Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

September 18th, 2011

Preparing JPEGs for the Web & More Photoshop Tips

buff-breasted-sandpiper-striding-bpn-beach-cleaned-up-_y9c2860-nickerson-beach-long-island-ny-copy

This image was created at Nickerson Beach, Long Island, NY with the tripod-mounted (I was kneeling) Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, a 25mm Extension tube, and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6

Lens micro-adjustment: -4. Central sensor/AI Servo/Rear Focus AF (with AF active at the moment of exposure).

The extension tube increased magnification about 3% and allowed me–if need be–to focus about 2 1/2 feet closer than with the prime lens alone. Lots of beach clean-up and seaweed re-arrangement. See the original below.

For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

Preparing JPEGs for the WEB

When questioned about poor image quality more than a few folks on Bird Photographers.Net complain about the 200kb file size limit. I am always baffled by these comments and I never have a clue as to what folks are doing that causes their image quality problems.

Here is what I am am currently doing: I start with my master file and crop horizontals 1024 px wide at 96 dpi. I know that that the word on the street is to save web JPEGs at 72dpi but I have been saving at 96 dpi since forever: if it ain’t broke, done’t fix it. (With most of my avian images I selectively sharpen the bird only in my master files using a contrast mask and a hide-all mask.) I sharpen my JPEGs to taste using Unsharp Mask with the Amount between 130 and 225 (to taste) and the Radius always at .3. The average Amount would be about 180. Then I Save for Web with the image optimized to <195 kb. If you convert to sRGB you need to make sure that the Embed Color Profile box is checked when you save for web. If you are not right on the money with all of the above you can find everything detailed in our Digital Basics File, an easy-to-follow PDF that is sent via e-mail. DB includes my complete Digital Workflow, dozens of great Photoshop tips, and free updates for as long as I am still pushing the shutter button.

I have been preparing my JPEGs for web presentation this way (albeit with smaller sized images and smaller KB allowances) for more than ten years and all that I have ever heard is “Your JPEGs look great!” I have never once had image quality problems by having to save at <200kb and never even in the old days when saving at 800 or 600 pixles wide and <80 kbs. Ever. So when I see comments like those above I am always mystified.... Do note that many of the images posted to the web are not optimized to less than 200kb but if I downsize them for BPN they look just as good!

y9c2860-bpn-nickerson-beach-long-island-ny

This is the original image from which the image above was created.

Note: the image above is unsharpened. Here’s what I did to get from A to B (my master file saved as a TIFF at 300 dpi): Leveled the image with the Ruler Tool based on the foot. Expanded canvas with the Crop Tool Added beach with a flopped Quick Mask. Filled in open spots with the Clone Stamp Tool. Cleaned up the seaweed with a series of Quick Masks and moved a small pile of the green stuff from behind the bird to in front of it. Additional beach clean-up with the Patch Tool, the Clone Stamp Tool, and the Spot Healing Brush. Used those same tools to clean the large sands specks from the birds head. Eliminated the dark area behind the leg with the raised foot using Denise Ippolito’s great new Improved Protect and Defend Cloning on a Layer. Click here for more info or to get the free tutorial. Selectively sharpened the bird only using a contrast mask and a hide-all mask. Lightened the iris. The usual contrast and Selective Color work. Flattened, converted to 8-bit, and saved at full resolution as a TIF.

Editing Your Comments

Many folks have noticed that it is no longer possible to edit a comment using traditional methods. We are aware of the problem; it was caused by the recent update to the latest version of Word Press. Do note however that you can correct your errors by using the backspace key to navigate. Peter Kes is working diligently to find a solution.

Shopper’s Guide

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

Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

Remember: you can earn free contest entries with your B & H purchases. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here for details.

Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EF 25mm Extension tube. I am never out without one of these in my vest; it allows for closer focus in a variety of situations.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

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 🙂
Gitzo GT3530LS Tripod. This one will last you a lifetime.
Mongoose M3.6 Tripod Head. Right now this is the best tripod head around for use with lenses that weigh less than 9 pounds. For heavier lenses, check out the Wimberley V2 head.
CR-80 Replacement Foot for Canon 800. When using the 800 on a Mongoose as I do, replacing the lens foot with this accessory lets the lens sit like a dog whether pointed up or down and prevents wind-blown spinning of your lens on breezy days by centering the lens directly over the tripod.
Double Bubble Level. You will find one in my camera’s hot shoe whenever I am not using flash.
Be sure to check out our camera body User’s Guides here.
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.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV User’s Guide. Learn to use your Mark IV the way that I use mine.

September 16th, 2011

The Trap: Lousy Light, Boring Birds

herring-gull-bpn-flapping-after-bath-_y9c2931-nickerson-beach-long-island-ny-copy

This image was created at Nickerson Beach, NY with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops was a big underexposure but I knew that I need some shutter speed: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6

Lens micro-adjustment: -4. Two sensors below the center AI Servo/Rear Focus AF (with AF active at the moment of exposure).

For a greater appreciation of the image, click on the photo. Then click on the enlarged version to close it.

The Trap: Lousy Light, Boring Birds

You put your head on the pillow and dream of nice sunrise and gorgeous light. The alarm rings all too soon. You leave in the dark and make the one hour drive to the beach. You notice that there are no stars…. You arrive, get your gear, and head out. There are few birds and no light. So you find the last flock of skimmers–most have left the area, and created some pleasing blurs. You walk up and down the beach and there is nothing but gulls. Herring Gulls. And most of them are the very plain worn juveniles and one year old birds.

At such times its easy to just quit. But determined photographers never quit. They may think blurs or they may think high key, but they do not quit. They walk up and back looking for a good situation. They chat with others to garner information. And then they take even longer walks. On the morning of September 3 Denise Ippolito and I had just such a morning. We both made some great blurs. Denise took one of those walks. She met an older man. He told her of a tame Buff-breasted Sandpiper. I stayed behind and found this young Herring Gull taking a bath. When he flapped, I made six images. All were sharp but this was the best by far. To see what others had to say about this image, click here.

Seeing that Denise had found something to photograph I headed after her and found her with a shorebird treasure. I made about 200 images of the bird. It was a pain in the butt bird. It never left the beach wrack. Seaweed and plastic. Cups and seaweed. Rope and plastic. You gotta love it. Denise actually worked ten times harder than I did that morning. My lower back was killing me from kneeling and getting up. Kneeling and getting up. Check out tomorrow’s blog post to see how I did with the buff-breasted.

The next time that you head out and find conditions less than ideal, don’t quit. Keep on plugging; most days you will be nicely rewarded.

Editing Your Comments

Shopper’s Guide

Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

Remember: you can earn free contest entries with your B & H purchases. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here for details.

Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

September 15th, 2011

Bosque Thanksgiving Buffet Invite & More

For a greater appreciation of the composite image, click on the photo. Click on the enlarged version to close it.

Bosque Thanksgiving Buffet Invite

For the past ten years or so I have hosted a Thanksgiving Day midday meal, in part to honor the memory of my late-wife, Elaine Belsky Morris, and in part because I love meeting others who love Bosque as I do. At first it was held at the wonderful and relatively elegant Val Verde Steak House in Socorro, now defunct. Then it was held at the lovely and historic Luna Mansion. Luna Mansion closed a few years ago and recently re-opened but will no longer serves Thanksgiving Day. In 2009 we had fun and a fine meal at the Stage Door Grill but that wonderful little joint recently bit the dust also. Socorro is a tough place for businesses to survive. In 2010 we went a bit upscale and dined in the New Mexico Ballroom at the Hilton Albuquerque hotel. There was tons of food and it was all delicious.

The Hilton is now a Crowne Plaza and the good news is that they are having the buffet again this year. I will be picking up the tab for the IPT group, but as always, all visiting birders and photographers are invited to join us. If you would like to take part in the fun and camaraderie this year please send a check for $40.00 per person made out to ”Arthur Morris” to cover the cost of the buffet that will include all the traditional items plus lots more as well as tax and tip. Drinks are on you. Please mark “Thanksgiving Buffet” on your check and mail it to; BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 4041, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. Be sure to include your e-mail address on your check and in a short note. Sorry, no PayPals or credit cards. I do hope that you can join us.

I have group reservations for Thanksgiving Day (of course). Those joining us will need to be at the hotel at 11:30 am sharp. It is located at 1901 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102, about an hour up I-25 from the Super 8 Motel in Socorro where I have stayed happily with my groups for well more than a decade. I do hope that you can join us.

For a greater appreciation of the composite image, click on the photo. Click on the enlarged version to close it.

Bosque IPT Late Registration Discount Offer

With two recent cancellations, there is now a single spot available on the 2011 Bosque IPT. If you would like to join us, a $300 discount will be applied to your balance. Here are the basics:

BOSQUE del APACHE 2011 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 19-25, 2011.

Slide program on the evening of Friday, NOV 18. 7-FULL DAYS: $3299. (Non-refundable deposit: $500; see details below.) Limit: 10/Openings: 1. Co-leaders: Robert O’Toole & Jim Heupel. Geese, cranes, ducks, sunrises, sunsets, and blast-offs. Live, eat, and breathe photography with one of (if not the) world’s premier photographic educators at one of his very favorite locations on the planet. Plus great co-leaders and top-notch Photoshop instruction. Please see terms and deposit info below.

This will make 17 consecutive Novembers at Bosque for me. Nobody knows the place better than I do. Join us to learn to think like a pro, to recognize situations and to anticipate them based on the weather, especially the light and the wind direction. Every time we make a move we will let you know why. When you head home applying what you learned will prove to be invaluable.

With my ever-shrinking teaching schedule and all the specialty trips sold out, this trip may well represent a rare opportunity to learn from the best so do not wait too long before sending your deposit. Clemens van der Werf who was on last year’s Bosque trip is already registered for this year’s. If you missed the Photographer Experience Quiz and the Mystery Photographer & Experience Level Revealed! posts on the blog, you will surely want to check them out to see what Clemens accomplished in less than a single year of bird photography. And how!

The Bosque Site Guide

If you cannot make the IPT for whatever reason but are heading to Bosque this year it would be foolish to make the trip without our Bosque Site Guide whether this will be your first trip or your tenth. Everything that I’ve learn over the past sixteen years is revealed in detail: where to be on what wing and what weather and when to be there. Exactly what to do each morning depending on the wind direction and cloud cover (if any). I’ve seen leaders keep their groups on the Flight Deck for two to three hours wasting their time while we have moved six times during the same time span with fabulous results. In the Site Guide we teach you where to be when. And why.

Learn more and order your copy by scrolling down here.

Shopper’s Guide

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

Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

Remember: you can earn free contest entries with your B & H purchases! Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here for details.

September 14th, 2011

For Your Critique: Image #7

mute-swan-flapping-adult-robt_w3c2788-east-pond-jamaica-bay-wildlife-refuge-queens-ny

This image of a Mute Swan flapping after a bath was created at the East Pond, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, NY with the tripod-mounted Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3.

Both Canada Goose and Mute Swan are often ignored as potential photographic subjects. Though I am not a fan of introduced species like Mute Swan, I do not hesitate to both photograph them and use them as teaching aids. When you see either species dipping their breasts in the water, get ready to create some dramatic images as they will almost always rise up out of the water and flap for all they are worth. The same goes for most bird families especially shorebirds and ducks.

For a greater appreciation of the image above, click on the photo to view a larger version. Click on the enlarged version to close it.

For Your Critique: Image #7

The image above is presented for your critique; feel free to praise it or tear it to shreds. All suggestions are welcome. Would you keep it or delete it? Let us know why either way, what you like or what you hate. What would you have done differently?

Over the course of the next two months or so, I will present thirteen additional images in this series for a total of twenty in all. The last will be followed by several revelations including two major ones.

Shopper’s Guide

Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

Remember: you can earn free contest entries with your B & H purchases. Eleven great categories, 34 winning and honored images, and prize pools valued in excess of $20,000. Click here for details.

Canon 800mm f/5.L IS lens. Right now this is my all time favorite super-telephoto lens.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV professional digital camera body. My two Mark IVs are my workhorse digital camera bodies.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

September 13th, 2011

Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Preparing JPEGs for the Web & More Photoshop Tips

Preparing JPEGs for the WEB

Editing Your Comments

Shopper’s Guide

Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

The Trap: Lousy Light, Boring Birds

The Trap: Lousy Light, Boring Birds

Editing Your Comments

Shopper’s Guide

Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

Bosque Thanksgiving Buffet Invite & More

Bosque Thanksgiving Buffet Invite

Bosque IPT Late Registration Discount Offer

BOSQUE del APACHE 2011 IPT: “The Complete Bosque Experience.” NOV 19-25, 2011.

The Bosque Site Guide

Shopper’s Guide

Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

For Your Critique: Image #7

For Your Critique: Image #7

Shopper’s Guide

Support both the Bulletins and the Blog by making all your B & H purchases here.

And from the BAA On-line Store:

Rear Focus Tutorial