April 22nd, 2010
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| Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens with the 1.4X II TC, 37mm of extension and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400: 1/100 sec. at f/18. Manual flash at 1:2. |
In the “Vice Grip” image above a large Great Egret chick is begging for fish and refusing to let go of momma’s bill. The nest was in the shade, the two extension tubes and the telecoverters were soaking up valuable light, and the aperture was f/18. The correct manual exposure would have been about 1/4 second at f/18, yet the image is not only sharp but bright. What gives? I was using two related techniques: Flash as Main Light along with Manual Flash. And I am betting that fewer than 1 in a 100 photographers have the knowledge to use these valuable techniques.
If you are ever in a situation where there is seemingly not enough light for photographing at a reasonable ISO setting, then Flash as Main Light and Manual Flash should be in your arsenal…. Basically you are setting a shutter speed and aperture combination that would result in the image being black if the flash does not fire. You can learn to use both Flash as Main Light and Manual Flash in “The Art of Bird Photography II” (916 pages on CD only): https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
For the very few folks who know how to use these two techniques here are a few tips that are not in the CD book:
- Do not use a Better Beamer: while it will increase your flash output it will force you to use a smaller aperture to give you the right exposure and this will often bring up unwanted background detail.
- Using an external battery pack when using Flash as Main Light is pretty much mandatory. If not, you will drain your flash head batteries in short order.
- Unless you know that you will be photographing only for an hour or two be sure to bring at least an extra set of four batteries for your flash head. Using Flash as Main Light puts a huge drain on your batteries. Better yet, if your external battery using re-chargeable AAs, bring an additional eight batteries for it.
- Remember: if you change your distance to the subject you will need to adjust either the Manual power setting, the aperture, and/or the ISO setting.
- Remember also that you can in some situations use the shutter speed to lighten or darken the background (usually the former). If your shutter speed is between 1/60 second and the highest synch speed of your flash the shutter speed will have no effect on the exposure of the subject.
- Lastly: it is best to set your Drive Mode to single frame to eliminate the occasional black frame.
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| Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens with the 1.4X II TC and 37mm of extension. ISO 400: 1/80 sec. at f/8. Manual flash at 1:8. |
On Sunday past Denise Ippolito and I took my two older grandkids, Sam and Maya Egensteiner, to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We did not bring any lenses…. It was cloudy and overcast, a great day to visit this theme park. As we entered, I saw pink. There were two spoonbills right next to the fence around an enclosure. Investigating, I was stunned to see a nest with two week-old Roseate Spoonbill chicks in it. It would be a tough photographic situation with a 3-4 foot high bamboo slat fence and a leafless bush in front of the nest but I knew that by using flash as main light and working tight that I might be able to produce some nice images. We returned on Tuesday morning and photographed until noon. After dropping Denise off at the airport I figured that since parking and admission were already paid for that I should return for another few hours. So I did. Visiting the park is expensive but you would never see a nest like this in the field in Florida unless you were working with researchers as this species nests in thick mangrove cover (and then the situation would likely be even darker).
As always you can click on each image to see a larger, sharper version.
April 15th, 2010
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| Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens with the EOS-1D Mark IV handheld. ISO 400. Metered off the reeds and added 1/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/5 set manually. |
Denise Ippolito and I spent yesterday morning on West Lake Toho with Jim Neiger. There are several folks who will take you out on this lake for a fee but nobody knows the lake anywhere near as good as Kissimmee Jimmy. The Fish and Wildlife folks know to ask him for help. Jim lives on the lake and is out there scouting and photographing almost every day whether he has clients or not. Right now Jim has two pristine, unbanded Snail Kites that perch cooperatively every day. As water levels change weekly it would behoove those in the Orlando/Kissimmee area to give Jim a call and get out on the lake for a day of photography asap.
You can contact Jim Neiger for more information by phone at 407-247-5200 or by e-mail at jimn@cfl.rr.com.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/400 sec. at f/18. |
When I predicted in the February 22, 2010 post (https://www.birdsasart-blog.com/baa/2010/02/22/gatorland-rocking-now-and-getting-better-each-day/) the Gatorland was getting better every day I was right :). We visited again yesterday afternoon, again the guests of our most gracious host, Mike Godwin. It is a delight to see Mike taking care of the visiting photographers like an eager mother hen. The early entry/late-stay program for photographers represents and incredible value and an incredible opportunity.
You can learn more about the Gatorland Rookery (in Kissimmee, FL) and their photographer’s program here: http://tinyurl.com/ygcq9yk
We visited primarily to get some great images of Cattle Egrets in breeding plumage and that we did. The next BAA Bulletin will feature a piece on working in cluttered rookeries so be sure not to miss it!
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X TC and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evalautive metering -1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/9 set manually. |
The micro-adjustment that I did on my Mark IV resulted in my already sharp iamges being just a bit sharper. You can learn to micro-adjust both your Mark IV and 7D camera bodies with your various lenses in the respective User Guides. Scroll down here for info on purchasing either guide.
April 7th, 2010
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| These Sandhill Crane chicks were photographed with the Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS L lens and the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop:1/1000 sec. at f/6.3. I was down on my belly in the wet grass! The 7D/70-200 f/4 combo is lightweight and very effective with tame birds. |
Canon 7D User’s Guide Info
The finished 7D User’s Guide PDF was e-mailed today to all purchasers. Thanks to all from the blog who called to save $5 last weekend. It was fun chatting with you. We have heard only great things about the guide; we will share of few of them with you in the next Bulletin. (I am still working hard at finishing the pre-publication version of the Mark IV Guide.) If you missed the boat last weekend, you can still save $2 by ordering your copy of the 7D User’s Guide through the BAA On-Line Store here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=285. Remember: updates are free. There will be at least one.
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| When the cranes come out of the marsh in the morning they are wet and muddy. This image was created with the handheld 400mm f/4 IS DO lens EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6. 45-Point AAFPS. You can learn all about your autofocus options in the MIV User's Guide. As always, you can click on each image to see a larger, sharper version. |
Canon Mark IV User’s Guide Info
The long-awaited should be finished by this coming Friday :). I am have been working very hard on it. Rudy Winston of Canon has been a great help just as he was with the 7D Guide. We will be e-mailing the completed PDF file by next Friday, April 17th at the latest. As the MIV is in many ways similar to the Canon EOS-1D MIII camera body preparing the MIV guide has not been quite as difficult as much work as preparing the 7D Guide was <another :)> It will be fairly comprehensive, covering all menu items and Custom Functions that I use. It will not deal with anything having to do with creating video. And as always, the Mark IV UG will be written in my easy to read, easy to understand style. Updates are free; there will be at least one.
The Mark IV User’s Guide will sell for $25, $23 for orders placed through the BAA On-line store. As we have kept you waiting for too long we are offering a $5.00 discount on pre-orders placed through the BAA On-Line store. To pre-order your copy and save $5.00 off of the $23 price, click here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=286. Only 18 bucks via the store after the smoke clears!
Charlotte Harbor, FL Wildlife and Kayak Festival This Weekend/Proram Schedule
I will be doing two programs at this event on Saturday April 10, 2010. The morning program, “A Bird Photographer’s Story,” will begin at 10:30. It is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light. The afternoon session (1:30 till 3-pm) will cover the BIRDS AS ART Digital Workflow and include lots of great Photoshop tips. You can learn more by clicking here: http://www.charlotteharbortravel.com/events/moreinfo.php?Event_ID=24471&pMonth=April. I look forward to seeing many of you there. I will be bringing along a small selection of books, CDs, and photographic accessories. If you would like me to bring something specific for you, please e-mail me at birdsasart@att.net
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #322
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #322 is on line now at: http://www.birdsasart.com/2010/04/06/birds-as-art-bulletin-322.
April 4th, 2010
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| This Laysan Albatross chick was photographed with the Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS L lens and the EOS-7D (handheld at 173mm) on Midway Island. ISO 400. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/1250 sec. at f/8. |
The 7D/70-200 f/4L IS is a favorite of mine: lightweight and effective. I especially love the 7D’s 1.6X multiplier effect. The 7D is a new and complex camera. (To see a larger, sharper version of the image above simply click on it. )
There are only two hours left to take advantage of the $5 discount on the brand new Canon EOS-7D User’s Guide. Scroll down to yesterday’s post for deails.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR, FL WILDLIFE & KAYAK FESTIVAL PROGRAMS/PUT THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR
I will be doing two programs at this event on Saturday April 10, 2010. The morning program, “A Bird Photographer’s Story,” is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light. The afternoon will cover the BIRDS AS ART Digital Workflow. You can learn more by clicking here: http://www.charlotteharbortravel.com/events/moreinfo.php?Event_ID=24471&pMonth=April. I look forward to seeing many of you there. I will be bringing along a small selection of books, CDs, and photographic accessories. If you would like me to bring something specific for you, please e-mail me at birdsasart@att.net.
April 3rd, 2010
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| Though this image was created with the 800/1.4X TC/MIV combination I used two 7D custom function tips so that I was able to hold focus on the bird even though the central AF sensor was not on the neck at the moment of exposure! This tip works for both cameras and is just one of hundreds of valuable tidbits the you will find in each guide. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger sharper version. |
I spent 8 hours a day for the past four days locked in my lonely writer’s garret working on the long-awaited 7D User’s Guide. It is almost finished. I need to write a short section on Custom White Balance and tidy up the section on Micro-adjustments. The 7D User’s Guide will sell for $30 ($29 if ordered through the BAA On-line store). The Mark IV User’s Guide–it should be finished no later than Friday, April 9, will sell for $25 ($24 if purchased on line). You will be able to buy both for $50 ($49 if through the On-line store).
Now here is the great news: call me anytime between 9am and 9pm on Saturday or Sunday, April 3 or 4 at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand and I will immediatley send you the current and nearly-finished draft of the Canon EOS-7D User’s Guide for only $25. You can add the MIV User’s Guide now for only an additonal $20. You will receive the finished 7D User’s Guide PDF via e-mail no later than Wednesday.
I can honestly say that the 7D guide is amazing. Pretty much everything on the 7D is brand new and many folks have been seen shaking their heads in confusion. 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 will open your eyes as to the possibilities. I share all of my Menu and Custom Function settings along with the reasons for each choice. 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.
Do note that neither the 7D nor the Mark IV guide covers the creation of video. Live View operation is covered in both guides.
I will ask each purchaser to let me know of any errors, omissions, or of anything confusing. Talk to you soon. artie
ps: If the phone is busy or there is no answer, please leave a message or call back in 30 minutes. Thanks and :).
March 30th, 2010
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| This adult crane with two small chicks was photographed with the Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (handheld at 280mm) and the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/8. |
I just got back from the Laredo Birding Festival and have a thousand things to do. Before I left last Tuesday I made it down to Lake Walk-in-Water here at Indian Lake Estates on a few loverly mornings. Spring at ILE is the very best season for photography. This year there are about eight pairs of Sandhill Cranes with chicks, and some of the earilest hatching chicks are now large colts. The wind quit this morning and I wanted to get down to the lake but I simply have too much to do today; maybe tomorrow. In the meantime, I wanted to share a few images with you here.
In the opening photograph (be sure to click on the photo to see a larger, sharper version) I was thrilled with the juxtaposition of the chicks with the adult, and especially with the fact that the head of the chick in the front did not merge with the neck of the adult (as it did in the previous frame). To see what otehrs thought of the image above, check out my BPN post here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59976 Be sure to scroll down to see another great image made with the same camera/lens combination.
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| I created this one working on the BLUBB from the car with the 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, a 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/8. |
I preach that folks work right down sun angle by pointing their shadow at the subject. As I was creating this image, I did exactly that by moving the car into perfect position. You can learn more about the BLUBB here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=16 and learn improve your nature photography by leaps and bounds by getting a copy of “The Art of Bird Photography II” (916 pages on CD only) here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
See you again soon.
March 18th, 2010
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| All three of the images in this post were created with the handheld Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops off the sand set manually: 1/1250 sec. at f/7.1 As always, you can click on each image to see a larger, sharper version. |
My last morning on Midway dawned still and clear. Very still. Eerily still. With many types of bird photography wind can be a negative, and the direction is of vital importance. We generally wish for the wind to be from roughly the same direction as the light, east or southeast winds in the morning and west or southwest in the afternoons are generally ideal. If you are facing your subject with the sun at your back the one thing that you do not want is the wind blowing in your face at all. The birds will be landing into the wind, taking off into the wind, and facing into the wind while facing away from the light. In generaly, not good.
On Midway wind is your ally no matter the direction, and the stronger the better. Why? Because the more wind there is, the more albatrosses will be in the air. And since they love to bank it is possible to create good images even when the wind is against the sun. And in March the windier and warmer it is the more tropicbirds will be in the air courting.
With strong wings, both the Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses are quite maneuverable in flight. By moving a few feathers, they are able to change direction very quickly. As we learned on that last morning, they are pretty much dead in the water on still, windless days. They expend a ton of energy just to get in the air and once they are airborne they are sort of like a runaway train; they pretty much have only one directon: straight ahead. There were perhaps 8 of us near the usual Laysan runway but photography was not very good because the birds were taking off in many different directions. Several of us were following a bird flying towards us when WHAM! A bird headed west has collided head on with another that was flying east. It sounded as if a car had hit an abutment. The bird that had been heading west missed a wingbeat or two but was able to continue on its way. The bird that had been headed east fell to the ground like a rock.
When it hit the ground, it righted itself and after taking a quick look at it (see the opening image here), pretty much everyone shouted “Broken wing!” With the bird’s left wing drooping and dragging into the sand, it seemed fairly obvious that the diagnosis was accurate. But within a minute, the bird seems to be trying to fold its wing. (See the image immediately below.)
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| Same techs as the opening image. As it turned out, our initial diagnosis had been wrong :). |
Within a few minutes, the bird seemed fine and begain testing its wings by flapping them vigorously. Minutes after that, it began displaying. Then after posing for vertical portraits (below), it walked off under its own power into the native naupaka bushes presumably for a short rest before heading out to sea to feed on small squid.
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| Again, same lens and camera, same techs. Here I got down on my belly to photograph the recovering crash victim. |
March 13th, 2010
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| Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (handheld at 135mm) and the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 250. I set the brilliant white exposure for this ISO manually: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 and confirmed it via a histogram check. |
There are many, many thousands of Red-Tailed Tropicbirds on Midway and they are relatively easy to photograph in March. Their courtships displays (as above) are spectacular. And many pairs are beginning to nest (see the images below). As always, you can click on each image to see a larger sharper version.
As you view the three images in this post you will be struck by how different each is. I used a different focal length and a different technique for each of the three photographs and as you can see, each is unique and each image fulfilled my photographic vision.
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| This image was created with the handheld 70-200mm f/4 IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS -1D MIV. ISO 250. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/10. |
As you might imagine, these birds are quite relaxed on the nest. When doing close-up work, an extension tube can help you to focus closer by reducing the minumum focusing distance of your lens. When using an extension tube with a teleconverter, the usual course of action is to place the TC on the lens with the tube behind it. I tried that but could not focus as closely as I wanted to to achieve my photographic vision. So while lying on the ground I switched the order around mounting the tube on the lens with the TC behind it. This allowed me to focus even closer. The problem is that with the tube on the lens and the TC behind it you lose autofocus so I needed to focus manually and use my elbows as a sort of bi-pod to keep the lens absolutely still. I simply listened for the focus confirmation beep and depressed the shutter button when I heard it. Voila: creative vision achieved!
This is one of the many hundreds of techniques covered in “The Art of Bird Photography II” (916 pages on CD only): https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32. Be sure to check out our combo offer: purcahse the original ABP along with the CD book and save $10.
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| Canon 17-40mm zoom lens handheld at 40mm with the EOS-1D MIV. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/160 sec. at f/4 set manually and confirmed via histogram check. |
Above, I wanted to create a bird-scape that gave the viewer a sense of the nesting habitat of this species so I chose the wide angle zoom lens that I borrowed from Canon Professional Services for this trip to achieve my creative vision. While this image is not done in typical BIRDS AS ART style, I feel that it is quite effective. Do note that the subject has been placed in the traditional rule of thirds position.
March 8th, 2010
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| Laysan Albatross. This image was created with the handheld 400mm f/4 IS DO lens and the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/7.1. Opportunities for flight photography are unlimited as the sky is constantly filled with birds. And the windier the better. As always, you can click on each image to see a larger, sharper version. |
The first group leaves tonight after dark on the plane that is bringing the second group to bird photographers heaven. For each of the photographers on the first trip, the week has been an unforgettable experience. And our visit to Eastern Island was simply unbelievable. Please see Bulletin 320 in about ten days for details <smile>
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| Black-footed Albatross. Same gear as above. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops in early morning light: 1/1250 sec. at f/4. |
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| White Terns. Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens on a tripod with the EOS_1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/125 sec. at f/7.1. I went for a bit of extra depth of field in an effort to sharpen up the second birds. Participant Ron Horn shaded the pair with his body to eliminate the filtered sunlight. |
March 6th, 2010
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| There are more than a million Laysan Albatrosses on Midway Island. This displaying bird was photographed with the Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC handheld at 202mm with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/3200 at f/5.6. As always, you can click on each image to see a larger, sharper version. |
Not even the mid-morning drizzle that turned into a cold shower could put the damper on the non-stop photographic opportunities here on Midway Island, a five hour flight from Pearl Harbor. I am co-leading a Joseph Van Os Photo Safari with Joe himself and nobody knows Midway like Joe. He has consistently had the group in the right spot at the right time. Though I am a conservative shooter I havebeen creating more than 1000 images each day and those include more than a few good ones of some amazing species. I shall share several of my early favorites
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| This displaying pair of endangered Black-footed Albatross was photographed with the Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIV handheld at 202 mm. ISO 400" 1/1250 sec. at f/7.1 set manually after histogram check. There are about 100,000 of this great bird on Midway during the breeding season including non-breeders and chicks. |
March 1st, 2010
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| The Smiling Scallop |
(As always you can see a larger sharper version of an image by clicking on it. For technical info and comments on the image above, check out “Happy as a Scallop???”, my BPN thread here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=58322)
On to Happiness Is…. Since we spend tons of credit card money at BAA each year buying costly tripod heads, tripods, and tons of the rest of the stuff that we sell, I always use air miles to fly first class to the west coast. For the Hawaii/Midway trip I did not hesistate to cash in for a big, reclining bed American Airlines seat for both legs. Anyway, I had some time to kill in Dallas and the Admiral’s Club at C23 was right next to the gate for my flight to HNL, gate C24. I checked in at the desk and the woman noted my flight and entered it on the computer. My boarding pass noted 10:40 am boarding so I head to the gate at 10:38 anxious to charge my laptop as fully as possible. I was confused as I approached C24 as it said, “Los Angeles.” I asked the gate agent and she said that there had been a gate change to D22. In Dallas that means a ride on the Sky Link. Yikes. I asked her to call the gate and have them hold the flight for me since nobody in the Admiral’s Club had announced anything or paged me. She said, and I quote, “I will call them and let them know that you are coming but they will not hold the flight for you. You’d better hurry. So I did, and was relieved to make it. As I walked throught the door of the plane they slammed it shut it behind me. Yikes! The flight was great. I worked on the laptop on “The Guide to Pleasing Blurs” that I am doing with Denise Ippolito, started reading Michael Chrichton’s “Airframe” (only to realize that I had read it long ago; I think that I remember the ending but it is great reading anyway), and slept and slept. The 8 1/2 hours went by quickly.
As we were deplaning, there was an announcement: “Passenger Arthur Morris, please see the baggage agent opposite bag claim G1”. I knew immediately that they had taken my bag off the flight because I was late boarding. I was right. I slept OK from about 8:30 pm HI time until 3:30 am, dressed quickly, and went to the lobby. I was quite pleased to see that American had delivered my bag to the hotel as promised. Whew. We head to the charter hangar at 1:30 pm today for the flight to Midway.
February 28th, 2010
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| This Wihte Pelican was photographed with the handheld Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D MIV camera body. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/125 sec. at f/13. For tips on handholding big lenses, scroll down to item 2. To see a larger, sharper version of this image, click on the photo. |
A Tale of Carmen
Last week I received an e-mail from another old student, Carmine Narine:
Good Morning Mr. Morris, You may not remember me but I saw your blog online and decided to reach out as I have thought about you many times during the last 20 years. I attended PS 106. You were my 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teacher. My name is Umawattie Narine but I went by Carmen. I remember our trips to bird watch at Jamaica bay and the stencils and sketches of birds we did. But most of all I remember the stamp collection we started. I still have it! I wanted to let you know that back then I wasn’t very confident but you made me feel important and smart. You were the best teacher I have ever had. We once listened to Les Miserable in class and when I saw the actual play- I cried and I felt ahead of my time. I know that sounds strange but I felt so good that I knew everything about it because I had a teacher who not only taught us Math and English— you taught us about life and art. You always had confidence in me and it gave me confidence to strive to be better in all things. I hope this email reaches you and that you are well. Thank you for everything you did for all the kids whose lives you touched. Carmen
After I wrote Carmen, she wrote back to me:
Good Morning Mr. World Famous Bird Photographer! I work in Ad Operations for Conde Naste. I manage the ads on our websites and make sure the clients’ campaigns serve and perform well. It is fun and I love it worked at The Weather Channel and the NBA doing the same thing. I am so sorry to hear that Mrs. Belsky died, and yes, I do remember her. Her class came a few times on our class trips.
I don’t have a picture from our class but I have attached one that should help. I ended up graduating valedictorian from the 6th grade. I was in Mrs. Lowe’s class. I have read your Blog- that’s actually how I found you- I was so excited!! I am so glad you are doing well and I will continue to follow your Blog. A friend of mine is also a photographer and I tried convincing him to take up Bird Watching. Carmen
I wrote Carmen back telling her how proud I am of her. It is of course quite rewarding to hear from my old students.
Handholding the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS
Recently I have begun handholding the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS /EOS-1D MIV combo to good advantage. I have been using the principles taught to me by my friend, Posse member Jim Neiger. The advantages of handholding are that you are more quickly and easily able to get on the action than if you were using a tripod. Especially when it would be necessary to move the tripod before starting to photograph a new situation. And it is easier to frame fast moving birds (especially those that fly somewhat erratic patterns) and to frame and follow frantic action when handholding than it is when working atop a tripod.
Do know that it is only necessary to hold the lens up for short periods of time, say 10-20 seconds at most. Before raising the lens it is best to support it in some manner to prevent fatigue. Jim’s mantra is “practice, practice, practice” so that when you raise the lens you are able to get right on the subject. I have been after Jim for a year or two to put together “The Guide to Handheld Photography With Big Telephoto Lenses.”
In the opening White Pelican image in this post it would have been impossible to get as low as I wanted low with the tripod-mounted 800 on the crowded pier that the IPT group was working from. So I simply sat on the edge of the dock, supported the lens on my bent knee when waiting for the situation to improve, and then raised the lens when the big, beautiful birds swam into the perfect position. In the relatively low light situation I supported the back of my left wrist and hand again on my bent left knee. (I did not realize that I had been working at such a slow shutter speed; my technique must have been perfect!) Do compare the light and the exposure data with that of the similar White Pelican image at the top of the February 19 post below; that one was created in full sun.
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| This Great Egret calling in flight image was created with the handheld Canon 800mm f/5.6L lens with the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3 set manually. |
The handheld 800 image above was also created from a small boat. Handholding made it relatively easy to follow the bird in flight even at close range. Ron Mayberry was kind enough to take Lou Newman, Denise Ippolito, and me out for some rookery photography in Sarasota Bay on the morning of my Sarasota Audubon presentation a few weeks ago. (Ron and Lou will be joining me on the 2nd Midway trip; I am posting this from the Orlando Airport on my way to Honolulu.) Using a tripod on a small boat with four folks is pretty much out of the question so the decision to handhold was a good one that enabled me to create a rather cool image. Here I used the central AF sensor. Always use AI Servo AF for photographing moving subject.
Note: As a Canon Explorer of Light I am and have been a paid Canon spokesperson since 1996.
February 22nd, 2010
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| This copulating pair of Great Egrets was photographed with the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (handheld at 113mm) and the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/100 sec. at f/5.6 On-camera fill flash at -2 stops. I was a bit surprised to get all sharp images at such a slow shutter speed. With some ugly buildingin the BKGR, my first instinct was to get down on one knee and work with a sky background while at the same time I instinctively raised the ISO. As always, click on the image to see a larger sharper version. |
BPN Out of the Box Moderator Denise Ippolito and I visited Gatorland yesterday. Things were spectacular. Robert Amoruso was finishing up a three day workshop; it was great seeing him there. There were dozens of Great Egrets in spectacular breeding plumage, probably well more than 100 Great Egret nests (and possibly twice that many), lot of Wood Storks, and a few red-lored Snowy Egrets. The number of birds was much astounding. And there was a very tame adult Black-crowned Night-Heron that posed for head portraits. I was puzzled as to why there were so many wading birds including killer breeding Great Egrets, Wood Storks, a Great Blue Heron or two, and Snowy Egrets in the water on the afternoon-light side of the boardwalk. It didn’t used to be that way… When I inquired, I learned that there is a new program where the visitors are encouraged to feed hot dogs to the gators. The profusion of food in the water attracts lots of small fish and lots of hungry herons and egrets. The Wood Storks preferred the small fish to the frankfurters 🙂
The crazy thing is that the rookery will be getting better and better every day with the arrival of the smaller species: Tricolored Heron and Cattle and Snowy Egret. Each exhibits spectacular soft parts color at the height of breeding plumage, the colors intensified by increased hormonal levels. And for those who can stand the heat of a Florida summer, there will be tons of chick to photograph though the month of July.
Mike Godwin was a most gracious host and he kindly reminded me that I was the one who–years ago–encouraged him to create an early entry/late-stay program for photographers 🙂
You can learn more about the Gatorland Rookery (in Kissimmee, FL) and their photographer’s program here: http://tinyurl.com/ygcq9yk
To see “Gatorland Perfection,” my very favorite image from yesterdays Gatorland visit, check out my BPN Post here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?p=451157#post451157
February 19th, 2010
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| This White Pelican was photographed with the handheld 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/11. See additional comments below. As always, you can click on each image to enjoy a larger, sharper version. (I am not sure why the smaller images in Word Press look less sharp than the larger ones <smile>) |
While I use the settings mentioned in yesterday’s post below for sharpening my 800 pixel wide JPEGs generically via an action, here is a great suggestion for those who sharpen their JPEGs individually. I am 99% sure that I got this tip from David Thomasson on BPN: Using Unsharp Mask set the Radius to .3 and then vary the Amount from 200 to 500%. Check for halos and artifacting by viewing the image at at least 100% in the Unsharp Mask dialogue box. When the image looks sharp and you are not seeing any of the destructive elements mentioned above click OK. You can left-click on the image in the dialogue box to see the effects of the sharpening or check and uncheck the Preview box to see the before and after sharpening on the image itself.
The generically created White Pelican JPEG above did not look ultra sharp so I brought it back into Photoshop and gave it an additional round of sharpening at 200/.3/0. Now it rocks!
Thanks again David!
February 18th, 2010
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/640 sec. at f/9. As always you can click on the image to see a larger, sharper version. |
There are so many misconceptions about sharpening digital images floating about that it is no wonder that most folks are confused. As my diabetes doctor, Richard K. Bernstein wrote in his book, The Diabetes Solution, “Don’t listen to them. Listen to me.” Funny how great minds think alike.
The only sharpening done to the master TIFF of the image above was done by applying a Contrast Mask at 15/65/0 to the face of the gull. Otherwise, the master file was not and should never be sharpened… Ever. To learn more about Contrast Maskes, click here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn247.htm and scroll down to DIGITAL BASICS UPDATE FREEBIE/THE CONTRAST MASK
Here is another free excerpt from the recently revised, re-written, and re-organized Digital Basics File;
Sharpening
Just about every image created with a digital camera needs to be sharpened to some degree. (Do note that images from scanned film usually require more sharpening than digital originals). All digital image files should undergo final sharpening only after have been sized for a specific use. Larger files need much more sharpening than smaller ones. All such sharpening should—of course—be done at the desired output resolution. (Folks who reproduce the same print at the same size over and over again should of course save a sharpened version labeled as such.)
Some digital experts feels that because all digital SLRs use anti-aliasing filters that render all images slightly soft as they come out of the camera the very first thing you should do when opening a new image is to apply a very modest sharpening such as 200/0.3/2. Still others set a small amount of in-camera sharpening for the same reason. At BIRDS AS ART we apply a small bit of sharpening via the Clarity Slider when converting in ACR (as described above). Our master files are never sharpened. (Note: I often sharpen selected areas of master files as needed, most often the bird’s head or face.)
For small j-peg files to be used electronically, I generally sharpen three times using Filter/Sharpen/Unsharp Mask with the following settings: Amount: 125%; Radius: 0.2 pixels; Threshold: 0 levels. Some folks prefer sharpening once at something like 350/0.2/0. When sharpening for the web you do not want the image to look at all over-sharpened on the monitor.
As file size increases (generally for images that are to be printed in one form or another), there are two options. You may decide to increase the Amount to somewhere between 300 and 500 while keeping the radius approximately the same. (In this case, you may need to sharpen more than once while decreasing the amount each time). Or you may increase the Radius to somewhere in the range of 0.85 and 1.25 while keeping the Amount roughly the same.
Unsharp Mask settings for a 30 mb flattened 8-bit file might range from 250/.8/0 to as much as 475/1.4/0 depending on the amount of detail in the image. When sharpening for print with Unsharp Mask it is suggested that you want the image to look a bit over-sharpened on your monitor as the printed image will look a bit softer due to the paper absorbing some of the ink.
For natural history images, the threshold is usually set at 0 to yield the most detail. For portraits of people, the threshold might be set as high as 4-8 so that skin imperfections are not emphasized. For natural history images made at high ISO settings or those with large areas of sky, threshold settings of from 2 to 3 may yield the best results. If you ask 100 good digital photographers exactly how they best sharpen their images, you would probably get 100 totally different answers. To attain the very best results, experiment with each image by trying a range of sharpening settings and comparing the results. Sharpening is much more of an art than a skill.
You can learn more about Digital Basics or purchase a copy here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
The Great Laptop Miracle
After photographing on the Monday morning before the SW FLA tour with IPT veteran and friend Lou Newman aboard Ron Mayberry’s boat in Sarasota Bay, Lou invited us for lunch as his condo. I opted to leave my laptop bag in the car and grabbed just the computer. And I locked the car with the switch on the door without checking to see that I had “keys in hand.” Thus, I locked my car keys in the vehicle. (I had unexplicably placed them on the back seat…) An extra key was of course in the computer bag. <smile>
When we were done with lunch I called the AAA and the locksmith was of course delayed. For no reason at all I took my laptop out to the Sequoia to wait for service. Then, violating one of my rules for good living, I placed the laptop on the hood of the vehicle on the driver’s side figuring that I would surely see it before pulling off. (I have been burned before by that one but this will be the last time….)
The guy showed up in about 15 miinutes and easily unlocked the SUV. I grabbed the keys off the back seat, fired her up, and pulled ahead the 50 yards or so to say good by to Lou. I exited the vehicle and walked around the rear of the car only to see my laptop on the pavement. Ooops. After a quick glance it appeared to be undamaged. It had been in sleep mode so I simply hit the space bar and was thrilled when it awoke. I typed in my security code and was again thrilled to see that the laptop was working perfectly.
Amazingly, the next day at lunch, I glanced at the left hand corner of the laptop at the same moment and was aghast to see that there was major damage to the computer. The thin metal strapping frame was broken into two pieces and there was a 1/4 inch plus separation between the face of the keyboard and the chassis. You could see into the innards of the laptop. And most amazing of all was the fact that I had been and am still able to download the image files from my Delkin e-Film Pro 32 gb flash cards; the card reader port is on the left side of the machine close to the corner. Totally amazing.
The computer continues to operate perfectly. I am planning on bringing it on the Midway trip. When I return from Hawaii, I will get in touch with HP and have the unit repaired. As I say often, “You gotta love it.”
February 12th, 2010
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| This Great Egret was photographed with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. 1/2000 sec. at f/8 set manually using my brilliant white in bright sun exposure for ISO 400. As always, you can click on each image to see a larger, sharper version. |
Wow! Have I been busy. Saw “A Chorus Line” in West Palm Beach, attended the BPN South Florida Get-Together last Sunday, drove to Sarasota, photographed in Sarasota Bay on Ron Mayberry’s boat with Lou Newman and Denise Ippolito, presented “A Bird Photographer’s Story for almost 200 folks at Sarasota Audubon, and headed to Fort Myers for the Southwest Florida President’s Week IPT.
The group is great and Tim Grey is amazing; he is doing a 3-hour Photoshop session for the group on a windy, rainy Friday afternoon as I type.
For the past few years photographic opportunities at the Venice Rookery have been fewer and fewer, and this year is the worst ever by far. There were two great blue nests with small chicks that were pretty much un-photographable and one nest with eggs that was somewhat photogenic. There were several pairs of Great Egrets building nests. If you have a choice of locations on a visit this year skipping the Venice Rookery might be a good plan. We did, however have a few good chances. Both of the Great Egret images here were created at the rookery on the first morning of the IPT.
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| Great Egret flash blur. Canon 400mm f/4IS DO lens handheld with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400: +2 stops off the white sky: 1/40 sec. at f/4 set manually. Manual flash at 1:1 with Better Beamer. |
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| Rita Matthews smiling at Fort Myers Beach on the SW FLA IPT. |
I first met Rita Matthews on last year’s Post NANPA Bosque IPT. She is a good friend of BIRDS AS ART special friend Isobel Wayrick. At 88 years young, Rita is the senior IPT participant. Rita, has PHDs in biochemistry and biology. Among the many accomplishments in her long and amazing career are the development of a patented medication for treating hemophelia and–during a stint in Antarctica in the 1970s–the development of a substance used to cool the heart during surgery; she developed the latter by blasting holes in 10 feet of ice with dynamite, trapping the cold-adapted fish using kitchen scraps as bait, and studying their “antifreeze.” She is quite an amazing lady. And always smiling and appreciative.
February 3rd, 2010
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| Brown Pelican, La Jolla, CA. Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. The image was created with Fractalius, a Photoshop plug-in filter. See lots more below. And be sure to click on the image to see a larger version. |
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #315 is now available on-line here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2010/02/02/birds-as-art-bulletin-315.
Here are the featured items:
- SAN DIEGO IPT FOLLOW-UP
- ONE IMAGE: MANY LESSONS
- ANNOUNCING THE JANUARY 2011 SAN DIEGO IPT
- FRACTALIUS: IMAGES & TUTORIALS BY DENISE IPPOLITO
- SARASOTA FLORIDA AUDUBON PROGRAM
- BOK TOWER EXHIBIT OPENING
- CANON GEAR FOR SALE
- KUDOS
- IPT UPDATES
A while back, BPN Out of the Box moderator Denise Ippolito, a talented, creative photographer, introduced me to Fractalius, a Photoshop plug-in that can be used to create unusual, eccentric artwork from a photograph in a single step. The effects are based on the extraction of an image’s hidden fractal textures. It can also be used to simulate various types of exotic lighting and ultra-realistic pencil sketches. I was so excited by the look and feel of the images that I asked Denise to create a tutorial for her favortie Fractalius setting, Glow 100. Click here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn315.htm and scroll down to see four of Denise’s fabulous Fracted images and to read the Glow 100 tutorial. You can check out both of her Fractalius tutorials and learn more about Denise by clicking here: http://deniseippolito.smugmug.com/ and scrolling down. Be sure to visit some of her galleries too.
If you are sold on Fracting after seeing the killer pelican image above, you can purchase a copy of Fracalius by clicking here: https://www.plimus.com/jsp/buynow.jsp?contractId=1720292&referrer=birdsasart. Please be sure to use this link to purchase; doing so will enable us to bring you more tutorials <smile> You can see the original pelican image here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=55949.
I will be on the road for 2 1/2 weeks for the Sarasota Audubon Program (see in the Bulletin), the SW FLA IPT, and the NANPA Summit in Reno, NV. Then it’s home for a few days and off to Midway! I will be posting here regularly.
January 29th, 2010
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| This image was created with the Canon 70-200mm f.4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (handheld at 280mm) and the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/2000 sec. at f/6.3. You need to have absolute confidence in both your and your camera's ability to produce sharp images. |
Whenever I take a new camera out of the box, I head down to the lake and create some images just to make sure that the camera is capable of focusing accurately. I have never had a camera that did not create razor sharp images when I did everything right. That said, on rare occasion, folks do get a bad camera. If you are relatively new to photography, reading the article below will be a great help and includes some basic tests so that you can check and see if your camera is a rare dud. I have never had to perform any of the tests below because my initial “test” images with new cameras have always been sharp, that a result of quality products and excellent sharpness techniques. (See the same in ABP II.)
Basic Sharpness Testing
I receive several e-mails each week from folks who state that this camera does not focus properly or that that lens is not sharp. In 99% of the cases I am sure that operator error rather than equipment malfunction is the cause. That said, on rare occasion, folks using quality equipment from Canon or Nikon do experience real problems with focusing accuracy.
If you are handholding, please do not complain about unsharp images. I was walking around in Sabine Woods on a spring trip least year. It was cloudy dark. I was working at ISO 800 with shutter speeds of about 1/60th second and even slower at times. There were two folks walking around handholding 500 f/4 lenses; they might as well have gone fishing as there was no way that they could create a sharp image without a tripod in those conditions. It is best to work on a tripod at all times when using your longest lens (unless you are handholding for flight or for action).
Another factor to consider is that most of the folks who write complaining of unsharp image are using cameras with 1.6X or 1.5X multiplier effects. They need to realize that these cameras multiply vibrations and movement caused by operator error by the square of the equivalent focal length!
If you are using a tripod you need to check and note the shutter speeds of your unsharp images. I had one guy on an IPT complaining that none of his images were sharp. I checked his set-up and saw that he was working in near darkness at ISO 100 with shutter speeds in the 1/8 to 1/15 second range. Making sharp images with a long lens at such slow shutter speeds is simply not possible for most folks. When working at long effective focal lengths I am confident that I can make sharp images down to 1/60 second as long as I have time to lock the tripod head and provided that the bird does not move during the exposure. With the prime lenses alone, I can usually get down to 1/30 second. With the relatively new Canon 800mm lens and its new 4-stop IS system, I have made some sharp images at shutter speeds as slow as 1/6 sec.
Below are two simple tests to determine if you have faulty equipment.
- Tape a sheet of newspaper to a sunlit outdoor wall on a relatively still day. Make sure that it is as taped down as flat as possible. (A magazine cover with fine print or a plastic or cardboard test chart are of course better options.) Mount your telephoto rig on a tripod. Lock down the tripod and the lens collar. Make sure that you are beyond the minimum focusing distance of your lens and that the distance range switch (if your lens has one) is set to full. Make a few images at the wide open aperture using both One-Shot or AI Servo with Canon gear or Single (S) or Continuous (C) with Nikon. Then do the same thing at f/8. As long as the wall is sunlit you will have more than enough shutter speed to know that your focusing issues are not caused by too-slow shutter speeds. Now download your images and check them for accurate focusing. If all of the images are sharp, then you can be sure that your unsharp images were being caused by operator error.
- Stand well off a somewhat busy road with the sun angled so that the approaching vehicles are coming right down sun angle. Use the wide open aperture and choose an ISO that results in shutter speeds greater than 1/2000 sec. Choose AI Servo (Canon) or Continuous (Nikon) and select the center AF sensor. As the cars approach, place the central sensor on the license plate and hold the shutter button down once focus is acquired. Even this simple task requires some practice so be sure to take lots of images. Download the images and sort them into two groups: sharp on the license plate and unsharp on the license plate. Now using an application that allows you to see the position of the active focusing sensor, in this case the central sensor, note the position of the sensor in the unsharp images. If the sensor is consistently on the license plate and the images are unsharp, then you likely have equipment problems. You can repeat this test with various camera bodies and various lenses in an effort to determine the cause of the problem. When you are pretty sure that you have an equipment problem it is best to send the gear to the manufacturer along with a CD of the test images.
In most cases, folks will learn that their equipment is perfectly fine but that their poor sharpness techniques are the cause of the unsharp images. Do also realize the importance of subject movement. While working at the Cozad Ranch probably well more than half of my images were unsharp. This was due in most cases to subject movement. In other cases, the unsharp images were a result of the AF system being unable to maintain sharp focus on the tiny songbirds as they leaped off of their perches. It is important to understand and to realize the limitations of our equipment.
The above text was adapted from a feature in BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #289: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn.html. The Bulletin Archives here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn289.htm are a tremendous free resource. And there is a great Google search feature that can help you find what you need quickly.
January 24th, 2010
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| Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (handlheld at 208mm). ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/8. In competent hands as seen here, the 7D offers superb image quality. As always, click on each image to see a larger, sharper version. |
Early on there were on-line concerns with the quality of images produced with the Canon EOS-7D. After using the camera extensively in San Diego (especially with the 70-200mm f/4 L IS lens and the 1.4X II TC) I have zero concerns in this area. I love the 7D files, they are sharp with great edge to edge detail. The color and contrast levels are excellent.
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| Canon 70-200mm f.4L IS lens (handheld at 121mm) with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/2 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/5.6. Fill flash at -1 stop. Late afternoon light. |
As stated in my previous post, I am very pleased with the AI Servo AF performance (acquisition and accuracy) of the 7D. (I have used the camera right out of the box without any focus calibration.) When doing flight photography, my preference has been to set AI Servo/Auto Select 19-point AF (the one that features a set of parenthesis-like brackets) and then manually select the central sensor. If you are in AI Servo AF, the selected sensor will light up when you select this AF Mode. If you are in One-Shot AF, only the brackets will appear. Others much prefer using either the central sensor alone (via Single Point AF-Manual Selection) or AF Point Expansion (Manual Selection) for flight photography.
The more I study the 7D and the Mark IV Instruction Manuals the more I realize how complex each camera is. I am hoping to offer a combined 7D/Mark IV User’s Guide for sale at some point but that will most likely not be until spring as I have tons more to learn…
January 22nd, 2010
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| Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC (handheld at 235mm) and the EOS-7D. ISO 500. Evalautive metering at zero: 1/250 sec. at f/8. Flash with Better Beamer at -2 stops. When working with tame birds at close range, the 70-200 and a 7D is a great combination with or without the 1.4X teleconverter. As always, you can click on each image to see a larger, sharper version. |
BULLETIN #313
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #313 is online now and can be viewed here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2010/01/20/birds-as-art-bulletin-313.
- THE BIRDS AS ART BLOG WAKE-UP CALL
- THE SAN DIEGO IPT REPORT
- KUDOS
- BOK TOWER EXHIBIT
- AN E-MAIL FROM TOM WILBERDING
- POSSE NEWS: ROBERT O’TOOLE/BALD EAGLE WORKSHOPS
- POSSE NEWS: JAMES SHADLE & JIM NEIGER/BEST OF FLORIDA WORKSHOPS
- IPT UPDATES
- …..
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| This bloody lion cub was photographed from the top of a safari van in Ndutu, Tanazania with the Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens, a 1.4X TC, and the EOS-1D Mark II on a Todd-Pod-mounted Wimberley head. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/80 sec. at f/5.6. |
Todd Gustafson taught me how to photograph in Africa after I taught him much of what he knows about photography. Todd is highly skilled at capturing birds in flight and animals in action. And his compositional skills are second to none. Todd had made and led dozens of photographic safaris to Africa. In his book, “A Photographer’s Guide to the Safari Experience,” he shares everything the he knows about photographing on the Dark Continent. And I know because I helped craft every word of it <smile> We are glad to offer a $5 discount on the purchase price of the book on phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Please mention the blog to receive your discount. Whether you have been to Africa many times or are making your first trip, this book will prove to be invaluable. And even those who will never get to Kenya or Tanzania will treasure the book just for the images.
Mongoose M3.5b in Stock
With the discontinuation of the Mongoose M2.3, it is getting harder and harder to get stock on the 3.5B. We currently have 3 in stock. This is the head that I use every day with my Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens.
Best Picture Ever!
Like most folks, I do not enjoy being photographed. When folks ask me to smile, I freeze up and look doofy. I rarely like images of myself. After the recently concluded IPT, participant Becky Field sent me the candid image of me that she had created on the IPT. It is my favorite-ever image of me. By far. I feel that it captures a great deal of my spirit. Thanks a ton to Becky for sharing.
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| Arthur Morris smiling, San Diego, CA. Image courtesy of and copyright 2010: Rebecca Field (www.RebeccaFieldPhotography.com) |
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