Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

EOS-1D X Firmware Version 2.0: Expected Availability January, 2014

Dynamic Performance Updates for Better Results

Firmware Update Version 2.0 brings new levels of accuracy and versatility to the EOS-1D X DSLR camera’s incredible AF and exposure systems. Incorporating input from EOS-1D X users, with new systems created to deliver better performance, Firmware Update Version 2.0 offers smart solutions to improve the camera’s already stellar AF and exposure systems. Across a diverse range of subjects and lighting situations, with Firmware Update Version 2.0 onboard, the EOS-1D X provides enhanced intuitive and adaptable operation.

Improved Low Light Performance

Firmware Update Version 2.0 introduces major improvements for AF performance in low-light situations. When shooting in AI Servo mode, a new algorithm has been designed for better AF before shutter release, and the camera offers more options for release priority between shots, allowing the photographer to specify whether to place priority on speed or focus accuracy.

Improved AF Tracking: Acceleration/Deceleration

When photographing a moving subject, Firmware Update Version 2.0 helps the photographer to fine-tune AF performance based upon the nature of the action. By offering greater latitude in acceleration/deceleration tracking detection with additional -1 and -2 parameters, AF performance can be matched to the specific characteristics of the subject at hand. By specifying less or more speed variation, tracking across AF points becomes significantly more accurate.

Expanded Minimum Shutter Speed in Auto ISO

When shooting in Auto ISO mode, Firmware Update Version 2.0 delivers an extended shutter speed range, enabling the photographer to shoot at speeds up to 1/8000 sec. (With Auto ISO set, the previous minimum shutter speed was 1/250 second). Thanks to the new firmware, it is now possible to shoot with Auto ISO and still be capable of capturing fast action.

Manual Exposure Compensation in Manual Mode with Auto ISO

In response to user input, Firmware Update Version 2.0 enables manual exposure compensation in Manual mode with Auto ISO specified. In situations where photographers set aperture and shutter speed and depend on Auto ISO for the proper exposure, now they have the added option of manual exposure compensation to accommodate rapid changes in lighting conditions.

Auto Exposure Compensation in Manual Mode

With Firmware Update Version 2.0 the camera can automatically adjust the exposure compensation to match an aperture change. This is useful when changing focal length on a variable aperture lens and when adding an extender. By offering the option to adjust shutter speed or ISO to compensate for the change in aperture, the EOS-1D X DSLR camera helps ensure the photographer a new level of control without taking the camera from their eye.

From Canon

All of the information above comes directly from Canon USA. You can enjoy an illustrated version here.

My Comments

I will be glad to try and answer all questions related to the information above. I never understood exposure compensation in Manual mode with Nikon bodies. Maybe I will learn to understand it now…. I have lots of studying to do. Be patient as I am not sure if I will be able to get online at Remota Lodge this coming week or at Eco-Camp the next week.

If anything will spur me to doing a complete 1D X User’s Guide, the new firmware will for sure….

Bosque Sandhill Crane Composite; click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 26-DEC 2, 2013. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/25. Limit: 12/Openings 8.

Please see the info on the short version of this IPT below if you will be spending Thanksgiving with your family.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with one of (if not the) world’s premier photographic educators at one of his very favorite locations on the planet. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches and the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque. I hope that you can join me for what will be an unparalleled learning experience.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. There is an introductory slide program on the night before the tour begins. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. After 18 years we pretty much know where to be when in what sky conditions and what winds. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. Then dinner with the group most nights. We always spend at least one afternoon at the ponds at the Albuquerque Zoo doing Wood Ducks and usually two mornings at New Mexico Tech doing American Wigeons. The rest is Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, is due now. You will receive an e-mail notifying you of that after you place your deposit. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Bosque Snow Goose Composite; click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Short Version.” NOV 30-DEC 2, 2013. 3-FULL DAYS: $1199. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 7:30 pm on 11/29. Limit: 12/Openings 4.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. Nobody knows the place better than he does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches. I hope that you can join us for these three great days; they will offer a great learning experience.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. There is an introductory slide program on the night before the tour begins. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. After 18 years we pretty much know where to be when in what sky conditions and what winds. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then an informal Photoshop/image review session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We may spend an afternoon at the ponds at the Albuquerque Zoo doing Wood Ducks and we may spend a late morning at New Mexico Tech doing American Wigeons. The rest is Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, is due now. You will receive an e-mail notifying you of that after you place your deposit. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari

If you are interested in joining us in Tanzania next summer please shoot me an e-mail and I will be glad to forward you the PDF with dates, itinerary, and price.

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. Two great leaders ensure that you will not learn more anywhere about how to make great images. Click here for the schedule and additional info.

Magellanic Oystercatcher

With its sleek, deep-black feathers and slightly less bulky carriage, this species seems more elegant and beautiful than its close relative, American Oystercatcher. It had been giving me fits for days on the Patagonia trip as far as photography goes, often allowing close approach but… Wind against light, lousy setting, can’t see the feet, all the usual image wreckers. At Morro Chico Step we stopped at a pond with several pairs. For the first two hours it was more fits. Then I decided to just sit on the cracked mud behind my lowered tripod and wait for the birds to come to me. This bird and two others landed nearby and began displaying. Both the raised foot and the perfect look-back head angle added to the success of the image.

Double-banded Plover

This rather sedentary species is relatively common in Patagonia in the right habitat. I had seen it previously on the Falklands in gorgeous light. But the bird was sporting an array of color bands so the experience left me rather unfulfilled. There were several pairs on the small lake and at least one pair had a nest; one of the birds was doing the rodent-run nest distraction display, walking away from us with its chest down while shaking its outstretched wings.

Here again, the patient approach worked well; sit on the dried mud and wait for the birds to approach.

White-rumped Sandpiper

White-rumped Sandpiper is a fairly common long distance migrant Calidris in the northeastern US, an old friend that I saw regularly in summer and early fall in my old haunts, the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY.

As this species winters exclusively in southern South America, I foolishly expected that it would be fully molted to non-breeding plumage in Chile at this time of year. I forgot that in the northeast, a few molting adult white-rumpeds were seen regularly throughout October. This bird is an extremely worn molting adult. If it were in full breeding plumage, each feather would look fresh and each would exhibit a cold grey tone. None-the-less, it was good seeing an old friend so far from the Big Apple.

BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. Two great leaders ensure that you will not learn more anywhere about how to make great images. Click here for the schedule and additional info.

This Upland Goose image was created with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop off the goose on the green grass before take-off: 1/2000 sec. at f/9 set manually. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Flight Photography is Difficult

What’s wrong with this one? Aside from being grossly out of focus, the goose is flying away from the photographer and is at least a bit too small in the frame. I have said and written often that I am not a very good flight photographer. The image above is proof of that. And the ravages of advancing age with poorer hand/high coordination, decreasing strength, and slower reaction times are not making things any better. Many beginning and intermediate photographers do not realize that even experienced professional bird photographers delete well more than 90% of their flight images.

Today’s post is, however, meant to encourage folks. Read on.

Same gear. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop off the goose on the green grass before take-off: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1 set manually. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Panning Speed

As you can see in the image above, it is vitally important that you find the bird in the center of the frame, acquire accurate focus, and then match the speed of the bird in flight with your panning speed. In most cases folks pan too slowly; the bird often winds up to far forward in the frame. Here however, I did the opposite: panned too quickly. If you asked me how the AF system maintained accurate focus with the active sensors (central sensor/AI Servo AF Surround) nowhere near the bird, I would have to say that my 1D X customized Case settings for bird photography paid huge dividends. Note: I use the same Custom case settings with my 5D Mark III as with my 1D X.

EOS-1D X Autofocus Guide

Until I get around to doing a complete user’s guide for the 1D X my 1D X Autofocus Guide will help you to master and get the most out of my all time favorite professional digital camera body. It includes my customized Case setting for photographing birds in flight and in action.

5D Mark III User’s Guide

EOS-5D Mark III User’s can learn to set up and use their cameras exactly as I do. Includes detailed advice on all menu and custom function items, AF suggestions, and all you need to know about creating great in-camera HDRs and Multiple Exposures.

Same gear. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop off the goose on the green grass before take-off: 1/2000 sec. at f/9 set manually. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Better, But…

With the image above I got the bird fully in the frame, acquired accurate focus, and matched the flight speed of the bird with my panning speed. Yet even thought the image is razor sharp with a perfect exposure it is an instant delete for me because of the position of the near wing. With the near-wing half bent we do not get to see the dorsal surface; for me, this wing position is not at all pleasing. As I say and teach constantly, with a bird flying left to right or right to left, the two best wing positions are wings full down or wings full up.

Same gear. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop off the goose on the green grass before take-off: 1/2000 sec. at f/9 set manually. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure just caught the bird’s upper breast. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Persistence

While I am not very skilled at photographing birds in flight and birds in action, I am persistent. In fact, very persistent. The image above that features the bird angling a bit towards us, is sharp and well exposed, and offers my very favorite wing position, wings full down. After an hour of trying, the image above was the last that I made. Success at last. I hooked back up with Denise Ippolito and David Tipling and we headed off looking for backlit Guanacos.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice, practice, practice is indeed the best way to get to Carnegie Hall, and is indeed the best way to improve your flight photography. If you would really like to master the art do consider joining us on one of the the upcoming Bosque IPTs see below).

Or get yourself a copy of Jim Neiger’s great e-Guide, “Flight Plan. 🙂

Flight Plan

Check out Jim Neiger’s great, long-awaited new e-Guide on photographing birds in flight here.

Bosque Sandhill Crane Composite; click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 26-DEC 2, 2013. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/25. Limit: 12/Openings 8.

Please see the info on the short version of this IPT below if you will be spending Thanksgiving with your family.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with one of (if not the) world’s premier photographic educators at one of his very favorite locations on the planet. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches and the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque. I hope that you can join me for what will be an unparalleled learning experience.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. There is an introductory slide program on the night before the tour begins. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. After 18 years we pretty much know where to be when in what sky conditions and what winds. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. Then dinner with the group most nights. We always spend at least one afternoon at the ponds at the Albuquerque Zoo doing Wood Ducks and usually two mornings at New Mexico Tech doing American Wigeons. The rest is Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, is due now. You will receive an e-mail notifying you of that after you place your deposit. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Bosque Snow Goose Composite; click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Short Version.” NOV 30-DEC 2, 2013. 3-FULL DAYS: $1199. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 7:30 pm on 11/29. Limit: 12/Openings 4.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. Nobody knows the place better than he does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches. I hope that you can join us for these three great days; they will offer a great learning experience.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. There is an introductory slide program on the night before the tour begins. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. After 18 years we pretty much know where to be when in what sky conditions and what winds. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then an informal Photoshop/image review session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We may spend an afternoon at the ponds at the Albuquerque Zoo doing Wood Ducks and we may spend a late morning at New Mexico Tech doing American Wigeons. The rest is Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, is due now. You will receive an e-mail notifying you of that after you place your deposit. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari

If you are interested in joining us in Tanzania next summer please shoot me an e-mail and I will be glad to forward you the PDF with dates, itinerary, and price.

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. Two great leaders ensure that you will not learn more anywhere about how to make great images. Click here for the schedule and additional info.

This Chilean Swallow image was created south of Puerto Natales, Chile with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 3200. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye and re-compose. Click on the image to see a larger version.

With and Without: Teleconverter Versatility

The image above was created on a wild, wild day along the coast and a bit inland, south of Puerto Natales, Chile. We experienced rain, bright sunshine, wind gusts of up to 55 mph, wind driven icy hail that struck our face like tiny bullets, and even 30 seconds of large snow flakes. We came across some swallows roosting on a barbed wire fence. Surprisingly, many of them were fairly tame. When I saw the single bird perched on a lichen covered log, my eyes lit up.

In order to get the lens on the bird, I positioned the tripod carefully with two legs against the fence in a small creek and one lengthened leg on the grass. But the rig was off balance and the wind was howling so I needed to hold onto the longer leg with my left hand and fire the shutter with my right. Two of twenty images were acceptably sharp. Note the fine high ISO performance of the 1D X.

This image was also created south of Puerto Natales, Chile, this one with the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod, the Mongoose M3.6 head, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on one of the birds middle left and re-compose. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Going Wide With the 600II

After getting the image of the single bird that I wanted, that is, a bird not on a wire strand, I headed back to the van in the heavy rain. Everyone else has quit. When I saw the lovely array of swallows on the fence I removed the 2X TC, moved back a bit, and began creating images. With the wind pounding and the temperatures dropping still, framing each image was difficult at best. I needed to grab a sliver off the right of a second image in the series in order to create a sort of stitched composite so that there was some room in front of the birds on our right.

The Lesson

Remember that working with the 1.4X and 2X converters (and don’t forget to throw in the 1.7X Nikon TC) can increase the versatility of your kit. Many folks are reluctant or even afraid to add or remove TCs in the field. If you practice turning your camera off before switching out any accessories and then turning it back on (the latter is the hard part for me :)) you minimize problems with sensor dust.

Your Favorite?

Which of the two is your favorite? Please let us know why.

EOS-1D X Autofocus Guide

Until I get around to doing a complete user’s guide for the 1D X my 1D X Autofocus Guide will help you to master and get the most out of my all time favorite professional digital camera body. It includes my customized Case setting for photographing birds in flight and in action.

5D Mark III User’s Guide

EOS-5D Mark III User’s can learn to set up and use their cameras exactly as I do. Includes detailed advice on all menu and custom function items, AF suggestions, and all you need to know about creating great in-camera HDRs and Multiple Exposures.

Bosque Sandhill Crane Composite; click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 26-DEC 2, 2013. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/25. Limit: 12/Openings 8.

Please see the info on the short version of this IPT below if you will be spending Thanksgiving with your family.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with one of (if not the) world’s premier photographic educators at one of his very favorite locations on the planet. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches and the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque. I hope that you can join me for what will be an unparalleled learning experience.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. There is an introductory slide program on the night before the tour begins. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. After 18 years we pretty much know where to be when in what sky conditions and what winds. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. Then dinner with the group most nights. We always spend at least one afternoon at the ponds at the Albuquerque Zoo doing Wood Ducks and usually two mornings at New Mexico Tech doing American Wigeons. The rest is Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, is due now. You will receive an e-mail notifying you of that after you place your deposit. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Bosque Snow Goose Composite; click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Short Version.” NOV 30-DEC 2, 2013. 3-FULL DAYS: $1199. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 7:30 pm on 11/29. Limit: 12/Openings 4.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. Nobody knows the place better than he does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches. I hope that you can join us for these three great days; they will offer a great learning experience.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. There is an introductory slide program on the night before the tour begins. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. After 18 years we pretty much know where to be when in what sky conditions and what winds. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then an informal Photoshop/image review session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We may spend an afternoon at the ponds at the Albuquerque Zoo doing Wood Ducks and we may spend a late morning at New Mexico Tech doing American Wigeons. The rest is Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, is due now. You will receive an e-mail notifying you of that after you place your deposit. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari

If you are interested in joining us in Tanzania next summer please shoot me an e-mail and I will be glad to forward you the PDF with dates, itinerary, and price.

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. Two great leaders ensure that you will not learn more anywhere about how to make great images. Click here for the schedule and additional info.

Bosque IPTs/Late Registration Discounts Increased!

For information on both the 7-Day and the recently announced short version of the 2013 Bosque IPTs please scroll down here. If you would like to join us for the first 3 or 4 days of this IPT please shoot me an e-mail. Please call Jim at 863-692-0906 or e-mail for late registration discount info.

This Black-winged Lapwing (formerly Black-winged Plover) image was created with the Todd-Pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop as framed: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye and re-compose. Click on the image to see a larger version.

If This Doesn’t Get the Point Across, Nothing Will 🙂

The image above was made 20 seconds before the image below. How–when you are limited to the central sensor only–is it possible to create the two images above–one with the bird on the extreme left side of the frame, the other with the bird on the extreme right side of the frame, all while you are in AI Servo mode so that you are ready to track the bird if it begins to walk or if it takes flight?

The answer is simple and using autofocus there is only one way to do it: set your camera up for rear focus.

Rear Focus Tutorial Re-visited

With the 600mm f/4L IS II lens, the 2X III TC, and either a pro body or the 5D Mark, only the central sensor is active. (With both the 5D III and the 1D X you can choose Expand so that you activate the four sensors surrounding the central sensor.) Unless you know what you are doing having only the central AF sensor available can lead to problems. As I have written before, many folks become compositional slaves to the central sensor, especially when working in AI Servo AF (as opposed to using One-Shot AF and re-composing). Nikon folks, not to worry. Nikon also offers rear button focus. Please consult your camera body manual. Or better yet, get yourself a copy of our Nikon dSLR User’s Guide here. Note: Canon’s “AI Servo AF” is the same as Nikon’s “Continuous” (C) and likewise, Canon’s “One Shot” is Nikon’s “Single Servo” (S).

Rear focus involves focusing by pushing a button on the top right back of the camera (rather than by pushing the shutter button). You need to change a custom function or two to set up rear focus. And with some systems you set up rear focus via the camera’s menu. You can consult your camera body to learn to set up rear focus. Canon folks are urged to consult our camera User’s Guides for detailed information on exactly how I set up my cameras for rear focus. Set-up is similar with the Mark III and the Mark IV and with these bodies I recommend swapping the functions of the Star and the AF-On buttons. Set-up with the 7D is totally different. In each case the User’s Guide contains detailed instructions for setting up rear button AF. (Many folks are simply unable to decipher their camera body manuals.)

For many years I used both the shutter button and rear focus, depending on the situation. Often I got confused. I’d forget which was set on which camera. I’d press the shutter button and the camera did not focus. Or I’d press the rear button and the camera did not focus. About seven years ago I gave up and went shutter button AF all the way spending half my time switching from AI Servo to One-Shot and back again…. About three years ago I decided to go rear button focus all the time with all of my camera bodies. Some folks believe that when the shutter is released that AF tracking may be momentarily interrupted but that when you use rear focus the camera continues to track well even when the shutter is released. Canon’s top tech reps are noncommittal but concede that it could be possible.

Which is best, shutter button focus or rear focus? That’s an easy one: whichever works best for you.

This, the very same Black-winged Lapwing (formerly Black-winged Plover) image was created with the Todd-Pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop as framed: 1/1000 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye and re-compose. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Your Favorite?

Which of the two images above is the stronger? Please let us know why? BTW, did I move to a new spot or was the bird in the same spot for both images. Please let us know what you think and how you can prove it.

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. Two great leaders ensure that you will not learn more anywhere about how to make great images. Click here for the schedule and additional info.

Bosque IPTs/Late Registration Discounts Increased!

For information on both the 7-Day and the recently announced short version of the 2013 Bosque IPTs please scroll down here. If you would like to join us for the first 3 or 4 days of this IPT please shoot me an e-mail. Please call Jim at 863-692-0906 or e-mail for late registration discount info.

A Fairly Easy Gear Decision

I am headed to MCO, Orlando International Airport, to begin the long journey to Punta Arenas, Chile that will bring me to Torres del Paine National Park. I am typing in the back of a Mercury Grand Marquis, headed for the airport via the Lake Wales Car Service, a 1-vehicle operation. My Think Tank Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag is safely in the trunk, weighing 42 pounds right on the button.

Think Tank Bags

Interested in a Think Tank rolling bag or backpack? Use the logo-link on the right side of the blog and earn a free prize with your order.

Here is what’s in the bag: the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens–it is springtime in southern Chile, the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Autofocus Lens two Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverters), two Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverters), , one Canon Extension Tube EF 12 II, one Canon Extension Tube EF 25 II, one Canon EOS-1D X, and one Canon EOS 5D Mark III.

As always the hoods for all of the lenses are in one of my checked bags. The Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS EF USM AF lens is in my hard-sided checked bag. Good luck with that….

So What’s Missing?

So what’s missing? It would be great to be bringing the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender along, but as noted previously, traveling with both the 600II and the 200-400 is a bear. Choosing the 300 II saves me nearly 3 pounds and gives me an easily hand holdable flight lens should we have some good chances with condors. And while the 200-400 would be great for landscapes, I can use the 300 alone or with either TC to fill in the gaps.

Traveling with only two camera bodies is new for me; I almost always have both of my 1D X bodies and the 5D Mark III with me when I get on a plane. I will be very careful with my gear. For bird ((and if we are really lucky, for puma) photography, I will be relying on the 600II and both the 1.4X and 2x III TCs. My Gitzo 3532LS CF tripod is also in my hard-sided checked bag along with my Mongoose M3.6 tripod head. We have trouble keeping the Mongoose heads in stock; it would be best to call Jim at 863-692-0906 (weekdays only) and order the item to ensure getting one from our next batch that is expected soon.

Questions?

All travel-related questions are welcome.

Bosque Sandhill Crane Composite; click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 26-DEC 2, 2013. 7-FULL DAYS: $3399. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 6:30 pm on 11/25. Limit: 12/Openings 8.

Please see the info on the short version of this IPT below if you will be spending Thanksgiving with your family.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, ducks including point-blank American Wigeon and Wood Duck, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with one of (if not the) world’s premier photographic educators at one of his very favorite locations on the planet. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches and the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque. I hope that you can join me for what will be an unparalleled learning experience.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. There is an introductory slide program on the night before the tour begins. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. After 18 years we pretty much know where to be when in what sky conditions and what winds. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then a classroom session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. Then dinner with the group most nights. We always spend at least one afternoon at the ponds at the Albuquerque Zoo doing Wood Ducks and usually two mornings at New Mexico Tech doing American Wigeons. The rest is Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, is due now. You will receive an e-mail notifying you of that after you place your deposit. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Bosque Snow Goose Composite; click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Bosque del Apache 2013 IPT: “The Short Version.” NOV 30-DEC 2, 2013. 3-FULL DAYS: $1199. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Introductory Slide program: 7:30 pm on 11/29. Limit: 12/Openings 4.

Tens of thousand of Snow Geese, 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, amazing sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Top-notch Photoshop instruction. This will make 19 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for artie. Nobody knows the place better than he does. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the sky conditions, the light, and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable. Includes all lunches. I hope that you can join us for these three great days; they will offer a great learning experience.

There is never a strict itinerary on a Bosque IPT as each day is tailored to the local conditions at the time and the weather. We are totally flexible in order to maximize both the photographic and learning opportunities. There is an introductory slide program on the night before the tour begins. We are up early each day leaving the hotel by 5:30 am to be in position for sunrise. After 18 years we pretty much know where to be when in what sky conditions and what winds. We usually photograph until about 10:30am. Then it is back to Socorro for lunch and then an informal Photoshop/image review session with the group most days. We head back to the refuge at about 3:30pm each day and photograph until sunset. We may spend an afternoon at the ponds at the Albuquerque Zoo doing Wood Ducks and we may spend a late morning at New Mexico Tech doing American Wigeons. The rest is Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes with the emphasis on expanding both your technical skills and your creativity.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance, payable only by check, is due now. You will receive an e-mail notifying you of that after you place your deposit. If the trip fills, we will be glad to apply a credit applicable to a future IPT for the full amount less a $100 processing fee. If we do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date we will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance.

Please print, complete, and sign the form that is linked to here and shoot it to us along with your deposit check (made out to “Arthur Morris.”) You can also leave your deposit with a credit card by calling the office at 863-692-0906. If you register by phone, please print, complete and sign the form as noted above and either mail it to us or e-mail the scan. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari

If you are interested in joining us in Tanzania next summer please shoot me an e-mail and I will be glad to forward you the PDF with dates, itinerary, and price.

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. Two great leaders ensure that you will not learn more anywhere about how to make great images. Click here for the schedule and additional info.

Bosque IPTs/Late Registration Discounts Increased!

For information on both the 7-Day and the recently announced short version of the 2013 Bosque IPTs please click here and scroll down. If you would like to join us for the first 3 or 4 days of this IPT please shoot me an e-mail. Please e-mail for late registration discount info. Please call me on my line at 863-692-2806 with any Bosque IPT questions. If I am swimming or napping, please call back as there is no answering machine on this line.

Image courtesy of and copyright 2004: Paul Bowen/Air to Air. Learn more about Paul on his Delkin Image Makers page here and on his web site here. Be sure to check out his “Vortices” gallery.

In the October 9, 2013 blog post here, I wrote:

As regular readers know, I have used and depended on Delkin Compact flash cards for well more than a decade. I have never had a Delkin 32 or 64gb card fail me. They are super fast and reliable. At present, I currently have a Delkin 700X 64gb e-film Pro compact flash card in each of my three camera bodies. Learn more about the Delkin products that we carry here. In the event that you would like a Delkin product that we do not carry, like their great SD cards, we would be glad to have them drop-shipped for you to US addresses. Please contact Jim via e-mail to follow up.

Image courtesy of and copyright 2001: Clay Blackmore. Learn more about Clay on his Delkin Image Makers page here and on his web site here.

I continued:

Delkin Image Makers

Delkin recently unveiled their Image Makers site here. At present it features the work of nine very, very good photographers. I spent about ten minutes the other day perusing the work of the featured folks and was more than impressed. Their work spans a wide genre; at times it is great to take a look at good photography from outside of your preferred field. For me that means studying great images of subjects other than birds and animals and flowers.

If you do click on the link to do some surfing as I advise, please leave a comment and let us know whose outside of nature work impressed you the most. You can even comment on a specific image or two. I was wowed and am sure that you will be too.

2nd Chance

As you can see by viewing the images above and below, there is some mighty fine photography on the Delkin Image Makers site. Here’s your second chance; you can access it here. I have always felt that looking at as many good and great images as possible is the very best way to learn and to be inspired, regardless of the genre. If you see an image that you like better than my five favorites, do leave a comment and let us know.

Aside from the folks I have featured here, do know that another Delkin Image Maker, Douglas Kirkland, is pretty much a legend. He joined Look Magazine in his early twenties, and later Life Magazine during the golden age of 60’s/70’s photojournalism. Among his assignments were essays on Greece, Lebanon and Japan as well as fashion and celebrity work, photographing Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlene Dietrich among others. Through the years, Kirkland has worked on the sets of over one hundred motion pictures.

Image copyright David Stoecklein. Learn more about David on his Delkin Image Makers page here and on his website here. For the past four years, David has been recognized by the editors of True West magazine as the “Best Living Photographer of the West.”

Your Favorite

Please take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of these four extraordinary images is your favorite. And as always, let us know why you made your choice.

Good Photography

Good photography is good photography. Be sure to visit the Delkin Image Makers site by clicking here. You will see some very good photography.

Understanding the Color of Light

In the “Understanding the Color of Light” post here I asked several questions. Here I address each of them:

Which image do you prefer? Why? Overall,, I feel that the first image, the one made in the soft light, is the stronger or the two by a small margin. Why? With the bird angling nicely towards us it seems more engaged.

Which light do you prefer? Why? I prefer the light in the second image because it is warmer. Early and late in the day I will generally prefer warm light over soft light. From 9-5 I generally prefer clouds or overcast.

Which image has a better head angle? The first image clearly has the best head angle. When the bird is angled slightly toward us having the head on straight, that is, lined up squarely with the centerline of the bird’s body, is ideal. In the second image the bird’s head is angled ever-so-slightly away from the bird’s body. Had the bird’s head been angled 3 degrees toward us, the second image would have been my favorite.

The two exposures, 1/400 sec. at f/9 and 1/640 sec. at f/7.1 are the same. Why didn’t I need more light for the image made when the sun was out??? I did not need more light for the second image because it was created 52 minutes after the first image. As the sun gets closer to the horizon light levels drop significantly.

Why did I add 2/3 stop of light to the image made when it was cloudy but only 1/3 stop when the sun came out? Here is how I reasoned that out and how I teach exposure in ABP II and on IPTs: your camera’s meter is a dumber when it is cloudy than when the sun is out. Note that both of the images had easily recovered blinkies on the bird’s crown.

B & H PhotoPlus Specials

Avistar Patagonia. the Bird Photography Workshop

Denise Ippolito and yours truly will be speaking at the Avistar Patagonia event in southern Chile next week. We would love to see all of our South American friends there. I am pretty sure that registration is still open and will be for at least a few days more. Learn more here.

I am looking forward to seeing old friend Dave Tipling again and to meeting many of South America’s greatest bird photographers. I hope that you can join us for what will be a most exciting event n Chilean Patagonia. Denise and I are staying on for an addition week to photograph at the spectacular Torres del Paine National Park.

BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari

If you are interested in joining us in Tanzania next summer please shoot me an e-mail and I will be glad to forward you the PDF with dates, itinerary, and price.

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. Two great leaders ensure that you will not learn more anywhere about how to make great images. Click here for the schedule and additional info.

This Cheetah image was created on the Serengetti plains near our Mobile Tented Camp at the Mara River, Tanzania with the Todd-Pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/5000 sec. at f/4 in Av Mode. One sensor to the right of the central Sensor AI Servo Surround rear focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.

Serendipity

As fate would have it, a lark–I believe–flew into the frame just as the shutter opened. To boot, the bird offered up a nice wings full up pose. The problem was that the bird was just a bit too close to the frame edge.

This image was created from the original image above with the Todd-Pod mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/5000 sec. at f/4 in Av Mode. One sensor to the right of the central Sensor AI Servo Surround rear focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Questions

There are many ways to do most tasks in Photoshop. There are many ways to move the bird in the original image away from the frame-edge. How would you move the bird away from the frame edge?

Why did I choose and AF sensor one to the right of the central sensor?

What else did I do during the image optimization process in Photoshop? There were three major changes; you may need to view the larger images to detect the third of those.

Avistar Patagonia. the Bird Photography Workshop

Denise Ippolito and yours truly will be speaking at the Avistar Patagonia event in southern Chile next week. We would love to see all of our South American friends there. I am pretty sure that registration is still open and will be for at least a few days more. Learn more here.

I am looking forward to seeing old friend Dave Tipling again and to meeting many of South America’s greatest bird photographers. I hope that you can join us for what will be a most exciting event n Chilean Patagonia. Denise and I are staying on for an addition week to photograph at the spectacular Torres del Paine National Park.

BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari

If you are interested in joining us in Tanzania next summer please shoot me an e-mail and I will be glad to forward you the PDF with dates, itinerary, and price.

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. Two great leaders ensure that you will not learn more anywhere about how to make great images. Click here for the schedule and additional info.

Connecticut Help Needed Now

Denise Ippolito and I are seeking information on locations within an hour or two of Salem, Connecticut where we might photograph fall color this coming Saturday. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Locals should see the info on the Salem, CT Shooter’s Gallery Seminar this coming Sunday. If you would like to learn to create better images and are within a two hour drive you do not want to miss this event.

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #450

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #450 is online now and can be accessed here. Of special interest are the two vulture images that illustrate “A Matter of Style.”

• Salem Connecticut Shooter’s Gallery Seminar
• BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition
• The Blog is the Bomb
• A Matter of Style
• 2014 Tanzania Summer Safari
• Flight Plan
• Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
• Affiliate Links
• IPT INFO

This image of a Wattled Plover was created on the Tanzania Summer Safari from the opened side window of the van with the hand held Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/9 in Av Mode. Two sensors above the central sensor/AI Servo/Surround Rear Focus AF on the edge of the bird’s breast active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Understanding the Color of Light

The image above was made in cloudy conditions near our Mobile Tented Camp near the Mara River, Serengeti, Tanzania at 5:07pm on August 12, 2013. The image below was made in the same location after the sun broke through at 5:59pm.

The main difference in the two images is the color of the light. The opening image was made in relatively cold light. The clouds filter out the RED and YELLOW components of the sunlight leaving the BLUE light to predominate. In the image below, the unfiltered REDs and YELLOWs give the image a much warmer look.

Questions

Which image do you prefer? Why?

Which light do you prefer? Why?

Which image has a better head angle?

The two exposures, 1/400 sec. at f/9 and 1/640 sec. at f/7.1 are the same. Why didn’t I need more light for the image made when the sun was out???

Why did I add 2/3 stop of light to the image made when it was cloudy but only 1/3 stop when the sun came out?

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens

While I love my 24-105mm as a B-roll lens, I often wish that I owned and traveled with the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens. It is miles sharper than the 24-105 and meshes perfectly with no overlap with the great 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II.

Right now B&H has an amazing deal on this great landscape lens–yikes, I need to borrow one for my upcoming Torres del Paine trip–$1,999.00 at check out. The regular price is $2,299.00. What are you waiting for. Please, please pretty please, web orders only by using our product-specific link above or by clicking on the logo-link below.

Shooters Gallery Photography Program

October 20, 2013. Salem, CT

Click here to register.

Artie Morris & Denise Ippolito
Date: Sunday – October 20, 2013: Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Location: Salem Gardner Lake Firehouse Hall, 429 Old Colchester Road, Salem, CT 06420
Admission Fee: The Artie Morris presentation from 9:00am until 10:45am is free and open to the public courtesy of Canon U.S.A. The presentation by Artie and Denise from 11:00am until 4:00pm is $40.00 (Lunch & morning coffee included)
Host Organization: Shooters Gallery Photography Group

9:00 to 10:45 – “Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography… BIRDS AS ART Style” – Artie Morris (Sponsored by Canon U.S.A.)
10:45 TO 11:00: Break
11:00 to 12:00 – “Blooming Ideas” – Denise Ippolito
12:00 to 1:00 – Lunch
1:00 to 2:00 – “Refining Your Photographic Vision” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:00 to 2:30 – “Pro Gear Handling Tips” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:30 to 2:45 – Break
2:45 to 4:00 – “Creating Pleasing Blurs” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito

Click here to register.

BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari

2014 Tanzania Summer Safari, 14-day African Adventure/leave the US on August 9. Fly home on August 24: $12,999.

Co-leaders Todd Gustafson & Arthur Morris. The limit is 12. Three photographers/van; you get your own row of seats. Our trip is a bit more expensive than the average safari for good reason. It is the best. We have the best driver guides with a total of decades of experience. They have been trained over the years by Todd and by me to drive with photography in mind. We have the best and most knowledgeable leaders. We stay in the best lodges and camps. We hope that you will join us for what will be Todd’s 35th African safari, and my 8th.

If you are seriously interested please e-mail me; I will be glad to send you the illustrated PDF with the complete itinerary and deposit info.

What else makes this expedition unique?

•Pre-trip consultation and camera equipment advice
•Award-winning photographers as your guides
•A seamless itinerary visiting the right locations at the best time of year
•Hands-on photography instruction in the field
•Specially designed three rood hatch photo safari vehicles
•Proprietary materials for preparation, including free copy of “A Photographer’s Guide to Photographing in East Africa.”
•Post-safari image critiques

All-inclusive (double-occupancy) except for your flights to and from Kilamajaro Airport, bar drinks, soda & water (except at the Intimate Tented Camp where everything is free for our entire stay), tips for drivers and camp staff, personal items, and trip insurance.

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.

Typos

In all Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

IPT Info

Many of our great trips are filling up. Two great leaders ensure that you will not learn more anywhere about how to make great images. Click here for the schedule and additional info.

This image of a Cosmos blossom was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender, a Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), (with the internal TC in place at 784mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/160 sec. at f/8 in Av mode. The 2-4 with two TCs gave me the reach that I needed to isolate this blossom against a killer pink background. Cosmos is a genus, with the same common name of Cosmos, of about 20–26 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.

The Good News, the Bad News, and the Blur Haters 🙂

The Good News

The good news is that the loading times for the blog are now approaching lightning speed and the Comments functionality has been restored. The previous blog post garnered 20 comments and everything there worked perfectly.

The Bad News

The bad news is that images will no longer be sent with the RSS feed folks will need to click on the link to see the photos. Why? Include the images in the RSS feed is a CUP-robbing strategy.

The Blur Haters 🙂

While I did expect a few blur haters I was somewhat surprised that the vast majority of those who responded to the “Keep One or Both?” blog post did not like blurs at all and would have deleted both images. Very few if any of the blur-haters were specific as to what the the main problem with each image was…. I will present the final image and comment on all the blur-hating in greater depth tomorrow.

Serendipity

After photographing at an Urbex site in Atlanta on Friday morning, Denise–thank you very much, drove to Chattanooga while I napped. When I awoke, she was raving about several large fields of flowers, Cosmos, she said, in the cloverleaf medians at an exit a few miles back. We asked around and learned that that exit was right near Old Car City. We made plans to wake early on Sunday and photograph the flowers before the Old Car City In-the-Field workshop. And we did. Along with new friends Steve and Elizabeth Lodwick. I will be sharing more images from that morning with you here fairly soon.

The Chattanooga Seminar

The Saturday seminar that denise and I did for the Photograaphic Society of Chattanooga seminar was a huge success. Despite another other major photographic event–they rescheduled to our dates a month ago, we had 107 folks in attendance and pretty much everyone went home smiling. They asked tons of questions and oohed, aahed, and laughed at all the right moments.

Thanks a stack to Bill Mueller (say “mewler) who organized the event and treated denise and me as if we were royalty. His supporting cast of volunteers was superb as well. When we arrived at the venue at 7:45 am it had been set up for a wedding that night! We were good to go for the seminar at 8:15 am and everything was back in place at 4:14pm after the seminar ended at 4:00pm. All in all, pretty amazing.

I received this e-mail from Bill as I was preparing this blog post:

Well guys, thanks again for an exciting weekend. We had a couple of curve balls (the Pullman yard and the church setup) but we managed to work it all out. I’ve had a fantastic response to both of your presentations. I’ve even gotten positive comments from my sometimes-crabby members so congratulations. I’ve even had someone tell me how brilliant I was for bringing you here. I guess I’ll just sit back and bask in the reflected glory. (:-}

Bill

Grill and hood ornament detail from vintage Plymouth Belvedere. The 3 originals for this in-camera Art Vivid HDR image were created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 250mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/10 sec. at f/16 in Av mode (+/-2 stops). As with many of my flower images I used the 2-second timer and Live View (for mirror lock) to ensure a sharp image. Central sensor/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the 8 and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Old Car City (OCC) In-the-Field Workshop

Denise and I were joined by nine folks including eight very happy campers. Old Car City was amazing. We felt that you could have picked just one of the thousands of cars and photographed it all day long. There was lots of LCD image sharing and lots and lots of questions. More images and OCC stuff coming soon.

The Canon 200-400 with Internal TC

I continue to be amazed by the incredible versatility of the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender for all types of photography. If what you learned and saw here inspires you to purchase one please consider using our product-specific B&H link as a way of thanking us. Thanks :).

Salem, Connecticut Seminar Next Weekend!

Shooters Gallery Photography Program

October 20, 2013. Salem, CT

Click here to register.

Artie Morris & Denise Ippolito
Date: Sunday – October 20, 2013: Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Location: Salem Gardner Lake Firehouse Hall, 429 Old Colchester Road, Salem, CT 06420
Admission Fee: The Artie Morris presentation from 9:00am until 10:45am is free and open to the public courtesy of Canon U.S.A. The presentation by Artie and Denise from 11:00am until 4:00pm is $40.00 (Lunch & morning coffee included)
Host Organization: Shooters Gallery Photography Group

9:00 to 10:45 – “Choosing and Using Lenses for Nature Photography… BIRDS AS ART Style” – Artie Morris (Sponsored by Canon U.S.A.)
10:45 TO 11:00: Break
11:00 to 12:00 – “Blooming Ideas” – Denise Ippolito
12:00 to 1:00 – Lunch
1:00 to 2:00 – “Refining Your Photographic Vision” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:00 to 2:30 – “Pro Gear Handling Tips” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito
2:30 to 2:45 – Break
2:45 to 4:00 – “Creating Pleasing Blurs” – Artie Morris and Denise Ippolito

Click here to register.

BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition

Learn more and enter the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition here. Twenty-five great prizes including the $1000 Grand Prize and intense competition. Bring your best.

Typos

On all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or leave a comment regarding any typos, wrong words, misspellings, omissions, or grammatical errors. Just be right. 🙂

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by starting your search by clicking on the logo-link below. No purchase is too small to be appreciated; they all add up. Why make it a habit? Because I make it a habit of bringing you new images and information on an almost daily basis.