Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Hand of Man Category Voting Analysis and Related Comments

Totals of the Judges’ Votes (each of 5 judges awarded each image 1-5 points):

1-Great Egret on spillway by Ron Henderson: 23
2-Parrot in box by Charles Bergman: 21
3-Duckling and Lincoln Memorial by Matt Hansen: 18
4-Starling on broken lamp cover, David Bell: 17
5-Short-eared owl and wind turbines, Arni Stinnissen: 16
6-Burrowing Owl on wooden cross, Judd Patterson: 15
7-Bird on the fence, Blake Shaw: 14
T8-Black-tailed Godwit, Kevin Elsby: 13
T8-Jay on tombstone, Richard Cox: 13
T8-Penguins and ship, Christopher Marsham: 13
T11-Ring-billed Gull and plastic bottle cap, Rodney Flowers: 11
T11-Vultures on structure: Michael Leonard: 14
13-Kingfisher on barbed wire, Girish Vaze: 10

Public Voting Totals (each of you was asked to vote your five favorite images 1-5 points with 5 being your favorite):

1-Great Egret on spillway by Ron Henderson: 183
2-Duckling and Lincoln Memorial by Matt Hansen: 165
3-Burrowing Owl on wooden cross, Judd Patterson: 101
T4-Parrot in box by Charles Bergman: 76
T4-Black-tailed Godwit, Kevin Elsby: 76
6-Kingfisher on barbed wire, Girish Vaze: 75
7-Penguins and ship, Christopher Marsham: 62
8-Jay on tombstone, Richard Cox: 54
9-Short-eared owl and wind turbines: Arni Stinnissen: 47
10-Bird on the fence, Blake Shaw:: 38
11-Starling on broken lamp cover, David Bell: 18
12-Vultures on structure, Michael Leonard: 16
13-Ring-billed Gull and plastic bottle cap: Rodney Flowers 5

Analysis of the Voting

When I posted the thirteen images for the public voting here I wrote, “So far the top pick of the public vote has matched the top pick of the judge’s panel in two of the three categories that have been posted; I suspect that the same will be true here despite that fact that there are again so many fine images.” As it turns out that I was right on the button. Great Egret on spillway was the pick of the litter and 3 of the four top vote-getters in each category were a match as well. What does that prove: a good image is a good image no matter who is looking at it.

Kudos to all whose images appear below and thanks to all who entered photographs in this hotly contested category. The images below are presented in the order of the judges’ placement along with my comments. I am sure that you will find my comments both interesting and educational, especially my constructive criticism of the first and second place images as voted by the judges’ panel.

Congratulations to Hand of Man Category Winner Ron Henderson of Dallas, TX. His “Great Egret on spillway” image was created at White Rock Lake in Dallas with the Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8L IS lens (at 170mm) with the Canon EOS-5D Mark II rested on railing. ISO 100. Evaluative metering -1 1/3 stops: 1/10 sec. at f/32.

Great Egret on spillway by Ron Henderson

The strengths of this image include the graphic look created by the repeating pattern of the steps, the rich blue and gold tones, and the movement of the water. The Great Egret provided the perfect accent. Many great images might have been improved at capture; had Ron moved about three inches to his right he would have avoided the merge of the tip of the bird’s bill and the edge of the step….

Congratulations to Charles Bergman. His image, “Parrot in box” was awarded second prize in the Hand of Man Category in the BIRDS AS ART 1st Annual Bird Photography Competition. The bird in the box, a Blue-headed parrot chick (Pionus menstruus) was photographed on a small river in the Amazon Basin in eastern Ecuador. 24-120mm lens (at 42mm) with the Nikon D200. ISO 100: 1/40 sec. at f/11.

Parrot in box by Charles Bergman

The helpless, wet, disheveled parrot chick placed in the battered, equally bedraggled cardboard box combined to make this a powerful, story-telling image. The jungle setting and the young boatmen complete the story. Note that the perfect head angle strengthens our connection to the baby parrot. Again there was room for improvement at capture; had Charles moved a few feet to his left he could have placed the two men more on the right side of the frame to better balance the bird in the box. I believe that the resulting composition, which would have shown less of the boat, would have been even more powerful.

Congrats to Matt Hansen. His “Duckling and Lincoln Memorial ” image was awarded third place in the Hand of Man category. The Mallard duckling was photographed on May 23, 2010 as it emerged from the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

Duckling and Lincoln Memorial by Matt Hansen

We are all fans of the underdog struggling to survive. Each of the many compositional elements from the crack in the sidewalk to seemingly interested folks to the huge marble structure in the background are perfectly positioned. Those, combined with the perfect timing that captured the splash, made this one a winner. Note that Matt chose to break a basic compositional guideline by having the subject look out of (rather than in to) the frame. With good reason!

I loved this one from the get-go. It was my second pick.

Starling on broken lamp cover, David Bell.

This unique image is nicely designed. Running a contrast mask on the broken glass would likely have improved this one.

Short-eared owl and wind turbines, Arni Stinnissen.

This beautifully conceived and designed image carries with it a powerful environmental message: wind turbines kill too many birds each year. The placement of the bird relative to the blades of the two turbines and beautiful dorsal view both added to the success of this image.

Burrowing Owl on wooden cross, Judd Patterson.

Burrowing Owls rarely land on natural perches. The bird’s raised wings and haughty attitude and Judd’s careful choice of perspective (that minimized the wooden cross) made this image a popular choice with all voters.

Bird on the fence, Blake Shaw.

Simplicity rules in this beautifully designed and elegant silhouette. And the pano crop was a perfect choice. I love the slight upward angle of the fence and the singing pose. It it were mine, I would have removed the pin needle (???) on the fence behind the bird.

Black-tailed Godwit, Kevin Elsby.

A gorgeous species (heck, I am a shorebird lover) set against a lovely soft background with swatches of color are the strengths of this image. Much of the time we strive to eliminate as much “hand of man” as possible from an image. In this case, for this category, including more of the fence post would have been a winning move.

Jay on tombstone, Richard Cox.

A beautiful bird in golden light set against a pleasing background are the big pluses here. The problem here for me is the exact opposite of the problem with the godwit image: too much hand of man. Had Richard pointed the lens up or executed a pano crop I am fairly sure that the resulting image would have been stronger. Not to mention some tombstone clean-up.

, Penguins and ship, Christopher Marsham.

Christopher’s well composed image which features the juxtaposition of a group of Emperor Penguins with the ship in the background is quite interesting. The crossed flags are perfectly positioned in the frame. I feel that this image needed a bit more room all around.

Ring-billed Gull and plastic bottle cap, Rodney Flowers.

I really like the simplicity of this image. The bright sun was well handled, the raised wings added interest, and the bright blue plastic bottle cap with a bit of sand icing was the perfect hand of man touch.

Vultures on structure, Michael Leonard. 14

Here I love all the huge elements of the structure, especially the diagonal ones. The image is beautifully framed and designed, and Micheal did a great job of image processing as he dealt with mixed lighting. Though most of the birds are in the sun and some in the shade the image has a nice even (low contrast) look to it.

Kingfisher on barbed wire, Girish Vaze.

Barbed wire, a lovely bird, and a sweet background are the strengths of this image. A small crop from the left and below would have strengthened it as would a bit more head turn towards us. This image was much more popular with the public than with the panel of judges.

Questions and Comments Welcome

As always, your questions and comments are welcome. Lastly and as always, I would be glad to learn of any typos.

Congratulations to Hand of Man Category Winner Ron Henderson of Dallas, TX. His “Great Egret on spillway” image was created at White Rock Lake in Dallas with the Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8L IS lens (at 170mm) with the Canon EOS-5D Mark II rested on railing. ISO 100. Evaluative metering -1 1/3 stops: 1/10 sec. at f/32.

Great Egret on spillway by Ron Henderson

The strengths of this image include the graphic look created by the repeating pattern of the steps, the rich blue and gold tones, and the movement of the water. The Great Egret provided the perfect accent.

From Ron:

This picture was made while I was on a walk by the lake with my daughter Emily, age 13 on a late afternoon near the end of February, 2012 . I used a slow shutter speed to blur the rushing water.

Congratulations to Charles Bergman. His image, “Parrot in box” was awarded second prize in the Hand of Man Category in the BIRDS AS ART 1st Annual Bird Photography Competition. The bird in the box, a Blue-headed parrot chick (Pionus menstruus) was photographed on a small river in the Amazon Basin in eastern Ecuador. 24-120mm lens (at 42mm) with the Nikon D200. ISO 100: 1/40 sec. at f/11.

Parrot in box by Charles Bergman

The helpless, wet, disheveled parrot chick placed in the battered, equally bedraggled cardboard box combined to make this a powerful, story-telling image. The jungle setting and the young boatmen complete the story. Note that the perfect head angle strengthens our connection to the baby parrot.

From Charles:

I was traveling in a remote part of the Amazon, staying with the people in indigenous communities. This chick had recently been removed from a nest in a hollow tree and placed in a ragged cardboard box; it would be transported into the wild bird trade. It is legal for indigenous people to capture parrots and other creatures for pets; it is not legal for them to sell them. The trade in the back country is an open secret.

Congrats to Matt Hansen. His “Duckling and Lincoln Memorial ” image was awarded third place in the Hand of Man category. The Mallard duckling was photographed on May 23, 2010 as it emerged from the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. .

Duckling and Lincoln Memorial by Matt Hansen

We are all fans of the underdog struggling to survive. Each of the many compositional elements from the crack in the sidewalk to seemingly interested folks to the huge marble structure in the background are perfectly positioned. Those, combined with the perfect timing that captured the splash, made this one a winner. Note that Matt chose to break a basic compositional guideline by having the subject look out of (rather than in to) the frame. With good reason!

From Matt:

This image is part of the ongoing “Uniquely D.C.” project that I’m working on, portraying the monuments and memorials in unique ways. A Mallard family was heading toward the edge of the Reflecting Pool and I knew that a possible moment was about to happen. This duckling, the runt, had some problems jumping high enough to get out but finally was able to summon enough strength to make it over the ledge.

This iot a photo I would usually submit to competitions, but in the guidelines you mentioned that Photoshop was ok, so I figured, “Why not?” If you compare the raw and optimized images you will see that a man in the background was removed as I felt he distracted from the Memorial. I do have an optimized version with him included if you prefer.

Congrats!

Congrats to the three winners above. One hundred sixty four images survived the first cut in this category. You can see the thirteen images that were sent to the judges here. Getting to the final round is quite an accomplishment. Prizes (see below) will be shipped once all the winners are announced as several folks had more than one top three images. Be sure to patronize our sponsors; without them, this contest would not exist. There will be more educational stuff from this category coming soon.

You Be the Judge: Hand of Man

The judging for the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition has been complete for some time. All of the judges including me were stunned by the quality of the images. We will be posting all of the images that were sent to the judges category by category. Each of you will have a chance to judge these images one group at a time. Please read the directions below carefully. Your votes will not determine the winning images but it has been and will be fun to see how everyone’s votes compare to the votes of the judges. So far the top pick of the public vote has matched the top pick of the judge’s panel in two of the three categories that have been posted; I suspect that the same will be true here despite that fact that there are again so many fine images.

Below are the thirteen images in the Hand of Man category that were sent to the five judges: Darrell Gulin, Chris Van Rooyen, Julie Zickefoose, Tim Laman (who filled in for a honey-mooning Andy Rouse), and yours truly. Here is another big time thank you to Darrell, Chris, Julie, and Tim. And a big time thanks also to Peter Kes and Denise Ippolito for helping me choose the images that were sent to the judges. We worked very hard for nearly three full days to get from more than 5500 images down to the final 163.

The Hand of Man category was defined as follows: the composition must include man-made elements. After a somewhat slow start HOM turned out to be a very popular category.

Before you vote, please click on each image to view it at full size. Then pick your five favorites and vote them 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 with 5 being your very favorite. Like this:

Great Egret on spillway: 5
Kingfisher on barbed wire : 4
Burrowing Owl on wooden cross: 3
Jay on tombstone: 2
Bird on the fence: 1

The “Sample Vote” above is for illustrative purposes only. Please do not let the sample vote, the votes of others, or the names assigned to the images influence your vote. Please put each of your five favorites on its own line by hitting “enter” after each one. No ties; please assign a single digit, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 to each of your five favorites. As you will see there are a great many beautiful, interesting, and even thought-provoking images here.

If you wish to comment on any or all of the images, please do so below your five voting lines; this will make tallying the votes easier. Votes cast by those who fail to follow the formatting directions will be relegated to the Trash Bin.

A tally of the public vote along with the actual winning images for each category will be announced approximately 48 hours after each posting.

Thanks for voting and please remember to breathe deeply and have fun.

Black-tailed Godwit

Great Egret on spillway

Kingfisher on barbed wire

Burrowing Owl on wooden cross

Jay on tombstone

Bird on the fence

Short-eared owl and wind turbines

Parrot in box

Penguins and ship

Ring-billed Gull and plastic bottle cap

Vultures on structure

Duckling and Lincoln Memorial

Starling on broken lamp cover

No Images Today…

I got back very late on Saturday night, actually at 1:50 am Sunday morning, from the whirlwind familiarization tour that Denise Ippolito and I attended with eight others last week. One of those attending was a young Indian photographer, National Geographic videographer Sandesh Kadur. Sandesh (say “sun-DAYSH”) asked if I would do an interview article with eight images for a relatively new magazine in India. Saevus Magazine is India’s first premium wildlife and natural history magazine. It is about compelling storytelling, stunning visuals and in depth natural history for readers across all ages and groups. The first draft of the text for the interview appears below. If you spot any typos or have any questions on any of the topics below that might help me flash out the interview it would be greatly appreciated if you left a comment below.

I will be doing a blog post on Sandesh soon. Those who cannot wait can learn more about him here.

Text for the interview article for Saevus Magazine

1. What inspired you to take up bird photography?

I had birded for seven years and had seen the work of two local photographers, the late and very tall Thomas H. Davis Jr. and an older eastern European man named Tony Manzoni. At a slide program that Tony did he showed an image of a Least Bittern that got me thinking: “I would like to do that.” And the rest as they say, is history.

2. Did you have formal training in photography?

Zero. Well, actually one course: two hours for eight Tuesday nights, a basic course set up by New York City Audubon Society. Taught by a guy who turned out to be a lifelong friend, Milton Heiberg, who now lives in central Florida about 90 minutes from me. He has long been very proud of my success.

3. Do you think it is important to have any such training to become a natural history photographer?

Not at all. It is far more important to have a good background in birding and natural history. Though I birded for only seven years I did so with great passion heading out most mornings before going to work as an elementary school teacher in New York City and then heading back out most days after work. That and both days on weekends. So by the time I bought my first telephoto lens in August 1983 I knew a lot about the birds and how they acted.

4. How is bird photography as a genre different from other forms of photography?

I don’t know as I know little about other forms of photography; I am quite narrowly focused on birds and wildlife photography…..

5. What are your favorite birds to photograph and why?

Shorebirds were my first love. That goes back to my days at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York, where I learned birding and then photography. The refuge butts right up to Kennedy Airport. Today I love photographing all types of birds, even the most common ones, but shorebirds, raptors, owls, and colorful songbirds are all right up there for me.

6. You often suggest ‘Visualizing the photograph in your mind before you have even taken it’. Can you please elaborate on this and explain to our readers how to learn to excel in visualization.

Well, I am not sure that I ever said exactly that. Once I see a situation I can visualize where I need to be and what I need to do to create the image that I realized instantly is there. Most often the process involves seeing the light and combining that with the best possible background; a great deal of my work is as much about the backgrounds as it is about the bird.

Beginners are advised to look at as many great images as possible: in books; on calendars; on photographers’ web sites; and on educational web sites like Bird Photographers.Net (http://www.birdphotographers.net). In the field it is a good plan—if possible—for beginning photographers to move left or right, or up or down without their gear to learn how the light will affect the subject and how their choice of perspective will affect both the image and particularly the background.

7. Who are your target audience or clients and how do you reach them?

My target audience comprises everyone who loves photographing birds and wants to learn how to do just that only better. We reach most people via a huge web presence specifically via the blog (www.BIRDSASART-blog.com) and our free educational Bulletins. Subscribe at our website here: www.BIRDSASART.com. I average about four to five blog posts a week and each almost always includes 1-5 images with our legendary BIRDS AS ART educational captions; there is always tons of learning going on. I am not very skilled at promoting the business via the customary social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Not sure if I will ever have the time to partake there…. Everyone can learn a ton by visiting or subscribing to the blog at www.BIRDSASART-blog.com.

8. What do you do apart from photography in your free time?

I swim every day. And I enjoy a variety of sports on TV including professional football (our NFL football, not your soccer), golf, and professional basketball. I used to participate in all three of them on a pretty much informal level; now I enjoy them vicariously. And for whatever reason I enjoy watching No Limit Texas Hold-em poker tournaments on the tube even though I have never played a single hand.

I enjoy cooking and eating good, healthy food. As I travel a lot I am always in search of tasty Indian or Thai food; finding a great curry dish with chicken or pork as protein is always a treat. And best of all the curry dishes do not raise my blood sugar much at all. I am a type II diabetic who has opted to go on insulin for tight control of my blood sugar levels.

9. Please share with us your experiences with ‘BIRDS AS ART’ Instructional Photo-Tours.

I enjoy being in the field with groups of photographers who are serious about improving. We attract folks with a wide range of skills, from those who are just starting to established pros. I have been blessed to have met dozens, even hundreds, of sweet and happy campers on my IPTs over the years. Many of them have become highly skilled photographers and several have gone on to careers as professional photographers. Best of all I have met many wonderful friends.

We try to teach folks to learn to analyze conditions and situations so that when they get back on their home turf they are much better equipped to make great images. And we always get in some Photoshop instruction so that they do not ruin their images after capture. Far too many out there over-process their images with too much saturation and too much sharpening. It pains me to see good images transformed into poor images. Our Digital Basics File has gone a long way to help folks improve their after-capture skills just as “The Art of Bird Photography” and “The Art of Bird Photography II” (the latter on CD only) has helped them perfect their in-the-field skills.

We have had people from the world over join us. Most recently I had the pleasure of meeting and working with a fine young Indian photographer on the Morro Bay IPT. Gaurav Mittal traveled all the way from India to join the group and will be returning with me to one of my soul places late next fall, Bosque del Apache NWR in San Antonio, New Mexico. He is quite skilled so watch out for him!

10. What would be your advice to upcoming Indian photographers who are seriously planning to take up a career on bird photography?

It is the same advice that I would give to upcoming photographers the world over. Number one and most important is for them to make sure that they are photographing what they love and are passionate about doing so. The industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. It is the rare photographer today who can succeed just by selling still images. Learning to write, learning to teach, and establishing a web presence is almost paramount to success. I always advise young pros to find their own niche and to develop markets for their work. Most pros today will counsel them to consider another career. Not me; they should not be discouraged. A life in photography is too wonderful a dream to give up on because of a few naysayers.

I would like to thank my new friend Indian photographer and videographer Sandesh Kadur for setting up this interview article. We met in June 2012 on a much too short familiarization tour of Trinidad and Tobago. Thanks also to Sandesh for opening my eyes to dSLR video. He is a kind, sweet, and very skilled young man.

Caroni Swamp Adventure

The alarm was set for 2:50am. By 3:35 we were in the vans headed for the dock. By 4:30am, Lester, our boatman, guided us through the narrow canals spotting snakes and nightjars in the blackness with a powerful spotlight. The plastic bags came out as a brief squall passed. Well before dawn Lester had positioned the boat square to a reddening eastern sky.

This image was created with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens(hand held at 85mm) and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 200. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/15 sec. at f/3.5 in Tv mode. I was set up for blast off blurs but figured I could make a sharp image at 1/5 by using good sharpness technique with such a short focal length. Central Sensor/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 enjoy a larger version.

As light levels increased we could see hundreds of Scarlet Ibises on their red mangrove roost island looking like a scattering of rubies on green felt.

This image was created with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/30 sec. at f/2.8 in Manual mode. Again, it was imperative to use my very best sharpness techniques in order to create a sharp image, this time at 1/30 sec. with the 300mm. Four-stop IS helps too! Right Hand (Surround)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 enjoy a larger version.

When they blasted off, most of us were a bit unprepared….

This image was created with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens(hand held at 102mm) and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops: 1/60 sec. at f/2.8 in Tv mode. At the very least I should have been at 1/30 sec. with auto ISO; that would have put me at 1/30 sec. at ISO 800…. Central Sensor/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 enjoy a larger version.

We spent the next few hours cruising the canals for wildlife. Lester was quite skilled at spotting well-camouflaged Common Potoo and Cook’s Tree Boa.

This Common Potoo was photographed with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/25 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode. Yes. You read that correct. 1/25 second. You gotta love 4-stop IS. Right of center sensor AI Servo/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.

When we all spotted a Yellow Oriole entering its nest we backed the boat off, tied up to a tree, and waited patiently. It turned out to be our best photographic opportunity but for the ibises. Between the potoo and the oriole we enjoyed an amazingly sumptuous and delicious breakfast of salted cod fish salad, hard-boiled egg, hot ratatouille and eggplant melange. With coffee and tea. All served on real china with fine silverware thanks to the great staff at Asa Wright Nature Center.

This Yellow Oriole at the nest was photographed with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6 in Av mode. Left side (Surround) sensor AI Servo/Rear Focus AF and recompose. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image for a larger version.

After three great days in Trinidad we are off for Tobago and Red-tailed Tropicbirds.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the images in today’s post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2XIII teleconverter. I also use it a lot–depending on the situation–with the 1.4X III TC.
Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lensI finally broke down and purchased my own copy of this great flight photography and general purpose lens.
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III. Man, I am in love with this camera body. Both the files and the AF system are superb.

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. I’ll be commenting on this new model soon. In short, I like it.
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.

You Be the Judge Voting: Digital

Public voting in the incredible Digital category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition will be closed at approximately 10am on Tuesday June 5, 2012. Thanks to the many who have voted and shared their thoughts with the group.

“Under the Pier.” Image copyright 2012: Arthur Morris/www.BIRDSASART.com. This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (at 160mm), and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/8 sec. at f/32 in Manual mode. Upper Central Sensor/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 enjoy a larger, more spectacular version of this image. In the original image the “light at the end of the tunnel” was hugely over-exposed. With the tripod locked up I created a second, identically framed image three stops darker and used a regular Layer Mask to paint in the detail as Tim described as the “third option” in his guest blog post “Dealing With Contrast” here.

For the image above it was important to expose for the under-pier detail if you would. To do that meant burning out the light at the end of the tunnel as described above. Before I made even a single image I made sure that I was exactly centered under the pier. Then I dug all three legs of my Gizo GT3532 LS CF Tripodas deeply into the sand as I could. Next I rotated the lens in the tripod collar, used the Double Bubble Level in the camera’s hot shoe to ensure that the pier was indeed square to the world, and then tightened all both the horizontal and vertical pan tripod controls. All this to ensure that the light image and the dark image would align perfectly in Photoshop. Once the Layer masking work was done it was time to bring the image into NIK Color Efex Pro and do some magic.

Is It Magic?

My work in NIK took less than 30 seconds. If I wished to replicate my work, it would take about 10 seconds as I saved my recipe. Once I brought the image into Color Efex Pro 4 I added the Tonal Contrast Filter at 100% and actually moved the Midtones and Shadows sliders 10 points to the right to increase the effect. Then I clicked on +Add Filter, added the White Neutralizer Filter, and reduced its opacity by clicking on the arrow in front of the words Control Points at the bottom of the filer panel, and moved the Opacity slider back to 40%. Then I hit +Add Filter and added the Details Extractor Filter and reduced its opacity to 50%. You can of course adjust each of the sliders to your personal taste depending on the image and the look you are trying to create.

I think that you will agree that the Color Efex Pro 4 work here was indeed magical.

If you like what you did and wish to save your steps simply click on the Save Recipe Button (next to the +Add Filter button), type in a descriptive name, and hit OK. I named this one: TC/M&SH+10-40%WN-DEXTR50%.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the images in today’s post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2XIII teleconverter. I also use it a lot–depending on the situation–with the 1.4X III TC.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III. Man, I am in love with this camera body. Both the files and the AF system are superb.

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. I’ll be commenting on this new model soon. In short, I like it.
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.

You Be The Judge: Digital

Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter

Several times a week I get an “Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter” on my personal laptop. Though I am very, very busy I often find the topics so interesting and relevant that I read the whole thing, study it carefully, and save it in a “Tim Grey Speaks” folder. Tim has been a good friend for years and has been the Photoshop Guru for a lot longer than that. His knowledge of Photoshop is encyclopedic, he is a skilled teacher and speaker, and his extremely dry sense of humor will leave you smiling. If I were you, I would subscribe. See item last.

ps: Tim has co-led several BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours with me; I need to invite him to another.

Everything below the image is Tim speaking. Thanks Tim for letting me share this with the group here.

“Under the Pier.” Image copyright 2012: Arthur Morris/www.BIRDSASART.com. This image was created with the tripod-mounted Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens (at 160mm), and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/8 sec. at f/32 in Manual mode. Upper Central Sensor/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 enjoy a larger, more spectacular version of this image. In the original image the “light at the end of the tunnel” was huge over-exposed. With the tripod locked up I created a second identically framed image three stops darker and used a regular Layer Mask to paint in the detail as Tim describes below as the “third option.” There will be lots more on the creation of this image in a blog post soon.

Guest Blog Post by Tim Grey/Photographer, Author, Educator

New Video Title: “Photoshop CS6: New Features Workshop”

I’m happy to announce that my latest video training title is now available, helping you get a detailed look at all of the new features in Photoshop CS6. And if you order this week, you can get 20% off this new title. Simply enter PNEW20 in the Coupon Code field during checkout from my video2brain online store. You can get started here.

Today’s Question: Dealing with Contrast

I would like to ask you about your views on using the HDR [high dynamic range] method versus takeing a single undexposed photo in order to capture highlights and then post edit it to get a proper exposure? I find photos made by the HDR method a bit dull, while those with added presets or adjusted a bit cartoonish and sureal. On the other hand, following a method of underexposing photo and then post edit it I found to get better results to my liking. What are your experiences?

Tim’s Answer

The underlying issue here is how to deal with a scene that exhibits high contrast, and of course there are several possible ways to approach such a scene.

The first (and perhaps more “traditional”) method of dealing with a high contrast scene is to do your best to achieve a single good exposure. That often means trying to retain highlight detail, but in some cases you might want to expose for the shadows to retain good detail there, even though that means you’ll have highlights that are blown-out. Think, for example, of a high-key portrait, where lost highlights aren’t a problem. If you do underexpose in order to retain highlight detail, just keep in mind that underexposure can lead to noise. If you later brighten up shadow details that had been underexposed, you’ll likely be making the noise (the lack of information, in effect) more visible, which can lead to image quality problems (even with the use of noise-reduction software).

A common solution to dealing with a scene exhibiting high contrast is to take the HDR approach. This involves capturing multiple images (preferably with a tripod) at different exposure settings (preferably by adjusting only shutter speed) so that through those multiple captures you cover the full dynamic range of the scene. You can then use Photoshop (via HDR Pro) or other software (such as Photomatix) to assemble those images into a single result. This enables you to compress the tonal range from a high-contrast scene into a single photo, which at least based on current image sensor technology wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

There is also a third option available to you in such a situation, which is to capture two images and blend them together into a single composite exposure. One exposure should be for the brighter areas of the image, and the other for the darker areas of the image. You don’t necessarily need to cover the full range of tonal values in the scene with these two exposures. Instead, you can typically divide the image into to sections (the sky versus the foreground, for example) and capture an exposure ideally suited for each of those areas. You can then blend the two exposures into a single composite image that provides you with the intended result. This is similar in concept to using a graduated split neutral density filter during the capture, but with much greater control over the process.

I use all three of these methods under different circumstances. I agree that HDR images can often look a bit “flat” since the tonal range is being compressed, and can look a bit cartoonish when pushed too far in post-processing. But sometimes I like the look you get with HDR processing, so I do use it from time to time.

In other cases I’m simply trying to achieve something that looks more realistic for a scene that exhibits a high dynamic range, and in those cases I’ll often blend two exposures together. And sometimes I just accept the limitations of my camera and capture a single exposure, even though detail will be lost in the shadows or highlights (depending on my exposure).

I encourage you to try all three of these methods to get a better sense of what’s possible. But I also encourage you to listen to your instinct as a photographer. If you’re generally not pleased with the results of an HDR capture, don’t take that approach just because it has become a popular solution. I believe you’ll be happiest with the final photo if you feel good about the approach you’re taking. First and foremost you should focus on creating a photograph that you’re happy with. If others enjoy it as well, that’s a bonus.

You can learn more about high dynamic range imaging in an article from the Autumn 2011 issue of Digital Darkroom Quarterly. If you’re not already a subscriber you can sign up for a subscription starting with the Autumn 2011 issue through my online store here.

Tell Your Friends…

Recommend the Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter to your photographer friends by pointing them here.

Tim Grey

Photographer, Author, Educator, Friend

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the images in today’s post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. Man, I am loving this lens on my shoulder with the 2XIII teleconverter. I also use it a lot–depending on the situation–with the 1.4X III TC.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III. Man, I am in love with this camera body. Both the files and the AF system are superb. I cannot wait to get to Morro Bay.

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….
GT3532 LS. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. I’ll be commenting on this new model soon. In short, I like it.
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.

These copulating Western Gulls were photographed with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens and the Canon EOS-5D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. One sensor below the 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 enjoy a larger version. With RGB values as high as 252 my WHITEs were a bit brighter than I would have liked with my 5D Mark III so I needed to run a Linear Burn on them and followed that up with a good dose of Detail Extractor from NIK Color Efex Pro–the latter on the top of the bird’s head only revealed with an Inverse or Hide-All Layer Mask. Some fancy Digital Eye Doctor work brought the image to life. Detail on all but Detail Extractor may be found in our Digital Basics File . Digital Basics is a PDF that is sent via e-mail. It contains my complete digital workflow as well as dozens of great Photoshop tips. Most folks feel that it is the best $20 that they ever spent on photography. NIK Color Efex Pro and More As regular readers know NIK’s Color Efex Pro 4 is now an integral part of my workflow. You can save 15% on all NIK products 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.

Delkin’s New 64GB 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA Enabled Cards

“Darn. I left my new cards on the desk in the motel room. Bummer. But I have some of my older Delkin 32gb 450X cards, the red, white, and blue ones, the ones with the paint completely worn off them” I said to Denise Ippolito as we gathered our gear and prepared to head down the hills to the cliffs where we had photographed several Western Gulls on nests when arrived in San Diego almost a week ago.

We were just getting ready to leave for Torrey Pines State Reserve to try for Peregrine Falcons in flight when Denise called softly to me, “Artie.” I glanced to my right and saw that the two adult gulls at the end of the cliff were getting ready to mate. I hustled over and we both began to make images rapidly as the pre-copulatory stand turned into the real thing. Though I rarely hold the hammer down this situation called for making lots of images in a short time. It would be better to try and make as many images as possible than to pick and choose so I held the shutter button down. Problem. The buffer filled quickly and I kept having to wait for it to clear. Denise on the other hand kept blasting away nonstop…. It was then that I realized that I had one of the older 450X Delkin cards in my camera while she had one of Delkin’s new 64GB 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA enabled cards in her 5D Mark III.

When I first got my 5DIII I had had lots of problems with the buffer filling even when I was not rapid-firing. Until I got my hands on one of Delkin’s 700 cards. Since then it had been smooth sailing even when I held the shutter button down. When the dust cleared Denise told me that she was amazed that she had not filled the buffer even though she had taken more than 200 images in just a few minutes. And with the new cards downloading the images with Downloader Pro and Delkin’s Express Card 54 reader in the PCMCIA slot was super-fast as well.

Right after I got my two 64GB 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA enabled cards I became confused when I saw that Delkin had released a series of new 1000X CompactFlash UDMA 7 enabled cards that were roughly $60 to $90 more expensive than the 700X cards. A quick call to Alan Parry, my main man at Delkin, revealed that the 1000X cards were overkill for even the fastest digital cameras with the largest image files; the 1000X cards are designed for folks shooting serious video.

As you can see below Delkin flash cards are dependable! I look forward to wearing the paint off my two new 64GB 700X CompactFlash Pro cards. If you own or will be purchasing a Canon EOS-5D Mark III, will be the first on your block with a 1DX, or own one of the newer faster cameras with large image files you can get yourself some of the new Delkin700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA enabled cards here. We carry them in the 16, 32, and 64MB sizes. If you are doing serious video we can have the 1000X cards on their way to you same day. They come in 16, 32, 64, and 128MB sizes. As for the “I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket” way of thinking, most flash cards are lost when you are changing cards. It is a lot easier to keep track of one card than to keep track of multiple cards. And in 11 years of digital photography all with Delkin flash cards I have never lost a single image to card failure.

After several years of hard use I wore the paint off both of my 32GB 450X cards. They still function perfectly so I keep them around as back-ups or to loan to folks who run out of storage in the field. But after losing some great chances to a filled buffer yesterday I will make sure to have a 700X card in my 5D Mark III 100% of the time.

Canon EOS-1DX

B&H is now accepting pre-orders for the long awaited Canon EOS-1DX professional digital camera body. As much as I love my 5D III I cannot–like many of you–wait to get my hands on the new camera. If you would like to get one in your hands as soon as possible please use this and only this link: Canon EOS-1DX. As soon as you get your receipt from B&H forward it to me via e-mail so that I can pass it along to my contact at B&H who will expedite your order. As there will be huge demand for the 1DX there is no way to tell how long it will be till you get yours but I and Yechiel Orgel will do our best to get one to you asap. If you are able to get one from another source it is easy to cancel your B&H order; your credit card is not charged until your order is shipped.

Shopper’s Guide

Below is a list of the gear used to create the images in today’s post. Thanks a stack to all who have used the Shopper’s Guide links to purchase their gear as a thank you for all the free information that we bring you on the Blog and in the Bulletins. Before you purchase anything be sure to check out the advice in our Shopper’s Guide.

Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lensI finally broke down and purchased my own copy of this great flight photography and general purpose lens.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III. Except when I need extreme focal length, I have been using my 5D III on the 800 a ton. And loving it.

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….
GT3532 LS. This one replaces the GT3530LS Tripod and will last you a lifetime. I’ll be commenting on this new model soon. In short, I like it.
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.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
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.

Congrats to Jenaya Launstein—14 years old. Her image, “Merlin on fence post” is the frst prize winner in the Youth category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition. Nikkor 200-400 f/4 ED VR lens with the Nikon D300 and the TC-14EII teleconverter (on a beanbag at 550mm). ISO 400: 1/320 sec. at f/6.3. Be sure to click on the image to see the spectacular larger version.

Merlin on fence post: Jenaya Launstein—14 years old

Jenaya’s image was voted first by the contest judges in the Youth category receiving 19 out of a possible 25 points. It just edged out Jef Pattyn’s hovering Kestrel image which scored 18 points. All of the judges loved the perfect rule-of-thirds image design, the soft light, the colors and texture of the grasses, the exceptional sharpness, and the perfect head turn.

From Jenaya:

In December, 2011 my dad and I took an evening drive in search of wildlife to photograph near our home in Pincher Creek, Alberta, Canada. We spotted a raptor on a post in a nearby field. We quickly whipped our heads around to see and realized that it was a male Merlin! I am really glad I got this image because he was so beautiful and we don’t see these guys too often around here!

Congratulations to Jef Pattyn–11 years old. His “Kestrel hovering” was awarded second prize in the Youth category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition. Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens at 400mm with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 full stops: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3. Be sure to click on the image to see the larger version.

Kestrel hovering, Jef Pattyn

Jef’s Kestrel was voted second by the contest judges in the Youth category. It received 18 out of a possible 25 points. The sharpness, the beautiful underwing detail, the hunting pose, and the framing make this image special.

From Jef:

I went with my brother and Dad to Zeeland in The Netherlands; my Dad had heard that there were several Short-eared Owls seen in the open fields around the village of Haamstede. While looking for the owls, this Kestrel came close to the road hovering in search of mice. We approached slowly and used our car as a hide. The Kestrel was not disturbed at all.

Congratulations again to Jef Pattyn–11 years old. His “Jabiru Stork silhouette” was awarded third prize in the Youth category of the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition. Canon 100-400mm IS L zoom lens (hand held at 10mm) with the EOS-7D. ISO 6400: 1/160 sec. at f/6.3. Be sure to click on the image to see the larger version.

From Jef:

In the summer of 2011, my family went to Brazil and visited the Pantanal to search for its spectacular wildlife. At the end of our boat on August 12 we got back to our lodge after sunset. To our delight there was a couple of Jabiru storks on the bank of the river. There was almost no light bu it was possible to make create silhouetted images against the fading light of the setting sun.

The judges liked the sunset colors, the composition and sharpness, and the strip of trees at the bottom that frame the image. Julie Zickefoose called this one “Tiki God Storks.”

Congrats!

Congrats to all who placed images in the top ten in the Youth category. You can see all ten honored images here. 58 images made the next to last cut. Only ten went to the judges. Getting to the final round is quite an accomplishment. Prizes (see below) will be shipped once all the winners are announced as several folks had more than one top three images. Be sure to patronize our sponsors; without them, this contest would not exist. There will be more educational stuff from the Contest coming soon.

You Be the Judge: Youth

The judging for the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition is complete. All of the judges including me were stunned by the quality of the images. We will be posting all of the images that were sent to the judges. Each of you will have a chance to judge the images. Please read the directions below carefully. Your votes will not determine the winning images but it will be fun to see how everyone’s votes compare to the votes of the judges.

Below are the ten images in the Youth category that were sent to the five judges: Darrell Gulin, Chris Van Rooyen, Julie Zickefoose, Tim Laman (who filled in for a honey-mooning Andy Rouse), and yours truly. Here is another big time thank you to Darrell, Chris, Julie, and Tim. And a big time thanks also to Peter Kes and Denise Ippolito for helping me choose the images that were sent to the judges. We worked very hard for nearly three full days to get from more than 5500 images down to the final 163.

The Youth category is for images created by young photographers born on or after March 31, 1994. Fewer images were entered in this category than in any other category. Before you vote, please click on each image to view it at full size. Then pick your five favorites and vote them 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 with 5 being your very favorite. Like this:

Hyacinth Macaws on fence: 5
Hawk Owl vertical: 4
Snowy Owl pano: 3
Merlin on fence post: 2
Emu laughing: 1

The “Sample Vote” values above are for illustrative purposes only. Please do not let the sample vote or the vote’s of others influence your vote. Please put each of your five favorites on its own line by hitting “enter” after each one. You can make your life easier by cut and pasting the name of each image that you wish to vote for. No ties; please assign a single digit, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 to each of your five favorites.

If you wish to comment on any or all of the images that you voted for, please do so below your five voting lines; this will make tallying the votes easier. Votes cast by those who fail to follow the formatting directions will be relegated to the Trash Bin.

A tally of the public vote along with the actual winning images for each category will be announced approximately 48 hours after each posting.

Jabiru Stork silhouette

Kestrel hovering

Black-headed Gull braking in flight

Hyacinth Macaws on fence

Hawk Owl vertical

Snowy Owl pano

Merlin on fence post

Emu laughing

Short-eared Owl on post vertical

Great Grey Owl on post