Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

This Art Vivid HDR image was created at the Willem-Alexander Pavilion at Keukenhof, Lisse, Holland on the recently concluded Tulip IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon Telephoto EF 180mm f/3.5L macro lens, Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 400. For the base exposure I went with Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/2 sec. at f/45 in Av mode. Manual focus on the distal end of the pistil (which I just learned is actually called the stigma, the part of the pistil that receives the pollen during fertilization). Click on the image to enjoy a larger size.

Who’d a Thunk It?

I was captivated by the blue at the base of the stamens on this Tulip “Tropical Lady.” First I created a series of images at various apertures as described in Tulip/Flower Lesson II in BAA Bulletin #438 here. Note: Tulip/Flower Lesson II is reprinted below for your convenience; you will need to click on the Bulletin link and scroll down to read Tulip/Flower Lesson I.

Next, for reasons unknown to me, I decided to create some Art Vivid in-camera HDRs of the same motif. The late/great German nature photographer Fritz Pölking used the word motif as a synonym for photograph or image. When I saw the 61mb 5D Mark III JPEGs on my laptop I was totally amazed at how much better they looked than the straight images I have made. The out of camera JPEG appears immediately below.

This is the original Art Vivid HDR JPEG as it came out of the camera.

What a Mess!

As you can see the image that came out of the camera needed lots of work. As is typical of Art Vivid HDRs, this one was definitely under-exposed. In retrospect a base exposure at +2 1/3 stops or even more would have yielded a better exposed JPEG. In addition, the flower itself was a mess with many specks of dirt and many fine hairs of unknown origin; the latter did not come from the flower. And at f/45, sensor dust ruled the roost. The extensive clean-up took about 15 minutes. I used the Spot Healing Brush (my Keyboard shortcut J), the Patch Tool (my Keyboard shortcut M), and Content Aware Fill (Shift f/5) after making my selection with the Patch Tool. Two Curves Adjustment Layers were used to lighten the image and a 15% layer of NIK Color Efex Pro’s Tonal Contrast completed the image optimization (but for the work on the lower left corner of the image).

This is a straight image of the same flower center that I created at f/5.

Improving the Lower Left Corner

When I shared the original HDR (created at f/45) with Denise Ippolito she was impressed with the richness of the colors but suggested that the small aperture had darkened and brought up the detail in the lower left corner of the image too much, so much so that the lower left corner became a distraction. At her suggestion I grabbed the lower left corner from the f/5 image, brought it onto the HDR image, transformed it so that it matched perfectly, and that added a layer mask so that I could fine-tune the selection. Last was a small crop from the left and the bottom to tighten things up. Voila!

Digital Basics

All of the steps in the image optimization process mentioned above (and tons more) are described in detail in our in Digital Basics File, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, and Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro basics.

EOS-5D Mark III

For more on this great camera check out “It Ain’t Just Birds; Why I Love My EOS-5D Mark III.” To learn how I set up my 5D Mark III for in-camera HDR check out the 5D Mark III User’s Guide. Learn more about this great camera in “A Dozen Fun and Funky Reasons.”

Tulip/Flower Lesson II

Once I see an image, choose my perspective, carefully frame the image, fine-tune the exposure, and focus, I begin making images. For my style of flower photography I use the 2-second timer and Live View (for mirror lock and the live histogram) and work in Av mode. Once everything is perfect I make 2 images wide open, 2 at f/8, and 2 at f/13. If I am photographing flower centers I will usually start at f/13, and then make 2 at f/22 and 2 at f/32. It is amazing that when you have a choice of apertures (and thereby depth of field of course), how a given depth of field clearly stands out as best. See the images above and below for examples.

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #438

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #438 is online now and can be viewed here. Four more really good tulip images are featured in this Bulletin along with a killer Least Tern chick image.

• Holland Tulip IPT Report
• Tulip/Flower Lesson I
• Tulip/Flower Lesson II
• Affiliate Links
• Canon EOS-5D Mark III User’s Guide
• Your Favorite
• Used Camera Gear
• IPT Highlights
• IPT Info

Next Year In Holland

Despite a 100-year record cold spring with very few tulip fields in bloom this trip has been a spectacular success. The colors and variety of tulips at Keukenhof simply stun the mind and the senses. Denise and I are planning our Holland trip for next year: the Keukenhof Creative Tulip Photography IPT with a Touch of Holland. If you are a Happy Camper who is interested in joining us, please shoot me an 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 BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop B&H here!

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

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

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 copulating pair of Black-headed Gulls was photographed at Texel, Holland with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop as framed: 1/500 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. I should have been at zero as I needed to do some fancy stepping during image optimization to save the WHITEs. Learn how in Digital Basics, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, and Quick Masking and Layer Masking basics as well as detailed info on recovering and restoring detail to bright WHITEs. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus on male’s neck active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Elegant, Sexy Cousin

Europe and Asia’s Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) is an elegant, slimmer, sexier version of one of my very favorite North American gull species, Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla). While doing research for this blog post, I learned that the new Latin name for Black-headed Gull translates to “laughing gull” and that Black-headed Gull had formerly been in the same genus as Laughing Gull: Larus. A close look at the bill of the two species is a good clue that the two species are not that closely related as the bill of Laughing Gull is much stouter with a much steeper gonydeal angle. There are several colonies of Black-head Gull here on Texel and it has been great to have a chance to photograph this beautiful species. Note that I do consider our Laughing Gull to be a vastly under-appreciated species; I am unsure as to which species would place ahead of the other in a gull beauty contest.

This head portrait of Black-headed Gull was created at Texel, Holland with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400: 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode confirmed by histogram check. Central sensor Surround/AI Servo/Rear Focus on bird’s chin active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Interestingly Enough

I created this image on Saturday afternoon with the hand held 300/2.8L IS II and the 2X III TC. I tried again on Sunday in the same situation with the 600 f/4L IS II and the 2X III TC but did not do as well as I did on Saturday despite the much greater effective focal length available on Sunday. Leave a comment and let me know why.

This flight image was created with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto zoom lens, the Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400: 1/1600 sec. at f/4.5 in Manual mode confirmed by histogram check. Note; this bird was in the shadow of the ferry on a sunny day. Central sensor Surround/AI Servo/Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Watch for the Blue Sky!

After reviewing the ISO and exposure settings I remember telling the group, “Try to press the shutter button with some blue sky in the background. For the image above I was able to follow my own advice.

This swimming Black-headed Gull with a pugnacious look on its face was photographed at Texel, Holland with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops as framed: 1/250 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus on bird’s face active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Color Temperature 10,000!

The RAW image for the file above had such as huge BLUE/CYAN cast that I set the Color Temperature to 10,000 Kelvin while converting the image in DPP. Doing so pretty much yielded neutral WHITEs and GREYs on the bird. To learn more about how and why I use DPP to convert all of my images see our DPP RAW Conversion Guide here.

This is the original for the opening image in this blog post. Note also the extensive shoreline clean-up. As detailed of course in Digital Basics.

Why RAW Capture?

In my excitement I simply screwed up the exposure. The sun had just come out and I had adjusted my exposure for a white subject in sun just a minute before. What I did not realize that the light cloud that had been covering the sun was completely gone when I created the image above. It was well over-exposed but the WHITEs were not toasted. I saved the WHITEs during the DPP conversion and then restored additional detail via a Linear Burn.

To learn more about how and why I use DPP to convert all of my images see our DPP RAW Conversion Guide here. Learn how I restored detail to the WHITEs in Digital Basics, an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. It includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, and Quick Masking and Layer Masking basics.

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

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

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Check for B&H Used Dept.

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 Pied Avocet image was created on our first day at Texel, Holland with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 1/3 stops off the grey sky: 1/400 sec. at f/9 in Manual Mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus on the bird’s eye and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Cloudy Dark on Texel: 600II/2XIII/1D X

The Avocet Colony

We were delighted to find a small colony of Pied Avocets breeding on a shell bar right by the road at Wagejot. We spent a good part of the morning there. The image above was made after the day brightened considerably. I spent most of the morning at ISO 1600. The days are long and time is short.

This Black-headed Gull image was also created on our first day at Texel, Holland with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2/1/3 stops off the grey sky: 1/1250 sec. at f/9 in Manual Mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

The Black-headed Gull Colonies

There are many Black-headed Gull colonies on Texel including several at Wagejot. We spent a lot of time working at a small overflow colony fairly near to the road. Below is the original image from which the optimized file above was created.

Black-headed Gull Image Optimization

First I used techniques from APTATS II to move the bird up in the frame. I still needed to work carefully to eliminate the ground where it merged with the bird’s splayed tail; to do that, I used Denise Ippolito’s non-destructive cloning on a layer. I did lots of work on the eye, the head, and the face. I ran a layer of NIK Color Efex Pro Tonal Contrast on the underwings and then lightened them with a Curves on a layer adjustment. All of course as described in detail in Digital Basics, a PDF that is sent via e-mail. Digital Basics includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, and Quick Masking and Layer Masking basics.

1200mm Flight Photography

See here for several excellent 1200mm flight photography tips.

Like Flower Photography?

If you like photographing flowers, be sure to see the “Creative Flower Photography: blog post here.

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

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

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

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Check for B&H Used Dept.

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 tulip image was created at the Willem-Alexander Pavilion at Keukenhof, Lisse, Holland with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens,a Canon Extension Tube EF 25 II, the Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Manual focus on the distal end of the pistil. The image above was created in the usual BIRDS AS ART style: clean background with shallow depth-of-field. Click on the image to enjoy a larger size. Image #1: pink tulip

A Lens First?

After spending one full day at Keukenhof using primarily the Canon Telephoto EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro lens I decided to bring the 600 II into the conservatory (in this case, a very large greenhouse) to change things up.

It is likely that my 600 was the first ever in the Willem-Alexander Pavilion.

This tulip image was created at the Willem-Alexander Pavilion at Keukenhof, Lisse, Holland with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens,a Canon Extension Tube EF 25 II, the Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/5 sec. at f/16 in Manual mode. Again, manual focus on the distal end of the pistil. Click on the image to enjoy a larger size. Image #2: tulip flower center: “Beauty of Spryng”

TC/Extension Tube Order

When using an extension tube and a teleconverter, when photographing birds–for instance, it is customary to mount the TC on the lens with the extension tube behind it. With this set-up, you usually will have active AF. The extension tube allows you to focus inside of the lens’s minimum focusing distance. To get even closer, swap the TC and the tube, i.e., mount the tube on the lens with the TC behind it. This will gain you another foot or two of close focus. To create the image above I needed just that.

This tulip image was created at the Willem-Alexander Pavilion at Keukenhof, Lisse, Holland with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens,a Canon Extension Tube EF 25 II, the Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop 1/4 sec. at f/8 in Tv Mode. Manual focus on the closest tulip. Click on the image to enjoy a larger size. Image #3: purple and yellow tulip vertical pan blur

Vertical Pan Blurs

When I saw the combination of purples and yellows I moved back, set the lowest ISO, went to TV mode, took a test frame and corrected the exposure, and created about a dozen images while panning the lens down vertically. The image above was my favorite. To learn more check out A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly.

This tulip image was created at the Willem-Alexander Pavilion at Keukenhof, Lisse, Holland with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/5 sec. at f/16 in Manual mode. Again, manual focus on the distal end of the pistil. Click on the image to enjoy a larger size. Image #4: Tulip Multiple Exposure: “Beauty of Spryng”

Multiple Exposures with the EOS-5D Mark III

One of my two favorite 5D III features is the ability to create in-camera Multiple Exposures. This is a simple two-frame ME. Learn more in the EOS-5D Mark III User’s Guide and in Denise Ippolito’s great MP4 video tutorial, Creative Multiple Exposures. See all of our MP4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos here.

Vertical Pan Blurs

When I saw the combination of purples and yellows I moved back, set the lowest ISO, went to TV mode, took a test frame and corrected the exposure, and created about a dozen images while panning the lens down vertically. The image above was my favorite. To learn more check out A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly.

This daffodil image was created at the Willem-Alexander Pavilion at Keukenhof, Lisse, Holland with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/80 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Again, manual focus on the distal end of the pistil. Click on the image to enjoy a larger size. Image #5: Yellow Daffodil

Self Timer & Live View

For all of the images above but for the vertical pan blur I used Live View and the 2-second timer. Live View gives me mirror lock and a live histogram and the former in conjunction with the use of the 2-second timer assured razor sharp images unless someone opened the greenhouse door and created a breeze.

Your Favorite?

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the five images above is your favorite. And why.

Like Flower Photography?

If you like photographing flowers, be sure to see the “Creative Flower Photography: blog post here.

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

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

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

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

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Check for B&H Used Dept.

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 tulip image was created at Lisse, Holland with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM zoom lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 50. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 4/10 sec. at f/29 in Manual mode. Central sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus on the tulips 1/3 of the way up in the frame and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1

Tulip Field Painting

Relying on the local knowledge and great interpersonal skills of Peter Kes we gained access to pretty much the only tulip fields in bloom on the first afternoon of the Holland Creative Instructional Photography Tour. Then Denise and I instructed the group on the art of painting with light, creating pleasing blurs using the tulips as our oils.

Denise’s fabulous tip to pan along the diagonal rows helped even me.

This tulip image was created at Lisse, Holland with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM zoom lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 50. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 4/10 sec. at f/25 in Manual mode. Central sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus on the tulips 1/3 of the way up in the frame and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2

For the image above I panned vertically. Note especially the ISO and the shutter speed. Learn everything that you need to about create pleasing blurs in “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs” by Denise Ippolito and Arthur Morris.

At lunch we ran into some friends on another photo-tour and naturally–big show-off that I am–began sharing some images on my laptop. After a series of oohs and ahs one woman asked, “I can I learn to do that?” I said partly tongue in cheek, “Come on a Creative Instructional Photography Tour with Denise and me. Barring that, get your self a copy of A Guide to Pleasing Blurs. Then of course I gave her a few quick tips for creating pleasing blurs: ISO 50, a slow, slow shutter speed, and the experiment by moving the lens.

Monet?

This tulip image was created at Lisse, Holland with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM zoom lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 50. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/2 sec. at f/25 in Manual mode. Central sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus on the tulips 1/3 of the way up in the frame and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #3

The image above is a vertical pan blur with a bit of a jiggle added. Yet another technique that Denise taught me. I usually work hard to eliminate the human hand in my images but this one simply looked better with the line of buildings included.

This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/2 sec. at f/64 in Manual mode. Image #4

As we approached the red field of tulips with the field of yellow daffodils behind it I struggled briefly with the strong back-lighting. Then I added the 2X III TC to my 600II/5D III rig, focused manually, set the exposure, and framed what would be a very pleasing image. The moment I saw the dark and moody image on the back of the camera I thought “Rembrandt.” The processing helped as I darkened all the neutral and dark tones in the two dark strips. This image is wind-blurred.

This image was created once we made our way to the sun-angle side of the field with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/4 sec. at f/45 in Manual mode. Image #5

This blur here was a result of both the blowing flowers and my jiggling the camera during the exposure. Maybe a bit of Seurat?

This image was created from the same spot as the previous image also with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital camera body. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/4 sec. at f/45 in Manual mode. Image #6

To create this image I carefully leveled the tripod head, carefully framed the image, leveled the camera, and panned horizontally to create the strips of glorious color.

Your Favorite?

Please take a moment to let us know which is your favorite image and why you like it.

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

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

Like Flower Photography?

If you like photographing flowers, be sure to see the “Creative Flower Photography: blog post here.

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

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

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Check for B&H Used Dept.

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.

NSTA Brandwein Lecture

The NSTA Brandwein lecture went very well. About 200 were in attendance. The talk was followed by lots of warm applause and more than a few hugs. And best of all, the Brandwein board members and fellows were thrilled. The lecture was professionally videoed: I will provide a link to A Lifetime of Nature and Photographic Education/Teaching Children About Birds when the video is posted online. Huge thanks again to old friend Jack Padalino for the invite. San Antonio is a wonderful city abn dinner at Bliss was beyond superb.

Locked & Loaded and Pushing the Limits

Holland Birds and Tulips was planned after I accepted the NSTA invitation so it was necessary to fly to Texas with everything that I will e bringing to Amsterdam; I take a red eye tonight from Newark, NJ. I over-nighted at the very fine Airport Marriott.

I am bringing a record amount of foot-gear including lightweight waders and surf booties, my hiking boots, a pair of sneakers, a pair of Ugs for walking around the city and Keukenhof Gardens, and an XXXL pair of NEOS–be sure to go two sizes larger than your shoe size so that they fit easily over your hiking boots. Learn about both types of NEOS here. I am taking the Adventurer Overshoes.

With a brand new Gitzo 3532 LS tripod taken from stock, my Mongoose M3.6, the Giottos MH 1302-655 “tiny” ballhead, three lens hoods, rain gear, coats, sweatshirts, clothing, diabetic supplies, two bottles of reduced sugar ketchup, and lot more who-knows-what?, I have two 50.0 pound checked bags. My laptop bag weighs about 25 pounds. My Xtrahand vest has only three items: a plastic bag with frozen gel icepaks and insulin, my supps for the long travel night, and my very well padded Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens in the rear pouch. Total weight of the vest and items is about 15 pounds. See here and here for BAA info on this great vest or here to get to the Vested Interest web site. I recently heard it through the grapevine that this great product may or may not be available for much longer….

Now on to the rolling bag. Without the great Think Tank Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag it would simply not be possible for me to bring all the lenses, cameras, and accessories that I want and need for this trip. Here is what is in my Airport Security bag as I type: 2 Canon EOS-1D X camera boides, 1 Canon EOS 5D Mark III, the Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II zoom lens, the Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens, the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L macro lens, the Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 Tilt Shift lens,
2 Canon 1.4x teleconverters, 2 Canon 2x teleconverters, and 1 Canon Extension Tube EF 12 II, 1 Canon Extension Tube EF 25 II. I think that that is it but I am not opening the bag to check!

Be sure to click here to purchase a Think Tank Rolling Bag or backpack and receive a free small accessories bag.

I have not been hassled so far and do not expect to be hassled getting out of Newark. Flying from Amsterdam might be a problem as you are much more likely to get busted for over-weight carry-ons when flying home from overseas. You can learn how I pack my rolling bag here.

Though I am in pretty good shape hauling all that stuff to and from San Antonio has made me feel well older than my 66 years.

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This is an image of my Think Tank Bag packed to the gills for a previous trip. Click here to learn about the process. Notice that the first thing that I do is to remove all the dividers.

By Popular Demand

I added the image above as folks were curious to see what the packed bag looks like. Click here to see the step by step packing details for that trip.

Jam Session I: Photoshop Video Tutorial: $9

On the first Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux Short Notice IPT we drove from St. Pete to my home in Indian Lake Estates for a chance to photograph Sandhill Crane chicks of various sizes. We succeeded admirably. See “What No Itinerary” here for the whole story.

After our morning photo session the group gathered in my office for a Photoshop session. I worked on one image from the previous morning and on one from that morning, the latter the image above. The session was recorded with Camtasia. We are offering you a chance to join the group and look right over my shoulder as I processed the images above and below. Techniques covered include the following: the RAW conversions in DPP, using Detail Extractor from NIK’s Color Efex Pro to bring up the detail in the ibis’s white feathers, creating and using Layer masks, and using the Quick Selection Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, the Patch Tool, and Content Aware Fill for image clean-up. Selective sharpening with a Contrast Mask, Background clean-up with a soft Clone Stamp Tool, cloning on a Layer, using Quick Masks, using Select/Color Range to make selections (including the little used Range slider), and lots more.

To order yours through the BAA store, click here. Or call Jim or Jen weekdays between 9am and 5pm (3pm on Fridays) at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Please leave a message in the rare event that we miss your call and we will get back to you. Easiest is to send us a Paypal for $9.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net with the words “Jam Session I” cut and pasted into the subject line. Sorry, no checks are accepted for the MP4 videos.

Learn more about our MP4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos here. See the whole collection here.

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.

Tigers

Good luck to Todd Gustafson who is leading a tiger photo trek in India right now. And good luck to Tiger Woods in the Masters.

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

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

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Check for B&H Used Dept.

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 image of a pair of Sandwich Terns was created at Fort Desoto on the recently concluded Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux Short Notice IPT II with the tripod mounted Canon 500mm f/4L EF IS II lens, the Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 1600: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6. This image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Ken Canning.

Ten Really Good Images; None Of Them Mine…

The First Five: Ken Canning

Ken was the only one who joined the Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux Short Notice IPT for all five days. We rode together, yakked a lot, and had an overall great time. Ken had been on several previous IPTs. After the IPT, he wrote, Thank you, Artie, for a great IPT. I learned a lot and made some super images. Though I have been doing wildlife photography for a while now I still come out of your IPTs a better photographer than when I went in. Best, Ken

After each IPT I send a thank you e-mail and invite folks to send me five of their favorite images for critiquing. In a future blog post I will share my critiques. In the meantime, you get to enjoy some fine photography. The first five images here are Ken’s. He is obviously a very good photographer.

This image of a White Ibis was created at the Dit Dot Dash rookery on the Braden River aboard the Hooptie Deux with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 1600: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6. This image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Ken Canning.

My Old Toy Lens: The Canon 400mm f/5.6L

It was well more than a decade ago that I put the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L lens on the map as the bird photography flight lens. Though I no longer own one, it is still a great flight lens especially for those with a steady hand who do not need IS. And it makes a great starter lens for beginning bird photographers. For folks who know that thy will be hand holding I would recommend the 300 f/4L IS along with the 1.4X TC. I had thought that both were still in production but a search does not turn up the 300mm f/4L IS so good luck finding a used on if that one is right for you. IAC, it was good to see Ken using the old toy lens.

This image of two Royal Terns was created at Fort Desoto on the recently concluded Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux Short Notice IPT II with the tripod mounted Canon 500mm f/4L EF IS II lens, the Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. ISO 1600: 1/1250 sec. at f/8. This image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Ken Canning.

Juxtaposition Images

As we have been teaching here and elsewhere for years, juxtaposition images can be quite successful. Early on I refused to have a second subject in my backgrounds but I realized that if the are carefully placed, the results can be magic.

This image of a Wood Stork in flight was created at the Dit Dot Dash rookery on the Braden River aboard the Hooptie Deux with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV (now replaced by the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 400: 1/2000 sec. at f/9. This image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Ken Canning.

IPT Exposure Education

With great flight photography I am constantly yakking exposure into everyone’s ears. Most get it eventually :). At Dit Dot Dash we were constantly reviewing the manual exposure settings for the Great Egrets, for the Wood Storks, for the Great Blue Herons, and for the Double-crested Cormorants. Each required a different exposure.

This image of a Roseate Spoonbill getting ready to land in the mangroves was created at Alafia Banks on a Hooptie Deux trip with the hand held Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV (now replaced by the Canon EOS-1D X). ISO 800: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3. This image courtesy of and copyright 2013: Ken Canning.

Want Spoonbills?

Alafia Banks is the place to photograph Roseate Spoonbills. And the best way to get there is by arranging a trip on the Hooptie Deux with James Shadle. If you would like to get out with James to enjoy some of the great actiongoing on right now, call or e-mail him to inquire about dates and rates. You can get in touch with James for additional info or to schedule a Custom Workshop or Tour via e-mail, by cell phone at (813) 363-2854 or on his home phone (early evenings best) at (813-689-5307). If by cell phone it is best to call back rather than to leave a message. If you plan on joining James make sure to read “Hooptie Deux Practicalities” by scrolling down here. If you have trouble getting in touch with James please shoot me an e-mail as I should have reliable e-mail in Holland.

Image Critquing

Feel free to critique one or all of the images above. Let us know which is your favorite, and why. Remember, crtique does not neceessarily mean criticize. It is not required that all good critiques contain negatives or suggestions; sometimes the best critique says simply, “That is a great image and I like it because….” If you are really into it, you can rank the images from 1-5 with 1 being your favorite.

Thanks!

Thanks to Ken Canning for allowing me to share his work with you here.

Jam Session I: Photoshop Video Tutorial

Jam Session I: Photoshop Video Tutorial: $9

On the first Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux Short Notice IPT we drove from St. Pete to my home in Indian Lake Estates for a chance to photograph Sandhill Crane chicks of various sizes. We succeeded admirably. See “What No Itinerary” here for the whole story.

After our morning photo session the group gathered in my office for a Photoshop session. I worked on one image from the previous morning and on one from that morning, the latter the image above. The session was recorded with Camtasia. We are offering you a chance to join the group and look right over my shoulder as I processed the images above and below. Techniques covered include the following: the RAW conversions in DPP, using Detail Extractor from NIK’s Color Efex Pro to bring up the detail in the ibis’s white feathers, creating and using Layer masks, and using the Quick Selection Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, the Patch Tool, and Content Aware Fill for image clean-up. Selective sharpening with a Contrast Mask, Background clean-up with a soft Clone Stamp Tool, cloning on a Layer, using Quick Masks, using Select/Color Range to make selections (including the little used Range slider), and lots more.

To order yours through the BAA store, click here. Or call Jim or Jen weekdays between 9am and 5pm (3pm on Fridays) at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Please leave a message in the rare event that we miss your call and we will get back to you. Easiest is to send us a Paypal for $9.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net with the words “Jam Session I” cut and pasted into the subject line. Sorry, no checks are accepted for the MP4 videos.

Learn more about our MP4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos here. See the whole collection here.

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.

Tigers

Good luck to Todd Gustafson who is leading a tiger photo trek in India right now. And good luck to Tiger Woods in the Masters.

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

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

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Check for B&H Used Dept.

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 is the out of camera original image of a preening Roseate Spoonbill. It was created on the Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux IPT on the Saturday morning Hooptie Deux trip with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1 stop as originally framed: 1/1000 sec. at f/10 in Manual Mode. Central sensor (by necessity) Expand/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. If you want spoonbills you need to get yourself on the Hooptie Deux. Canon users cannot beat the 600II/2XIII TC combo for reach (with phase detection AF).

The Original Capture

I made this image knowing full well that it would need extensive clean-up. For starters, I would need to lose the White Ibis and the bright out-of-focus yellow leaf between the two birds. That leaf was a real problem with virtually all of the images that I created with this wonderfully cooperative bird. In addition, I should have placed the bird farther back in the frame…. But the exposure was perfect, the image was sharp, and the pose was delectable.

This is the optimized image that was created from the original above. If you want spoonbills you need to get yourself on the Hooptie Deux. Canon users cannot beat the 600II/2XIII TC combo for reach (with phase detection AF).

The Optimized Image

To create the optimized TIFF immediately above I converted the image in DPP adding just a bit of Contrast +1). In Photoshop I leveled the image using the Ruler Tool and the Straighten command. Then I used an 80% Opacity Clone Stamp Tool to eliminate the White Ibis and the yellow leaf. Additional background clean-up was done with the Patch Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, and the Clone Stamp Tool. I blackened the BLACKS with a Selective Color Adjustment on a Layer and applied a round of Linear Contrast. Next I used the Quick Selection Tool to work on the face and bill. I lightened it, ran some NIK Color Efex Pro Tonal Contrast and Detail Extractor, and applied a Contrast Mask (Unsharp Mask at 15/65/0). Then I moved the bird to our left using the techniques detailed in APTATS II. Lastly I used a small, reduced opacity Clone Stamp Tool to eliminate the pink reflections that touched the bottom frame edge. Did I miss anything?

Most of the rest above is described in detail in Digital Basics which includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips and techniques, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK basics, and free updates. Learn how and why I am converting all of my images in Canon DPP (Digital Photo Professional) in our DPP RAW Conversion Guide here.

Laslty, you can learn everything that I know about the great AF system of the 1D X in our 1D X AF Guide here.

Criminal Transformation?

Take a moment to let us know your thoughts on the extensive image clean-up that we did here. Do remember that when I enter a contest I follow the rules.

Jam Session I: Photoshop Video Tutorial

Jam Session I: Photoshop Video Tutorial: $9

On the first Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux Short Notice IPT we drove from St. Pete to my home in Indian Lake Estates for a chance to photograph Sandhill Crane chicks of various sizes. We succeeded admirably. See “What No Itinerary” here for the whole story.

After our morning photo session the group gathered in my office for a Photoshop session. I worked on one image from the previous morning and on one from that morning, the latter the image above. The session was recorded with Camtasia. We are offering you a chance to join the group and look right over my shoulder as I processed the images above and below. Techniques covered include the following: the RAW conversions in DPP, using Detail Extractor from NIK’s Color Efex Pro to bring up the detail in the ibis’s white feathers, creating and using Layer masks, and using the Quick Selection Tool, the Spot Healing Brush, the Patch Tool, and Content Aware Fill for image clean-up. Selective sharpening with a Contrast Mask, Background clean-up with a soft Clone Stamp Tool, cloning on a Layer, using Quick Masks, using Select/Color Range to make selections (including the little used Range slider), and lots more.

To order yours through the BAA store, click here. Or call Jim or Jen weekdays between 9am and 5pm (3pm on Fridays) at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Please leave a message in the rare event that we miss your call and we will get back to you. Easiest is to send us a Paypal for $9.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net with the words “Jam Session I” cut and pasted into the subject line. Sorry, no checks are accepted for the MP4 videos.

Learn more about our MP4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos here. See the whole collection here.

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

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

Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson and Arthur Morris

Africa/Tanzania/Serengeti Summer Migration Safari: 12 full and two half-days of photography: $12,999/person double occupancy. Limit: 12/Openings: 1.

Leaders: Todd Gustafson (he does use Nikon gear) and Arthur Morris. Leave the US AUG 3, 2013. Fly home from Arusha, Tanzania on the evening of August 18. Day 1 of the safari is August 5. Our last morning of photography is August 18. We will be visiting Tarangire National Park, Seronera Lodge–aka Leopard City!–twice, an exclusive mobile tented camp in the Serengeti, and at the end, the spectacular wildlife spectacle that is Ngorongoro Crater. Please e-mail for itinerary.

Please click here for complete IPT info.

Announcing the 2013 Bosque IPT/New Dates

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

EOS-1D X AF Guide

You can learn exactly how I set up and use this camera’s great new AF system in our EOS-1D X AF Guide. And you can learn about our other camera User’s Guides here.

BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #437

>BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #437 is online and can be accessed here.

• Jam Session: A Brand New MP4 Photoshop Tutorial Video
• Criminal Transformation?
• The Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux–Roseate Spoonbill IPT Report
• Announcing the 2013 Bosque IPT/New Dates
• Affiliate Links
• Alan Murphy’s “Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography”
• Alan Murphy’s “The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds”
• Used Camera Gear
• IPT Info

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

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

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Check for B&H Used Dept.

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop Amazon here!

Consider doing all of your Amazon.com shopping using the search link below. You'll be getting the same low prices and great service that you are accustomed to and at the same time, supporting my efforts in the Bulletins and on the Blog to bring you great images, timely product news and info, and tons of free educational articles on an almost daily (and sometimes almost back-breaking) basis :) Just type your search in the little white box and hit Go.

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 Macaroni Penguin preening its mate was photographed at Hercules Bay, South Georgia, with the tripod-mounted Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, the 2X III teleconverter, and the EOS-1D Mark IV now replaced by the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/10 in Manual mode. This is still one of my favorite images from the trip. The birds were so tame that I rarely if ever felt limited by my longest effective telephoto length of “only” 780mm (300mm X 2 X 1.3). An upper left-hand sensor was chosen manually: AI Servo Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version.

Coming Soon: the Fractastic eGuide

The image above was one of my very favorite images from my January 2012 Falklands, South Georgia, Antarctica expedition with Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris.

My first Fract of the Macaroni Penguin image. Click on the image for a larger version.

The Original Fractalius Creation

The image above is the Fractalius image that I created about a year ago. I started with the Glow 100 preset on its own layer, tweaked it a bit, added a Layer Mask, and revealed the original eye. I’ve always liked this one.

Coming Soon: the Fractastic eGuide

Denise Ippolito and Andrew McLachlan have written a fantastic new Creative User eGuide for Fractalius, the great Photoshop plug-in that creates “unusual, eccentric artworks in a single step. The effects are based on the extraction of the so-called hidden fractal texture of an image. You can also simulate various types of exotic lighting and high-realistic pencil sketches.”

I have been hard at work during my free time editing this great new guide. Andrew is now working on the 2nd draft. Denise was and is the driving force behind Fractastic, which will be the first-ever guide to the Fractalius interface. Most folks who are enchanted by Fractalius–the cover of this eGuide includes the phrase, “Beware; Content Addictive”–open the program, are immediately confused by the sliders and the various other buttons and controls, play around a bit, try some of the presets, and wind up creating something nice. With this great new eGuide you will be unguided no longer.

The new Fract! Click on the image for a larger version.

The New Fract!

The image above is a new Fract that I created with a single click from the original Fract using a tip that I learned while editing Fractastic. This new Guide, which will be well under-priced at $27, should be available from BIRDS AS ART (we are the publisher) in a month or less.

Your Favortie?

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which is your favorite Macaroni Penguin pair preening image, the original, the first Fract, or the second Fract. And do let us know why?

To Purchase Fractalius

To purchase Fractalius–for PCs only and those Mac folks using Parallels Desktop and VMWare/VMWare-Fusion–please use the Fractalius Fun logo link (the Fracted Brown Pelican) on the right hand side of each blog page. Thanks.

April Fool’s Day Updates

Arthur Morris Switches to Nikon

Many again were taken in by my personal April Fool’s Day humor here despite the fact that that blog post included this item towards the end:

A Second Admission

The press release above is of course an April’s Fool’s joke. Have a great month everyone :).

Boys and girls, you gotta read the whole thing.

The new Canon EOS-7D L for left-handed photographers.

The Left-Handed EOS-7D

To see the announcement of this great new camera, click here. To follow up, please click here.

Tanzania Photo Safari with Todd Gustafson and Arthur Morris

Africa/Tanzania/Serengeti Summer Migration Safari: 12 full and two half-days of photography: $12,999/person double occupancy. Limit: 12/Openings: 4.

Leaders: Todd Gustafson (he does use Nikon gear) and Arthur Morris. Leave the US AUG 3, 2013. Fly home from Arusha, Tanzania on the evening of August 18. Day 1 of the safari is August 5. Our last morning of photography is August 18. We will be visiting Tarangire National Park, Seronera Lodge–aka Leopard City!–twice, an exclusive mobile tented camp in the Serengeti, and at the end, the spectacular wildlife spectacle that is Ngorongoro Crater. Please e-mail for itinerary.

Please click here for complete IPT info.

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

EOS-5D Mark III User’s Guide

In the EOS-5D Mark III User’s Guide You can learn everything that I know about the following important topics: 5D III exposure fine points, handling the WHITEs, the top LCD and all camera control buttons, 5D Mark III drive modes, how to manually select an AF sensor, choosing an AF Area Selection Mode, and Menu Item access. Coverage of almost all Menu Items and Custom Functions including: Image Quality, Auto Lighting Optimizer, Highlight Tone Priority, AF Configuration Tool (includes details on the custom Case setting that I use), Acceleration/deceleration tracking, Tracking sensitivity, Lens drive when AF impossible, Orientation linked AF point (I love this feature on the 5D III!), Highlight alert, Histogram display, Auto rotate, Custom Shooting Mode set-up, Safety shift, using the Q button, and setting up rear focus.Plus detailed instructions on how to set up for both in-camera HDR and in-camera multiple exposures.

The guide is–of course–written in my informal, easy-to-follow style. Learn more or purchase here.

EOS-1D X AF Guide

You can learn exactly how I set up and use this camera’s great new AF system in our EOS-1D X AF Guide. And you can learn about our other camera User’s Guides here.

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

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

If you are considering an item for purchase or comparison shopping be sure to place an item in your cart to see the too-low-to show the actual price. In many cases the prices are so low that B&H is forbidden from publicizing them!

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

Check for B&H Used Dept.

Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins: Shop Amazon here!

Consider doing all of your Amazon.com shopping using the search link below. You'll be getting the same low prices and great service that you are accustomed to and at the same time, supporting my efforts in the Bulletins and on the Blog to bring you great images, timely product news and info, and tons of free educational articles on an almost daily (and sometimes almost back-breaking) basis :) Just type your search in the little white box and hit Go.

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.

Composition Maps: Visual Design Aids for Nature Photographers

Many new folks may be unaware of “Composition Maps: Visual Design Aids for Nature Photographers” an e-Guide by Gloria Hopkins (with photographs by Arthur Morris). Gloria’s first BAA e-book was Natural Design: Image Design for Nature Photographers. The book received positive reviews from many happy customers and everyone (including me) raved about her composition maps. I still have no clue as to how she knows exactly what is going on in my brain when I press the shutter button and optimize my images. But she does and shares that ingeniously in her second offering, “Composition Maps.”

Click here to order your copy now.

The E-book features more than 80 BIRDS AS ART IMAGES and 61 composition maps–some of the maps deal with two or more images. In the e-book you simply click on the map and hold the cursor down: the image is revealed! Give the animated GIF below a few moments to play and you will get the idea.

The simplest and fastest way to order your copy of “Composition Maps: Visual Design Aids for Nature Photographers” is through the BAA On-line Store by clicking here. Or, you can order your copy by sending a check for $30 made out to “Arthur Morris” to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Be sure to include your e-mail address (written legibly). If you prefer PayPal you can send $30 to us via e-mail; be sure to include the title of the book.

Click here to order your copy now.

Gloria first introduced here innovative Composition Maps in “Natural Design; Image Design for Nature Photographers.” Learn more here.

Brilliant

Gloria’s composition maps are simply brilliant–the simplest and easiest way to study and learn the principles of image design.

My Favorite Froggie Image

This Roseate Spoonbill image was created at Alafia Banks in Tampa Bay on a Hooptie Deux trip with the tripod-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4G ED VR AF lens (in stock!), the Nikon TC-14E II 1.4x Teleconverter for D-AF-S & AF-I Lenses ONLY, and the Nikon D-700 replaced by the Nikon D800 Digital SLR. ISO 640: 1/1600 sec.at f/8 in Manual mode. Image courtesy of and copyright 2013: James Shadle/Wild Florida Photography

My Favorite Froggie Image

The image above was my favorite among James Shadle’s 4 images here. Why? The spoonbill is in killer breeding plumage with the fine black calligraphy lines on the bill and I am a sucker for the combination of bright pink and powder blue.

Time is Running Out/Join Us

Do consider joining James and me next week on the 2nd Short Notice Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill IPT. Details immediately below. Learn more about James here. Note: all of James images above were created on Hooptie Deux trips over the past few weeks. There will be two more in the next Bulletin.

The 2nd New Concept IPT: the Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux–Roseate Spoonbill Short Notice IPT/April 3-7, 2013/5 DAYS: $2399. Strict limit: six photographers/ openings 4. Early April can be superb at Alafia Banks. Early April is almost always superb at Fort DeSoto. Click here for complete details.

With only two registrants, this one is shaping up to be a practically private affair and represents an amazing opportunity for you to grow as a photographer. For more info on the complete IPT, click here.

Two Short Versions of the Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux–Roseate Spoonbill IPT

Can’t make the whole thing? Consider one of the two abbreviated versions below.

Short Version #1: Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux–Roseate Spoonbill IPT/April 3-5, 2013/3 FULL DAYS: $1399. Strict limit: six photographers/Openings: 5.

Early April can be superb at Alafia Banks. Early April is almost always superb at Fort DeSoto.

Here is the structure and schedule: I will be leading all three days of this Short Version 3-DAY IPT. We will spend one full day on the Hooptie Deux, either Thursday or Friday. The first day and one of the next two full days will be at Fort Desoto where the Laughing Gulls will be in splendid breeding plumage with their full black hoods, their wine-red bills, and white eye crescents. They are one of our most under-appreciated species. The Royal, Sandwich, and Forster’s Terns will also be in breeding plumage. And all of these species will be displaying, courting, and mating. You can also expect a variety of wading birds, especially Reddish Egret, and a variety of shorebirds including Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Dunlin, American Oystercatcher, and many more. And you will need to beat the Willets off with a stick. The additional possibilities are too numerous to mention.

As above, we will spend a full day on the Hooptie Deux with James Shadle on either Thursday or Friday depending on the weather. The morning will be at Alafia Banks with spoonbill as the main target species. There will be lots of great flight photography not only with spoonbills, many of which will be in full breeding plumage, but with Brown Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants, Reddish Egret and White Ibis in full breeding plumage, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Turkey and Black Vultures, and lots more. The afternoon Hooptie trip will be at one of several fresh water heronries. James will trailer his customized pontoon boat to the best rookery. Subjects, depending on location, will likely include Cattle Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron, White Ibis, Black-crowned Night-heron, and Double-crested Cormorant. All nesting and in flight. Most but not all of the photography on a boat trip to the Banks with James is done while standing in the water with your tripod. James has lightweight chest waders and surf booties on board for all at no charge. Folks who wish to keep their expensive Gitzo tripods saltwater free often opt to use Drypods. Learn more here.

Short Version #2: With James Shadle/Roseate Spoonbill/Osprey IPT/April 6-7, 2013/2 FULL DAYS: $899. Strict limit: six photographers/Openings: 5.

Saturday and Sunday with James Shadle will feature a morning on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks and one or more sessions at Honeymoon Island State Park where many dozens of pairs of Osprey are nesting. There will of course be lots of flight photography. Depending on the winds and weather there may be an afternoon session at a Wood Stork rookery or some local beaches that James knows well. All subject to change depending on the weather including wind and sky conditions as well as local conditions. James has an intimate knowledge of each location and has visited them regularly for many years.

Deposit Info

A $500 deposit is needed to hold your spot; call Jim or Jennifer asap at 1-863-692-0906. Your deposit may be placed with a credit card. Your payment in full by personal check will then be due along with your completed paperwork both sent via US Mail. Please print, read, and sign the release form here and include it with your check. If you would rather pay in full via personal check, please call or e-mail immediately to save your spot. With one registrant, both of these will run. Yeah, I know that it might seem nuts but neither James nor I can live with telling folks who have arranged to take time off from work and made travel plans that we are cancelling a trip because we will not be making enough money to justify running it…. Please e-mail with questions or for additional details.