of the rolling hills and farm fields. I will bring you to more than a few really neat old abandoned barns and farmhouses in idyllic settings. There is no better way to improve your compositional and image design skills and to develop your creativity than to join me for this trip. Photoshop and image sharing sessions when we have the time and energy…. We get up early and stay out late and the days are long.
Over the past three years, with the help of a friend, we found all the iconic locations and, in addition, lots of spectacular new old barns and breath-taking landforms and vistas. What’s included: In-the-field instruction, guidance, lessons, and inspiration, my extensive knowledge of the area, all lunches, motel lobby grab and go breakfasts, and Photoshop and image sharing sessions. As above, there will be a meet and greet at 7:30pm on the evening before the workshop begins.
To Sign Up
Your non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to hold your spot. Please let me know via e-mail that you will be joining this IPT. Then you can either call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 during business hours to arrange for the payment of your deposit; if by check, please make out to “BIRDS AS ART” and mail it to: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail: artie.
Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options. You can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check. Whenever purchasing travel insurance be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
On Thursday I stockpiled two more future blog posts, put the finishing touches on my DPI-SIG program for this Saturday, and worked with Jim in getting mail order product packed up to bring to Naples. Time of course for my easy 3/4 mile swim and my shoulder stretching and exercises.
Please remember that the BAA blog is intended to be interactive; the more folks who comment, the more everyone learns.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
Facebook Live Interview
In conjunction with my Saturday morning speaking gig in Naples (see the details below) I will be doing a Facebook Live Interview/Podcast at 4pm eastern time on Friday, September 9 at 4 p.m. EDT with Peggy Farren of Understand Photography.
All that you need to do to watch the live podcast is head over to the Facebook page here at 4 p.m. on September 9 (2016). If you would like notification via Facebook, you can join the event here.
DPI-SIG Naples Speaking Gig
On the morning of Saturday September 10, I will be presenting “A Bird Photographer’s Story” at 9am in the auditorium at Florida SouthWestern State College located at 7505 Grand Lely Drive, Naples, Florida, 34113. Learn more here. If you live anywhere near SW Florida, I hope to see you there. Be sure to come up for a hug.
The Streak
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 302 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
One AF point to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Rear Button Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was just above the bend of the wing. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #1: Royal Tern bathing–head turned away
Bathing Bird Tips
Once the bird is a decent size in the frame–remember not to get too, too close–and the bird starts dipping its breast in the water and splashing, make lots of images. Today’s images were the best from a 20+ frame sequence. And remember, as we have discussed here before, if you want to get the wing flap, move back to avoid clipping the wings and put the bird in the center of the frame so that you can get the front flap and the rear flap.
When creating today’s images, I decided to get in close and go for the splashing realizing that I would be out of luck for the wing flap. As noted above in the AF portion of the caption, do not try to focus on the bird’s head because the bird’s head is relatively small and may move up or down quickly causing you to lose focus. Better to focus on the neck or the upper back or somewhere in between.
One AF point to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Rear Button Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the bend of the wing. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.
Image #2: Royal Tern bathing–splashing with bill open
Your Pick?
Which is the stronger image, Image #1 or Image #2 (or #3)? Please let us know why you made your choice.
Image #3: This image was created from image #2
Monkey Business
Image #3 was created from image #2. Enlarge each image and see if you can spot the difference. If you do, which version do you prefer Image #2 the natural version or Image #3, the Photoshopped version. Why?
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife 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 fall one way or another. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
BIRDS AS ART Fort DeSoto In-the-Field Meet-up Workshop (ITFW): $99
Join me on the morning of October 2, 2016 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 morning workshop is designed to give folks a taste of the level and the quality of instruction that is provided on BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tours. I hope to meet you there.
To register please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours with a credit card in hand to pay the nominal registration fee. Your registration fee is non-refundable. You will receive a short e-mail with instructions, gear advice, and meeting place one week before the event.
Folks attending the IPT will be in the field early and stay out late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Fort DeSoto Short Notice Fall IPT/September 28 (meet & greet at 2pm followed by our afternoon session) through the full day on October 1, 2016. 3 1/2 DAYs: $1549. Limit 10/Openings: 6. Sunday morning ITFW free to IPT registrants.
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds in fall. There they join dozens of egrets, herons, night-herons, gulls, and terns who winter on the T-shaped peninsula that serves as their wintering grounds. With any luck, we should 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 likely. 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 me as my guest on the ITFW on the Sunday morning following the workshop. See above for details on that.
On this and all other IPTs 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 and age many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, to, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. And you will learn learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).
At brunch (included) we will review my images–folks learn a ton watching me edit–why keep this one and delete that one? If you opt to bring your laptop, we can take a look at a few of your images from the morning session. We will process a few of my images in Photoshop after converting them in DPP. That followed by Instructor Nap Time.
As I already have one signed up for this workshop, it is a go. Hotel info will be e-mailed when you register. The best airport is Tampa (TPA). It is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel so if you are interested it would be a good idea to register now and make your hotel reservations as soon as you hear from us. We can, however, coordinate with local folks who opt to stay at home.
Because of the relatively late date, payment is full is due upon registration either by check or credit card. If the former, please e-mail us immediately so that we can save you a spot. If the latter, please call Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand to register. Your registration fee is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight so please check your plans carefully before committing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions and gear & clothing advice a fairly soon.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
On Wednesday I got up really early, stock-piled three blog posts, and took a nap before 9am. Then I went to work intent on finishing my slide show for DPI-SIG in Naples this Saturday. Then my core exercises and a swim. I answer e-mails all day long every day when I need to take a break from what I am doing. ADD I think, but definitely not ADHD…
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending IPTs and dozens of the 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.
Facebook Live Interview
In conjunction with my Saturday morning speaking gig in Naples (see the details below) I will be doing a Facebook Live Interview/Podcast at 4pm eastern time on Friday, September 9 at 4 p.m. EDT with Peggy Farren of Understand Photography.
All that you need to do to watch the live podcast is head over to the Facebook page here at 4 p.m. on September 9 (2016). If you would like notification via Facebook, you can join the event here.
DPI-SIG Naples Speaking Gig
On the morning of Saturday September 10, I will be presenting “A Bird Photographer’s Story” at 9am in the auditorium at Florida SouthWestern State College located at 7505 Grand Lely Drive, Naples, Florida, 34113. Learn more here. If you live anywhere near SW Florida, I hope to see you there. Be sure to come up for a hug.
The Streak
Today’s blog post marks a totally insane, irrational, illogical, preposterous, absurd, completely ridiculous, unfathomable, silly, incomprehensible, what’s wrong with this guy?, makes-no-sense, 301 days in a row with a new educational blog post. There should be no end in sight until my big South America trip next fall. Or not… As always-–and folks have been doing a really great job recently–-please remember to use our B&H links for your major 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 new BAA Online Store (as noted in red at the close of this post below) we would appreciate your business.
Selling Your Used Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog or via a BAA Online Bulletin is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charges a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly–I offer free pricing advice, usually sells in no time flat. In the past few 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. You can see all current listings by clicking here or by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the yellow-orange tab on the right side of the menu bar above.
Used Gear Sales Rocking!
Multiple IPT veteran Phil Frigon sold his barely used Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 within three hours of listing it on September 6.
Joe Alexander sold his Gitzo GT3532LS carbon fiber tripod and a Wimberley V-2 WH-200 gimbal head both in like-new condition for $799 within an hour of listing it on September 6.
IPT veteran Larry Master sold his Canon EOS 5DSR in like-new condition for $2799 in early September.
Top pro Jim Zuckerman sold his Canon 7D Mark II in excellent condition for $899, his 5D Mark II in excellent condition for $799, and his Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM lens in very good condition for the amazingly low price of $1049 in early September, all within a week of listing.
Yours truly sold his Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in near-mint condition for $4783 in early September.
Multiple IPT-veteran Sheldon Goldstein decided to keep his Canon EOS-5D Mark III and have it converted to Infrared by Kolari Vision using the link on the right side of each blog page. Folks who use that link will receive a free copy of my IR White Balance Guide.
David Snyder sold his Nikon MF 500mm f/4P lens in good condition for $1199 in late August, 2016.
Michael Hansen sold a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in excellent plus condition for $1599 in late August.
Peter Noyes sold an Apple MacBook Pro with 15.4 inch Retina Display, 16 GB memory, a 1 TB Flash Drive, 2.8 GHZ Intel Core I7 processor, and Force-Touch keypad in excellent condition for $1,199 in late August.
Multiple IPT-veteran Mike Goldhamer sold his Canon EOS-5D Mark III (with the battery grip) in excellent plus condition for $1550 in late August.
New Listing
Canon EOS-1D X with extras!
Ken Siegel is offering a Canon EOS 1DX in excellent condition with several extras for $2899. The camera is like-new but for two small scratches near the shutter button and a very few fine scratches on the rear LCD; Photos are available from Ken upon request. The camera shows less than 9,000 actuations. The camera underwent a clean and check at an authorized Canon repair facility a few months ago. The sale includes all original equipment including the front body cap, the unused strap, the battery charger, all manuals, CDs, and cords, the original product box, two additional LP-E4N batteries, a RRS B1DX “L” plate and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. The LP-EN4 batteries for for $164.95 each new at B&H. The B1DX “L” plate sells new for $220. That makes for $549.90 worth of valuable extras.
Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
I used, depended on, and loved my two fast, rugged 1DX cameras as my workhorse bodies for more than three years after their release. The 1DX offers a great AF system, 10 frames per second, and the best high ISO performance in the Canon line. It is ideal for birds (especially in flight), wildlife, and sports. artie
Canon EOS-1D X/Like-new!
Roger Doughty is offering a Canon EOS-1DX in “like-new” condition for $2,749. The body has < 13,000 shutter actuations. The sale includes the rear lens caps, the charger, one extra battery for a total of two, the strap, the original box, the cables and CDs, the owner's manual and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears.
Please contact Roger Doughty via e-mail or by phone at (208) 794-8810 (Mountain Time).
I used, depended on, and loved my two fast, rugged 1DX cameras as my workhorse bodies for more than three years after their release. The 1DX offers a great AF system, 10 frames per second, and the best high ISO performance in the Canon line. It is ideal for birds (especially in flight), wildlife, and sports. artie
Canon EOS 7D Mark II/Like-new!
Roger Doughty is also offering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II in like-new condition for $1,049. The body has 17,537 shutter actuations. The sale includes the rear lens cap, charger, one extra battery for a total of two, the strap, the BG-E-16 battery Grip with its original box, the owner’s manual, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears.
Please contact Roger Doughty via e-mail or by phone at (208) 794-8810 (Mountain Time).
Simply put, the 7D II is the greatest ever value in a digital camera body. It’s 1.6 crop factor is great for folks wishing for greater reach. artie
Canon EOS 24-105mm f/4 L IS Lens
Multiple IPT veteran Larry Master is offering a Canon EOS 24-105mm f/4 L IS lens in excellent condition for $549. The sale includes the Canon soft lens pouch (LP1219), the lens hood, the front and rear lens caps, the instruction book, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Larry via e-mail at e-mail or by phone at 1-518-645-1545 EDT.
The 24-105mm zoom has been my go-to B-roll lens for longer than I can remember. When I leave it in the car I rarely get far before realizing that I need it. I use it for bird-scapes, images of photographers, landscapes, as a quasi-macro lens, and for just about anything under the sun (or clouds). It sells new for $999 so you can save a n=bunch by grabbing this one before it is gone. artie
Image #1: Ruffed Grouse displaying/front view
Image copyright and courtesy of David Neilson/Screaming Skua Gallery
No Grousing When Ruffing It
Many multiple IPT veteran Dave Neilson loves all kinds of grouse, prairie chickens, and pretty much any bird that displays on a lekking ground. When I mentioned that I was leading a trip to Finland to photograph Capercaillie, Black Grouse, and one of my most wanted shorebird, Ruff, Dave e-mailed immediately that he was pretty much good to go. Though it looks as if all four slots might be accounted for, do get in touch via e-mail if you are seriously interested. Limit four plus me. Plus our multiple BBC honored host and guide. Heck, I do not have any deposit checks yet and I do not even have a price from the organizer yet, so do not be discouraged.
In Nebraska the temps in March are 0 degrees Fahrenheit or so in the morning. April in Wisconsin they are in the twenties (all F). When he photographs Bald Eagles on his property in January and February the temps are -20 degrees F. He is usually arrive about 4am to get into the blinds in both Nebraska and Wisconsin. Milky way photography in the Sand Hills is outstanding at that time so he does a bit of that before entering the blind. The birds show up at about 6:00am.
lek (from Dictionary.Com)
noun. a traditional place where male birds assemble during the mating season and engage in competitive sometimes violent displays that attract females.
My Comments
With Image #1 the key to success is the sharp focus on the head. I find the relatively high shutter speed wing blur very pleasing (as we discussed somewhere on the blog a few weeks ago). Image #2 looks like a watercolor painting.
Image #2: Ruffed Grouse displaying/side view
Image copyright and courtesy of David Neilson/Screaming Skua Gallery
Dave Neilson
Dave has a Gemologists Degree from the Gemological Institute of America, is a Certified Gemologist Appraiser, a member of the American Gem Society, has a BS in Zoology (1974 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and a Masters Degree in Ecology and Behavioral Biology from the University of Minnesota. He has been a Certified Gemologist and Master Goldsmith for forty years; he sells high end diamonds and colored stones in his own designs and was a pioneer in the development of CAD/CAM technology for the jewelry industry. (Note: CAD/CAM is a term that describes the two-part process of designing three-dimensional objects on a computer (CAD) and manufacturing them with a computerized machine (CAM).
Today Dave says, “I am more or less retired now but my customers keep finding me! So I sit up straight, salute and do what they ask.”
In 2015 he completed a 5-year photo study of Prairie Chickens and Sharp-tailed Grouse in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. Since then he has been photographing Ruffed Grouse on his property in the North Woods of Wisconsin and Sharp-tailed Grouse on the Nameakagon Barrens about 20 miles north of his place near Solon Springs, WI.
His interest in Grouse began when he went to Nebraska to see the Sandhill Crane migration in March, 2011. With some free time, he found and hooked up with the folks at the Switzer Ranch. They set him up in a remote blind 11 miles from their lodge to shoot Greater Prairie Chickens. He kept going back for four more years, five in all.
You can learn more about David on his website here.
Your Favorite?
Which of Dave’s images is your favorite? Be sure to let us know why.
Dave Neilson on his Bear Boat IPT Experience
I was on the 2013 Bear Boat IPT. We spent the whole time at the beautiful and remote Geographic Harbor in Katmai National Park, 100 miles west of Kodiak Is. After flying in by float plane, we disembarked onto our home for the week and were off after the bears; no wasted time there. The bears were a short 3 minute skiff-ride away and were fishing for pink salmon. The photo opportunities are in your face. Active fishing bears, playful cubs, portraits and snoozing bears in the sand. With Artie your shooting time will be maximized. As a former Antarctic explorer and field biologist, being out is the key. Weather be damned and so it is with Artie. He’s ready to shoot in all conditions and when the light is right. So bring your Gore-Tex rain gear and gear covers. Back on the bost there’s plenty of food, warm accommodations, and one-on-one and small group time with Artie to review your images and learn some Photoshop.
Images and card copyright Arthur Morris/BEARS AS ART 🙂
2017 Bear Boat Coastal Brown Bear Cubs IPTs: July 18-24, 2017 from Kodiak, AK: 5 FULL & 2 Half DAYS: $6699. Happy campers only! Maximum 8/Openings 3.
Join me in spectacular Katmai National Park, AK for six days of photographing Coastal Brown Bears. Mid-July is prime time for making images of small, football-sized cubs. The cubs, and these dates, are so popular that I had to reserve them three years in advance to secure them. There are lots of bears each year in June, but the mothers only rarely risk bringing their tiny cubs out in the open in fear of predation by rival bears. In addition to making portraits of both adults and cubs, we hope to photograph frolicking and squabbling youngsters and tender nursing scenes. At this time of year, the bears are either grazing in luxuriant grass or clamming. There will also be some two- and three-year old cubs to add to the fun. And we will get to photograph it all.
We will live on our tour operator’s luxurious new boat. At 78 feet long its 24 foot beam makes it quite spacious as well. And the food is great. We will likely spend most of our time at famed Geographic Harbor as that is where the bears are generally concentrated in summer. On the odd chance that we do need to relocate to another location we can do so quickly and easily without having to venture into any potentially rough seas. We land via a 25 foot skiff that has lots of room for as much gear as we can carry.
Aside from the bears we should get to photograph Horned and Tufted Puffin and should get nice stuff on Mew Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Harbor Seal, and Steller’s Sea Lion as well. A variety of tundra-nesting shorebirds including Western Sandpiper and both yellowlegs are also possible. Halibut fishing (license required/not included) is optional.
It is mandatory that you be in Kodiak no later than the late afternoon of July 17 to avoid missing the float planes to the boat on the morning of July 18. Again, with air travel in Alaska (or anywhere else for that matter) subject to possible delays, being on Kodiak on July 16 is a much better plan.
Barring any delays, we will get to photograph bears on our first afternoon and then again every day for the next five days after that, all weather permitting of course. On our last morning on the boat, July 24, those who would like to enjoy one last photo session will have the opportunity to do so. The group will return to Kodiak via float plane from late morning through midday. Most folks will then fly to Anchorage and to continue on red-eye flights to their home cities.
What’s included? 7 DAYS/6 NIGHTS on the boat as above. All meals on the boat. National Park and guide fees. In-the-field photo tips, instruction, and guidance. An insight into the mind of two top professionals; we will constantly let you know what we are thinking, what we are doing, and why we are doing it. Small group image review, image sharing, and informal Photoshop instruction on the boat.
What’s not included: Your round trip airfare to and from Kodiak, AK (almost surely through Anchorage). Your lodging and meals on Kodiak. The cost of the round-trip float plane to the boat and then back to Kodiak as above. The cost of a round trip last year was $550. The suggested crew tip of $200.
Have you ever walked with the bears?
Is this an expensive trip? Yes, of course. But with 5 full and two half days, a wealth of great subjects, and the fact that you will be walking with the bears just yards away (or less….), it will be one of the great natural history experiences of your life. Most folks who take part in a Bear Boat IPT wind up coming back for more.
A $2,000 per person non-refundable deposit by check only made out to “BIRDS AS ART” is required to hold your spot. Please click here to read our cancellation policies. Then please print, read, and sign the necessary paperwork here and send it to us by mail to PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855.
Your deposit is due when you sign up. That leaves a balance of $4699. The next payment of $2699 will be due on September 15, 2016. The final payment of $2000 is due on February 15, 2017. We hope that you can join us for what will be a wondrously exciting trip.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂
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 we are always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above we, 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.
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 🙂
