Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Why Micro-adjust?

It’s simple. While the images made with most rigs are sharp, in many cases, they will be that much sharper with more fine detail once a given camera body/lens or camera body/TC/lens combination has been properly micro-adjusted. While some of my rigs are spot on, others have needed front- or back-focusing corrections as high as +/- 12 units.

The Lens Align Mk II; Micro-adjusting Magic!

Ever since the introduction of digital camera bodies that feature micro-adjustments for individual lenses, folks–including me–have been searching for a quick, easy way to make those micro-adjustments. When I was working on the 7D and the Mark IV User’s Guides, I worked hard on developing a make-it-yourself cardboard rig that was a big improvement on the original version. But in reality, it did not offer the needed precision. And in addition to the extremely low cost, the rig took up lots of space–heck, it was huge, and using it was tedious work.

I had heard about Lens Align for some time, but a quick web check revealed that it was expensive. And performing the calibrations seemed to require somewhat of an extraordinary effort…. But, Michael Tapes, the designer/creator/inventor of Lens Align–with the introduction of the Lens Align MkII about 2 years ago–drastically changed the playing field. But having to tether your rig to a laptop still made things a bit on the cumbersome side. Working with both Peter Kes and Robert O’Toole I have developed a neat way to micro-adjust your lenses without being tethered to a laptop or other computer. As with many of my writing projects this one has taken far too long, in fact, the Non-tethered Micro-adjusting Tutorial below comes in second only to the creation of The Art of Bird Photography II; that one took four years but at 916 pages with more than 900 images I had a good excuse.

The Lens Align MkII offers an inexpensive, accurate and repeatable methodology that allows photographers to test for potential front/back focus issues. The MkII maintains the high quality standards of the original LensAlign Pro and uses the same patent pending True Parallel Alignment™ (TPA™) Sighting System that is an exclusive feature of all genuine LensAlign products. TPA allows the user to establish exact parallel alignment between the camera’s sensor-plane and the focus target of LensAlign quickly and easily. The huge failure of all other AF micro-adjustment products and procedures (including my incredibly crude efforts in the two most recent User’s Guide Updates) is their inability to ensure true parallel alignment. TPA is, however, an absolute requirement for accurate and repeatable AF testing and and for making accurate and repeatable micro-adjustments. The Lens Align MkII costs only a fraction of the original Lens Align Pro and–with the slightly longer ruler, and the new ruler patterns, it performs even better. You can order yours right now for only $79.95 plus shipping: ~$6/US or ~$13/INT via Priority Mail. Please be aware that the shipping fees may vary a bit depending on your location or when you order through the BAA On-Line Store. International shipping charges will also vary by country depending on additional fees for customs, VAT, duties, or fees depending on their laws, rules or policies. You can send us a Paypal, call Jim at 863-692-0906, or purchase through the BAA On-Line store here.

Lens Align Non-Tethered Testing & Micro-adjusting Tutorial

Finally!

Non-tethered testing is fast, easy, and much more convenient than tethered testing. Below I will teach you how to do it and how to make a few images to confirm your results.

All you need is a relatively level and open spot for you to set up your lens and the LA Mark II on tripods. I far prefer to work outdoors so that I have lots of light and contrast. I generally try to do my micro-adjusting (MA-ing) on cloudy bright days. Even when working with shorter focal length lenses it is best to work outside. With non-tethered testing it is not necessary to install EOS Utility from the CD that came in the box with the camera. And Nikon folks do not need to purchase Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 Software Full Version for Nikon DSLR Cameras or Breeze Systems’ NKRemote as they did for tethered MA-ing.

Here is exactly how I do non-tethered MA-ing with my Canon gear. I set up a tripod with the big lens that I will be testing with the camera body attached. I make sure that only the central sensor active and that no surrounding points are enabled. I work in Av mode at the wide open aperture. I make sure that the Live View/Movie function is set to Stills. Make sure to set the AF Mode to Quick Mode. I like to have the focus confirmation beep on. I set the ISO high enough to give me a decent shutter speed to ensure that my final confirmation images are sharp. I use rear focus and believe that that is the best option for MA-ing. And I set the Drive Mode to Single Frame Advance.

I keep a spare Wimberley P-5 plate on the base plate of the Lens Align MKII. Next I grab any old tripod–a light one is fine, and screw on my Giotto’s tiny ballhead (the Giottos MH 1302-655) which is ideal for the chore. (Any ballhead will do.) Note: the unit comes with a 1/4 20 threaded hole that requires a mounting plate with a 1/4 20 bolt. Having the LA MII on a small ballhead makes the alignment process (described below) a snap.

Now I take the tripod with the Lens Align MKII atop it and walk off the prescribed distance. It is recommended that all lenses including telephoto lenses be tested at distances of at least 25 times the focal length of the lens. That works out to 8.2 feet per 100mm. I usually work at about 20 times the focal length; that works out to a bit more than 6.5 feet per 100mm. For a 500mm lens that’s about 32.5 feet. You can either estimate the distance by walking it off or use a carpenter’s rule. A good rule of thumb without calculating or measuring anything is to set up so that the corners of the central AF sensor are just touching the edges of the main focusing circle as seen through the viewfinder.

Camera Settings Review

For your calibration efforts it is–as above–imperative to check and make sure that you camera is set up properly for testing:

• Central Sensor AF point (selected manually) with no surrounding points enabled.
• Av mode at the wide open aperture
• Live View/Movie function set to Stills
• The Live View AF Mode needs to be set to Quick Mode
• The (focusing) Beep is On.
• The ISO is set high enough to give you a decent shutter speed to ensure that the final confirmation images (if you choose to make them) are sharp
• Rear button focus is set.
• Drive Mode should be set to Single Frame Advance

Setting Up

Walk off or estimate the distance and set down the small tripod with the LA MII on top. Loosen the ballhead just a bit while still maintaining enough tension to prevent it from flopping. Then point the Lens Align roughly at the lens. Then look through the TPA’s Rear Sighting Port’s Main Target on the back of the unit, center the lens barrel in the center of the viewing port, and tighten the ball. This part is easy.

Next I return to the camera set up and aim the lens so that the central AF sensor is on the center of the large focusing target on the left side of the Lens Align Mark II unit as shown in the image below.. Getting the central sensor to rest precisely on the center of the target once you tighten the tripod head may require several attempts and you will never get it done perfectly. Close is good enough. I will teach you how to deal with this situation below.

Attaining True Parallel Alignment

The next step is to align the camera and lens so that the camera (actually the imaging sensor) is perfectly parallel to the test target. As it turns out, this is–thanks to the brilliance of Michael Tapes and his ingenious design, sometimes fairly easy to do. But at times it can be frustrating. The very best case is to work with a partner who is capable of making minute adjustments to the aim of the LA MII as per your instructions. That way you do not have to walk back and forth until you are happy with your aim and the position of the edge of the red circle inside the hole in the center of the target.

With your tripod head tightened and the central AF sensor on the circular main target, focus, activate Live View, and magnify the image to 10X. As long as you have taken care and centered the lens in the Main Target from behind the device you should see at least parts of the red target circle in the hole in the center of the focusing target. If the circle made by the edge of the red circle is–as shown in the image below–perfectly centered in the hole in the target then you are ready to continue.

If the red circle is well off to one side or too high or too low, you or your assistant will need to re-aim the LA MII, re-focus, re-activate Live View, magnify to 10X, and see how you did. Trial and error is required when attempting to re-aim the LA MII. Sometimes you may get so frustrated that you simply start over by re-aiming from behind through the Rear Sighting Port’s Main Target. In any case, you do not need to have it as perfect as it is in the image above. If you can see at least part of the red circle all the way around you can proceed with confidence.

Non-tethered Testing

You are now ready to determine if your rig–the lens and the camera–are front or back focused. Activate Live View. Turn the manual focusing ring on the lens counter-clockwise to de-focus the image just a bit. You may have to “bend your rig” a bit by shifting the lens so that the AF sensor is precisely on the main target. This is easy to do even with the image de-focused a bit. Then you focus. Now magnify to 5X. Use the joystick to shift the view to your right so that you can see both the main target on the left and the ruler on the right. At 5X the ruler should be just about filling the horizontal frame from top to bottom.

Now look carefully at the pairs or numbers above and below the zero mark. If all the 4s, 8s, and 12s look equally sharp and relatively in focus and the sharpness falls off equally as you look at the pairs of 16s and 20s and the pairs of 28s, 32s, and 36 look equally blurry then the single image that you created is neither front- nor back-focused.

Here’s the rub: in order to determine that your result was not a lucky (or unlucky) fluke, we recommend that you take a look at at least ten Live View rounds of focusing, five slightly de-focused by turning the manual focus ring counter-clockwise, and five slightly de-focused by turning it clockwise. Important note: after viewing in Live View at 5X be sure to go back to the full screen view each and every time before focusing again so that you can be sure–even though you have de-focused the image a bit—that the active AF sensor, the central sensor, is squarely on the main focusing target. If 8 of the 10 show neither front- nor back focus then you are good to go. You can be confident that your rig is neither front- or back-focused.

Just to be clear on everything above. You are not making any images. You are not tethered to a laptop. You are simply focusing multiple times while in Live View and checking the results on the large LCD screen on the back of the camera as detailed above.

Note first that what you see above is roughly what you will see on the rear LCD at 5X magnification. In this image that the 4s, 8s, and 12s are all in relatively sharp and focus falls off equally above and below them. Note that when you view the screen at 5X on the rear LCD that it will be relatively easy to determine front of back focus. This image was actually created with the 500II/5D Mark III with a micro-adjustment of -2 dialed in to correct for slight back-focus.

The image above represents what you would see on the rear LCD if your camera/lens combination were severely back-focused. To correct such severe back focus you would need to dial in an adjustment of approximately -15 units; you want to move the focus towards the camera. Remember, however, that you need to focus about 10 different times after de-focusing the lens manually in different directions. Never make a micro-adjustment based on a single Live View view or test image.

You can see additional examples of front- and back-focusing in the original tutorial here.

To learn to perform the actual micro-adjustment please consult your camera body manual or a BAA camera User’s Guide. Once you have entered the needed micro-adjustment for a given camera body/lens combination you may wish to create a series of three to five test images being sure to de-focus manually after each image. It is not a bad idea to set your Picture Style to Monochrome to make the images easier to see clearly once you download them and view them on the computer to double-check your non-tethered micro-adjustments.

Specific instructions for doing the actual micro-adjustment on the EOS-1D MIV can be found in the original tutorial here.

Important note: you must make individual micro-adjustments for each lens/camera combination and for each lens/teleconverter/camera combination (with individual MAs for the 1.4X and the 2X TC. If you own and use two 1.4X TCs for example, understand that the camera will not be able to differentiate between them. I mark my two 1.4X TCs with a black Sharpie so that I can tell them apart.

If you are confused at all by this tutorial feel free to leave questions or comments below. Do note that I will be without internet access from 10/17 through 11/11. Peter Kes and Michael Tapes, however, will likely be able to help.

News Flashes

The Digital Photo Professional RAW Conversion Guide

I am working with Arash Hazeghi on a short new eGuide, The Digital Photo Professional RAW Conversion Guide (The DPP RCeG). It should be finished in a few days. As regular readers know I have been working more and more in DPP, at first with my 1D X files, and more recently with all of my Canon RAW files. There are many advantages. The eGuide, which should be available this week, will cost $10 and will be sent as a PDF.

Digital Basics News

The basics of converting Canon RAW images in DPP will be included in the next update of Digital Basics. As always, updates are free to all who have purchased Digital Basics. Once the next update is complete, the cost for new purchasers of Digital Basics will go up, from $20 to $25. Buy Digital Basics now or before the next update is released and you will effectively get the DPP Conversion info for free when the update becomes available.

The 1D X Autofocus Guide

The 1D X Autofocus Guide is available for $25. All of the early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Click here for more info (see item 1) or here to purchase.

“The Photographers Guide to Attracting Birds”

The amazing “Photographers Guide to Attracting Birds,” available for only a week, has also been receiving rave reviews. Click here for more info or to purchase.

This Sandhill Crane was photographed at sunset at Bosque del Apache NWR in San Antonio, NM with the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the unfortunately discontinued EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/8 in Tv mode. Central sensor/AI Servo/Rear Focus active at the moment of exposure. Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.

Sunrise/Sunset Silhouette Magic: No Flash Needed

The JPEG above represents the original capture. The image is neither here nor there. It is not an effective silhouette with the crane and its reflection in the pond jet black. There is not enough light on the bird to make the image interesting. At times, hitting the shadowed side of the bird with some flash can yield spectacular results. But using flash is somewhat of a pain. And digital is magic, right? Lastly, the small branch sticking out of the water just beyond the bird’s head is distracting.

This was my first attempt at improving the image. I used Content Aware Fill to eliminate the protruding stick.

I used the Quick Selection Tool to select the bird. Once I made my initial selection I worked large and fine-tuned the edges of the selection. (Holding the Alt key down allows you to subtract from the selection as you paint.) I made sure to save the selection. Then I put the selection on its own layer (Control J) and used curves on a layer (Control M) to lighten the bird only by pulling the curve up. Better, but no cigar.

Now you’re talking!

I was still not too happy with the image so I brought the bird only on its own layer in NIK Color Efex Pro. I applied Detail Extractor at 80% followed by Tonal Contrast at 30%. Digital is magic but here, Color Efex Po was the magician. The final image looks more natural than if I had used flash in the field. Almost forgot, I reloaded my saved selection, selected inverse, and applied a bit of Tonal Contrast to the background only.

The animated GIF above gives you an idea of the progression from the original image through to the optimized master file.

NIK 15% Discount

As regular readers here know, NIK Color Efex Pro has drastically changed my digital 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.

Presented by Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure and Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island, New York. December 8-9, 2012 from 9am-4:30pm.
Weekend: $169. SAT or SUN: $99. Lodging available for out of town guests.
Saturday: Image Capture Sunday: Image Evaluation and Processing

Click here for complete details including the Saturday and Sunday schedules, club and group discount info, and registration incentives and for more info on the In-the-Field Seminar Follow-up Workshop.

Artie, the grizzled veteran, is widely noted as one of the premier bird photographers, tour leaders, and educators on the planet. Denise, who specializes in flowers, is the mega-creative up-and-comer, a popular lecturer, a skilled field instructor, and an amazing Photoshop wizard who will share her tips and tricks with you. Both artie and denise are full time professional nature photographers.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours

Click here for complete IPT information including the current schedule and links to general IPT info, deposit and cancellation policies. and the required registration and release forms.

Shop B&H

“The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds”

Alan Murphy taught the world to create killer images at backyard set-ups in his 106 page eBook, “Guide to Songbird Set-Up Photography.” In his latest effort, “The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds,” he has out-done himself. As I proofread this new e-Book for readability, I was amazed not only by the images, but by Alan’s innovative and creative techniques. Heck, in many cases, I was stunned by his cleverness.

This great brand new eBook is available by download right now for $50. Click on the logo-link below to get your copy. (PayPal payments accepted.)

A while back, Alan asked me to write the forward for”The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds.” Here’s what I had to say:

That Alan Murphy is a superb avian photographer and workshop leader goes without saying. His spectacular images—most often of songbirds in surreally perfect settings—have graced the covers of many popular magazines, the pages of countless books, magazines and calendars, and dozens of websites around the world.

The idea for Alan Murphy’s first eBook, “The Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography,” popped into my head not ten minutes into the great program he did for the Nature and Wildlife Photographers of Long Island group three years ago, almost to the day. I let him know my thoughts right after the conclusion of that program and thus, the songbird set-up guide was born. When we first teamed up to tackle that project, he shared the following story with me:

“Twenty years ago when I first became interested in bird photography, I purchased a copy of the original ‘The Art of Bird Photography.’ I was confused about several topics, including and especially the use of extension tubes. So I got Arthur Morris on the phone. Though he did not know me from Adam, he generously shared 30 minutes of his time with me and answered all of my questions. That is why, to this day, I go out of my way to be help other photographers.”

As I had zero memory of that phone call, I felt that it was most kind of Alan to share the story with me.

In his first eBook, Alan shared many long-held secrets that were carefully developed over time. It was a spectacular start and has helped thousands of folks—including me—to improve their craft and create stronger images. In his next effort, “The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds,” Alan has continued his tradition of sharing in ten, all-new, wide-ranging chapters. While the first eBook dealt mainly with attracting songbirds into photographic range, the new book teaches you to attract birds from many different families: shorebirds, roadrunners, quail and raptors. The latter group includes eagles, vultures, buteos, caracaras and accipiters. And there are, of course, dozens of never-before-revealed tricks for attracting those colorful songbirds: tanagers, flycatchers, warblers, orioles, thrashers, jays, longspurs, cardinals, larks, buntings and woodpeckers, among others. From your backyard to the deserts to the woodlands to arctic tundra, Alan covers it all.

As you read through the new eBook, the words amazing, simple, brilliant, clever, innovative, and practical will come to mind frequently. You will constantly find yourself saying aloud, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

His tips for feeding individual songbirds and then photographing them in flight are simply remarkable, as are those for dealing with bird species that habitually land on barbed wire. Who would think of attracting shorebirds into photographic range? Alan Murphy. And not only does he share his methods and techniques with you, he shares several of the great images he created using each of the strategies.

The chapter on using audio playback to attract birds into photographic range is alone worth the price of the book. In addition to a complete synopsis of the techniques he uses, it contains tips on the recordings themselves, the needed gear and the techniques he uses for specific bird families. And most importantly, he teaches you how to minimize any potential stress on the subjects.

The chapter on blinds and camouflage is full of practical suggestions that will help you in the field. And the one on using decoy owls to attract raptors into range for both flight and perched photography includes lots of stuff that is new to me even though I first began using my very own Cabela’s plastic owl—affectionately nicknamed “Hootie”—more than 15 years ago.

From constructing and designing effective ground perches to using insects and—yes, even road kill—as bait, it seems that every conceivable avian photography situation is covered in detail and includes easy-to-read, easy-to-follow instructions.

I for one can’t wait to get out in the field to try some of the great new techniques that Alan shares with us in “The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds.” Kudos, my friend!

Arthur Morris

Author of The Art of Bird Photography, The Art of Bird Photography II, and the remarkable BIRDS AS ART Blog.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Harris Co, TX. Nikon D2Xs (Replaced by the D4), Nikon 600mm lens, 1.4x TC, ISO 250, f/8 at 1/500 sec. Image courtesy of and copyright Alan Murphy.

In “The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds” you will learn to use audio safely and efficiently while eliminating or minimizing any potential stress on the birds.

Ruddy Turnstone and Blue Crab, Galveston Co, TX. Nikon D3 (Replaced by the D4), 600mm lens, ISO 200, f/6.3 at 1/800 sec. Image courtesy of and copyright Alan Murphy.

Who ever heard of feeding shorebirds to attract them into photographic range? In “The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds” you will learn exactly how to do just that. In detail.

Great Kiskadee, Hidalgo Co, TX. Nikon D3 (replaced by the D4), Nikon 300mm/2.8 lens, ISO 1250, f/2.8 at 1/6400 sec. Image courtesy of and copyright Alan Murphy.

In “The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds” the section on photographing songbirds in flight and routinely capturing them in spectacular poses will blow your mind. I cannot wait to try these incredible techniques.

Audubon’s Oriole, Hidalgo Co, TX. Nikon D3 (Replaced by the D4 and then the D5), 600mm lens, ISO 800, f/7 at 1/1250 sec. Image courtesy of and copyright Alan Murphy.

In “The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds” you will learn to create ground-level bird baths.

“The Photographer’s Guide to Attracting Birds” is available by download right now for $50. Click on the logo-link below to get your copy. (PayPal payments accepted.)

NYC Weekend Nature Photography Seminar

Presented by Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure and Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island, New York. December 8-9, 2012 from 9am-4:30pm.
Weekend: $169. SAT or SUN: $99. Lodging available for out of town guests.
Saturday: Image Capture Sunday: Image Evaluation and Processing

Click here for complete details including the Saturday and Sunday schedules, club and group discount info, and registration incentives and for more info on the In-the-Field Seminar Follow-up Workshop.

Artie, the grizzled veteran, is widely noted as one of the premier bird photographers, tour leaders, and educators on the planet. Denise, who specializes in flowers, is the mega-creative up-and-comer, a popular lecturer, a skilled field instructor, and an amazing Photoshop wizard who will share her tips and tricks with you. Both artie and denise are full time professional nature photographers.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours

Click here for complete IPT information including the current schedule and links to general IPT info, deposit and cancellation policies. and the required registration and release forms.

Shop B&H

Dahlia field, in-camera Mutliple Exposure, Orgeon. Image courtesy of and copyright 2012: Denise Ipplito/A Creative Adventure. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

A Dozen Fun and Funky Reasons to Love the Canon EOS-5D Mark III

In-camera Multiple Exposures (MEs) are a snap. You have lots of options including creating MEs of from 2-9 frames. You can even start with one RAW file and shoot on top of it.

Mountains and meadows, Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, AK. Image copyright 2012 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Creating hand held in-camera HDR images. The Art Vivid option is my favorite. Even better, the camera makes the final HDR so you save tons of processing time. You can set up your 5D III to save all of the RAW images that go into the creation of the HDR so that if you want to go into Photomatix and create a grunge HDR you are all set.

Driftwood HDR. Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, AK. 3-frame in-camera HDR. Image copyright 2012 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The Art Embossed HDR option can work well for textured subjects.

Dahlia blossom, in-camera Mutliple Exposure, Orgeon. Image courtesy of and copyright 2012: Denise Ipplito/A Creative Adventure. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

With the in-camera Multiple Exposure feature you can let your creativity run wild.

Coastal Brown Bear in clamming habitat HDR, Geographic Harbor, Katmai National Park, AK. Image copyright 2012 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The trick with wildlife HDRs is getting the subject to stay still for about two seconds…

Shingles on wall of farmhouse, in-camera HDR, Newton, NJ. Image copyright 2012 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

When working with Art Vivid I often reduce the saturation by 10-20 points when I bring the image into Photoshop.

Sunflower, in-camera 2-frame Mutliple Exposure, Newton, NJ. Image courtesy of and copyright 2012: Denise Ipplito/A Creative Adventure. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Putting one sharp flower image on top of a defocused image in a two-frame in-camera HDR can yield a lovely image.

Patterns in rock wall, HDR. Geographic Harbor, Katmai National Park, AK. 3-frame in-camera HDR. Image copyright 2012 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

When you are photographing wildlife and there is not much going on it’s fun to be able to look for patterns and create in-camera HDRs.

Farmhouse window, in-camera HDR, Newton, NJ. Image copyright 2012 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Looking for patterns and colors that would make nice HDRs is a great way to improve your creative vision.

Sunflower slow shutter speed in-camera HDR, Newton, NJ. Image copyright 2012 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

Loosening the tripod collar and rotating the lens for each ME image can produce interesting results.

Coastal Brown Bear Cub clamming, Geographic Harbor, Katmai National Park, AK. Image copyright 2012 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.

The 5D III is a great full frame wildlife camera.

Black Skimmer ready for an aerial battle, Nickerson Beach, Long Island, NY. Image copyright 2012 Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. Click on the image to enjoy a larger version. The 5D Mark III has a fantastic new autofocus system that is great for birds in flight.

Which Do You Like Best?

Take a moment to let us know which 3 of the 12 images are your favorites, and why.

BG-E11 Battery Grip

The BG-E11 Battery Grip is my #1 accessory for my 5D III. It holds an extra battery for longer shooting sessions and gives you all the vertical buttons and controls.

NYC Weekend Nature Photography Seminar

Presented by Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure and Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island, New York. December 8-9, 2012 from 9am-4:30pm.
Weekend: $169. SAT or SUN: $99. Lodging available for out of town guests.
Saturday: Image Capture Sunday: Image Evaluation and Processing

Click here for complete details including the Saturday and Sunday schedules, club and group discount info, and registration incentives and for more info on the In-the-Field Seminar Follow-up Workshop.

Artie, the grizzled veteran, is widely noted as one of the premier bird photographers, tour leaders, and educators on the planet. Denise, who specializes in flowers, is the mega-creative up-and-comer, a popular lecturer, a skilled field instructor, and an amazing Photoshop wizard who will share her tips and tricks with you. Both artie and denise are full time professional nature photographers.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours

Click here for complete IPT information including the current schedule and links to general IPT info, deposit and cancellation policies. and the required registration and release forms.

Shop B&H

This image of a one year old Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was created at Fort DeSoto with 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 1600. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual 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 for a larger version.

Canon 500mm f/4L IS II Hand Held: How Sharp Is Sharp?

You saw some of the hand held images that I created with the 500 II, the 1.4X III, and the amazing 1D X in last Friday’s blog post. The images presented here give you an even better idea of what is possible with the 4-Stop IS system that was first introduced with the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens and is part of the deal with all of the new Series II Canon super-telephoto lenses. Can you say incredibly sharp?

With the image above I was working at 700mm (14X) at a shutter speed of only 1/250 second. The old rule of thumb for making sharp images hand held was 1 over the focal length of the lens, in this case 1/700 sec. The rule can obviously be thrown our of the window with 4-Stop IS. Do note that with the new lenses it is important to set IS Mode 1 when photographing static subjects hand held (and to switch back to IS Mode 3 for hand held flight and action photography).

This vertical front-end portrait of the same bird was also created with 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 2000. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual 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 for a larger version.

Coming Soon: The EOS-1D X Autofocus Guide

Sharp-eyed readers will note that for both of the images above I used 61-Point AF. Ah, if it would be that simple…. The 5D III and the 1D X feature a fantastic brand new but complex AF system. I am currently working on the EOS-1D X Autofocus Guide. It will cover all of my AF-related menu item and C.Fn. settings and will include my reasoning for each setting and selection as well as numerous screen capture showing the AF system in action.

1D X High ISO Performance

Note the incredible high ISO performance of the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera body. The vibrant colors, low noise levels, and crisp detail–see image next–at ISO 1600, 2000, and beyond open up whole new worlds for nature photographers wishing to work in low light. As I have said before and often here, the 1D X has changed my approach to bird photography more than any other camera I have ever held in my hands.

This is a 100% crop of the vertical front-end portrait immediately above. It is right out of camera: converted in DPP, unsharpened, no NIK.

How Sharp is Sharp?

Note the incredible feather detail in this unsharpened ISO 2000 image viewed at 100%. Be sure to click on the image to see the larger version. Do you see the photographer reflected in the bird’s pupil? That’s me hand holding the 500 II. Can you read the serial # of the lens??? (Only kidding.)

NIK Color Efex Pro

As sharp and detailed as the original image is see how much better it looks with a 40% layer of the Tonal Contrast and a 17 layer of Detail Extractor applied. I used a regular layer mask to paint away a large dark blotch or two that was brought up in the background. Then I eliminated the blotches with Content Aware Fill. Note the differences especially in the feathers of the neck, sides of the breast, and what we can see of the wing coverts.

NIK 15% Discount

As regular readers here know, NIK Color Efex Pro has drastically changed my digital 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.

Digital Basics Image Clean-Up

Clean-up as usual with a 40% Clone Stamp Tool, a series of Quick Masks with layer masks added, the Spot Healing Brush, and my beloved Patch Tool. All of the above as detailed in Digital Basics, a PDF that is sent via e-mail. DB includes my complete digital workflow, all of my time-saving keyboard shortcuts, and dozens of great Photoshop tips. New that I used above to be added to the next free update of Digital Basics is softening the background using the Structure Slider in NIK’s Viveza. I will do my very best to finish the DB update before I leave for the Southern Oceans on 15 October.

NYC Weekend Nature Photography Seminar

Presented by Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure and Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island, New York. December 8-9, 2012 from 9am-4:30pm.
Weekend: $169. SAT or SUN: $99. Lodging available for out of town guests.
Saturday: Image Capture Sunday: Image Evaluation and Processing

Click here for complete details including the Saturday and Sunday schedules, club and group discount info, and registration incentives and for more info on the In-the-Field Seminar Follow-up Workshop.

Artie, the grizzled veteran, is widely noted as one of the premier bird photographers, tour leaders, and educators on the planet. Denise, who specializes in flowers, is the mega-creative up-and-comer, a popular lecturer, a skilled field instructor, and an amazing Photoshop wizard who will share her tips and tricks with you. Both artie and denise are full time professional nature photographers.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours

Click here for complete IPT information including the current schedule and links to general IPT info, deposit and cancellation policies. and the required registration and release forms.

Shop B&H

Thanks!

Thanks to all those who took the time to wish my Mom a happy 90ieth birthday in yesterday’s blog post. I flew from Orlando to Islip early this morning and am sitting here with my Mom in her Holbrook, Long Island, NY home actually watching Sports Center! The big party is on Sunday.

This image of a Snowy Egret fishing near a salt marsh was created in early morning light with 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 at zero: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Well left of the central sensor/Surround/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.

Hand Holding the Canon 500mm F/4 L IS II

As I mentioned on Wednesday, I spent Saturday past at Fort DeSoto with a new client, Dennis Cassidy, a cardiologist from St. Pete who hired me for a rare private day. We had a great time and I was delighted to learn that Dennis is a Happy Camper. Not wanting to drive home in the dark, I got a motel room and headed back to the park early on Sunday morning.

I got to DeSoto early to check out my favorite sunrise location but it was too windy and there was no color at all. As I parked the car I was unsure of what gear I would be working with that day. After putting on my surf booties I decided to go light! I left the 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, my Gitzo 3532 LS CF tripod with the Mongoose M3.6, and my favorite new toy, the Kenko Teleplus PRO 300 DGX 1.4x AF Teleconverter in the car. I grabbed the Canon 500mm f/4L EF IS II USM Lens, the Canon 1.4x EF Extender III (Teleconverter), and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) and headed out to the beach.

I had to wade a good distance through the shallows to reach a small group of wading birds feeding near a salt marsh. I had to be much more careful than usual. When wading with a tripod-mounted lens I always use the rig as a three-legged walking stick. When hand holding in these situations you are pretty much out on a limb; if you fall, there is no saving your close to $20K investment…. So careful I was. Once I got close to the birds the sun broke through and provided some gorgeous light. I actually find it more difficult to hand hold a big lens when working a relatively static subject than when photographing birds in flight or in action; it is harder to keep the lens raised and steady. When working a static subject it is very important to get an active sensor on the bird and work in AI Servo mode so that the movement of your body as it sways to and fro for balance does not throw off the focus. When this bird took flight I simply pressed and held the star button to track the moving bird. The resulting images were sharp but I was not fond of the Great Egret in the background.

Next I encountered a tame first year Yellow-crowned Night Heron that will be the focus of a future blog post.

This fishing Reddish Egret was photographed with 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 3200. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual 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 for a larger version.

Expect to Use Higher ISOs When Hand Holding in Low Light

When it clouded over I worked along the edge of the surf photographing a variety of birds including the Reddish Egret above and the Sandwich Tern below. When hand holding in relatively low light you will be using the higher ISOs than usual to ensure fast enough shutter speeds so it is more important than ever to expose to the right….

This fishing winter plumage Sandwich Tern was photographed with 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 1600. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the sky: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Central Sensor Surround/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.

The Weight

After about 90 minutes of hand holding the 500 II the muscles in my left arm were becoming a bit fatigued. Lots of folks routinely hand hold the current 600 f/4L IS (11.83 pounds!). At 7.04 pounds the new 500 II is exactly 1 1/2 pounds lighter then the previous 500mm. It is right at my limit for hand holding but most younger and stronger folks would have little problem hand holding this lens all day long with proper technique. To check the specifications including the weight in both pounds and kgs and the minimum focusing distances in both feet and meters for all the Canon telephoto lenses be sure to bookmark the page here.

“Take a load off Annie, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me.” From “The Weight” by The Band.

This winter plumage Caspian Tern was photographed while coming in for a landing with 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 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop off the sky: 1/1600 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. Central Sensor Surround/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.

Get Low for Flight at the Beach

As the tide came in the sun broke through and numbers of birds began landing on a sandbar. I made my way past the sandbar to the proper sun angle (point your shadow at the bird), sat down, and began creating flight images. Getting low helps you to clean up the lower part of the image by eliminating vegetation and birds already on the beach. Royal and Sandwich terns predominated. I was thrilled to make a few good images of the much larger and less common Caspian Terns. Notice that the sun reflecting off the sand illuminated the bird’s undersides beautifully.

This Marbled Godwit was photographed with the Canon 500mm f/4L EF IS II lens, the Canon 1.4x EF tele-extender III, and the Canon EOS-1D X. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Central Sensor Surround/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.

He’s a Happy Man

By now my left arm was good and tired so I got down on my belly, rested the lens foot on the sand, and began concentrating on the shorebirds like the Marbled Godwit above. Before I knew it I was lying in two inches of water. :). Wet sand covered me, my new $10,000+ lens, and my $6,000+ camera body. I could not have been happier. But it was time–after a quick shower–to make the 2 hour 15 minute drive back to Indian Lake Estates and watch some NFL football. That was a nice 4th quarter comeback by Eli and the Giants.

Thanks to Robert Kimbrell who created this image of me at my request at the very end of my morning of hand holdling the 500 II and the 1D X. Note all the sand.

Conclusions

If I was able to hand hold the new Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X III TC and the 1D X for four hours, doing so for a full day should be a breeze for younger and/or stronger folks. For most of the morning I had the lens’s limit range switch set to far and had set the IS to Mode 3. I turned the tripod collar so that it pointed to the sky as I feel that this makes hand holding easier. Others disagree. Though I have not mentioned it the AF system and the frame rate of the 1D X are beyond superb and are responsible for great changes in my approach to bird photography. It was a pleasure to be afield with no tripod and with a relatively lightweight super-telephoto lens. You can tell by the look on my face in the image above.

NYC Weekend Nature Photography Seminar

Presented by Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure and Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island, New York. December 8-9, 2012 from 9am-4:30pm.
Weekend: $169. SAT or SUN: $99. Lodging available for out of town guests.
Saturday: Image Capture Sunday: Image Evaluation and Processing

Click here for complete details including the Saturday and Sunday schedules, club and group discount info, and registration incentives and for more info on the In-the-Field Seminar Follow-up Workshop.

Artie, the grizzled veteran, is widely noted as one of the premier bird photographers, tour leaders, and educators on the planet. Denise, who specializes in flowers, is the mega-creative up-and-comer, a popular lecturer, a skilled field instructor, and an amazing Photoshop wizard who will share her tips and tricks with you. Both artie and denise are full time professional nature photographers.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours

Click here for complete IPT information including the current schedule and links to general IPT info, deposit and cancellation policies. and the required registration and release forms.

Shop B&H

Saw Whet Owl. Image copyright 2012: Dan Cadieux. This image was created with the following gear hand held:

How Dan Cadieux Masters the Canon EOS-7D

Dan Cadieux, a Canadian federal government employee, lives with his wife Chantal in Ottawa Canada. He is the proud father of two boys and an avid bird/nature photographer in his free time. He is a skilled, hard-working moderator in the Avian Forum at Bird Photographers.Net. As of 8:02 am on September 18, 2012 he has started 1112 threads and posted 12,310 comments. Most of the threads include one of his great images posted for critiquing. In most of the comments he is critiquing the work of others telling what he likes, what he does not like, and offering suggestions for improvement. He is an invaluable member of the BPN staff. You can learn more about Dan here.

All of the images in yesterday’s blog post, Answers in 48 Hours…, and all of the images here were created by Daniel with the Canon EOS 7D SLR digital camera and the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM autofocus lens. As Dan does not own a tripod all of the images were created hand held.

Warbling Vireo singing. Image copyright 2012: Dan Cadieux. This image was created with the following gear hand held:

The Much-Maligned Duo

Both the Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM autofocus lens (“not sharp at 400mm, slow-to focus, poorly constructed,”) and the EOS 7D (“sub-par quality sensor, too noisy at the higher ISOs”) have been much-maligned by the so-called internet experts and others. With the images here, Dan Cadieux puts those myths to rest once and for all.

Below, in a guest blog post written especially for you at my request, Dan lets you know exactly how he captures and processes the great images that he so kindly shares with you here. Be sure to visit Dan’s website here and his BPN gallery here. Like me I am positive that you will be impressed by the artistic beauty and the technical perfection of Dan’s images. Enjoy. I am pretty sure that Dan will be glad to answer any questions that you have. To do so, please leave a comment below.

Semipalmated Plover, juvenile plumage. Image copyright 2012: Dan Cadieux. This image was created with the following gear hand held:

Canon 7D processing 101

by Daniel Cadieux

Ever since Canon’s introduction of the EOS 7D in 2009 there has been quite the fuss over its image quality (IQ), or more precisely, noise level performance at the higher ISOs. We’ve all seen, heard, or read statements about how bad and unusable its files are with anything created at ISO 400 or higher. Is the 7D really that bad?

Many folks have contacted me about the “clean” results I’ve been able to achieve with this much-maligned camera. In this tutorial I will share my workflow and hopefully demonstrate that the answer to the above question is a resounding “No!” This tutorial is not meant to be scientific; it does not include tests, charts, graphs, comparisons, or pixel-peeping samples. There is a market and a demand for that type of information but providing it is not my intent here. It is not meant to compare the 7D to its much more expensive cousins such as the cameras in the 1D or the 5D series. It is simply a short tutorial written for hobbyists, especially those on a budget, or for those still on the fence about purchasing a 7D. It will show that the Canon EOS-7D is indeed worth a second look and that it is more than capable of creating terrific, high quality images in real-world situations.

Bohemian Waxwing on snow. Image copyright 2012: Dan Cadieux. This image was created with the following gear hand held:

I work at ISO 800 more than half the time. Many folks find that 7D image quality is unacceptable at ISO 800; here I share my workflow which shows how I create quality images with my 7D/100-400 set up.

The in-camera part of my workflow is short and sweet; it assumes that the user is proficient at exposing images properly. Here are two important points: The first is the importance of micro-adjusting each of your lenses. The 7D is capable of producing images with incredible detail, but it will not do that if your rig is front- or back-focusing with a given lens. (Note: the best way of micro-adjusting each of your lenses to your camera boy is with the Lens Align Mark II.) The second is that you must learn to “expose to the right”(ETTR); this means simply that you need to expose your images so that the histogram shows data well into the right-most box (the fifth box). If an image has bright whites in it it is fine to have a very few blinkies on the whites as blinkies are just over-exposure warnings. This will yield the best results after post-processing especially with images that have blacks or dark tones. At the very least do not underexpose your images. This is basically true for every DSLR anyhow, but the 7D can struggle a bit more with noise in deep shadows when you need to add back light in post processing. Other than those there is nothing out of the ordinary to do in-camera.

My post-processing workflow is more detailed, but it is rather simple and easy to emulate. (Warning: I never use layers and rarely use masks thus they are not mentioned; you may of course use them if they are part of your normal workflow).

Cattle Egret in flight. Image copyright 2012: Dan Cadieux. This image was created with the following gear hand held:

I use Lightroom 3 (LR3) for processing my RAW files; ACR is basically the same and other RAW converters work similarly. I start off with all the LR3 settings intact and from the menu options at right in the “Develop Module” I start from the top and work my way down. The first two sliders, White Balance and Tint, are most often left untouched. I work almost exclusively in Auto White Balance.

The next group of sliders is the most important. First I “correct” the exposure, which, if I have used the ETTR method correctly, means that I need to lower the value here. It can be as small as 0.10 stop, or as much as a full stop or more. The Recovery and Fill Light sliders are great if there is still a bit of clipping at either end of the histogram. Recovery can be used fairly aggressively and still look natural. Not so with Fill-Light, but it can be combined with a reduction in the Blacks (which is defaulted at +5) to produce a less problematic result. I may boost Contrast from +25, the default, to as much as +50 or so for photos made with mostly midtones or those created in very flat light. The next two sliders, Clarity and Vibrance, are usually boosted anywhere from +8 to +12. Although noise reduction (NR) is good in LR3 I do not find localized adjustments as user-friendly as in Photoshop (PS) where I do my NR.

Limpkin just before sunset. Image copyright 2012: Dan Cadieux. This image was created with the following gear hand held:

That’s basically it for LR3. Next I convert the file to a 16 bit tiff and open it in Photoshop. Note: I am currently using CS2. Even though I do a good job in LR3 in prepping the files, I feel that PS can take things up another notch. The first thing that I do is double check the exposure in Levels. Sometimes a small tweak is needed, most times not. Next I make whatever localized adjustments are needed with the Dodge and Burn tool. I use the Dodge Tool to open up areas with harsh shadows especially under a bird’s belly, chin, or undertail coverts, or to lighten too dark areas in the background or the foreground. Conversely I use the Burn Tool to tame overly light areas in the frame. I touch up the eye on 90% of my bird images by lightening the iris and/or darkening the pupil. My default settings for both of these tools are a soft brush (0% hardness) with the range set to midtones and the exposure at 8%. The same goes for the Sponge Tool which is my favorite “color enhancer” or “reducer.” I use it to enhance the iris color which may have become a bit washed-out after I’ve lightened it. I may also use it to enhance colors such as the yellow lores of a Savannah Sparrow or the green sheen on the head of a drake Mallard. These are the tools that I use the most in PS; many of the compliments that I get about my post processing skills are a result of the use of these tools.

Grasshopper Sparrow singing. Image copyright 2012: Dan Cadieux. This image was created with the following gear hand held:

I do other types of touch-ups including cloning, patching, spot healing, and cropping to format needed, but nothing unusual or groundbreaking and all stuff that is covered in detail in Artie’s Digital Basics File. I save a final version of the file, a finished version without NR or sharpening applied. This is my “master file.” I go back to it in order to prep images for web or for print. Then I open the file and apply the finishing touches (NR and sharpening via Unsharp Mask–USM) but only after after the image is sized for use. This, in my opinion, is an area of high confusion as many folks over-complicate things. Here is the simple way that I do things. With most files I apply NR to the whole image using the Noise Ninja plug-in for PS; any such software will do a nice job. Then I use the History Brush at 100% opacity and “paint” away the NR on the subject, the perch, and any other areas of high detail that are in focus or are covered by the depth-of-field. I do not use NR on any image created at ISO 400 or below unless I messed up the exposure and need to recover (lighten) it aggressively in post

Osprey in flight. Image copyright 2012: Dan Cadieux. This image was created with the following gear hand held:

The last step is to apply USM. For images that have had NR applied, I sharpen the whole image. Yes, the whole image. With images that have had no NR applied, I only sharpen the subject, the perch, and whatever else is in focus.

For every image file I set the Radius to 1.3 and the Threshold to 0; the Amount varies between 120 and 170. That’s it! Really! Keep in mind that the results look bad if the image is viewed at anything larger than the intended size and they will look downright awful if viewed at 100% or more. This is normal. The results, however, are awesome when the images are viewed at the intended size for display or print.

I hope that after trying my recommendations you conclude that the 7D really is a great camera that offers amazing image quality with noise characteristics that are easily handled with one round of NR applied to the images created at the higher ISOs. It is no different than any of the other crop-factor cameras out there. Opinions will surely vary, but for me, this is the perfect camera for a hobbyist on a budget and even for the pro who needs a great crop-factor camera with lots of pixels. If you have been sitting on the fence about the purchase of a 7D I recommend that you go right ahead and try one, you might be quite surprised at the results. Ignore the mixed reviews as I did. And I haven’t looked back since!

Snow Bunting female on snow. Image copyright 2012: Dan Cadieux. This image was created with the following gear hand held:

Thanks Dan!

Thanks Dan for sharing your amazingly beautiful images and your 7D workflow with us here. Your love of birds and your high levels of skill as a bird photographer are quite evident in your images. This article and your work should serve as an inspiration for the legions of folks out there who cannot afford to purchase a Canon 1D X and a 600mm f/4L IS II lens. And as an inspiration to those who can!

Canon EOS-7D User’s Guide

The 7D UG (e-Book) is pretty much amazing. Most everything on the 7D was brand new when the camera was introduced and many folks were shaking their heads in confusion. With the 7D UG you will learn everything that you need to know about setting up and operating your camera so that you are able to consistently produce the images that you want. This all new guide, hugely popular guide will open your eyes as to the possibilities. I share all of my Menu and Custom Function settings along with the reasons for each of my choices. I describe each of the five AF Area Selection Modes in detail and let you know which ones I use for what and why! There is a ton of stuff in this guide that you will never see or hear anywhere else. You will, for example, learn how I create, save and use three different personalized Camera User Settings. Or how to set up and use Live View for a variety of nature photography applications. The entire guide is of course written in my easy to read, easy to follow, designed-for-dunces how-to style. It’s so easy that even a child could follow along. Do note that 7D UG does not cover the creation of video. You can order your e-mailable PDF here.

Which is your favorite?

Take a moment to let us know which of the seven images above is your favorite and be sure to let us know why you like it. Ties are OK. BTW, my favorite image in the orginal series was the singing Grey Catbird.

Used Canon 100-400mm lens for sale

Steve Vige

Steve Vige is offering a used Canon 100-400 in excellent condition for sale. It includes the pouch and the original Canon box: $999 buyer pays shipping.

Please contact Steve on his cell at 661-305-0307 (west coast time) or via e-mail.

NYC Weekend Nature Photography Seminar

Presented by Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure and Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island, New York. December 8-9, 2012 from 9am-4:30pm.
Weekend: $169. SAT or SUN: $99. Lodging available for out of town guests.
Saturday: Image Capture Sunday: Image Evaluation and Processing

Click here for complete details including the Saturday and Sunday schedules, club and group discount info, and registration incentives and for more info on the In-the-Field Seminar Follow-up Workshop.

Artie, the grizzled veteran, is widely noted as one of the premier bird photographers, tour leaders, and educators on the planet. Denise, who specializes in flowers, is the mega-creative up-and-comer, a popular lecturer, a skilled field instructor, and an amazing Photoshop wizard who will share her tips and tricks with you. Both artie and denise are full time professional nature photographers.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours

Click here for complete IPT information including the current schedule and links to general IPT info, deposit and cancellation policies. and the required registration and release forms.

Shop B&H

Grand Prize: You Be the Judge

Join in the fun and learn a ton while you still have the chance by clicking here. Voting for the Grand Prize winning image in the BIRDS AS ART 1st International Bird Photography Competition will be closed at 8am this coming Tuesday, September 18.

This image of a molting adult Black-bellied Plover was created yesterday afternoon from my SUV with the Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM Autofocus Lens and the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR Camera (Body Only). ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. The big lens was supported by a BLUBB (Big Lens Ultimate BeanBag) resting on the lowered window of my vehicle. Converted in DPP. 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 for a larger version.

Pissed Off

Not me, the plover. 🙂 This bird was a big bully. It spent most of the afternoon beating up other black-bellieds and bluff-charging the SHort-billed Dowitchers that were foraging nearby. I managed a few frames of one fight but with the wind from the east I got nothing usable. In this image the bird is performing a threat display that is being directed at another plover feeding nearby in an effort to defend its feeding territory.

As you might surmise I am loving my 1D X. The AF system is actually better than the similar AF system in the 5D Mark III . As I said before I even got my hands on a 1D X, “It will be a 5D III on steroids.” My assessment proved to be accurate. That said, the 5D III has a superbly effective and accurate autofocus system.

This is a DPP (Digital Photo Professional) screen capture showing the active AF points at the moment of capture.

1D X AF

Even though the latest version of BreezeBrowser Pro supports the 1D X, the Show Focus Points feature does not function. As you can see in the screen capture above showing the original image, 61-Point AF worked superbly here (though I could have pointed the lens even more to the right). Note that I cropped from the left and below to get the subject even more into the corner of the frame. I have set up my 1D X so that only three of the AF Area Selection Modes are active. I will be sharing all of my thoughts on the 1D X AF system in the 1D X User’s Guide; as I am beyond swamped, it will be a while before I even begin working on that….

Careful readers will note that I have been doing more and more of my 1D X conversions with DPP recently, that with help from brilliant BPN member Arash Harzeghi. I am trying hard to get Arash to write a basic guide to doing conversions in DPP as the results are clearly superior to ACR conversions in terms of color fidelity and image quality.

NIK COlor Efex Pro

Note that the bird in the optimized image that opens this blog post seems spotlit. After I applied an 80/3O NIK layer (80 Tonal Contrast/30 Detail Extractor) I painted the effect in on the bird using a Hide-All Mask. Then I clicked on the layer and pulled the curve (Control M) quite a bit to lighten only the subject. A new technique was born. I love the spotlit look of the subject as compared to its dreary rendition in the original capture as seen in the screen capture.

Learn how to use Regular and Hide-All Masks in our Digital Basics File, an e-mailable PDF that includes our complete digital workflow, our customized keyboard shortcuts, and dozens of great Photoshop tips.

NIK 15% Discount

As regular readers here know, NIK Color Efex Pro has drastically changed my digital workflow. Remember that 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.

Shop B&H

Shop B&H. Support the BAA Blog. Support the BAA Bulletins. Show your appreciation by making your purchases immediately after clicking on any of the links below. We want and need to keep providing you with the latest free information, photography and Photoshop lessons, and all manner of related information.

If You Photograph Nature, You Gotta Read This!

Denise Ippolito at Nickerson Beach photographing terns on the morning after the IPT. When you come across a single photographer photographing a small group of birds the best course is to let them be and to give them and the birds a wide berth as you pass by…. Image above created at f/5.6 with the:

Field Etiquette for Nature Photographers

I was walking along a narrow path next to Little Estero Lagoon while scouting for a Southwest Florida IPT. About 50 yards ahead of me there were two American Oystercatchers foraging. The only problem was that 35 yards ahead of me a photographer was lying on his belly photographing the pair of attractive birds. They were catching big worms and the light was lovely… What to do? The guy was on the wet sand was facing away and was not at all aware that I was there. If I called to him (to ask if I could join him) I risked scaring the birds away. So I stood there for 30 minutes and watched with a bit of envy. Finally I decided that I would join him by starting my crawl from way back so as not to flush the birds.

I advanced slowly a few yards, remaining well outside of this species usual circle of fear. I slowly and carefully got down on one knee and the birds did not notice me, but as I lowered myself to the prone position, one of the birds (to my dismay) screamed its strident alarm call. Both birds leaned forward and took flight. I felt absolutely terrible and was about to explain that I had waited for half an hour when the photographer turned towards me and exclaimed, “Artie, it’s great to see you!” Then Tim Fitzharris—a friend, a well-known professional nature photographer and author, and one of the folks who inspired me early on, reached into an upper pocket, grabbed his walkie-talkie, raised his wife (who was in their small motor home nearby with their son Jesse), and said, “Joy, you would not believe whom I just ran into while crawling in the mud!”

Folks are usually not so glad to see you when you scare their subjects away….

You are walking down a desolate beach when you see a photographer working a beautiful Reddish Egret, a species you have dreamed of photographing. What to do? First off, as we saw in the example above, you need to stay well back. If you opt to leave the photographer and his subject, be sure to give both a wide berth while passing them. Many photographers think, “I will be polite and walk around this situation,” and then they choose a route that flushes the bird (or especially, a flock of birds; it is usually easier to approach a single bird than it is to approach a flock: scare one, scare all…) As a general rule, plan your route by doubling the distance that you think necessary to avoid flushing the subject(s).

If the photographer is aware of your presence, you have another option: you can ask as quietly as possible or gesture by pointing appropriately to indicate “Can I join you?” If they nod or assent, you need to be especially careful as to how you make your approach. First, you must consider your route. Approaching from directly behind the photographer is almost always best. You can actually hide behind the person who was there first as you make your approach. If the photographer is standing and you are going to approach while standing, you need to keep the front leg of your tripod low. It is often best to carry your tripod in front of you rather than on your shoulder. And you will need to move slowly, very slowly. I am often amazed at folks who think that “slowly” means to walk as if you were in a supermarket and were late for dinner… If you are walking through shallow water or muck or algae, listen to your footsteps. By doing so and placing each foot down carefully you can make your approach much less obtrusive.

If the photographer is kneeling you need to get down on your knees while you are well back and then again, make your approach slowly. If the photographer is down on his belly, you need to get down on your belly, again, while you are well back, and crawl your way in. Walking right up to a photographer who is either kneeling or crawling is unconscionable. In all cases your number one concern must be to avoid flushing the subject or the flock.

If there is only one flock of birds in sight and there are several photographers already in position then you have a bit more freedom; you can approach carefully without asking, make sure to go in low and slow. As always, you need to take great care to avoid flushing the flock. There are of course many grey areas here… In some situations, as with an obviously tame bird, you can simply approach without much concern. An example might be a fisherman-friendly Great Blue Heron that is used to being in close proximity to humans. As with all aspects of photography, knowing your subject is of paramount importance. If I came across someone photographing a Horned Lark while lying flat on the grass I would never even consider approaching as this species is notoriously flighty.

If you encounter a tour group that is photographing the only birds on the beach, then joining them would—in my opinion—be appropriate. If, however, they are tossing fish to attract the birds, then it might be inappropriate to join them unless you ask or are invited to do so. An option would be to take a position well behind the group while using a longer lens. And, by the way, if you are a member of a tour group, the restrictions on approaching birds or animals being photographed by other members of the group are greatly relaxed. That said, be sure to move slowly and to get low if need be. And if you are a member of a tour group, it is doubly imperative that you be doubly considerate of other photographers who are not part of your group.

” … if you are a member of a tour group, the restrictions on approaching… other members of the group are greatly relaxed….” If you’d like to join us in Katmai next September please contact me via e-mail. Image above created with the hand held:

There is one exception to the above. If one of the group has split well off from the group and gotten close to a nice bird (or a nice flock of birds), I would suggest that you treat them as if they were a stranger, that is, with great respect.

At Homer, Alaska, when it was legal to feed the Bald Eagles there, I would routinely spend more than $1,400 on fish over a ten day period; herring is a relatively healthy eagle snack. Many photographers, certainly more than a dozen, followed my group around the Spit as if they were members of the group. They joined right in, often getting in front of the folks in my group. Though I did not say a word—except to those who carelessly stepped in front of others—I firmly believe that their behavior was inappropriate. When folks are paying for a service, it’s rude to intrude.
In all group situations, it is imperative to be aware of the position of the others in the group. If someone is looking through their viewfinder at a subject, you are not free to walk in front of them as you please. To do so is inconsiderate. You can either walk behind them or, you can ask them if it would be OK for you to pass. When I want to get by someone quickly, I often stand just outside their field of view and say “Say when…” implying that they should let me know when it is OK to pass.

If you want to walk in front of someone who is changing teleconverters or chatting with a friend then you can do so with impunity. I saw a woman at the Venice Rookery berate another photographer for walking in front of her tripod mounted lens (even though the complaining photographer was more than 10 feet away from her rig!) If you are photographing with or in the vicinity of a group and you opt to stay well back from the subject or the flock while everyone else is photographing the same subjects from much closer range, it is usually best for you to adjust your position in response to the folks up front changing their positions. I have seen folks photographing a subject from a hundred yards away chastise other photographers who were working a tame subject from much closer range with short lenses. If you choose to stay well back and work with a long lens, you are the one who needs to move. With your narrow field of view you will only have to move a very short distance to get a clean shot. On the other hand, if several folks are working a subject with a long lens, it would not be proper for you to block them by approaching the subject.

If you have worked hard to get close to a great subject or a flock of birds—remember that working the edge of a flock is usually best, be sure to exit as carefully as you approached so that you do not disturb the birds. And that is true whether you are by yourself or with a large group. I have on countless occasions seen a selfish photographer who is finished working a bird or a group of birds simply stand up when they were done thus flushing the bird(s). That is like saying, “I am done and I do not care at all about you or the birds….”

If you are photographing migrant songbirds in wooded areas or edges such as The Tip at Point Pelee National Park near Leamington, Ontario or at the Convention Center on Padre Island, TX, the guidelines are quite different. If there are several photographers around, it is pretty much open season as the warblers, tanagers, vireos, and the rest of the cast are usually intent on feeding and are pretty much oblivious to our movements. Be sure, however, to move slowly, to be fairly quiet, and to avoid cutting in front of others. In such situations the birds move to the next bush or fly away pretty much when they are ready to… On the other hand, if there is a single photographer in the woods working a thrush—they are usually quite skittish, it is usually best to take another path and search for your own bird. Another option would be to stand quietly and hope that the bird moves towards your position.

Here are some guidelines to follow when photographing from your vehicle on a refuge tour route or a shoreline with vehicle access (like East Beach at Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg, FL.) If the car in front of you is close to a skittish subject, it is best to either give them a few minutes with the subject before trying to get into position, or, if possible, to pass them by without scaring off the subject. If in doubt, it is best to give them a bit of time with the subject before you attempt to go by them. If you are positive that the bird or animal is tame you can approach at any time. When you do approach, do so slowly and with extreme care. On a related note, it is best to approach subjects with your telephoto lens in place on the window; raising the lens and sticking it out the window once you are close to the subject will often frighten it away. (Note: if you are photographing from your vehicle with a big lens it should be on a BLUBB.) Here’s another fine point: if you position your vehicle in front of the car that was on the scene first and the animal moves towards you position, you are not obligated to move your vehicle. If the other driver is savvy, they will simply pull ahead of you and hope—as will often be the case—that the subject continues to move in the same direction.

Under no circumstances is it permissible to leave your vehicle and approach a photographer working from their vehicle. At Merritt Island, I had just pulled up to a huge flock of White Pelicans doing their group feeding thing—they were herding and catching huge mullet–in a pool right next to the road when a car pulled up behind me. A guy got out with an intermediate telephoto lens and all the birds flew away, about two miles away… At East Beach at Fort DeSoto I had a group of five American Avocets right outside my car. Another photographer left his vehicle, walked several hundred yards towards my position with his big lens on his shoulder, and scared all the birds away. You gotta love it. When the inevitable occurs, it is fine—if you are comfortable doing so—to let the offender know politely that their behavior was inappropriate. No matter how egregious the offense, screaming or cursing will not help the situation at all.

It goes without saying that we all must follow the rules when working in controlled areas. If the signs say “Stay on the Path,” then we must stay on the path. If the sign says “Area Closed,” then we must not enter. To do otherwise gives all photographers a black mark. At present, because of the actions of a relatively few, many refuge managers consider all photographers criminals. If you encounter another photographer breaking the rules you might consider informing them as politely as possible that their behavior is improper. If the other photographer ignores your request, it is best to move on. You might consider jotting down a description or better yet, a license plate number, and letting the authorities know what you observed. Best would be to photograph the offending photographer in action and then photograph their license plate. When you do opt to report someone to the authorities you are—in my opinion—obligated to leave your contact information.

The suggestions above are guidelines based on my 28 years of field experience. There are of course lots of grey areas and close calls. At all times, however, it is best to obey the posted rules,to use common sense, and to be considerate of others and the subjects that they are photographing.

Malcolm MacKenzie photographing at Nickerson Beach with his 400mm f/2.8L IS II lens and a 1DX. Malclom was a participant on the Nickerson Beach IPT; though he was part of the group I cautioned others not to approach him in this situation as he had gone off on his own, gotten to a good spot, and had some young Black Skimmers and just fledged Common Terns right in front of him. Malcolm’s gear:

Comments, Questions, and Your Thoughts

Comments, questions, and your thoughts on anything above are of course welcome. Feel free to share your tales of folks who really need to study the materials here 🙂 Please do leave a comment.

Nickerson Baby Beach-nesting Birds IPT: July 23-25, 2013: $1099. Introductory slide program: Monday, July 22, 2013. Limit 12/Openings 8. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito.

Join Denise and me on Long Island, NY next summer to photograph Common Tern chicks, baby American Oystercatchers, and just-hatched Black Skimmer chicks along with the adults. The opportunities will include chances to photograph a variety of breeding behaviors including courtship feeding, display flight and combat, and copulations. Car-pooling is recommended; if we opt to return to the beach before 5pm there is a $30/vehicle parking fee that is not included so it is best to share that expense. Parking in the morning is free.

I expect that many who have photographed with us at Nickerson before at different seasons will wish to join us for this very special Nickeron IPT. Both Denise and I will be speaking at the 2013 NECCC event the weekend before this IPT.

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: 3.

We will take one or more float planes to the boat mid-morning on September 2. e will photograph bears that afternoon and every day for the next six days (weather permitting of course). We should have bears catching salmon every day. In addition, we will get some nice stuff on Mew Gull and Glaucous-winged Gulls dining on roe and the remains of predated salmon. We may–depending on where the concentrations of bears are located–get to photograph harbor seals and some hauled out Steller’s Sea Lions (an endangered species). Halibut fishing (license required) is optional. On September 9, our last morning on the boat, we will photograph in the early morning and then take return to Kodiak via float plane.

Please e-mail for complete details.

NYC Weekend Nature Photography Seminar

Presented by Denise Ippolito/A Creative Adventure and Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Hilton Garden Inn, Staten Island, New York. December 8-9, 2012 from 9am-4:30pm.
Weekend: $169. SAT or SUN: $99. Lodging available for out of town guests.
Saturday: Image Capture Sunday: Image Evaluation and Processing

Click here for complete details including the Saturday and Sunday schedules, club and group discount info, and registration incentives and for more info on the In-the-Field Seminar Follow-up Workshop.

Artie, the grizzled veteran, is widely noted as one of the premier bird photographers, tour leaders, and educators on the planet. Denise, who specializes in flowers, is the mega-creative up-and-comer, a popular lecturer, a skilled field instructor, and an amazing Photoshop wizard who will share her tips and tricks with you. Both artie and denise are full time professional nature photographers.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours

Click here for complete IPT information including the current schedule and links to general IPT info, deposit and cancellation policies. and the required registration and release forms.

Shopper’s Guide

Thanks a stack to all who have used our B&H affiliate 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.

Staples 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.

Delkin 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA Enabled Cards

All of the images above were catpured on Delkin’s new 64gb 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA Enabled Card. Learn more about these great cards by clicking here and learn why the more expensive 1000X cards are overkill for still photographers.

This image of an adult Great Black-Backed Gull with a dead juvenile skimmer was created with the hand held Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS II lens, 1.4X III TC, and the unfortunately discontinued Canon EOS-1D Mark. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. Central Sensor/AI Servo Rear Focus and recompose. (I was seated with the rig braced on my left knee.) Click here if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to enjoy a larger, more spectacular version. Denise and I stayed very late on Friday evening after all of the group had headed home. I found a Great Black-backed Gull dining on a baby skimmer well after sundown. Being a bit tired after three full grueling days I had headed out with only the 300 f/2.8L IS II.

Why Join a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour?

Why join a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT)? They are expensive. They do not include transportation or lodging. So why are most sold out long in advance? I’ve heard that artie does not care if you learn and that he will push you out of the way to get his shot. What gives? Denise Ipplolito and I recently co-led my Nickserson Beach/Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. We had a full house of 10 including four repeat clients. After the IPT we received the e-mails below.

If you’ve ever spent a single dime on improving your skills as a nature photographer I urge you to read every e-mail presented here.

From Canon-gal Dierde Sheer-Gross:

To Artie and Denise, and to all of my new fellow bird photography adventurers, Many Thanks! The IPT was the GREATEST!!!! I so loved our time together. I learned a “ton,” so many new things about photography (equipment; technique; composition; anticipation and positioning; remembering to “tell the story;” the importance of the background; I could go on. And I learned a “stack” about birds and their behaviors; and the post production tips and techniques were terrific: Photoshop, Nik & beyond; and I even learned some about life–that Artie really is a sweetie. Many, many, many thanks. I am looking forward to the next ones and to seeing you both at the NYC Seminar. With affection and a passion for the birds, Deirdre
ps: I hope that you don’t mind but I going to post this on your web sites.
pps. The was quite a punch seeing that shot of the Black Backed Gull.The realities of survival: whew.

Note: See the opening image above.

From Canon-using Scotsman Malcom MacKenzie:

Artie It was great to spend some time with you both. It was a terrific workshop and I was surprised at how sloppy I had become in my approach to bird photography: Thanks for getting me back on track! Artie, you work so hard at making sure that we all have a great learning experience that I wonder if you forget yourself in the equation. Please take care of your health; you mean a great deal to a lot of people out there in the world. Regareds, Malcolm

Note: I let Malcolm know that his more than kind words brought tears of happiness to my eyes.

More from Malcolm:

Denise, I just wanted to thank you again for all the hard work that you put in on the Nickerson IPT. From your great opening presentation on Tuesday evening–I love your creative approach, to the farewells on Friday at sunset, you were fantastic. As I mentioned to Artie, I had become somewhat sloppy I had become in my approach to bird photography… You and Artie got me tuned up (translated: kicked my butt) and I feel much better about my readiness for my trip to Africa on Friday. I am looking forward to joining you on some more workshops in the near future. I am wishing you well as you ramp up your career; I am sure that it will be a successful one. Malcolm

From Nikon-user Tim Thompson:

Art/Denise, The Nickerson IPT was fabulous!! What a super group led by two very dedicated and informative professionals. Artie, I loved the way you and Denise led the IPT and made adjustments as needed. Positive, creative energy from the get-go and it flowed with us until the end. We had super IPT participants/teammates who really love photography. As I sit here writing to you, I am having withdrawal symptoms for Nickerson and JBWR!!! Three for three on the Merrick Bagel Shop outings and two for two on restaurant selections. Loved the IPT format and have zero complaints. Enclosed please find five of my favorites from the trip. I did slight cropping (very minor and when/where needed) and in some cases exposure adjustments (when/where needed). I welcome your comments. Wishing you continued good health and keep on doing the amazing …..inspirational things you guys do! Tim

Note from artie: on our two Nickerson mornings we homesteaded for brunch at a great bagel store in Merrick with lots of room. And did the same thing in Broad Channel after our East Pond morning. We actually did some high level instruction in both spots while enjoying lox and cream cheese and chicken salad and lots more. Brunches and lunches are always on me. The group was so wonderful that I treated everyone to dinner not once but twice. At two great places: Center Thai Bistro in Rockville, Centre and Prime Catch Seafood Grill and Bar also in Rockville Centre. Both were superb.

From Canon shooter Pierre Giard, a professional photographer who drove from Canada to join this IPT:

As was said previously by my colleagues, this was a fantastic IPT and I really loved every minute of it. One of the many reasons I attended the IPT was to get inspirations for my future workshops and this was definitively achieved and more. I feel it will be difficult to be surrounded by a better group of talented and dedicated photographers in the future. Thanks again Denise and Artie: you are great leaders and both of you are models to follow for my own business. Kind regards to all. Pierre

From Nikon shooter Eric Loken:

Art and Denise, Thanks for a great session. Great instruction, great group of photographers and a great venue. We couldn’t have asked for more. I even got a few nice images. I will send some along shortly for your review. Thanks again, Eric

This sweet image of a juvenile Least Sandpiper was created on the IPT by participant Kitty Kono with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4G ED VR II AF lens and the Nikon D3X. Image courtesy of and copyright Kitty Kono (with thanks). I chose this image to represent the many fine images that were sent to Denise and I for critiquing after the IPT. In addition, Kitty had presented this image for critiquing during an afternoon group review session in the motel.

From Nikon user Kitty Kono:

Dear Art and Denise, Again, I cannot thank you both enough for four exceptionally wonderful days. I loved every minute and learned so much. Here are five of my favorite photographs for review. Hope you all had a restful weekend. And I so hope to join you in another adventure sometime in the near future. Take good care and I will be connecting with you through your websites. My best, Kitty

From Canon user Gaurav Mittal who again traveled from India to join his 2nd IPT this year:

Hello Guru Artie, It was nice to see you again and to meet Denise. It was a pleasure to meet everyone in the group. I hope that no one caught a cold from me as I have now come down with a bad cold and fever and had to take a lot of breaks on my way back to DC. As always it was a great learning experience and will email you some images soon. Love and regards, Gaurav

Note: Gaurav got sick in the Pribilofs the week before and it has been taking him a long time to recover. Get better soon!

From Nikon guy Mike Goodman:

Artie, Denise & group, Let me add my voice to the thanks for a great workshop, amazing photo ops & a most delightful & dedicated group of serious photographers. I learned lots & am appreciative of the energy & genuine caring that Art & Denise brought to the IPT. It was a fabulous & intense 3 days. I will be emailing my images in a week or so as I am currently on a business trip to lovely Brookings, South Dakota… Mike

Note: as to the “intense,” we were in our vehicles every day between 4:30 and 5:00am to take advantages of pre-dawn opportunities to create pleasing blurs. And we were on the beach every day till about 8pm. And, we did a program each afternoon at the motel after our naps…. Yes, IPTs are intense photographic experiences.

From Malcolm’s friend Stanley Goldberg:

Dear Artie and Denise, You guys could not have done more for myself and my fellow participants at the recent Nickerson IPT. Your energy level and enthusiasm along with your knowledge of the birds and photography made this experience extraordinarily enjoyable and educational. Regards, Stanley

From Canon newbie Susan Malspeis:

Denise, Thanks for the great workshop and all the help. I have never been on a workshop where someone checked in with me and set me on the right course as often as you did at Nickerson. It was amazing and your efforts were super-appreciated. Sue

Nickerson Baby Beach-nesting Birds IPT: July 23-25, 2013: $1099. Introductory slide program: Monday, July 22, 2013. Limit 12. Co-leader: Denise Ippolito.

I am proud to announce the brand new July 2013 Nickerson Baby Beach-nesting Birds IPT. Join Denise and me on Long Island, NY next summer to photograph Common Tern chicks, baby American Oystercatchers, and just-hatched Black Skimmer chicks along with the adults. The opportunities will include chances to photograph a variety of breeding behaviors including courtship feeding, display flight and combat, and copulations. Car-pooling is recommended; if we opt to return to the beach before 5pm there is a $30/vehicle parking fee that is not included so it is best to share that expense. Parking in the morning is free.

I expect that many who have photographed with us at Nickerson before at different seasons will wish to join us for this very special Nickeron IPT. Both Denise and I will be speaking at the 2013 NECCC event the weekend before this IPT.

BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours

Click here for complete IPT information including the current schedule and links to general IPT info, deposit and cancellation policies. and the required registration and release forms.

I created this image of another hungry Great Black-backed Gull on the last afternoon before I headed from my Mom’s back to the home office with the the Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens and the Canon EOS-1DX. ISO 800: Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. 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 for a larger version.

Which Do You Like Best?

Take a moment to leave a comment and let us know which of the three images here you like best. And why.

Shopper’s Guide

Thanks a stack to all who have used our B&H affiliate 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.

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.

Delkin 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA Enabled Cards

All of the images above were catpured on Delkin’s new 64gb 700X CompactFlash Pro UDMA Enabled Card. Learn more about these great cards by clicking here and learn why the more expensive 1000X cards are overkill for still photographers.