This image was created with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place hand held at 560mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 4000. Evaluative metering +1 stop; 1/250 sec. at f/5.6 in Tv mode. One sensor to the left of and one sensor below the Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF as framed active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Here Kitty, Kitty Through the Opened Window

While it would be nice if safari vans had roll down windows to work from, they do not. If you are lucky, you can slide the windows open only about 8 inches. Pervasive dust often makes that difficult or impossible and some windows may not slide open fully. In any case, the various iterations of the new Canon 200-400 make it ideal for the task at hand, photographing through the open window of a safari van. It relatively small size and compact build allow you to hand hold it easily while working in the small opening and the four stop IS system gives you the confidence to use relatively slow shutter speeds.

Why TV Mode?

In many early morning, low light situations I like to use Tv mode. First I set the Mode to Tv. Then, I set a shutter speed that will yield a sharp image. Next I enter the proper exposure compensation. I have both my 1D X bodies and my 5D III bodies set up with ISO Safety Shift activated. An option would be to set Auto ISO. Either way, the camera will set an ISO that is high enough to yield the needed shutter speed. It has always been my contention that when you need a certain shutter speed to make a sharp image you need that certain shutter speed. I make the image first and worry about dealing with the noise later.

1D X High ISO Noise

Though I have not worked extensively with relatively high ISOs with my 1D X I must say that I was very impressed with the image quality of this ISO 4000 image. Though there was pretty much no noise at all evident even in the animal’s dark stripes, I did run a 4, 6 Surface Blur on the cat only.

Serval

Serval is a rarely seen nocturnal species that is difficult to spot during the day and even harder to photograph. Our group had three excellent chances with this medium sized, long-legged cat. John Cornish found the first one as we drive into Seronera. His wife Jane found the second one. And buddy Patrick Sparkman found this one at Ngorongoro Crater.

Snow Goose composite, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. Click on the image for 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.

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.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. 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.

Images copyright 2012: Denise Ippoltio & Arthur Morris. Card design by Denise Ippolito. Click on the image to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

Holland 2014 7 1/2-Day/8-Night: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART/Tulips & A Touch of Holland IPT. April 17-April 24, 2014 :$4995 Limit: 12 photographers/Openings 9

This trip needs 8 registrants to run so please do not purchase your plane tickets until you hear from us; right now we need 5 more folks.

Join Denise Ippolito, Flower Queen and the author of “Bloomin’ Ideas,” and Arthur Morris, Canon Explorer of Light Emeritus and one of the planet’s premier photographic educators for a great trip to Holland in mid-April 2014. Day 1 of the IPT will be April 17, 2014. We will have a short afternoon get-together and then our first photographic session at the justly-famed Keukenhof. Most days we will return to the hotel for lunch, image sharing and a break. On Day 8, April 24, we will enjoy both morning and afternoon photography sessions.

The primary subjects will be tulips and orchids at Keukenhof and the spectacularly amazing tulip, hyacinth, and daffodil bulb fields around Lisse. In addition we will spend one full day in Amsterdam. There will be optional visits the Van Gogh Museum in the morning and the Anne Frank House in the afternoon; there will be plenty of time for street photography as well. And some great food. On another day we will have a wonderful early dinner at Kinderdijk and then head out with our gear to photograph the windmills and possibly some birds for those who bring their longs lenses. We will spend an afternoon in the lovely Dutch town of Edam where we will do some street photography and enjoy a superb dinner. All lodging, ground transportation, entry fees, and meals (from dinner on Day 1 through dinner on Day 8) are included.

For those who will be bringing a big lens we will likely have an optional bird photography afternoon or two. If we get lucky, the big attraction should be gorgeous Purple Herons in flight at a breeding marsh. We would be photographing them from the roadside. And we might be able to find a few Great-crested Grebes at a location near Keukenhof.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Bill Mueller. Card design by Denise Ippolito.

Old Car City Creative Photography In-the-Field HDR Workshop: Sunday, October 13, 2013/ 9am till 1pm.

White, Georgia: $250 plus a $15 entrance fee donation (cash only on the day of the event) that will go to charity. Limit: 16 photographers.

On October 13, 2013, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART and Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure will be conducting an In-the-Field HDR Workshop at Old Car City in White, Georgia. Old Car City is about an hour north of Atlanta, GA and an hour south of Chattanooga, TN where they will, as noted above, be doing a full day seminar for the Photographic Society of Chattanooga on Saturday, October 12th. Click here for complete details.

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

The Decision

The night before I was to begin packing for my trip to Alaska for the sold out Bear Boat IPT and then continuing on to Portland for the Dahlia Farm IPT, I lay awake trying to decide whether or not to bring the 600 f/4L IS II in addition to the 200-400 f/4L IS with Internal Extender. I knew that I would be bringing the 2-4 as it would be ideal for photographing the bears chasing and catching salmon. As I lay there I thought that on occasion I would surely miss the reach advantage of the 600 with the 2X III TC. As regular readers know 1200 squared gives you a lot more bang for your buck than 784 squared….
By the time I awoke, I had made my decision. I would bring the 200-400, the 70-200, the 24-105, two sets of TCs, two 1D X bodies and one 5D Mark III, and the 600 II. My 180 macro would go in one of my checked bags. And I borrowed the 100mm IS L macro lens from CPS—it is being delivered to the IPT hotel on September 10th.

The decision was made.

Then I came to my senses. I thought how difficult it is to be in the field with both the 200-400 and the 600II. I thought the difficulties of traveling with a 55+ pound rollaboard. I thought of the problems that I had on my flights to and from Africa simply getting the rollaboard into the overhead compartments…. Once I made it to Africa, the photography was easy as I had both big lenses within reach all the time in the safari vans. And on the Galapagos trip, I knew each landing so well that I was able to go with the 200-400 on most of them, with the 600 II when I needed it, and rarely, with both when I knew that having each lens would pay huge dividends.

I know that I will on occasion miss its reach. Denise Ippolito, who will be on her first bear boat trip, is bringing hers. But thinking of all that weight and all that bulk and thinking of the sometimes long walks at low tide. I came to my senses.

The decision was unmade. I am going on the bear boat with only the 200-400 f/4L IS with Internal Extender as my big glass.

My body will thank me for it. Time will tell.

An additional factor that influenced the final decision is that when you are working tight with the 600II and either the 14 or 2X III TC, you are often dead in the water when it comes to unexpected action. Going with the 2-4 will leave me pretty much always ready for the action and will enable me to frame my images with ease. As I said, time will tell.

Your Call?

If you owned both lenses which would you bring, the 600II, the 200-400, or both? Do let us know why.

This is Lou Coetzer’s winning image from the 1st competition.

Locked and Loaded

BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition

Thanks to yeoman work by the BAA competition team, Peter Kes, Denise Ippolito, and yours truly, the BIRDS AS ART 2nd International Bird Photography Competition is now open. We are ready to see your best images. And we are truly excited. This year’s streamlined contest has 8 categories and offers 119 prizes including the $1,000 first prize: a check for $500 from BIRDS AS ART and a $500 gift certificate from major contest sponsor B&H. The 25 winning and honored images will share the 119 item prize pool.

Click here to visit the competition page.

Click here to see all the winning images from last year’s competition.

Select an item from the 1st-IBPC (International Bird Photography Competition) drop-down menu on the yellow bar on the top of each blog page to view the images in the various categories from last year’s competition that were sent to the judges. “1st-IBPC” is item two on the yellow bar shown above. Note that you can access all contest categories from the drop-down menu for the 3rd item, “2nd Competition.”

Click here to read the rules that include the most liberal digital guidelines of any major contest.

Click here for payment options.

Click here to learn about our panel of prestitgious judges.

Click here to check out the prize pool.

Good luck!

Categories

1-Bird Portraits (whole bird or tight including body parts)
2-Flight
3-Small in the frame/Environmental
4-Pleasing Blurs
5-Action & Behavior
6-Hand of Man (the composition may include man-made elements) & Captive (including zoos and rehab birds)
7-Digital Creations (anything goes including the use of filters and effects)
8-Youth (high School or younger)

Organizer’s Message

Wow. This is exciting! As most of you know, I have–for the past 30 years–dedicated my life to making beautiful images of birds and teaching others to do the same. The second edition of this contest is simply an extension of that passion. Thanks to Denise Ippolito for her help organizing the contest and to Peter Kes for building the web and upload pages; Peter re-designed both the blog and the website about four years ago and helps me almost daily; his skills and work ethic are superb.

I cannot begin to talk about the contest without talking first about the incredible generosity of our many sponsors. I knew from the get-go that as the new kid on the block that we would need to assemble a huge prize pool. I asked and they gave. A huge thanks to Yechiel Orgel of principal sponsor B&H PHOTO & VIDEO. Thanks to Martin Wood and Anna Lopez of Delkin Devices for their continued support. Thanks to Clay Wimberley at Wimberley, to Walter (son) and John (father) at 4th Generation Design, and to Scott Elowitz of LensCoat. Special thanks to Helen Longest-Saccone at Nature Photographer Magazine who will be publishing the winners in a print edition of Nature Photographer magazine. Thanks again to Brian Erwin at Think Tank. (For the 2nd straight year Brian OKed my e-mail request for support in seconds; I hit send and moments later I got his “I’m in” response.) Thanks to Michael Tapes of Raw Workflow, John Stanford of Vertex Photographic, John Storrie of Vested Interest, and Bob Peltz of Essential Photo Gear. All of those mentioned above are with us for year two. Special thanks to new sponsor Chris Klapheke of Outdoor Photo Gear. We are direct competitors in the mail order business yet we have remained good friends over the years. OPG carries a lot more stuff than the BAA store; if you can’t find it here, visit OPG.

Why another contest? Entering contests is fun. Having an image or two honored is always a huge thrill. I enter the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition every year. And the same goes for the Nature’s Best and National Wildlife contests. I have had more than a few honored images in all three contests. But considering the huge popularity of bird photography today there are relatively few avian categories in the major contests. We have rectified that situation. And here is the best news of all: with the relative ease of digital photography most anyone is capable of creating a contest winning image. The BBC contest makes no distinction between amateurs and professionals and we are doing the same here. I consistently see folks photographing for only a year or two producing images with contest-winning potential.

All of the major contests have very restrictive digital guidelines; you are pretty much limited to removing dust spots and adjusting brightness, color, and contrast. And some competitions allow only global adjustments, changes that affect the entire image; making selective adjustments is prohibited. Heck, Ansel Adams would have been disqualified from those. Our digital guidelines are the most generous of any major contest. By miles. With all due respect to the purists, our digital guidelines most accurately reflect the prevailing style of image optimization by allowing for the removal of distracting background elements. You can check out our digital guidelines by scrolling down to #12 here.

In addition there are some rules in the major contests that simply do not make sense to me. For example, a recent BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year winner was nowhere near his camera when the winning image was made. And several other of his camera-trap images were also honored…. All in all I simply thought that I could come up with a great contest with rules that made sense. So I did.

With eight categories and a large but streamlined prize pool there are lots of reasons to enter. The entry fee is $25 for ten images. You may enter once or twice or as many times as you like. You might enter now and then again in a few months and then possibly once right before the deadline: the closing date for entries is December 31, 2013.

Earn Free Contest Entries with your B&H Gear Purchases

If you make a purchase totaling $1,000 or more from contest sponsor B&H using this link you will receive a single free contest entry. Purchases of $3,000 or more will be good for two contest entries, of $5,000 or more for three entries, and of $10,000 of more for five competition entries. To receive your free entry (or entries) send your B&H receipt to us via e-mail to staffbaa@att.net and cut and paste “B&H Contest Entry” into the subject line. You will receive instructions (for uploading your images) by e-mail.

My dream is that the BIRDS AS ART International Bird Photography Competition will continue to grow in prestige and soon rank right up there with the top-notch contests that I mentioned above. My hope is that at some time in the future we will have an exhibit of the winning images at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. My interest in nature was sparked there when I was about twelve or thirteen. Imagine that I traveled alone on the subway taking the then Brighton Beach Express into the city and spending entire weekends roaming the halls.

I do hope that you join in the fun by entering and I look forward to seeing your very best images. Good luck! artie

This image was created with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held at 300mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the light sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. 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. Waved Albatross I

Flying High on Hood Island with the Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS USM with Internal Extender

Hood Island is the home to virtually all of the world’s Waved Albatross. The landing at Punta Suarez is one of the highlights of any Galapagos Photo-Cruise as it is the only location on the planet where you can walk right up to these birds as they perform in their courtship dances and brood and feed their chicks. (Note: some 1 week or even 10 day trips may not include this spectacular but remote location.) The usually cloudy conditions in July offer tons of great flight photography for this and other species. The 200-400 without the TC engaged proved to be an ideal flight lens for these big birds. The zoom lens’s compact build and relatively small size as compared to even a 500II makes it easy to hand hold and being able to zoom out as the birds fly towards you is a huge advantage over all fixed focal length lenses.

This image was created with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held at 350mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the light sky: 1/1250 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. 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. Waved Albatross II

This image was created with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held at 247mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the light sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. 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. Waved Albatross III

This image was created with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held at 371mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the light sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode. 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. Waved Albatross IV

This image was created with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (hand held at 376mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the light sky: 1/1250 sec. at f/5 in Manual mode. 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. Waved Albatross V Though I did create some vertical original flight shots this one was cropped from a horizontal.

This image was created with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place at 420mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops off the light sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. 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. Red-billed Tropicbird I

Red-billed Tropicbird Flight Photography

We also had some good chances with Red-billed Tropicbirds in flight on our Punta Suarez landing. Since they are far smaller than the Waved Albatrosses,
I flipped the lever down to engage the internal 1.4X TC to provide additional reach. Though they are faster, more erratic fliers than the albatrosses, the AF system performed beautifully while accurately focus-tracking the tropicbirds as they flew rapidly towards their cliff-side nests. Yhe 2-4 is proving to be my all-time favorite flight photography lens.

This image created just a moment after the image above with the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender with the internal TC in place (hand held at 420mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops off the light sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. 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. Red-billed Tropicbird II

Your Favorite?

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the 7 flight images above is your favorite. Please be sure to let us no why. If you’d like, let us know which you think is the weakest image in the group. And why.

Announcing the Mini-Flower Photography Seminar, Friday, September 13: 8:30am till 12:30pm, Canby Oregon

As part of the Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour, September 11-15, 2013 (1 slot left; see here for details), denise and I will be presenting a 1/2-Day Mini-Flower Photography Seminar. Folks wishing to register for the mini seminar only may do so for only $49.

Denise will begin by presenting her “Bloomin’ Ideas” program, an overview of the in-the-field and post-processing techniques that she has used and developed over the past few years to create her signature look. Artie will follow with a Photoshop session that will be geared towards all levels. He’ll be sharing some of his favorite techniques and tips while working on images from the first two days of the IPT. Denise will conclude the morning seminar with a Photoshop demo; she will share her creative workflow using a variety of Photoshop filters and effects. The entire morning is designed to give you a peek into the minds of two very skilled and creative folks.

To register for the Mini-Flower Photography Seminar call Jim between Monday and Thursday or on Friday morning at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

All images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Denise Ippolito. Click for a larger version.

A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour, September 11-15, 2013: 5 FULL DAYS: $1649. Limit 16, Openings: 1.

Join Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris at the Swan Island Dahlia Farm in Canby Oregon (just south of Portland) for a great learning and photography experience. Swan Island features more than 40 acres with over 350 varieties of dahlias in a plethora of colors, shapes and sizes, making it one of the largest growers in the United States.

Daily Photo Schedule

We will enjoy four morning (7:00am till 10:30am) and five afternoon (3:30pm till 6pm) photography sessions. While we will do most of our photography at the Swan Island Dahlia Farm, we will also visit the Portland Rose Garden and/or the Portland Japanese Garden on this IPT. The in-the-field instruction will include seeing the situation, the use of selective focus, creative use of depth of field, histogram and exposure guidance, designing creative images, choosing your background, isolating your subject, lens options, and the use of reflectors and diffusers. Our field sessions will include challenging photography assignments geared to make you think creatively. Both personalized and small group instruction will be provided. All times are tentative and subject to change based on the weather and on local conditions.

Seminar Morning: Friday, September 13: 8:30am till 12:30pm

Denise will begin by presenting her “Bloomin’ Ideas” program, an overview of the in-the-field and post-processing techniques that she has used and developed over the past few years to create her signature look. Artie will follow with a Photoshop session that will be geared towards all levels. He’ll be sharing some of his favorite techniques and tips while working on images from the first two days of the IPT. Denise will conclude the seminar portion of the IPT with a Photoshop demo; she will share her creative workflow using a variety of Photoshop filters and effects. The entire morning is designed to give you a peek into the minds of two very skilled and creative folks.

The group will have lunch together daily. All are invited to bring their laptops for image sharing. We hope that you can join us for an intense five days of learning and some of the best flower photography to be had in North America.

Deposit Info and Cancellation Policies:

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. 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. We will be short-handed in the office until January 21 so please leave a message and we will call you back. 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

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. 🙂

Support the Blog

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

Remembering 50 Years Ago Today

It might not be a bad idea for each of us to re-consider Martin Luther King’s words of 50 years ago. I remember teaching the speech to one of my my sixth grade classes about 35 years ago. They mastered it beautifully and performed it in a very moving assembly program for the upper grades at PS 106 in Brooklyn.

While searching the web for the text of Dr. King’s speech, I came across a rather interesting Washington Post editorial here.

There is more interesting commentary here. Included is the following: “Deadline reports that CNN and MSNBC will run a rare re-broadcast of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech in its entirety, CNN will run it once in the afternoon, while MSNBC will run it twice—once at 4 PM, and again at 8. The second showing, during a special All In with Chris Hayes, will have limited commercial interruptions.”

Click here to read the Deadline announcement.

At the March on Washington, August 28, 2013

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now.

This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor’s lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

This image of a three Maasai Giraffes was created with BLUBB-supported Canon EOS-1D X and the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal extender in place at 307mm). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/80 sec. at f/7.1. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF on the face of the center giraffe and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

2-4 Giraffes

The Maasai Giraffes were one of my very favorite summer safari subjects. They are tall, elegant, and beautiful. With everyone hot for the big cats they are often overlooked. With their large size the 200-400 with or without the TC in place was my most-used lens. We found this group, actually there were five in all, just two minutes after leaving our mobile tented camp near the Mara River in the Serengeti.

If you look carefully at the shooting data, you might ask, as folks often do, “Why did you have the TC in place if you were working at only 307mm, well within the range of the 200-400 alone?” The answer in most cases is that I want to be able to zoom in instantly should the need arise. Here, that was really not a factor but with such a beautiful arrangement of animals I did not want to miss my chance. The truth is that I probably did not realize that I was working so wide :). In any case, the optics of the new internal TC are so, so good that the sharpness of the resulting images is never an issue.

Anyway, 3 giraffes is between 2 and 4 giraffes….

Tanzania Summer Safari 2014

Having been to Africa 7 times in all I must say that the recently concluded summer safari was my favorite ever. As you will see in the coming blog posts and Bulletins the entire two weeks consisted of one miracle after another. If you are seriously interested in joining us, do shoot me an e-mail. Todd, Denise Ippolito, and I will be co-leading. It will run in roughly the same time frame, beginning in early August and ending in mid-August. Dates TBA.

Announcing the Mini-Flower Photography Seminar, Friday, September 13: 8:30am till 12:30pm, Canby Oregon

As part of the Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour, September 11-15, 2013 (1 slot left; see here for details), denise and I will be presenting a 1/2-Day Mini-Flower Photography Seminar. Folks wishing to register for the mini seminar only may do so for only $49.

Denise will begin by presenting her “Bloomin’ Ideas” program, an overview of the in-the-field and post-processing techniques that she has used and developed over the past few years to create her signature look. Artie will follow with a Photoshop session that will be geared towards all levels. He’ll be sharing some of his favorite techniques and tips while working on images from the first two days of the IPT. Denise will conclude the morning seminar with a Photoshop demo; she will share her creative workflow using a variety of Photoshop filters and effects. The entire morning is designed to give you a peek into the minds of two very skilled and creative folks.

To register for the Mini-Flower Photography Seminar call Jim between Monday and Thursday or on Friday morning at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

Full Day Creative Nature Photography Seminar, Chattanooga, TN, October 12, 2013

Join Denise Ippolito and me on Saturday, October 12, 2013 in Chattanooga, TN for a great day of fun and learning. Learn to improve your photography skills, your skill at designing images in the field, and your creative vision. Click here and scroll down to register and here to learn more about the presenters.

Images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Bill Mueller. Card design by Denise Ippolito.

Old Car City Creative Photography In-the-Field HDR Workshop: Sunday, October 13, 2013/ 9am till 1pm. White, Georgia: $250 plus a $15 entrance fee donation (cash only on the day of the event) that will go to charity. Limit: 16/Opening 8.

On October 13, 2013, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART and Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure will be conducting an In-the-Field HDR Workshop at Old Car City in White, Georgia. Old Car City is about an hour north of Atlanta, GA and an hour south of Chattanooga, TN where they will, as noted above, be doing a full day seminar for the Photographic Society of Chattanooga on Saturday, October 12th.

They are both very excited about photographing at this new location which boasts 4,500 old cars on 34 acres mostly along wooded trails. The property is usually closed on Sundays but the owner is graciously allowing two small groups private access that day; we are thrilled to be one of them!

Bring your tripod and a variety of lenses from fish eye through 70-200mm at least. Folks who assemble their HDR images on their computers will learn the steps needed to create the very best originals. Folks using Canon or Nikon cameras that create in-camera HDRs will receive guidance as to exactly how best to do that. Folks with the Canon 5D Mark III will learn our favorite in-camera HDR settings. All will receive in-the-field guidance on seeing the situation, choosing the best perspective, image design and composition, setting up their gear, and getting the right exposure. Bring your old jeans and dirty sneakers and prepare to roll up your sleeves!

To register, call BIRDS AS ART at 863-692-0906, or, send a personal check for $250 made out to “Arthur Morris” to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, or, send a Paypal to us at birdsasart@att.net. In the latter two cases be sure to note that your payment is for the Old Car City In-the-Field Workshop and be sure to include your name, e-mail address, and phone number. We hope that you can join us.

Pullman Yards

Folks who sign up for the Chattanooga seminar and the Old Car City workshop will be invited to join us for a free session at a semi-secret location in Atlanta, Georgia for a morning of UrbEx photography.

Click here to learn more about UrbEx photography.

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. 🙂

Support the Blog

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

The Great African Bedspread Mystery

It was our next to last day at the wonderful Seronera Serengeti Lodge where we had been consistently killing the Leopards (at least in a figurative photographic sense). I walked into my room, put some of my gear down here and there, and was puzzled when I noted that the bedspread on my bed was missing…. And then I noticed some black marks on the exposed top sheet. We had driven through some burned areas but I had no idea how any of the ash had gotten on my gear, nor did I remember putting anything down on the end of the bed. So I became even more puzzled.

Next I went to the open suitcase on the other bed to grab a handful of cashews from my stash. One intact bag remained but the open bag of nuts that had been in the plastic supermarket bag was gone. Then I looked down and saw that the opened, yellow, 500 gram bag that the cashew nuts had come in was on the floor. Torn and empty. With a few cashew crumbs scattered about. “Man, I thought, that is not like the wonderful room attendants at any of the places we have visited. Who would think that one of them would stoop to stealing a guest’s cashew nuts?”

I walked back to my bed and took a closer look at the black discolorations on the sheet. Could they be small footprints? Just then a breeze ruffled the curtains. I glanced to my left and remembered that I had hung some laundry on the balcony railing but had forgotten to close and lock the door. Mystery solved. The Olive Baboons had raided my room. (It is doubtful that the much smaller Vervet Monkeys could have carried off the bedspread.)

When we check out the next day, I confessed to the desk clerk. Her smile indicated that I was not the first to be victimized. When we returned to Seronera a week later for a single night on our way to Ngorongoro Crater I was delighted to learn that a search of the area behind my room had turned up the missing bedspread none-the-worse-for-wear.

This screaming Olive Baboon image was created with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 311mm) and the and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6. One sensor to the right of the central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF on the near haunches of the baboon active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. As you might imagine I was glad that I was not in the room when the baboons visited.

Image and 200-400 Comments

This guy was flying as he was involved in a running battle with another baboon. Working low from the open window in my row on the right side of the safari van I struggled to keep the AF sensor on the subject. I was lucky that the near haunches were on the same plane as the baboons eyes. I should have changed the aperture to f/4. Why? How do you think that I wound up at f/5.6 (instead of at f/4)?

As regular readers know the 200-400 is an amazingly versatile lens that is ideal for photographing wildlife in action. I will be working on a Focus On Feature for the Canon Digital Learning Center this weekend. I will of course provide a link here once this illustrated piece is published.

The Canon Digital Learning Center (CDLC) and the CDLC Blog

Like the BAA Blog, both the Canon Digital Learning Center website and the CDLC blog provide a wealth of free information for serious photographers looking to improve their skills and their understanding of their gear. The latter of course can only lead to better images. You can access the Canon Digital Learning Center website here. There are always lots of links to great features on the home page. At present these include Technical Advisor Rudy Winston’s “Quick Tips: Photographing Fireworks,” “The Basics of Time Lapse Photography” a Vincent Laforet video, “Rhythm of Life” with the Cinema EOS C500 and Cinema Lenses, a video feature with cinematographer Steven Poster, links to various Live Learning events, and lots more.

You can access the CDLC Blog here. Current features include Rudy Winston’s “Which lens do I need? Calculating lens and image sizes: Parts I & II”, his “A trip down memory lane with the EOS 7D and EOS 70D” that features some of his excellent photography, and “Adding a Magnification Button location on the EOS-1D C and 5D Mark III with Custom Controls” by Brent Ramsey. By following one of the links in Rudy’s 7D retrospective I found a great piece: “Behind the scenes of “Handmade” with the EOS 70D in which cinematographer Nobuyuki Yanagibashi talks about how he utilized the EOS 70D’s autofocus features to create his film Handmade.”

The best news of all: I will be doing a guest blog post soon. The topic? What lenses to I bring on big international nature and wildlife trips? I will of course provide the link here when this illustrated article is published.

All images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Denise Ippolito. Click for a larger version.

A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART Swan Island Dahlia Farm Instructional Photo-Tour, September 11-15, 2013: 5 FULL DAYS: $1649. Limit 16, Openings: 1.

Join Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris at the Swan Island Dahlia Farm in Canby Oregon (just south of Portland) for a great learning and photography experience. Swan Island features more than 40 acres with over 350 varieties of dahlias in a plethora of colors, shapes and sizes, making it one of the largest growers in the United States.

Daily Photo Schedule

We will enjoy four morning (7:00am till 10:30am) and five afternoon (3:30pm till 6pm) photography sessions. While we will do most of our photography at the Swan Island Dahlia Farm, we will also visit the Portland Rose Garden and/or the Portland Japanese Garden on this IPT. The in-the-field instruction will include seeing the situation, the use of selective focus, creative use of depth of field, histogram and exposure guidance, designing creative images, choosing your background, isolating your subject, lens options, and the use of reflectors and diffusers. Our field sessions will include challenging photography assignments geared to make you think creatively. Both personalized and small group instruction will be provided. All times are tentative and subject to change based on the weather and on local conditions.

Seminar Morning: Friday, September 13: 8:30am till 12:30pm

Denise will begin by presenting her “Bloomin’ Ideas” program, an overview of the in-the-field and post-processing techniques that she has used and developed over the past few years to create her signature look. Artie will follow with a Photoshop session that will be geared towards all levels. He’ll be sharing some of his favorite techniques and tips while working on images from the first two days of the IPT. Denise will conclude the seminar portion of the IPT with a Photoshop demo; she will share her creative workflow using a variety of Photoshop filters and effects. The entire morning is designed to give you a peek into the minds of two very skilled and creative folks.

The group will have lunch together daily. All are invited to bring their laptops for image sharing. We hope that you can join us for an intense five days of learning and some of the best flower photography to be had in North America.

Deposit Info and Cancellation Policies:

A $449 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. 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. We will be short-handed in the office until January 21 so please leave a message and we will call you back. 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

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. 🙂

Support the Blog

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

This Maasai Giraffe image was created with the BLUBB-supported Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with the internal TC in place at at 448mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/11. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the giraffe’s head and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. The grasslands surrounding our mobile tented camp in the Serengeti were wondrously beautiful. Pretty much all 14 of us on the photographic safari agreed that the seemingly endless grasslands were our favorite habitat type as they so typified what one thinks of when the word Africa comes to mind. Here, the acacia tree and a scattering of Wildebeest on the horizon complete the picture.

43 Hours Door to Door, With a Bad Head Cold; You Gotta Love It!

I awoke on Thursday and Friday past with just a hint of a sore throat. I pretty much beat that, but it turned into a case of the sniffles. I awoke at 3:30am Monday morning Tanzania time (that’s 8:30pm on Sunday night on the east coast) at the Beautiful African Tulip Hotel to finish packing and head to the Kilamanjaro Airport for my flight to Dar es Salaam. I was picked up at 5am (10pm Saturday night Florida time) so we will start the door to door clock running there.

My Precision Air flight (advice: if they survive likely bankruptcy, never fly Precision Air) was late so my 8 hour layover turned into a 6 hour layover. I had scheduled a day room for $150 and the to and from airport transfers for another $120. Throw in the brutal Dar traffic and a stop at the pharmacy to pick up some antihistamines) $48 US please) and I got to enjoy 1 hour and 40 minutes of very expensive R&R.

Next was Dar to Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia (3 hours) followed by a 2 1/2 hour layover. By now my head cold was raging and my nose was literally running like a leaky faucet despite my having taken on antihistamine tablet. Then it was Addis to Rome (5 hours, 10 minutes), and hour plus on the ground to refuel, and then the long leg, 10 hours and 5 minutes into Washington’s Dulles airport. I really felt like crap on the Addis to Rome leg and on our descent, I got to enjoy some severe sinus/ear pain in my right ear. In spite of that, I managed to sleep about 3 1/2 hours. I still felt like crap as we took off again, bolstered by some nose drops from a kindly ans sympathetic flight attendant. Amazingly, I slept five straight hours and felt pretty good upon awakening as the antihistamine had kicked in and the nose drops have helped as well.

But there were still 7+ hours to go to get to the US. I had some cashews for dinner, I guess it was dinner, and got back to sleep for another two hours. Then I watched the brilliant My Cousin Vinny for perhaps the fiftieth time, had some more cashews, and napped again. Then it was the silly and predictable Harrison Ford flick, “The Volcano.” 90 minutes later I was on the ground in DC. I quickly made my way through customs with the help of Global Entry and picked up and re-checked my bags.

I typed this blog post while in the United Club at Dulles awaiting my 12:30pm flight to Orlando. Jim is picking me up a bit before 3pm. With our customary stops at Publix and Junior’s Fish Store in Lake Wales I should be home right about 5pm. Was it worth it? Stay tuned for lots of great new Africa images on the blog and in the coming Bulletins. I think that the answer will be fairly obvious.

This African Elephant image was created at Tarangire National Park, Tanzania with the BLUBB-supported Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 400mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/5.6. One sensor below the Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the head of the tree rubbing elephant active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Having the 200-400 with arm’s reach of the 600 made wider creating habitat images like this one a snap.

Your Fave?

Which of the two habitat-type images above is your favorite, and why?

Snow Goose composite, Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM. Click on the image for 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.

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.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to hold your slot for this IPT. Your balance is due 4 months before the date of the IPT and is also non-refundable. 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.

Images copyright 2012: Denise Ippoltio & Arthur Morris. Card design by Denise Ippolito. Click on the image to enjoy a spectacular larger version.

Holland 2014 7 1/2-Day/8-Night: A Creative Adventure/BIRDS AS ART/Tulips & A Touch of Holland IPT. April 17-April 24, 2014 :$4995 Limit: 12 photographers/Openings 9

This trip needs 8 registrants to run so please do not purchase your plane tickets until you hear from us; right now we need 5 more folks.

Join Denise Ippolito, Flower Queen and the author of “Bloomin’ Ideas,” and Arthur Morris, Canon Explorer of Light Emeritus and one of the planet’s premier photographic educators for a great trip to Holland in mid-April 2014. Day 1 of the IPT will be April 17, 2014. We will have a short afternoon get-together and then our first photographic session at the justly-famed Keukenhof. Most days we will return to the hotel for lunch, image sharing and a break. On Day 8, April 24, we will enjoy both morning and afternoon photography sessions.

The primary subjects will be tulips and orchids at Keukenhof and the spectacularly amazing tulip, hyacinth, and daffodil bulb fields around Lisse. In addition we will spend one full day in Amsterdam. There will be optional visits the Van Gogh Museum in the morning and the Anne Frank House in the afternoon; there will be plenty of time for street photography as well. And some great food. On another day we will have a wonderful early dinner at Kinderdijk and then head out with our gear to photograph the windmills and possibly some birds for those who bring their longs lenses. We will spend an afternoon in the lovely Dutch town of Edam where we will do some street photography and enjoy a superb dinner. All lodging, ground transportation, entry fees, and meals (from dinner on Day 1 through dinner on Day 8) are included.

For those who will be bringing a big lens we will likely have an optional bird photography afternoon or two. If we get lucky, the big attraction should be gorgeous Purple Herons in flight at a breeding marsh. We would be photographing them from the roadside. And we might be able to find a few Great-crested Grebes at a location near Keukenhof.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Click here for complete details and some previously unpublished images. And/or click here and see item one for lots more tulip photos and complete trip details.

Photographic Society of Chattanooga Seminar

Scroll down here for details on the Saturday seminar that Denise Ippolito and yours truly are doing in Chattanooga on October 12, 2013 and the follow-up Old Car City In-the-Field Workshop. Blog folks who sign up for both are invited to join us at a secret Urbex location in Atlanta on Friday morning October 11. Feel free to e-mail me for details after you are registered for both.

Images courtesy of and copyright 2012: Bill Mueller. Card design by Denise Ippolito.

Old Car City Creative Photography In-the-Field HDR Workshop: Sunday, October 13, 2013/ 9am till 1pm.

White, Georgia: $250 plus a $15 entrance fee donation (cash only on the day of the event) that will go to charity. Limit: 16 photographers.

On October 13, 2013, Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART and Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure will be conducting an In-the-Field HDR Workshop at Old Car City in White, Georgia. Old Car City is about an hour north of Atlanta, GA and an hour south of Chattanooga, TN where they will, as noted above, be doing a full day seminar for the Photographic Society of Chattanooga on Saturday, October 12th. Click here for complete details.

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. 🙂

Support the Blog

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

Day 7 Morning Dry Landing at Peurto Velasco Ebarra, Floreana: Part I

This 3-frame in-camera +/- 2 stop Art Vivid HDR image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 200mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop yielded a base exposure of 1/200 sec. at f/4. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the tortoises left eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Tortoises

All of the images in this blog post were made with the amazingly versatile Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender with and without the TC in place. The Tortoise Center at Puerto Velasco Ebarra, Floreana is a virtual outdoor zoo where a variety of rescued Galapagos Tortoises are kept for educational purposes in a large, natural enclosure. All of the tortoise images here are of the same captive animal and all were made while I was standing or sitting within the confines of a 6 foot diameter circle. To create the wide image above I zoomed out to 200mm and had my back against a large feed container. The distance to the subject was 5.3 meters.

This 3-frame in-camera +/- 2 stop Art Vivid HDR image was also created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 300mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop yielded a base exposure of 1/200 sec. at f/4. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the tortoises left eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Turning the Zoom Ring

Without moving my tripod—I was still exactly 5.13 meters from the tortoise–I simply turned the zoom ring counter-clockwise with my left hand to the 300mm mark. I did not of course need to look at the zoom setting; I simply turned the ring to achieve the desired framing. Throughout the trip I was continually amazed at how having the ability to zoom in or out made photography so much easier than when working with a fixed focal length lens. You will on occasion still clip a wingtip or cut off the end of a tail when you try to get a bit greedy, but the number of such occurrences will be greatly reduced. One thing is for sure: you will quickly learn to have your left hand on the zoom ring at all times.

This 3-frame in-camera +/- 2 stop Art Vivid HDR image was also created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (at 300mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop yielded a base exposure of 1/200 sec. at f/4. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the tortoises left eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Human Zoomin’

Human zooming, moving towards or away from the subject still works well even with an incredibly versatile zoom lens like the Canon 200-400. For the image above I took two steps towards the subject pulled out the front leg of my Gitzo 3532LS carbon fiber tripod for a lower angle of declination to the subject, turned the rig in the tripod collar to vertical, and racked the lens back out to 200mm.

This 3-frame in-camera +/- 2 stop Art Vivid HDR image was also created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (this time with the internal TC in place at at 560mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop yielded a base exposure of 1/100 sec. at f/5.6. Central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus on the tortoise’s left eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Amazing Versatility of the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens with Internal 1.4x Extender

Once the tortoise raised its head I knew that I wanted to try for some tight head portraits so I took the time to lower my tripod and sit behind it. I pushed down the lever to engage the internal 1.4X TC, zoomed to the 400mm mark, and went to work. Take a moment to look at and consider the amazingly versatile framing options available with the new 200-400 with the built in TC.

In the next blog post I will share some images of other subjects made on our morning landing at Puerto Velasco Ebarra on Floreana Island.

Welcome to Borrow Lenses.com/The Newest BIRDS AS ART Affiliate Sponsor

Renting a lens for a big trip or to learn if the lens if right for you has always been a great plan. On IPTs we have been renting big lenses for probably two decades. But our choices have been and are extremely limited and we never have any Nikon lenses to rent. Borrow Lenses, US-based in San Carlos, CA, is a first class outfit that carries a huge selection of the latest greatest camera, video, audio, lighting, computer, and photography gear. All can be rented for a reasonable fee and delivered to your location with or without insurance.

Please consider supporting our efforts here and with our free BAA Bulletins by renting from Borrow Lenses when the need arises. Click on the banner below to open a whole new world.

On The Road Again

Please know that I will be traveling to and from the Africa for the Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson leaving today, August 1 and back in the office on August 21. I will have extremely limited and very slow at best internet access so please do not e-mail me until I get back. Jim will be in the office every weekday to help you with your mail order purchases and Jen will be here handling IPT registrations. The blog will continue to be active as I have prepared a dozen interesting, brand new educational posts for you in advance for you to enjoy during my absence.

Please consider using our B&H, Amazon, and Borrow Lenses affiliate links for all of your major and minor purchases both photographic and household. If we carry something in the BAA Store that you need our very great preference would be that you purchase those items from us :).

If you have a gear, image processing, or other question please e-mail me after July 19th. You can reach Jim here via e-mail. You can reach Jennifer here via e-mail. Please type “JIM” or “JEN” respectively at the front of the Subject Line.

Bucket List?

If visiting the Galapagos is on your bucket list and you are a happy camper who is serious about joining us on our July 2015 trip, please shoot me an e-mail and ask to be placed on the interested list. There simply is no better Galapagos Photo Tour.

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. 🙂

Support the Blog

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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.

Day 6 Mid-morning Panga Ride: Elizabeth Bay, Isabela

This image was created with the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (270mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -+1/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/6.3 in Av mode. Three sensors below the central sensor/AI Servo-Surround/Rear Focus AF on the flock in the water active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Cloudy Bright Rocks/But Not on this Panga Ride!

After our early morning zodiac photo session at Punta Mangle, Fernandina, we did a short navigation across the Bolivar Channel to Elizabeth Bay, Santiago and enjoyed a late breakfast en route. One of the huge benefits of visiting the Galapagos from mid-June through August is that the weather is usually overcast during that period; nothing kills good nature photography in tropical regions faster than blue skies and clear, sunny days. We did enjoy some beautiful light in the early morning and late afternoon hours but for the most part we enjoyed the cloudy bright conditions that make photographing all day long a pleasure. On my photo-cruise two years ago we suffered from way too much sun and many of our morning landings were over by 9:30am.

In any case, the sun was out pretty strong when we did our panga cruise at Elizabeth Bay; this made photography extremely challenging. The image above of a large Galapagos Shearwater feeding aggregation was created in bright sun. We made sure to position the zodiac so that the birds were right down sun angle, in other words, so that our shadows were pointed directly at the spree.

These frolicking sea lions were photographed with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (at 80mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 in Tv mode. Three sensors down from the central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF just caught the flipper of the left hand sea lion and was of course active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.

Still Room at the Inn for the 70-200II

While the hand held Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender turned out to be my favorite and deadliest lens for zodiac photography there was still lots of room at the inn for the relatively old 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II lens. When I needed to work wider than 200mm I went to my dependably sharp intermediate telephoto lens; the versatile 70-200 II is one of my all-time favorite lenses and is a perfect companion for the 200-400 for zodiac and general nature photography.

This image was created with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (at 165mm) and the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/800 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Two sensors above and two to the left of the central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF on the wall between the two birds on our left active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version.

AI Servo AF Active at the Moment of Exposure

Sharp-eyed readers will note that the each and every one of the images made from a zodiac was created with AI Servo AF active at the moment of exposure. Why? Because the boat is always moving; the only way to achieve accurate focus is to use AI Servo AF. If you attempt to use One-Shot AF (S or Single Servo in Nikon) none of your images will be sharp; accurate focus will always be thrown off. Studious readers have heard the same tune from me often when it comes to hand holding even when you are on land. With intermediate and super-telephoto lenses the swaying motion of your body and even your breathing will be enough to prevent you from making the sharp images that you want if you insist on using One-Shot AF.

In the image above, I replaced the head of the bird on our right (poor head angle) with the head of the same bird from the previous frame (perfect head angle). To do this I painted a Quick Mask of the bird’s head, put it on its own layer (Q, B, Q, Control J), and moved it (V) into the image I was optimizing. I fine-tuned the replacement head with a Regular Layer Mask.

The Best Image?

Which of the 3 images above do you like best? Do let us know why.

Bucket List?

If visiting the Galapagos is on your bucket list and you are a happy camper who is serious about joining us on our July 2015 trip, please shoot me an e-mail and ask to be placed on the interested list. There simply is no better Galapagos Photo Tour.

On The Road Again

Please know that I will be traveling to and from the Africa for the Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson leaving today, August 1 and back in the office on August 21. I will have extremely limited and very slow at best internet access so please do not e-mail me until I get back. Jim will be in the office every weekday to help you with your mail order purchases and Jen will be here handling IPT registrations. The blog will continue to be active as I have prepared a dozen interesting, brand new educational posts for you in advance for you to enjoy during my absence.

Please consider using our B&H, Amazon, and Borrow Lenses affiliate links for all of your major and minor purchases both photographic and household. If we carry something in the BAA Store that you need our very great preference would be that you purchase those items from us :).

If you have a gear, image processing, or other question please e-mail me after July 19th. You can reach Jim here via e-mail. You can reach Jennifer here via e-mail. Please type “JIM” or “JEN” respectively at the front of the Subject Line.

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. 🙂

Support the Blog

Amazon

Everyone buys something from Amazon, be it a big lens or deodorant. Support the blog by starting your search by typing in the little white box 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.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

LensCoats. I have a LensCoat on each of my big lenses to protect them from nicks and thus increase their re-sales value. All my big lens LensCoat stuff is in Hardwood Snow pattern.
LegCoat Tripod Leg Covers. I have four tripods active and each has a Hardwood Snow LegCoat on it to help prevent further damage to my tender shoulders 🙂 And you will love them in mega-cold weather….
Gitzo GT3532 LS CF Tripod. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. Learn more about this great tripod here.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
The Lens Align Mark II. I use the Lens Align Mark II pretty much religiously to micro-adjust all of my gear an average of once a month and always before a major trip. Enjoy our free comprehensive tutorial here.
BreezeBrowser. I do not see how any digital photographer can exist without this program.
Delkin Flash Cards. I use and depend on Delkin compact Flash Cards and card readers most every day. Learn more about their great 700X and 1000X cards here or about my favorite Delkin card here.