Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Stuff

I left my home at 3:15pm on Friday afternoon and made it to just below Savannah, GA by 9:30 where I grabbed a cheap motel room and hit the sack. I awoke ten minutes before the alarm at 5:20 and was headed to Charleston by 5:45. I met Denise Ippolto and her friend Pam Cohen at denise’s hotel and we headed out to do some scouting.

This blog post, the 129th in a row took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. It was published automatically at 4:00am on Sunday morning.

This image was created at a cemetery in North Charleston, SC with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 340mm) and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/8 was a small under-exposure. Center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF on the edge where the un-opened carpels meet the opened carpels and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Magnolia, fresh blossom

Canon 100-400mm L IS II/7D Mark II Versatility; Part 8: Charleston’s Iconic Flower

Magnolia is a large, ancient genus of flowering plants that appeared before bees did. Many are pollinated by beetles thus the carpels are extremely tough. The genus was named after the French botanist, Pierre Mangol. If anyone knows how to pronounce that name, please let us know. A web search on the came up empty. Magnolias are closely associated with all southern US states, not just South Carolina, but they sure are prolific around Charleston.

Thanks to Denise Ippolito for finding the perfect down low blossom. In the shade no less.

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Typos

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

Stuff

With the shoulder healing there will be no swimming for a while but I did enjoy my ice bath. Yesterday I got five optimized hi-res files on the way to the folks at The Nat, the San Diego Natural History Museum to be used for advanced publicity for my solo exhibit. It will feature 60 of my very favorite images from the past 33 years, will be opening next January, and hang for three months. I got lots more done on Thursday including working on a few writing projects.

This blog post, the 127th in a row took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. It was published at about 5:30am on Friday morning. Enjoy and learn.

New Used Photo Gear Listing

You can see the complete Used Photography Gear For Sale listings here.

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

Lowest-ever price on this item; this one should sell instantly!

Owen Peller is offering a used Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens excellent plus condition for $799.00. The sale includes the front and rear lenses caps, the tripod collar, the original box, the original case with strap, and insured shipping to US addresses. You can call Owen at at 954-882-1480 (eastern time) or shoot him an e-mail. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

I owned and used this great lens for well more than a decade and created hundreds of published images with it. Denise Ippolito owned and loved hers for years.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Many of you have read about the two new Canon 50+ megapixel bodies, the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR. The two cameras look, sound, and pretty much are quite similar. I have withheld commenting until now because I did not have a good–heck, I did not have any–understanding of the single difference between the two bodies, that being the Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation.

If you missed the hugely popular “Canon’s Two New 50+ Megapixel Camera Bodies/You Must Read This Before You Buy,” you can click here to catch up and learn a ton to boot.

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod heads, Gitzo tripods, Wimberley heads and plates, LensCoats and accessories, and the like. 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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, 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 visiting the BAA Online store as well.

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. One AF point below the center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the lower center of the bird’s near wing. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Black-bellied Plover in breeding plumage “Look Ma, No Head”

Happiness Is

For me, happiness is the next breath. But when I am sitting behind my lowered tripod in a foot of water–lots more on that soon and how I fried a 1D X–on a calm morning with several shorebirds right down sun angle set against a pleasing distant, background, I am in what for me is bird photographer’s heaven. And it is exactly why I had the alarm set for 3:00am on Wednesday morning.

Bathing Bird Realizations

I am realizing more and more that when attempting to capture the after-bath flapping action that being a bit too far away is a lot better than being a bit too close. Too close and you almost always wind up clipping wings. In today’s two images we see the great advantage of being well back from the subject: you can get the whole bird in the frame on the front flap and on the overhead flap. And though I did not get it on this sequence, the same holds true for the wings-swept-all-the-way-back flap.

Exposure Fine Point Question

For the most part I was photographing Marbled Godwits and Short-billed Dowitchers in the sweet early morning light. With those two species I went with Evaluative metering +2/3 stop; that worked out to be 1/1250 sec. at 6.3. Why did I go 1/3 stop darker with the breeding plumage black-bellieds?

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. One AF point below the center AF point/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was just below the bird’s rear belly; the three assist point directly above the selected point surely helped maintain accurate focus. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: Black-bellied Plover in breeding plumage “Ballet

Image Questions…

Which Came First?

Which image was created first in this two-frame sequence? How do you know? Please be specific.

Did I Move the Lens?

Did I move the lens when creating this two-frame sequence? How do you know? Please be specific.

The Fort DeSoto Site Guide

Though the sandbars at Fort DeSoto change every season with storms, the basics remain the same. The best spots are still the best spots and they are all covered in detail in the great Fort DeSoto Site Guide. Why spend days when visiting a new location when you can quickly learn when and where to be on what tide in what lighting conditions and on what winds? And if you are familiar with the basics at DeSoto you will find that the site guide shares lots of little tidbits that will make the purchase price well worthwhile.

You can check and see if there is a BAA Site Guide for your next photographic destination by clicking here.

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Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

I sent more than a hundred e-mails in a 24 hour period from Monday into Tuesday. Par for the course. I had a nice swim and enjoyed my ice bath. I had a phone conference with the folks at The Nat, the San Diego Natural History Museum. It is looking very much as if there will be a solo exhibit with 60 of my very favorite images from the past 33 years opening next January and hanging for three months. Nice :).

Jim and I are headed to Fort DeSoto this morning for a short busman’s holiday and then driving down to Bradenton for another series of PRP, Stem Cell, and Prolozone injections on my right shoulder and right middle (trigger finger). Two of my three existing trigger fingers were healed completely with the last set of injections and the right middle is 90% better. The shoulder was doing great for about a year until I tweaked it about 2 months ago….

This blog post, the 125th in a row took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. It was published automatically at 5:00am on Wednesday morning.

This image was created down by the lake near my home as part of my Sunset Addiction project. I used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1250 sec. at f/11. Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the edge of the sun and and re-compose. There are no worries on that when you are on a tripod (as opposed to when you are working from the car on a BLUBB. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Sun at 7:57pm on May 9, 2015 at Indian Lake Estates, FL

Mega-Sun Fun

I like getting up and out very early. And I like staying in the field until well after sunset. Whenever I see a well muted sun I just cannot resist going long and created large-in-the-frame images of the orb that is our celestial light source. Every sunset is slightly different with different color tones and different skies. At times, the patterns of clouds can add drama to such images. And with the 7D II it is no longer necessary to stack extenders; a 600mm lens with a 2X III teleconverter and a 7D Mark II will produce a huge sun straight up. Remember that it is important that the sun be well muted, covered by a thin layer of clouds or fog, lest you risk damaging your retina. On clear mornings or evening the sun can damage our eyes even when it is touching the horizon.

Exposure Notes

If you need to underexpose more than a stop to prevent blinkies on a huge in the frame sun, you probably should not be looking through your lens at it. In this image the sun was so well muted that zero was fine. I could have even gone to +1/3. The big advantage in situations like this is that the sky does not go black.

Worthless or Worthwhile?

Many a stock agent has shown great interest in my huge suns. (I have been creating them for several decades even in the prehistoric days of film.) The truth however, is that I can barely recall ever selling one. Has it been worth it? For me, of course. No sales does not mean no fun: I love creating this type of image and will keep making them until I can no longer lift a big lens.

Sunspots

Are the small dark marks on the face of the sun sunspots? If not, what are they? If yes, can anyone shed some light as to what causes them? (Please pardon the sun pun.)

All of the images in the bear boat card above were created in Katmai National Park during the month of September.

Bear Boat/Bears Catching Salmon IPT: September 1-8, 2015 from Kodiak, AK/6 FULL & 2 1/2 DAYS: $6699. Happy campers only! Maximum 8/Openings: 3. Plus the leader: Arthur Morris.

This trip is a go.

Join me in Katmai National Park, AK for seven days of photographing Coastal Brown Bears (grizzlies) catching salmon, fattening up for the long winter. Other subjects will include Mew and Glaucous-winged Gulls in flight and dip-feeding on salmon roe. Did I mention that we live on a boat and that the food is great? Most of our photography will be done in a variety of famed locations: Geographic Harbor, Kinak Bay, and Kukak Bay. We once had 39 bears fishing the creek at Kukak….

It is mandatory that you be in Kodiak no later than the late afternoon of August 31, 2015 September to avoid missing the float planes to the boat on the morning of September 1. With air travel in AK being what it is, with the chance of fog or other bad weather–being on Kodiak on August 30 is an even better plan). I will be on Kodiak on August 30 to avoid any potential disaster. That said in my nearly a dozen bear boat trips I was delayed only once but since I was day early as noted above there was no harm, no foul.

We will take one or more float planes to the boat mid-morning on September 1. We will photograph bears fishing that afternoon and every day for the next six days (weather permitting of course). We should have bears catching salmon every day. In addition, we will get some nice stuff on Mew Gull and Glaucous-winged Gulls dining on roe and the remains of predated salmon. We may–depending on where the concentrations of bears are–get to photograph Harbor seals and some hauled out Steller’s Sea Lions (an endangered species). Halibut fishing (license required) is optional. On September 8, our last morning on the boat, those who would like to enjoy one last photo session will do so. The group returns to Kodiak via float plane midday. Most folks will fly to Anchorage and then continue on red-eye flights to their home cities.

The eight days will consist of six full days (Sept 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7) of photography featuring lots of Coastal Brown Bears catching salmon as above plus a variety of other natural history subjects plus some nice scenic photography that I forgot to mention above. Plus the first afternoon and the last morning.

What’s included? 8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS on the boat as above. All meals on the boat. (The food is quite excellent.) National Park fees. One night’s double occupancy lodging on Kodiak; arrive: Sept 1/depart: Sept 2. The thank-you-in-advance dinner on Sept 1. In-the-field photo tips, instruction, and guidance. An insight into the mind of a top professional; I will constantly let you know what I am thinking, what I am doing, and why I am doing it. Small group image review, image sharing, and Photoshop instruction on the boat.

What’s not included: Your round trip airfare to and from Kodiak, AK (almost surely through Anchorage). All necessary lodging other than the cost of your double occupancy room on the night of August 31 should you opt to arrive early–we can arrange that in advance for you. We will let you know the cost of a single supplement for the one night if so desired. The cost of the round-trip float plane to the boat on September 2 and back to Kodiak on September 9. The cost of a round trip this year was $500. The suggested crew tip of $210.

Is this an expensive trip? Yes, of course. But with 6 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 “Arthur Morris” is required to hold your spot. Please click here to read our cancellation policy. Then please print, read, and sign the necessary paperwork here and send it to us.

Your deposit is due immediately. That will leave a balance of $4699. The next payment of $2699 will be due on February 15, 2015. The final payment of $2000 is due on May 1, 2015.

I hope that you can join us for this wondrously exciting trip.

By e-mail from Bill Keown, veteran of three bear boat trips!

Hi Artie, What a great trip! With the exception of the one bright sunny day it was just great. Very different from my first trip in June where we only had the bears clamming; the fishing bears were amazing! As always I learned a lot and enjoyed the group immensely. All the Best, Bill

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We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

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Amazon.com

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Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

I spent most of Sunday getting the images and captions for my San Diego article to Helen Longest Saccone at Nature Photographer Magazine after my Friday efforts failed: Apple Mail downsized the photo attachments 🙁

This blog post, the 123rd in a row, took about 2 1/2 hours to prepare. It was published at 6:53 am on Monday morning.

Used Photography Gear/New Listings Below

You can see the complete Used Photography Gear For Sale listings here.

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

Barbara Garmon is offering a used Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens in like-new condition for $899.00. The lens is cosmetically and operationally perfect. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lens caps, the original box, the ET-83C lens hood, the LZ1324 lens case, and insured shipping to US addresses. You can call Barbara on her cell at 641-777-2578 (eastern time zone) or reach her via e-mail.

I owned and used this great lens for well more than a decade and created hundreds of published images with it. Denise Ippolito owned and loved hers for many years.

Canon EOS 7D DSLR Digital Camera Body (with battery grip)

Barbara Garmon is also offering a used Canon EOS 7D DSLR Digital Camera Body and the Canon BG-E7 Battery Grip in like-new condition for $579.00 (with lots of extras). There are no scratches or dings on the body that is in perfect operating condition.
The sale includes two (used) LP-E6 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Packs (7.2V, 1800mAh) and the the original box along with everything that came in it: one LC-E6 Charger, the IFC-200U USB Interface Cable – 6/9” (1.9m), the front body cap, the Stereo A/V Cable AVC-DC400S, the Wide Neck Strap EW-EOS7D, the Eyecup Eg, the Software CD-ROM, and the Instruction Manual. The sale also includes several items purchased separately: the official Canon E1 hand strap (only third party straps are available now), an OPTECH Super Pro Strap “B,” and the aforementioned Canon BG-E7 Battery Grip (with storage pouch). All that plus insured shipping to US addresses. You can call Barbara on her cell at 641-777-2578 (eastern time zone) or reach her via e-mail.

A used 7D makes a great entry level DSLR. Be sure to see the great images that Dan Cadieux created with his original 7D (and and the “old” 100-400) here.

Used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS Lens

Price reduced $150 on 5/11/2015!

Multiple IPT veteran Jack Panzeca is offering a used Canon EF 100-400 f 4.5-5.6 L IS lens in very good + condition for $849 including insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses only. The tripod collar has one small scratch. The sale includes the original tough fabric case, the original box, the front and rear caps, the lens hood, and the strap. Your gear will be shipped only after your check clears.

Please contact Jack via e-mail or by phone at 817 819 1756. Central Time Zone.

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. Jack’s 100-400 is priced to sell. artie

This image was created on the current IPT with the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/11. Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed on the chick on the left, say a prayer, and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Great Egret chicks in the nest begging

Flash or No Flash?

In the “Extreme Focal Length/High Contrast Chicks” blog post here, I posted:

Image Question

Do you think that flash was used in the creation of this image? If yes, flash as main light or flash as fill? Why? If not, can you describe a situation that might have resulted in the black background?

I should have asked (more correctly): “Do you think that flash was used effectively in the creation of this image with it’s black background effect?” Read on.

No Flash, No Way!

Lots of folks left comments. About half thought that the image was created using flash-as-main-light techniques. About half thought that there was no flash used. Nearly all of those thought that the background was shaded while the chicks were in bright sun.

With a shutter speed of 1/1000 sec., it is necessary to have High Speed Synch set on the flash. The synch speed of the 7D II is 1/250 sec. When you are in High Speed Synch, the illumination provided by the flash (the guide number) drops as the shutter speed is increased. At very high shutter speeds like 1/1000 sec., the illumination from the flash is reduced greatly and thus the effective range of the flash is also reduced greatly. In addition, since the flash has to produce multiple rapid low power bursts when you are using High Speed Synch, the power of the flash is further reduced.

With an effective focal length of 1920mm, it is obvious that I was quite far from the nest–I would guess about 100 feet across the gator moat. With the flash power greatly reduced and the birds relatively far away, it would be impossible to light the chicks with the flash even if you are working with Manual Flash set to 1:1 (maximum flash power) with a Better Beamer.

Thus, no flash. Note: even fill flash would not have had any visible effect on the image in this bright sun situation. In extremely low light, the flash would have surely messed up the bird’s eyes….

The Actual Situation

Those who stated that the subjects were in the sun while the background was in deep shade were correct. I was, however, working right on sun angle; the relatively distant background behind the nest was shaded by trees that were near the nest but above it, thus shading the background well behind the nest.

There were a few lighter blotches in the background that I thought I would need to darken in Photoshop, but I tried simply moving the Shadow Slider to the left to -5. Bingo: solid black.

Image Question

For this image placing the tripod was a major factor; an inch or two either way made a big difference. Why was I so careful when choosing my perspective?

Natural Light Tips

#1: Point your shadow at (or within 15 degrees at most) the subject.

#2: For years I have been saying that subject in shade, background in sun, is one of my favorite situations. Now I can state that white or light-toned subjects in sun with the background in deep shade is another favorite.

Learning About Flash

The best way to learn about using your flash properly is to study the “Flash Simplified” section in The Art of Bird Photography II, the digital follow-up to the original classic soft cover The Art of Bird Photography. ABP II: 916 pages, 900+ images on CD only. The ABP II PDFs will synch to your i-Pad. The “Flash Simplified” section includes info on setting up for telephoto and super-telephoto photography, using a Better Beamer, using flash as fill, the principles of flash as main light, and using Manual flash as main light. Several multiple image series show the effect of varying both the ambient and flash exposures on the subject and the background.

Purchase ABP and ABP II together and save $10 here.

There will be lots more on flash here on the blog in the coming weeks.

ABP II Free Excerpts

Page 557 from the “Flash Simplified” section of The Art of Bird Photography II

Page 558 from the “Flash Simplified” section of The Art of Bird Photography II

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

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

…..

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

I finally finished my San Diego article for Nature Photographer Magazine. I sent the text and the images with captions to Helen Longest Saccone, the editor and founder on Friday afternoon. Next I need to get my ad with a photo to her.

This blog post, the 121st in a row, took about 1 1/4 hours to prepare. It is scheduled to be published automatically at 5am on Saturday morning.

Used Photography Gear/New Listing

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

Michael Zajac is offering a used Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens excellent condition for $949.99. The sale includes the original box, the front and rear lenses caps, the original box, and free insured shipping to US addresses. You can call Michael at 732-979-6644 (eastern time zone) or shoot him an e-mail.

I owned and used this great lens for well more than a decade and created hundreds of published images with it. Denise Ippolito owned and loved hers for years. Best news? Michael takes a lot better care of his gear than I do….

Huge Price Reduction

Used EOS-1D Mark IV Digital Camera Body

Price reduced an additional $900 on 5/9/2015!

Marc Lombardi is offering a used EOS-1D Mark IV digital camera body in excellent condition with 57800 actuations for $1300. The body has one minor cosmetic scratch on top. The sale includes the charger and two batteries, a RRS plate, and insured ground shipping to US addresses only. Your camera will be shipped only after your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Marc via e-mail or by phone at 610-585-3500 (Eastern time).

Two Mark IVs served as my workhorse bodies for more than three years. artie

You can see the complete Used Photography Gear For Sale listings here.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Many of you have read about the two new Canon 50+ megapixel bodies, the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR. The two cameras look, sound, and pretty much are quite similar. I have withheld commenting until now because I did not have a good–heck, I did not have any–understanding of the single difference between the two bodies, that being the Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation.

If you missed the hugely popular “Canon’s Two New 50+ Megapixel Camera Bodies/You Must Read This Before You Buy,” you can click here to catch up and learn a ton to boot.

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod heads, Gitzo tripods, Wimberley heads and plates, LensCoats and accessories, and the like. 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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, 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 visiting the BAA Online store as well.

This image was created on May 5 on the recently concluded IPT with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +3 stops off the sky: 1/3200 sec. at f/2.8 in Manual mode. Cloudy WB. Center AF point/AI Servo-Surround/Expand Button AF (on the bird’s neck) as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure as is always best for flight photography and is always best when hand holding. Click on the image to see a larger version. Great Egret landing with sprig for nest

f/2.8 for Flight…

Working wide open when doing flight photography lets you go with a low ISO and achieve the fastest possible shutter speed while adding enough light in low light situations to come up with a perfect histogram. This image is un-cropped. Note that there was enough depth-of-field to cover the subject from wingtip to wingtip.

For complete coverage of this subject see the “An Important But Basic Bird Photography Principle: Use Wide Apertures in Low Light…” blog post here.

Exposure Question

I metered the light sky, added 3 full stops, and set that exposure (1/3200 sec. at f/2.8) manually. As framed, the meter would have indicated about +2 stops. Why?

Whaddya Think?

What is the single negative in the image above?

This JPEG represents the TIFF after conversion in DPP 4. I added the red square in Photoshop with the Pencil Tool. Tip: hold down the Shift key to keep your lines dead straight while creating the box.

The Image Optimization

After converting the image in DPP 4, I brought the image into Photoshop. First, I moved the bird up and back in the frame using techniques detailed in APTATS II. I selected the bird using the Quick Selection Tool and placed the selection on its own layer. Next I applied my NIK Color Efex Pro 50-50 recipe and reduced the opacity to 66%. Next I selected the bill, the lores, and the eye, again with the Quick Selection Tool and applied a Contrast Mask (Unsharp Mask at 15/65/0). Lastly I painted a Quick Mask of the leaves in the lower right and applied a 50 pixel Gaussian Blur to soften them up.

Digital Basics

Everything that I did to optimize today’s image is covered in detail in my Digital Basics File–written in my easy-to-follow, easy-to-understand style. Are you tired of making your images look worse in Photoshop? Digital Basics File is 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, Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro basics, Contrast Masks, Digital Eye Doctor techniques, using Gaussian Blurs, Tim Grey Dodge and Burn, a variety of ways to make selections, how to create time-saving actions, the Surface Blur (background noise reduction) settings, and tons more.

APTATS I & II

Learn the details of advanced Quick Masking techniques in APTATS I. Learn Advanced Layer Masking Techniques in APTATS II. Mention this blog post and apply a $5 discount to either with phone orders only. Buy both APTATS I and APTATS II and we will be glad to apply at $15 discount either with phone orders or here in the BAA Online Store. For phone orders, call Jim or Jennifer at 863-692-0906 weekdays.

You can order your copy of “The Photographers’ Guide to Canon Digital Photo Professional 4.0” (aka the DPP 4 Raw Conversion eGuide) by Arash Hazeghi and Arthur Morris by clicking here.

The DPP 4 eGuide (PDF)

The Ideal Companion to the 7D Mark II User’s Guide

Learn how and why I and many other discerning photographers choose and use only DPP 4 to convert their Canon RAW files in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly. The latest version supports all of the newer Canon camera bodies and several older models including the EOS-7D and the EOS-1D Mark IV. A free update that will cover most of the newly added cameras will be sent as soon as I get it from Arash.

Facebook

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

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

…..

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

The second full day of the current IPT was a great one. The clouds and heavy overcast allowed us to photograph until 11:30am. everyone loved the lunch at my favorite local eatery, Gypsy Cab Company. Our afternoon session began with full sun but almost as soon as we arrived the cloud cover did the same. We spent lots of time working with flash. First-timer Jim Robbelard of Naples, FL was thrilled to learn to create high key flash-as-main-light images of Great Egrets that looked as if they were created in a studio.

This blog post, the 119th in a row, took about an hour to prepare. It is scheduled to be published automatically at 1am on Thursday morning. I head home after tomorrow morning’s session.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Many of you have read about the two new Canon 50+ megapixel bodies, the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR. The two cameras look, sound, and pretty much are quite similar. I have withheld commenting until now because I did not have a good–heck, I did not have any–understanding of the single difference between the two bodies, that being the Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation.

If you missed the hugely popular “Canon’s Two New 50+ Megapixel Camera Bodies/You Must Read This Before You Buy,” you can click here to catch up and learn a ton to boot.

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod heads, Gitzo tripods, Wimberley heads and plates, LensCoats and accessories, and the like. 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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, 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 visiting the BAA Online store as well.

This image was created on the current IPT with the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III, and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/11. Center AF point (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF as framed on the chick on the left, say a prayer, and re-compose. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Great Egret chicks in the nest begging

Extreme Focal Length/High Contrast Great Egret Chicks

600 II X 2X III X 1.6 crop factor of the 7D II = 1920mm or approximately 38.2 X magnification…. Best advice even at relatively high shutter speeds: be sure to hold your rig still. Note that the exposure is the equivalent of the standard ISO 400 bright WHITEs in full sun exposure of 1/2000 sec. at f/8 (for folks who are using DPP 4 with Highlight Tone Priority set). If not the latter, try 1/2500 sec. at f/8. Remember that you are always responsible for checking the histogram to see that you have at least some data in the highlight (right-most) box of the histogram and in the same vein that you are always responsible for checking for blinkies.

Image Question

Do you think that flash was used in the creation of this image? If yes, flash as main light or flash as fill? Why? If not, can you describe a situation that might have resulted in the black background?

The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.

Nickerson Beach/JBWR (possibly…)/Black Skimmer/Oystercatcher/migrant shorebird IPT: August 13-16, 2015. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1399.

Meet and greet on the evening of WED August 12. Limit 10/Openings 5.

Most of our seven photo sessions will be spent at Nickerson beach photographing the nesting Black Skimmers. In flight, sometimes battling. Carrying fish. Chicks of varying sizes from a very few just-hatched to lots of fledglings. It is likely that we will get to see some Great Black-backed Gulls preying on the juvenile skimmers. They swallow them whole. There will be lots of gulls to photograph as well as some Common Terns. Locally breeding shorebird species include American Oystercatcher–pretty much guaranteed, Willet, which is likely, and Piping Plover, which is probable but we need to get lucky with those to get close….

Save a space by calling Jim or Jen at the office and arranging to leave your deposit of $499. I hope to see you there.

JBWR?

If local conditions are ideal we may visit Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds on one or possibly two mornings. Even if we do not visit JBWR we should get some good chances with the migrant shorebirds at the beach, especially Sanderling and Semipalmated Plover. Red Knot and others are possible.

As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. And we will get you up early and we will stay out late.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge In-the-field Instructional Photo Workshop/Scouting Session. August 12, 2015. Morning only: $250. Cheap!

The tide will be pretty good at the East Pond…. If I learn that conditions there are un-photographable we will do Nickerson Beach as a back-up. This will work either as an add-on for out of town folks coming for the IPT above or as a stand alone session. Either way, you will, as always, learn a ton. And we might even get some good images.

Facebook

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

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

…..

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

Monday was packing and travel day. I left before lunch and made it to the motel in St. Augustine just after 3pm. The 4 hour drive went by very quickly. I met my small group for a brief orientation and then headed to the Alligator Farm where conditions are looking quite excellent.

This blog post, the 117th in a row, took about 1 1/2 hours to prepare. It is scheduled to be published automatically at 1am on Tuesday morning. Tomorrow is the first full day of the IPT.

This image was created at Indian Lake Estates on Sunday morning with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 124mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6 was still a significant underexposure of at least 1/2 stop, that despite blinkies on the water at 1/320 sec at f/5.6…. AWB. SHADE would have been a lot better. One AF point above and two to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The active AF point was on the vulture’s right foot conveniently on the same plane as the eye. Black Vulture on rotting American Alligator carcass/NIK Silver Efex Pro High Structure Smooth B&W

I had been seeing a big group of Black Vultures every day in the same spot by the dead end corner of a canal. I drove up slowly to find out what the attraction was. I smelled it before I saw it, the bloated, rotting carcass of about a six foot gator. At first I tried working from the car but that did not work out well. When I got out, most of the vultures flew the coop. But the one on the gator was very much at peace with me and I was able to maneuver for the best backgrounds as long as I moved slowly. From the moment I started working the scene I knew that there was a really good black and white image there for the taking.

The funny thing is that when this or that vulture jumped onto the gator to join my friend the floating carcass would change position. I could not have placed the gator in a better spot myself….

After converting the image in DPP 4 at K 8200, I brought it into Photoshop and did some extensive cleanup of the surface of the water. Then my NIK 50-50 recipe at about 60% opacity. I saved a color version (below) and then went to NIK Silver Efex Pro and tried all of my favorites. High Structure Smooth was the winner by miles.

This image was created at Indian Lake Estates on Sunday morning with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 124mm) and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6 was still a significant underexposure of at least 1/2 stop, that despite blinkies on the water at 1/320 sec at f/5.6…. AWB should have been SHADE. One AF point above and two to the left of the center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Shutter Button AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). The active AF point was on the vulture’s right foot conveniently on the same plane as the eye. Black Vulture on rotting American Alligator carcass

VULTURES AS ART?

Which version do you like best, color or B&W? Please let us know why.

Image Question

Do you see a reason to start from scratch and re-convert this image?

The strange thing is that when I lived in New York, I never knew about this amazing and consistently productive location.

Nickerson Beach/JBWR (possibly…)/Black Skimmer/Oystercatcher/migrant shorebird IPT: August 13-16, 2015. 3 1/2 DAYS: $1399.

Meet and greet on the evening of WED August 12. Limit 10/Openings 5.

Most of our seven photo sessions will be spent at Nickerson beach photographing the nesting Black Skimmers. In flight, sometimes battling. Carrying fish. Chicks of varying sizes from a very few just-hatched to lots of fledglings. It is likely that we will get to see some Great Black-backed Gulls preying on the juvenile skimmers. They swallow them whole. There will be lots of gulls to photograph as well as some Common Terns. Locally breeding shorebird species include American Oystercatcher–pretty much guaranteed, Willet, which is likely, and Piping Plover, which is probable but we need to get lucky with those to get close….

Save a space by calling Jim or Jen at the office and arranging to leave your deposit of $499. I hope to see you there.

JBWR?

If local conditions are ideal we may visit Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to photograph southbound migrant shorebirds on one or possibly two mornings. Even if we do not visit JBWR we should get some good chances with the migrant shorebirds at the beach, especially Sanderling and Semipalmated Plover. Red Knot and others are possible.

As you can see, the oystercatchers are quite tame at Nickerson. And we will get you up early and we will stay out late.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge In-the-field Instructional Photo Workshop/Scouting Session. August 12, 2015. Morning only: $250. Cheap!

The tide will be pretty good at the East Pond…. If I learn that conditions there are un-photographable we will do Nickerson Beach as a back-up. This will work either as an add-on for out of town folks coming for the IPT above or as a stand alone session. Either way, you will, as always, learn a ton. And we might even get some good images.

Facebook

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

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

…..

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

Saturday was yet another typically busy day of work doing what I love. I had a great swim, my longest in some time, and enjoyed a 58 degree ice bath. Again I watched lots the NHL and NBA playoff games. The Rangers evened their series with the Capitols despite one of the sickest goals ever by Ovechkin. And mazel tov to the LA Clippers who advanced by sending the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs home. Talk about grit. Chis Paul played through a pulled hamstring for 29 incredible points and the game-winning basket.

I started work on my Nature Photographer magazine San Diego article. And, I will started getting my photo gear together for the upcoming St. Augustine trip.

This blog post, the 115th in a row, took about 1 1/4 hours to prepare. It is scheduled to be published automatically at 1am on Sunday morning.

LAST CHANCE: St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 4-6, 2015. TWO FULL and TWO 1/2 DAYS: $1099. Limit 8/Openings 5.

Enjoy practically private instruction. Please call me Sunday at 863-692-0906 for St. Augustine IPT Late Registration Discount info. For complete details see the blog post here and scroll down.

Image #1: Unsharpened tight crop of Red-shouldered Hawk’s head

Image Quality/Which Camera Quiz

In the blog post here, both John Giatropoulos and Steve Soderling left comments to the effect that they were able to distinguish 1D X and 7D II images based on image quality. I doubted that they could….

Image #2: Mottled Duck head and shoulders vertical portrait

Now You Are On the Spot: Image Quality/Which Camera? Quiz

In the “Now You Are On the Spot: Image Quality/Which Camera Quiz: the first of many…” blog post here I wrote: All are invited to leave a comment and let us know which of today’s images (the two images above here) were created with a 1D X and which were created by a 7D II. And they are of course welcome to let us know why they made their choices.

The consensus was that the first image was created by the 1D X, the second with the 7D II. Steve S and John G agreed, but then John decided that both images were made with the 7D II. Some folks flopped that. Doug Doornink, who said he was counting on a trick question, thought that both were created with the 7D II.

And the answer is…

Both the Red-Shouldered Hawk and the Mottled Duck images were created with the 7D Mark II, so yes, a sneaky Pierre question….

Image #3: This is a 1:1 or 100% crop of the optimized Osprey in the grass image.

On the Spot #2

In the “On the Spot” blog post here, the question was the same: Can you tell if this image was made with the 1D X or the 7D II?

Everyone who commented got this one right: 7D Mark II

Image #4: Sandhill Crane head and neck portrait.

On the Spot Again: Image Quality/Camera Body Quiz #3

In the blog post here, I asked again, Based on image quality, can you tell if today’s image was created with a 1D X or a 7D Mark II? If yes, what led you to your choice?

Steve Soderling said “1D X.” Then he said “definitely 7 DII.” Then he said, “I really can’t tell!” Nobody else played.

Steve’s last comment summed things up quite well for ISO 400 or below images. I don’t think that many folks were or are able to differentiate between 1D X and 7D II images based on image quality seen either in 1200 pixel wide JPEGs or 1:1 crops for the ISO 400 images. It would be interesting to show Arash Hazeghi 20 very sharp RAW files, half made with the 7D II and half made with the 1D X. My gut feeling is that he might do quite well.

One factor that really throws a monkey wrench into the works is the sharpness of a given image. I will admit that the Red-shouldered Hawk image was an exceptionally sharp image. That led many folks to think 1D X…. At some point in the future I might do an 8 or ten image which camera? quiz….

Facebook

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

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of our B&H or Amazon Affiliate links in this blog post. Remember, B&H ain’t just photography!

…..

Amazon.com

Those who prefer to support BAA by shopping with Amazon may use this link:

Amazon Canada

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

Typos

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

Stuff

Thursday was another typically busy day. I had a great swim and a great ice bath sandwiched around a visit to TJ McKeon, my Active Release Technique chiropractor who worked hard on my right shoulder. Today I will be answering a ton of e-mails, getting started on an article on San Diego for Nature Photographer magazine, and do some packing for my upcoming St. Augustine trip.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 4-6, 2015. TWO FULL and TWO 1/2 DAYS: $1099. Limit 8/Openings 5.

Enjoy practically private instruction. Please call me on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday at 863-692-0906 for St. Augustine IPT Late Registration Discount info. For complete details see the blog post here and scroll down.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Many of you have read about the two new Canon 50+ megapixel bodies, the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR. The two cameras look, sound, and pretty much are quite similar. I have withheld commenting until now because I did not have a good–heck, I did not have any–understanding of the single difference between the two bodies, that being the Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation.

If you missed the hugely popular “Canon’s Two New 50+ Megapixel Camera Bodies/You Must Read This Before You Buy,” you can click here to catch up and learn a ton to boot.

Please Remember to use our Affiliate Links 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod heads, Gitzo tripods, Wimberley heads and plates, LensCoats and accessories, and the like. 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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, 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 visiting the BAA Online store as well.

This image was created by participant Craig Wesson with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 2X III (hand held at 385mm), and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode. artie on beach. Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Craig Wesson Photography

Sometimes Life is Tough

As I mentioned here previously, conditions on Sunday morning at DeSoto were viciously tough with a 25mph plus west wind scouring sand against our faces and all the birds facing away from the light. And the sun was quite harsh. Participant Craig Wesson created this image of me struggling to get in position to photograph a tame Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Many thanks Craig.

I did make a single good image of the bird with the 200-400 and then got close enough for a vertical head and shoulders portrait. As the wind was blowing the lens all over the place I had gone to Zone AF but when I attempted to focus nothing happened. I blamed it on Zone not being able to see the subject…. Pretty bad system I thought. Soon thereafter I realized that when I had switched from far focus only limit range to full that I had inadvertently switched from AF to M. M for Manual focus. Can you say operator error? In my own defense, I complained about the new placement of the limit range switch on all of the series II super-telephoto lenses when they first came out. It is a mistake that I still make frequently….

I will share the single keeper Yellow-crowned Night-Heron image with you here soon along with a lesson on photographing in severe wind-against-sun conditions.

Life is Always Wonderful

In the “Civility and Freedom of Speech on the BIRDS AS ART Blog” blog post here, Ken Wood left a comment that read in part, “I met you one time. You were in Klamath Falls, Oregon for the Winter Wings Festival a couple of years ago. I walked into the room where you were about to give a Photoshop presentation. You looked up and said “Hi”. I said “Hi” back. It was a magical moment. I enjoy your blog and check in frequently. I have learned tons of stuff (back button focus for one) and have your Digital Basics File and your DPP Raw Conversion Guide. I am continuously gleaning from both. Thank you for doing what you do and “Keep on shooting.”

I responded: Hi Ken and welcome. Why magical? later and love, artie Ken never say my question. But David Peake did via e-mail on April 17.
I share it with you below with his kind permission.

Why Magical?

Artie,

If I may have the temerity to answer this question you asked of someone on your blog. They said that your “Hi,” was magical. I feel the same and here’s why. It’s rare in this world to come across a person who can connect with people the way you do. I have watched the You Tube hour and fifty something minutes of you teaching about lenses for bird photography at least twice. The first time I watched it for the information. I learned that every lens has its merits. Just get the bird in your view finder, focus and shoot. That was inspiring enough.

But I watched a second time to absorb something else. Something less tangible but even more real. Somebody came into the room part way through your presentation and you said. “Hi”. And yes, it was magical. Such a small word. Such a large meaning. Only two letters , a single syllable, but such depth behind the greeting.

The sound of your voice says it all; here’s what I heard.

Welcome.

Please come in.

We are complete now that you are here.

We missed you.

You might be a little late but it feels right now you have arrived.

I’m glad you made it.

Thank you for coming.

I’m not sure what kept you but it’s ok.

You’re here now and you’re safe.

I love you.

Those are the word of a Father in the very best sense.

The sense of acceptance, the complete absence of any malice, irritation or judgment in your voice. It’s so rare.

And it’s no surprise that people value and love you.

Your email address says it all. You are Sam and Maya’s grandpa. You love and are loved. You are real, authentic and reachable.

For the short time I have been following your blog I recognize the depth of yourself that you share so freely with the world. I cannot tell you how much I value and appreciate this. I am facing my own journey right now as my wife is unwell with cancer. Your story gives me many reasons to hope. We desperately want her to live but we are being forced to face up to many unpleasant questions. If such a thing is possible I am terrified but calm all at the same time. The BAA blog is a quiet oasis for me as I process and try to make sense out of a troubling situation. It’s not often one comes across a person who knows why they’re on the planet as you do, understanding your reason for being. I value this and the fact you have taken the time to write me, several times on the blog, a complete unknown, on the other side of the planet, 16 hrs ahead as the day is counted… Real treasure.! It really is magical.

The moment when a father turns his face towards you and lets his countenance rest on you is one of the purest kinds of blessing I can think of.

I am gratefully and sincerely yours, with kind regards, David Peake

Blown Away

I was of course blown away by David’s kind words. And by his simple yet powerful writing style. We have corresponded several times since his first e-mail and become great online friends. I shared the story of losing my beloved wife and best friend Elaine Belsky Morris to breast cancer in 1994. It is amazing how serendipitous events can lead to so much sharing and wonderful stuff.

I value David’s thoughtful comments on the blog as well. I hope to visit him in New Zealand one day.

Used Photography Gear/New Listings

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens

Multiple IPT veteran Carl Zanoni is offering a used Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like new condition for the record low price of $1649.00. The sale includes front lens cover and rear lens cap, the ET-82 lens hood,the LZ 1324 Lens Bag, the tripod mount ring (collar), the original box, and insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Carl by e-mail or by phone at 860 306 9651 (eastern time).

I have owned and used the 70-200 II since its release. It is an incredibly versatile lens. I use it (alone or with either the 1.4X III or the 2X III TCs) for both birds and for wildlife. It is a valuable tool at the gator rookeries. In addition, I use it for flower fields, flocks of birds in flight (especially geese at Bosque and skimmers at Nickerson Beach), for tree and scenic photography, and for pan blurs both hand held and on a tripod. And for tons more. As I said, “versatile.” Priced so low, this one should sell immediately.

Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro Lens

Multiple IPT veteran Carl Zanoni is also offering a used Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 USM macro lens in like new condition for $1175. The sale includes the E-72 II 72mm (front) lens cap, the (rear) lens dust cap E, the ET-78 II lens hood, Tripod Mount Ring B (tripod collar), the LZ1324 lens case, the original box, and insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Carl by e-mail or by phone at 860 306 9651 (eastern time).

I have owned and used the 180 macro for more than 10 years. It is the primo telephoto macro lens. It is sharp with and without a 1.4X TC. It offers a narrow field of view that goes a long way to eliminating back distracting background element. It is great for flowers and all sorts of bugs, butterflies, and dragonflies as well as for frogs and toads.

Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM Lens

Dave Bourgaize is offering a used Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in excellent condition for $1499.00. The sale includes front lens cover and rear lens cap, EW-88C lens hood, original Canon bag, and insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Dave by e-mail or by phone at (310) 748-9547 (pacific time zone).

I own and use the 24-70II. It is much sharper edge to edge than the lighter, more versatile Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. I consider the 24-70II a must for serious landscape photographers. As it sells new for $1899 Dave’s price is lower than any I have seen for this lens in excellent condition. It should sell immediately.

The “old” five, the Canon 500 mm f/4L IS Lens

Gregory Asnis is offering a never used Canon 500 mm f/4L IS lens in brand new condition for $4999. The sale includes the the front leather hood, the rear dust cap, the lens trunk, an AquaTech SoftHood Collapsing Hood for the 500mm f/4 (a $150 value), and insured shipping by UPS Ground to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Gregory via e-mail or by phone at 917-597-9408, Eastern Time.

The old five was at one time the world’s most popular telephoto lens. It still makes great images with both TCs. Greg’s new, never used lens is priced lower than many used ones on the web. artie

Click here for the complete listings.

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Typos

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Stuff

Tuesday was a relaxing day. I had to head into town for some errands in the afternoon but did have time for an ice bath before dinner. This blog post, the 111th in a row, took about 2 hours to prepare. It was published just before 6am on Wednesday morning.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 4-6, 2015. TWO FULL and TWO 1/2 DAYS: $1099. Limit 8/Openings 5.

Enjoy practically private instruction. Please call the office at 863-692-0906 for St. Augustine IPT Late Registration Discount info. For complete details see the blog post here and scroll down.

Canon’s Huge Megapixel Bodies

Many of you have read about the two new Canon 50+ megapixel bodies, the Canon EOS 5DS DSLR and the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR. The two cameras look, sound, and pretty much are quite similar. I have withheld commenting until now because I did not have a good–heck, I did not have any–understanding of the single difference between the two bodies, that being the Low-Pass Filter Effect Cancellation.

If you missed the hugely popular “Canon’s Two New 50+ Megapixel Camera Bodies/You Must Read This Before You Buy,” you can click here to catch up and learn a ton to boot.

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To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you use our the B&H and Amazon affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your purchases. B&H is recommended for you major photography gear purchases, Amazon for your household, entertainment, and general purpose stuff. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod heads, Gitzo tripods, Wimberley heads and plates, LensCoats and accessories, and the like. 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 just learned that my account was suspended during my absence; it should be up and running by Monday at the latest.

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Featured Listing

Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM Lens

Dave Bourgaize is offering a used Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II USM lens in excellent condition for $1499.00. The sale includes front lens cover and rear lens cap, EW-88C lens hood, original Canon bag, and insured shipping via UPS Ground to US addresses. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. Please contact Dave by e-mail or by phone at (310) 748-9547 (pacific time zone).

I own and use the 24-70II. It is much sharper edge to edge than the lighter, more versatile Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. I consider the 24-70II a must for serious landscape photographers. As it sells new for $1899 Dave’s price is lower than any I have seen for this lens in excellent condition. It should sell quickly.

This image was created on the recently concluded Fort DeSoto IPT by Phil Frigon with the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM lens (hand held at 11mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/4.0. Center AF point/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the grass just in front of and to the left of the photographer. Rear Focus is where it is at for landscape images. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Fort DeSoto photographer-scape. Image courtesy of and copyright 2015: Phil Frigon.

Stormy Skies/Low Light

In the Spoonbill Aperture Quiz here, I wrote, “You get the picture. Conditions were borderline crappy. There was not much light. And it was late in the day.” When I saw Phil’s wonderful image, I thought, that explains the conditions perfectly. Thanks to Phil for graciously allowing me to share his skillfully seen and beautifully designed image with you here. See more on the spoonbill aperture below.

The photographer pictured in the photo above is IPT participant Warren Robb, an easy-going gentleman from Texas. It is high tide and the view is toward the Gulf.

The Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Lens

I was never even aware of this lens until I saw it in Phil’s hands on the IPT. He used it quite effectively above. Heck, I am more of a super-telephoto guy. I wouldn’t mind having one in my bag at Bosque or in the Palouse….

The 11-15 is a truly versatile wide-angle zoom lens featuring an advanced optical design and constant f/4 maximum aperture, the Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Lens is a member of the esteemed L-series of lenses designed for full-frame EOS DSLRs. One Super UD element and one UD element offer a significant reduction in chromatic aberrations while four aspherical elements help to minimize distortions throughout the zoom range and provide consistent edge-to-edge sharpness and illumination. Both SWC and ASC coatings have been applied to the elements in order to reduce lens flare and ghosting for increased contrast and color accuracy. Ideally suited for landscape and architectural photography, this lens covers ultra-wide to wide-angle perspectives and backs up its versatile zoom range with sophisticated optical components and intuitive handling.

In regard to focusing performance, a ring-type Ultrasonic Motor offers fast, smooth, and near-silent autofocus, which is further benefitted by full-time manual focus operation and an internal focusing design. The lens is both water and dust-resistant, and fluorine coatings have also been applied to the front and rear elements to protect against fingerprints and smudges from affecting image quality. It is compatible with full-frame EOS DSLRs, as well as with APS-C-sized sensors (like the EOS 7D Mark II) where it will provide a 17.6-38.4mm equivalent focal length range.

• Constant f/4 maximum aperture offers consistent performance and light transmission throughout the zoom range.
• One Super UD (Ultra Low Dispersion) and one UD element help to significantly reduce chromatic aberrations for improved clarity and color accuracy.
• Four aspherical elements help to minimize distortions throughout the zoom range in order to maintain edge-to-edge sharpness and illumination.
• Both a Subwavelength Coating (SWC) and an Air Sphere Coating (ASC) have 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.
• Full-time manual focus operation is available for fine-tuning of your focus position when working in the AF mode.
• 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.
• Nine rounded diaphragm blades contribute to a pleasing out of focus quality that benefits the use of shallow depth of field and selective focus techniques.
• The lens is designed to accept rear insert-type gelatin filters, which are cut-to-size and inserted behind the rear lens element.

This image was created on the last afternoon of the Fort DeSoto IPT with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 640. Evaluative metering +2 stops as framed: 1/1000 sec. at f/2.8 in Manual mode. AWB. Click on the image to see a larger version. Center AF point/AI Servo-Surround/Shutter Button AF (right on the bird’s eye) as originally framed was active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version. Roseate Spoonbill landing

The Spoonbill Aperture: f/2.8

It was pretty dark. There was very little light. I was fighting for shutter speed. I wanted to avoid raising the ISO. There was only one choice as far as the aperture: f/2.8. And I never worry about depth-of-field when doing flight photography…. In the blog post here, “Wide Open for Flight,” I explained why I often go “wide open for flight.” As it seems that that lesson needs to be repeated, that is what I will do here 🙂

Why Wide Open for Flight?

Most of the time when doing flight photography I will work wide open or close to it. Here, I went wide open to the max at f/2.8. To my eye, the depth-of-field is more than sufficient to cover the whole bird from wingtip to wingtip.

Here are the reasons in no particular order that I work wide open or close to it when doing flight photography:

1: The wider the aperture at a given ISO the faster the shutter speed. Fast shutter speeds are ideal for flight photography. My good friend Ned Harris, a skilled and oft-published hawks in flight photographer, once said to me, “If I could work at 1/8000 sec. all the time for flight photography I would do just that.”

2: Working at the widest aperture will always let you use the lowest ISO for a given shutter speed (always assuming that you are exposing to the right–as I did here in an extreme low-light situation–in order to come up with a good exposure).

3-In most flight photography situations the birds are far enough away to ensure sufficient depth-of-field to cover the entire bird. Remember that as camera to subject distance increases, depth-of-field increases. For me, the myth of stopping down either one full stop or always working at f/8 is pretty much bad advice. A secondary factor here that bolsters my argument is that though you would typically want more depth-of-field when working close to a lens’s minimum focusing distance, depth of field at close range is minimized…. In other words, stopping down in these situations will not help you much anyway….

Simply Put

With most bird photography, the wide apertures are usually fine. They pay off with high shutter speeds and lower ISOs. With birds in flight, you almost always have enough depth-of-field to cover the bird from wingtip to wingtip, even when working at the wide open aperture. And if you do stop down, you do not gain much. You should stop down when photographing birds at extremely close range, close to the minimum focusing distance of your lens. In those case be to sure focus on the eye or at least on the same plane as the bird’s eye.

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

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 :).