Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

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.

Having not attracted a single taker, I pretty much had the birds and the gorgeous light all to myself at Fort Desoto this morning. Brrr. This image was created with the Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS EF USM AF lens (hand held at 55mm) with the Canon EOS-1D X digital SLR . ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/13 in Manual mode was a slight underexposure as I was worried about burning the Laughing Gull’s bright whites. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround Rear Focus AF on the nearest bird and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version. Seen here are 22 of the flock of 40 Marbled Godwits, 1 of the pair of American Oystercatchers, 1 Laughing Gull, 5 Black Skimmers, and one large sea shell. As for the 24-105, I never leave home without it as it supremely useful when it comes to creating B roll images like this. Not present for this photo were several unusually approachable Fish Crows, 1 Willet, 1 Ring-billed Gull, 1 Great Blue Heron, 3 Great Egrets, 1 Tricolored Heron, and one of the most beautiful Snowy Egrets I have ever seen. More on that bird and the wonderful morning that everyone missed coming soon. Missing from the previous day’s cast of characters was a flock of Royal Terns, several Sandwich Terns, and a likely Elegant Tern/Royal Tern hybrid.

Hard to Believe: Google/NIK Price Slash

Thanks to the many who notified me of the the NIK price slash. I believe that Leo Miller was the first when he sent me this link: Google to offer all of Nik’s software plugins for $149.

Here, in part, is the gist of it: Today the company announced the Nik Collection by Google, which is every single one of Nik’s desktop plugins in a single bundle, for just $149. This marks the end of them being sold as separates, and for that flat fee, you get Dfine® 2.0, Viveza® 2, HDR Efex Pro™ 2, Color Efex Pro™ 4 Complete Edition, Silver Efex Pro™ 2, and Sharpener Pro™ 3.0. Previously, individual plugins would run around the $100 mark, with a bundle of all of them costing as much as $500. The new, $149 bundle will not just feature all six plugins, but will work on all supported applications from a single installer: Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, and Apple Aperture.

Then, it got even better. IPT veteran Rachel Hollander sent me this via e-mail:

Hi Artie – Happy Passover! I hope all is well with you. So far, so good with my new 300 II. I’m not sure if you saw that Google is now offering the complete suite of Nik Plug-ins for only $149. When I clicked in through your portal it also gave me an additional 15% discount bringing it down to under $130. Just thought you might want to let people know. All the best, Rachel

So there you have it. Price is no longer an excuse for not using Color Efex Pro. Click here, enter BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out, and then hit Apply to see your savings, and purchase the entire Suite for $126.65. Hard to believe indeed. Jeez, I forgot to mention that, as regular readers well know, NIK Color Efex Pro has drastically improved my digital workflow and the look and quality of my processed images in the past year.

This image was created at Indian Lake Estates on the morning that the IPT group made the early trip from Fort Desoto to my home. I used the hand held Canon 500mm f/4L EF IS II lens, the Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed in soft light: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode confirmed in advance via histogram check. IS Mode 1. Left knee as tripod. 61-Point/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure performed perfectly. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version. Learn everything that I know about the great AF system of the 1D X in our 1D X AF Guide here. Learn how and why I am converting all of my images in Canon DPP (Digital Photo Professional) in our DPP RAW Conversion Guide here.

Rear End Opinion

I very much prefer the image above with the Gaussian blurred rear end of the adult to either the one with the sharp rear end or the one with no rear end. And there is no way I would Quick Mask over the rear end in the image above. All of the early comments were from folks who disagreed with me 100%. That is fine. 🙂 Both Doug Bolt and Josh liked the blurred tail as I do but it was friend multiple IPT veteran Charles Scheffold was stated my case most eloquently when he commented: “After thinking about this for a while, I definitely prefer the version with the blurred adult rear end. The sharp one distracts me from the juvenile. I think the blurred one adds interest without pulling my eye away from the main subject – a cute, fluffy, baby crane.”

I couldn’t agree more! Thanks to all who commented.

One thing that nobody commented on is the swirly green patterns in the lower right corner in the images with the rear end. I just love that to death. It is not present in the no rear end original.

This 2-day old Sandhill Crane chick was photographed at Indian Lake Estates with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop as framed: 1/6400 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode. Central sensor Surround/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the chick’s face and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. There are many problems with this image starting with the adult facing away but as eggs are an important part of both the Easter and Passover holidays I opted to share it here.

Happy Passover/Happy Easter

Steve Bein kindly sent me the cut and pasted Passover missive below. For those who know a bit of Yiddish it is quite funny, at least the ones that I understand. I would like to wish all a Happy Passover, a Happy Easter, and a wonderful spring. It surely has been long in coming to Florida.

Steve is a multiple IPT veteran and a long-time friend. He has traveled with me often to faraway places, usually with his good friend Lillian Roberts. Steve just lowered the price on his old 600 f/4. I have updated it in BAA Bulletin #435; scroll down here if you might be interested. The lens is in mint condition. The new price is $6800.

Here is the Passover pass along:

Leading medical researchers have published data indicating that Seder participants should NOT partake of both chopped liver and charoses (chopped walnuts and sweet red wine); it seems that this combination can lead to Charoses of the Liver.

At our seder, we had whole wheat and bran matzoh, fortified with Metamucil.The brand name, of course, is…’Let My People Go.’

Old Jewish men in Miami get hernias from wearing chai charms that are too heavy. This condition is called chaiatal hernia!

If a doctor carries a black bag and a plumber carries a tool box, what does a mohel (say “moil”) carry? A briskit! (A mohel is trained to do circumcisions; the ceremony is call as bris.)

JEWISH JEOPARDY – I give the answer, you give the question

A: Midrash Q: What is a Mideast skin disease? (Midrashim is a Hebrew term for the body of stories told by Jewish rabbinic sages to explain passages in the Bible.)

A: The Gaza Strip Q: What is an Egyptian Belly Dance?

A: A classroom, a Passover ceremony, and latke Q: What are a cheder, a seder, and a tater? (A cheder is a traditional elementary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language. I had to look that one up. A seder is the ceremonial Passover dinner. And latkes are thin, crispy potato pancakes made with lots of chopped onions; best served with applesauce.)

A: Babylon Q: What does the rabbi do during some sermons?

A: Filet Minyan Q: What do you call steaks ordered by 10 Jews? (A minyan is the ten adult males required for a communal religious service.)

A: Kishka, sukkah, and circumcision. Q: What are a gut, a hut, and a cut? (Kishka is a beef or fowl intestine or skin stuffed with flour, onion, etc., and boiled and roasted. A sukkah is a temporary structure with a roof of branches in which orthodox Jews eat and, if possible, sleep during the festival of Sukkoth.)

And speaking of circumcisions: An enterprising Rabbi is offering circumcisions via the Internet. The service is to be called…’E-Mohel.”

Thanks for sharing Steve!

Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux–Roseate Spoonbill Short Notice IPT

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 5. Early April can be superb at Alafia Banks. Early April is almost always superb at Fort DeSoto. Click here for complete details.

With only a single registrant, 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.

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

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 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.

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. 🙂

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Fort Desoto Practically Private Day Offer

I will be photographing at Fort Desoto all day on Tuesday and then again on Wednesday morning. If you would like to join me for any and/or all of the three sessions, please e-mail or call my cell at 1-863-221-2372 before 5pm today or between 11 and 2pm on Tuesday. If you call, please leave a message if I do not pick up.

I have a 500 II for rent if you would like to try one.

Morning session with lunch and image review: $350

Tuesday afternoon only: $250: Sold Out

I am still open for Wednesday morning and the wind and sky conditions are looking perfect right now for tomorrow am. Best is to e-mail or call my cell at 1-863-221-2372 before 2pm of after 3pm on Tuesday. INT from 2-3pm.

The per session limit is 2 photographers.

BAA Bulletin #435

BAA Bulletin #435 is online here.

Features include:

• Which IS Mode for Series II Canon Super-telephoto Lenses?
• The CRX-5 Low Foot/Plate for Series II Canon Super-telephoto Lenses
• The Blog is the Bomb!
• Announcing Two Short Versions of the Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux–Roseate Spoonbill IPT
• Composition Maps
• Used Camera Gear
• IPT Info

This image was created when I visited Lunen, Germany as the keynote speaker at the 2004 GDT International Nature Photography Festival. Man, does time fly or what? You can learn more about the GDT here. As fate would have it, the most memorable thing about my visit is that I had to jump off the train with my suitcase and my Think Tank rolling bag at the airport train station. I landed poorly and put the final touches on a left knee injury. In a scene right out of a movie I had to chase down the train in order to grab my laptop bag from the guy I was sitting next to. My passport and my plane tickets were in the bag…. The injury required arthroscopic knee surgery soon aferwards. This image was created with the hand held Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS EF USM AF lens and the old Canon EOS-Mark II. Image courtesy of and copyright 2004 in the name of the creating photographer. If you are that photographer please get in touch so that I can properly credit you. Your contact info is not in the EXIF. BreezeBrowswer Pro automatically includes my name and all contact and copyright info with each downloaded RAW file. Details on setting that up Downloader Pro (and BreezeBrowser Pro) are contained in Digital Basics along with my complete digital workflow, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro basics, and dozens of great Photoshop tips. To learn more about the fabulous BreezeBrowser Pro/Downloader Pro Combo click here. The Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens is my never-leave-home-without-it, all purpose, B-roll lens. On the rare occasion that I fail to put it in one of the large pockets of my Xtrahand Vest, I usually come to regret it very quickly.

My Laptop and Me

Three things are evident in the image above. I don’t go anywhere without my laptop. I love to teach–can’t help myself in fact. I am a big show-off. Heck, it’s good for business.

What might very well be evident to some but possibly not so obvious to others is the fact that whether I am home or on the road, I spend many hours each day at the computer, actually, on my laptop where I optimize all of my favorite images. Right-hand man Jim Litzenberg optimizes many of my second favorite images on one of our two office computers. Each blog post, even seemingly short ones like this, takes about three hours–the longer ones may take five to eight hours. Each Bulletin takes about five to eight or more hours. And I spend at least an hour or two each day answering your e-mails, setting up IPT logistics, and simply taking care of business.

Pain Free

I first became aware of the term “living in the box” in Pete Egoscue’s great book, “Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain.” Following his advice enabled me to rid myself of the severe pain in my left hip that had plagued me for more than 20 years. It took three months of doing the positions every day but the time was well spent as the pain simply vanished and has never returned. You gotta love that. There are chapters on back, knee, hip, shoulders, and more. Oftentimes reading and living Pain Free can help you avoid surgery….

Living in the Box

Living in the box refers to much of the stuff that modern man does on a daily basis: working on a computer; watching TV with the clicker in hand; and driving a car. All with our shoulders rounded and our heads much too far forward. Many days at home I am up working by 4 or 5am. And working means working on the laptop. Many days I sit working without taking a break for two hours. When I stand up I feel very old. It takes me halfway to the kitchen to be able to stand up straight. It’s ugly, perhaps a reminder or our mortality.

Living in the Box Remedy

About a month ago while surfing the web in my free time, I came across this great video but I do not remember how. Yes, you will need to sit through the obligatory advertisement. The video is somewhat poorly titled “Exercises for Posture–Pull Shoulders Back.” There are three simple exercises that anyone can do. They are free. I do them every day. The first one, Cross/Crawl, is absolutely miraculous. I do it once in the morning stand up straight right off the bat for the whole day no matter how long I am sitting. Most days I do this one twice. I do Backwards Circles twice a day and External Rotations once a day. On the latter I only get to about 45 degrees while Dr. Neil King who is demonstrating these simple exercises, easily gets to 90 degrees…. Tight, tight shoulders. Dr. King does a great job of simplifying things in the video. Click on the “Videos by This Expert” button for more great stuff by him. Not to worry, I have never met the guy; his practice is located in Maryland.

If you live in the box, you gotta give this a go. Don’t forget to contract your stomach muscles during each of the exercises and down forget to belly breathe. I just did an extra set and feel great!

This image was made on March 8 at Fort Desoto on the Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux Short Notice IPT with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital Camera (Body Only). ISO 400; 1/2000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode was a slight underexposure. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s eye and recompose. Lots more on that in a future blog post soon. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version.

Image Optimization Revelations Part II

In the “How are Your Eagle Eyes?” blog post here, I presented three images including the one above and asked if anyone could detect any Photoshop hanky panky. In the “Image Optimization Revelations Part I” post here, I revealed that I did lots of work on the face and eye of the spoonbill image and that the high key pelican flight image was as is, pretty much right out of the camera except for a bit the usual NIK Color Efex Pro magic.

As expected, pretty much everyone failed miserably. Good Photoshop work should be pretty much undetectable.

After reading the very popular “Best Hand Holding Tip Ever” blog post here, the Photoshop hanky panky used to create this image became fairly obvious. I painted a Quick Mask of the sharp face and head of the bird in the far wing stretch image, put it on its own layer, moved it (V) onto the original for the image above, the one with the very soft face and out-of-focus eye, reduced the Opacity to 50%, used the left and right arrow keys to position it perfectly, hit Control T for the Transform Tool, rotated, sized, and warped the layer as needed, hit Enter, added a Regular Layer Mask, and fine-tuned the layer to perfection. And left no trace.

All of the above is detailed in our amazing Digital Basics File that includes my complete digital workflow, all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts, Quick Masking, Layer Masking, and NIK Color Efex Pro basics, and dozens of great Photoshop tips. You can learn the advanced Quick Masking techniques that I used here in APTATS I and learn advanced Layer Masking in APTATS II.

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/Openings: 13.

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.

Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux–Roseate Spoonbill Short Notice IPT

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 5. Early April can be superb at Alafia Banks. Early April is almost always superb at Fort DeSoto. Click here for complete details.

With only a single registrant, this one is shaping up to be a practically private affair and represents an amazing opportunity for you to grow as a photographer.

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.

The originals for this hauntingly beautiful UrbEx HDR image were created at Pullman Yard, Atlanta, GA with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Zoom lens (at 50mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. The HDR was processed in Photomatix. Image courtesy of and copyright 2012: Bill Mueller.

UrbEx Photography

Urban exploration is the examination of seldom seen or off-limits parts of man-made structures. An offshoot of this hobby is UrbEx Photography, usually in the form of HDR or HDR Grunge, and usually of abandoned or derelict buildings or machinery. Learn more about UrbEx in the 2007 James Nestor San Francisco Chronicle article here. Denise Ippolito has made some great UrbEx images at places like Graffiti Underground, Eastern State Penitentiary, and Lonaconing Silk Mill. She has led several In-the-Field Workshops to the latter two locations and I am pretty sure that she is or will be offering additional learning experiences to these two and to other similar sites. You can enjoy many of her fine UrbEx HDRs in her HDR Gallery here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This originals for this intricate grunge HDR image were created at Old Car City, White, GA with the tripod-mounted Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS EF USM AF lens (at 28mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. The HDR was processed in Photomatix. Image courtesy of and copyright 2012: Bill Mueller.

Thanks!

Thanks to new friend Bill Mueller for the use of his images above and for inviting us to do the Chattanooga Saturday Seminar

Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux–Roseate Spoonbill Short Notice IPT

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 5. Early April can be superb at Alafia Banks. Early April is almost always superb at Fort DeSoto. Click here for complete details.

With only a single registrant, this one is shaping up to be a practically private affair and represents an amazing opportunity for you to grow as a photographer.

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. 🙂

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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!

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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.

This image was created at Indian Lake Estates, FL with the hand held Canon 500mm f/4L EF IS II lens and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops off the white sky: 1/1250 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode was a slight underexposure; should have gone to +3 off the sky for more underwing detail in the orginal–see same below. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image for the larger version.

Ospreys By the Lake

There are at least six pairs of Osprey nesting down by the lake in my development here at Indian Lake Estates. On some windy afternoons I’ve had more than a dozen right overhead while standing in the parking lot at the base of the pier. At times, especially when it is overcast with strong south or west winds, I have succumbed…

This is the full frame original capture after conversion in DPP. To learn why I am now converting all of my images in DPP click here.

Hand Holding the 500II

Hand holding the 500 II alone for flight is a reasonable endeavor for me as it should be for most folks in decent shape. Remember, it is a lot easier to hand hold for flight and action than to hand hold when creating images of static subjects…. Most of my keepers from the afternoon of February 26 were perfectly framed but as often is the case the very best pose was slightly mis-framed; the tiniest portion of the fourth primary was clipped just a smidge.

Central Sensor Surround

Above is the BreezeBrowser Main View screen capture for the image. The illuminated red square shows that the central sensor is on the sky not on the bird’s face. But by choosing Surround as my AF Area Selection Mode all of the surrounding sensors are active. Here, the two sensor just below and right of the central sensor saved the day. In Breezebrowser you need to make sure to check Show Focus Points under View to activate this feature. To see the focus points in DPP check AF Point under View or hit Alt L.

Regular readers know that I use and depend on BreezeBrowser every day of the year. It allows me to sort my keepers and deletes the rejects faster than any other browsing program. We use it on the main computer in the home office to catalog our images file-drawer style. And the companion program, Downloader Pro allows me to download my images quickly and conveniently. It automatically adds my IPTC data and the shooting location. I have it set up to create a folder named by the Month/date/year. The Breezebrowser/Downloader Pro combo saves me many hours each week. To learn earn more or to purchase this great PC only program, click here.

To learn everything that I know about the great 1D X AF system check out our 1D X AF Guide here.

The Image Optmization Process

Note that even though the exposure was fairly good that the bird’s left wing was left somewhat in the dark. After moving the bird up and right in the frame, adding the tiny bit of missing wingtip (as detailed in APTATS I), and cropping to 3X2 I selected the sky with the Magic Wand Tool, ran Refine Edge, opened Hue-Saturation on the layer (Control U), and reduced the saturation while moving the Lightness Slider to the left to darken the sky. Then I merged the layer, selected the bird with the Quick Selection Tool, saved the selection, and applied a 100% layer of NIK Color Efex Pro Detail Extractor. Then I added a Regular Layer Mask and fine-tuned the Detail Extractor. I used more of the effect on the birds left wing than I did on its right wing by varying the opacity of my brush. Next I re-loaded the selection and applied a 50% layer of Tonal Contrast. I opted to apply Detail Extractor (DE) and Tonal Contrast (TC) on separate layers as I needed more control than I would have gotten applying a 50/50 DE/TC layer as I usually do. Simply put, NIK Color Efex Pro saved this image.

Then I darkened the pupils with some Eye Doctor work, painted a Quick Mask of the bird’s face, put the selection on its own layer, ran a Contrast Mask to sharpen it, and then lightened the layer by pulling up the curve (Control M). I finished off with a slight S curves (Linear Contrast) adjustment. I do that via an action using the f4 key. Pretty much all of the above is detailed in our great Digital Basics File that includes my complete digital workflow, dozens of great Photoshop Tips, and all of my time-saving Keyboard Shortcuts.

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NIK 15% Discount

As regular readers know, NIK Color Efex Pro has dramatically changed my digital workflow. You can save 15% on all NIK products (including Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, and Viveza) by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. You can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images.

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.

I am in the hotel room at the Sheraton Arlington (Texas) for the TPPA 2013 Photo Conference and Trade Show (see more on that below). The convention center is right across the street. Both joints are surrounded by Six Flags, Ranger Stadium, and Texas Stadium. It is all pretty impressive. Younger daughter Alissa sent me this e-mail:

Subject: Billy Joel singing with college kid

Dad, Did you see this?
Lissy

I watched the video. That kid made that piano sing. I cried and smiled at the same time. Both with joy.

I have always been a huge Billy Joel fan.

Why?

In August, 1994 my late wife Elaine and I had tickets for a Billy Joel/Elton John concert at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. We were living in Deltona near Elaine’s parents at the time. The funny thing is that Elaine’s oncologist advised her not to go. “There is too much risk of getting sick with all those people.” Elaine laughed and we went. She already new that she had only a few months to live.

We paid $10 to park on somebody’s lawn about ten blocks from the venue. We were about halfway there when the skies opened up. I mean torrential downpour. Lightning, thunder, and hail. We tried to stay dry under a tiny overhang on some building but we got drenched. After it stopped, we made it to the stadium where we learned that the 7:00pm show had been postponed three hours so that the electrical cables and sound system could be repaired. At that point Elaine was shivering. “Do you want to go home babe?” “No way she replied quickly.”

The first half of the concert was virtually all Elton John. His fans were giddy. He was great, but we had gone to see Billy Joel. After intermission–it was now after midnight, more Elton John. What the heck is going on here??? Then Billy Joel came out and blew the house down. Blew Elton John out of the water. Even the Elton John fans agreed. Standing on the piano. Doing all of our favorite songs: Allentown, Leningrad, The Downeaster Alexa, A Matter of Trust, The Entertainer, Only The Good Die Young, She’s Always a Woman, The Stranger, New York State of Mind, We Didn’t Start The Fire, All For Leyna, The Ballad of Billy the Kid, Big Shot, Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song), River of Dreams, and Scenes From An Italian Restaurant. At least that’s how I remember it.

Then he walked off the stage to a thunderous ovation at about 2am even though about 10,000 of the original 55,000 had left. But, we still had hope. They both came out for the encore. They did Piano Man a capella and asked those present to join in. There was never a sweeter sound. I stood and cried thinking that this was Elaine’s introduction to heaven.

If you like Billy Joel, be sure to read the whole story and watch the wonderful video here.

TPPA Convention & Keynote Presentation

I will be presenting the keynote address at the Texas Professional Photographer’s Association Convention in Arlington, TX on the evening of March 16. My appearance is being generously sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light. I hope that you can make it. Here is additional information on the convention:

Weekend Photo Event: 24 programs and Trade Show only $49: March 15-17, 2013

Attend the event with the best photographic education value in America! For only $49 you can attend your choice of 24 different programs from Landscape Photography, Understanding Exposure, How to enter Print Competition, People Photography, Fashion and Boudoir Photography, Pet photography, How to Get Published, Adobe Lightroom, Nature Photography, Sports Photography, How to Turn your photos to Art and much more! On Saturday evening we have Arthur Morris, one of the nations top bird photographers, doing his “A Bird Photographers Story” program!

How would you like the chance to have your work published in our award winning, regional photography magazine. You can participate in the Print Competition and get into the Trade Show absolutely FREE! Just announced, win a LexJet trophy and $100 if your entry was printed on LexJet product. We also have several Hands-On programs on Friday March 15 on PhotoShop, Posing, Lighting, How to Market Your Photo Business and more for a small additional cost. You must pre-register for the event at www.tppa.org but you DO NOT have to register for the classes on Saturday and Sunday. You can attend as many or as few as you want! All will take place be at the Arlington Convention Center just 15 minutes from DFW.

Regardless of your skill level, you’ll find something for you! Please join us! Even if you and only attend one day! Learn more here.

This Roseate Spoonbill flight image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central sensor/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s head just behind the eye active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Most trips to Alafia Banks offer numerous excellent spoonbill flight opportunities.

If It Works and Feels Good, Do It Again

The first Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux–Roseate Spoonbill Short Notice IPT was a huge success. Tons of learning and tons of great subjects and situations. And a great group. I will post a full IPT Report in the next BAA On-line Bulletin. Coming soon.

Announcing a 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.

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 the first three days of this IPT. James Shadle will be leading the last two days. We will do three Hooptie Deux trips, one full day and one morning only trip. 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.

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.

These displaying (sky-pointing) Roseate Spoonbills were photographed at Alafia Banks on the recently concluded Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux IPT 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. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. The exposure was confirmed in advance via histogram check. Central sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on the closest bird and re-compose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version. We will get to photograph a great variety of breeding behaviors on the 2nd New Concept IPT: the Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux–Roseate Spoonbill Short Notice IPT.

Saturday and Sunday with James 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 of the above (except for the leader schedule) is of course 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. We will be staying in St. Petersburg, FL where we will be 30-45 minutes at most from all of our shooting locations.

All of the above plus practically private access to two of the planet’s premier photographic educators represents a rare opportunity to grow as a nature photographer. 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. As always, this IPT will run with only a single registrant. 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….

You can learn more about New Concept IPTs by clicking here and scrolling down. Be sure to check out the killer white morph Reddish Egret image there.

This Brown Pelican carrying nesting material was photographed with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop as framed: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. Central sensor/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s head just behind the eye active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. During our after lunch editing sessions (by editing I mean selecting your keepers) we spent a lot of time discussing the nuances of ideal and less than ideal wing positions. Everyone learned a ton. In the field we spent an equal amount of time teaching folks about the effect of wind direction on bird photography.

Fort DeSoto/Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Short Notice IPT Kudos

I received the e-mail below from a participant after the conclusion of this IPT.

Hello Artie, I wanted to thank you again for the fantastic last-minute IPT! Your teachings were excellent, with tons of hands-on practice. I greatly enjoyed watching over your shoulder as you reviewed the criteria that you use to select your keepers after getting back from the field and then doing complete image optimizations in Photoshop. This experience will help me greatly when making my own selections and help me know what to strive for when shooting on my own. Thanks to you, my photography has been stepped up a level. I would absolutely recommend that people wanting to be serious with wildlife photography to sign up for your IPTs.

Collier, John and Monte, It was a very enjoyable experience to be part of this with you guys! You were all very nice and it would be fantastic meeting again. I wish you a safe trip back home. Very best, Steven

This image of a Willet flapping after its bath was made on March 8 at Fort Desoto on the Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux Short Notice IPT with the hand held Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Lens, the Canon 2x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. Central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version. Folks on the recently concluded Desoto/Hooptie Deux Short Notice IPT learned a ton about photographing bathing birds including why to frame wide, how to anticipate the flap, and which AF sensor and pattern(s) to use for a given species.

Fort Desoto Site Guide

There have been some major changes at Fort Desoto. Most of them are good. I will, therefore, be updating the Fort Desoto Site Guide quite soon. Learn more about this great guide here. You can check out all of our Site Guides by clicking here.

This 3-frame in-camera Art Vivid HDR image of the sky at sunrise at Alafia Banks was created with the hand held Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS EF USM AF Lens and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera body. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop (+/-3 full stops): 1/125 sec. at f/5.6 was the base exposure. Central sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus AF and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a larger version. We leave the dock early to photograph the blast off of Fish Crows in pre-dawn light. On the morning of March 10th it was cloudy until the sun cracked the horizon and lit things up.

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.

This dancing dark morph Reddish Egret photograph was made on the last afternoon of the Fort Desoto/Hooptie Deux Short Notice IPT with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops as framed: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. 61-point/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s head just behind the eye active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Based on the wind and the weather my last- second decision to change of our afternoon shooting location paid off big time. I kept 45 images of this bird dancing and catching fish. 61-Point AF performed superbly here as it does with most situations featuring erratic action.

Your Fave?

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the images presented here is your favorite. Be sure to let us know why.

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.

This Brown Pelican was photographed this morning from the deck of the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks with the tripod-mounted Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO Safety Shift is the equivalent of Auto ISO: ISO 2000. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed: 1/30 sec. at f/6.3 in Tv mode. 61-Point/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

K-7500 & Pre-dawn AF Tips

Before the somewhat bland sunrise turned glorious the colors were rather muted. I switched the color temperature on my 1D X from my usual AWB (Auto White Balance) setting to K (Kelvin) and spun the index finger dial until it read 7500 knowing that this would accentuate the colors. With a small boost in Saturation after the RAW conversion in DPP that trick worked quite well. As my aim was to create a pleasing blur I was working in Tv mode at 1/30 sec. I set the exposure compensation to only +1 to avoid burning the red channel. That worked quite well too.

When attempting to photograph single birds in the pre-dawn light I will usually work in 61-Point AF. This worked especially well this morning as there were some birds flying left to right and others flying right to left. Being in 61-Point allows me to at least attempt to get the bird out of the center of the frame.

A Guide to Pleasing Blurs

As some folks believe, pleasing blurs are not out of focus mistakes. If you would like to learn how to create these increasingly popular images, get yourself a copy of “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs” by Denise Ippolito and yours truly.

This is about a 200% crop of the image after conversion.

Noisy

With the ISO set automatically to 2000 and with the image somewhat underexposed to avoid burning the red channel there was, as you can see above, lots of noise present in the converted image. The noise we are seeing here is luminance noise. Chrominance noise would be seen as splotches of green and purple in the blacks. Note: I originally wrote that we were seeing chrominance noise; as that was a brain typo I chose to correct it here.

This is about a 200% crop of the image after running a Surface Blur adjustment.

Surface Blur

The amazingly creative Denise Ippolito, who is also something of a Photoshop whiz, taught me the Surface Blur trick about a year ago. Here, it shines. I put the image on its own layer and hit Filter/Blur/Surface Blur. After experimenting a bit I wound up going with the Radius at 3 pixels and Threshold at 6. I usually start at 2/3 and increase the numbers until the background is baby-tush smooth. You can click Preview on and off to check your results.

Once I hit OK I enlarged the image to about 200% and clicked the layer eyeball on and off to see if the Surface Blur settings were affecting the sharpness of the subject. As they were not there was no need to fine-tune with a Layer Mask. Thanks Lady D.

This image of a week-old Sandhill Crane chick was also created with the hand held Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/1250 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode previously confirmed via histogram check. Two sensors up and one to the left of the central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. When hand holding either the 500II or the 600II I like to sit and rest my left elbow on my bent left knee. This reduces fatigue and the quick build up of lactic acid in the muscles and allows for much sharper images. That is exactly what I did here.

Crane Chick Behavior Answer; Bird Watching

In the blog post of March 8, 2013 I posted the image above and asked “What was the baby crane doing?” And I mentioned that there had been a clue in a recent blog post. The clue was in the March 4, 2013 post, When Sharp Does Not Cut It.

In the image above the crane chick was looking up at swirling Tree Swallows. Amazingly, both parents were both somewhat alarmed by the swallows. Kudos to Doug West for getting the behavior right.

IPT Opportunities

Click here to see the current schedule and IPT openings.

Highlights include a single opening on the next Bear Boat IPT, two slots left on this summer’s killer Galapagos trip, and lots of room on the Tanzania Photo-Safari.

Bear Boat/Bears Catching Salmon IPT: September 2-9, 2013 from Kodiak, AK: $6699.

Happy campers only! Maximum 6 + two leaders: Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito. Openings: 1.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 2-16, 2013 on the boat.

13 FULL and two 1/2 days of photography: $12,749. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Limit 14 including the leaders/Openings: 2.

Africa/Tanzania/Serengeti Summer Migration Safari: 12 full and two half-days of photography: $12,999/person double occupancy. Limit: 12/Openings: 7.

Leaders: Todd Gustafson 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.

Again, please click here for additional info and additional IPTs.

Seriously Huge B&H Savings on Nikon and Canon Gear

Nikon

For the first time in many years NIKON is going to be deeply discounting many legacy pro lenses individually for the next 2 weeks only with discounts up to $350. There are also many amazing deals on NIKON Buy together and Save packages as well. Click here to save.

Nikon DSLRS Bundles with Lenses & Flash: Save up to $750. Click here to save. Make sure to add each item to your shopping cart to see the absolute lowest price.

Canon Lenses & Speedlites: Save Up to $300

Click here to save. Make sure to add each item to your shopping cart to see the absolute lowest price.

Canon Buy Together & Save: Save Up to $400

Click here to save.

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.

This image of a week-old Sandhill Crane chick getting ready to swallow a beetle that was fed to it by one of the parents was created with the hand held Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/1250 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode previously confirmed via histogram check. One sensor left of central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. When hand holding either the 500II or the 600II I like to sit and rest my left elbow on my bent left knee. This reduces fatigue and the quick build up of lactic acid in the muscles and allows for much sharper images. That is exactly what I did here.

What, No Itinerary?

When folks ask why there is never an itinerary for a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-tour I usually chuckle. The truth is that I often do not even know where we are going after lunch when we are at lunch! Each decision is based on a combination of factors that include weather, sky conditions, wind direction, and local trends and conditions.

We are right smack in the middle of the Fort DeSoto/Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Short Notice IPT. As you saw in the March 7 blog post, Impossible Conditions, we had a rough time on Wednesday morning. We did have some great chances that morning thanks to some good thinking on my part and the ability of the group to follow directions as to how to carefully approach a large group of beautiful White Ibises. In any case, when multiple IPT veteran John Snodgrass mentioned that the weather forecast for Thursday morning was even worse, colder with stronger winds from the northwest, I started thinking….

There had been some nice baby Sandhill Crane action down by the lake near my home in Indian Lake Estates, FL. With the dire forecast, I breached the idea of leaving St. Pete at 5am and making the 1 hour forty five minute drive to ILE to try for the baby cranes in lieu of freezing out butts off on another wind against sun morning. I did not have to twist any arms.

This image of a young Sandhill Crane colt was created at ILE on Thursday morning 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. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/9 in Av mode. The exposure was confirmed via histogram check. Central sensor (by necessity)/AI Servo Expand/Rear Focus AF on a spot just below the forward part of the wing bud active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version. .

Choice of Perspective

The key to the success of the image above was going long focal length and getting on the birds level by working from the slope of the adjacent canal. I recognized the shade of blue as one that would be dramatically enhanced by a layer of White Neutralizer. That was followed by a layer of my 50/50 Tonal Contrast/Detail Extractor recipe reduced to about 50% opacity.

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NIK 15% Discount

As regular readers know, Color Efex Pro has drastically changed my digital workflow and little by little I have begun using Viveza to solve more than a few sticky image optimization problems and Silver Efex Pro for fast, dramatic B&W conversions. You can save 15% on all NIK products (including Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, and Viveza) by clicking here and entering BAA in the Promo Code box at check-out. Then hit Apply to see your savings. You can download a trial copy that will work for 15 days and allow you to create full sized images.

This Sandhill Crane image was created with the hand held Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/1250 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode previously confirmed by histogram check. Central sensor Surround/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF on the bird’s head just behind the eye active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Why Hand Hold the 600II?

While working the cranes with his tripod-mounted 600mm f/4L IS II/1.4X III/1D X rig, multiple IPT participant John Snodgrass, always eager to learn, asked me, “Why are you hand holding?” I replied, “When hand holding it is easier to frame the image, easier to follow the fast little buggers, easier to acquire and maintain AF, and easier to get up off the ground and move to the right sun angle. And any by using my knee-pod as described above pretty much all of the images will be sharp. And, as you can see here, cute.

This image of a week-old Sandhill Crane chick was also created with the hand held Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/1250 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode previously confirmed via histogram check. Two sensors up and one to the left of the central sensor/AI Servo Surround/Rear Focus AF active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. When hand holding either the 500II or the 600II I like to sit and rest my left elbow on my bent left knee. This reduces fatigue and the quick build up of lactic acid in the muscles and allows for much sharper images. That is exactly what I did here.

Whaddaya Think?

If you think that you know what the baby crane in the image immediately above was doing please leave a comment and let us know. Hint: there have been clues in recent blog posts.

Which is Your Favorite?

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which is your favorite image, and why.

So What’s the Point?

The point is that on a BAA IPT there is never a set itinerary because we need to be able to change and react in response to a variety of current conditions in order to get you in a spot where you will have the best chance to make some great images. And we always strive to explain to you why we are going here rather than there.

IPT Opportunities

Click here to see the current schedule and IPT openings.

Highlights include a single opening on the next Bear Boat IPT, two slots left on this summer’s killer Galapagos trip, and lots of room on the Tanzania Photo-Safari.

Bear Boat/Bears Catching Salmon IPT: September 2-9, 2013 from Kodiak, AK: $6699.

Happy campers only! Maximum 6 + two leaders: Arthur Morris and Denise Ippolito. Openings: 1.

GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 2-16, 2013 on the boat.

13 FULL and two 1/2 days of photography: $12,749. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito. Limit 14 including the leaders/Openings: 2.

Africa/Tanzania/Serengeti Summer Migration Safari: 12 full and two half-days of photography: $12,999/person double occupancy. Limit: 12/Openings: 7.

Leaders: Todd Gustafson 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.

Again, please click here for additional info and additional IPTs.

Seriously Huge B&H Savings on Nikon and Canon Gear

Nikon

For the first time in many years NIKON is going to be deeply discounting many legacy pro lenses individually for the next 2 weeks only with discounts up to $350. There are also many amazing deals on NIKON Buy together and Save packages as well. Click here to save.

Nikon DSLRS Bundles with Lenses & Flash: Save up to $750. Click here to save. Make sure to add each item to your shopping cart to see the absolute lowest price.

Canon Lenses & Speedlites: Save Up to $300

Click here to save. Make sure to add each item to your shopping cart to see the absolute lowest price.

Canon Buy Together & Save: Save Up to $400

Click here to save.

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....
Gizo 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.