January 17th, 2010
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| California Brown Pelican in flight, La Jolla, CA. Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens (handheld at 154mm) with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-7D. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops set manually. |
With one day to go, the San Diego IPT has been a huge success. Great folks, great camraderie, great photographic opportunities, great food, and lots of learning. We have been blessed with the right light, the right winds, and the right weather. Keep your eyes peeled for the next BAA Bulletin for a complete report.
Everyone is anxious to know my thoughts on AI Servo AF performance with my new cameras: Canon’s flagship professional body–the EOS-1D Mark IV, and the top of the line pro-sumer model–the EOS-7D. AI Servo AF performance in both is excellent. When I get the central sensor on the bird’s eye, face, or head and keep it there, the images are sharp. When I fail to do that, sometimes the images are sharp, and sometimes they are not. My initial impression (as you can plainly see in the Mallard image below) is that the Mark IV is surely the best ever Canon body when it comes to tracking incoming subjects that are rocketing towards you.
And two things are sure: competent photographers will produce excellent flight images with either of these bodies, and excellent flight and action photographers will continue to produce award winning images with either the 7d or the Mark IV. (Do note that when it comes to flight and action I consider myself in the former group, not the latter.)
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| Mallard drake incoming, Santee Lakes, CA. Canon 400mm f/4L DO lens handheld with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/800 sec. at f/4 set manually. |
As always, you can click on an image to see a larger sharper one. I am supposed to be in San Diego until next Saturday but with the gloom and doom weather forecast: rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, I am likely to get out of Dodge well before that. I will be back soon with more MIV and 7D images.
January 12th, 2010
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| Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens handheld with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/320 sec. at f/4. |
Anxious to create a few pix with one of my new Mark IV bodies I headed to the cliffs at La Jolla yesterday afternoon. Within minutes, a cormorant flying by overhead unloaded a ton of whitewash on my bald head. Pretty stinky stuff. But when I looked down, I saw that he had scored a double hit: the top of my brand new Canon EOS-1D Mark IV was covered with the white goo. Yikes. Well, it is supposed to be good luck and I am a lover of what is, so, ….
The two images in this post teach an important lesson. In the image above, the head angle is perfect; the bird’s head is turned about two degrees towards me. In the image below, the bird’s head is turned about two degrees away from me. (I knew it the instant that I pushed the shutter button but had no time to move to my right.) It is great that the gular sac is inflated but the head angle is far less than ideal….
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| Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens handheld with the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6. |
As always, you can click on each image to see a larger, sharper version. You can learn lots more about head angle at this BPN thread: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7781.
January 11th, 2010 It is 4:48 am. I am sitting at Gate 13 in Orlando International Airport headed for San Diego via Dallas flying American Airlines. After 9/11, there was huge concern about flying with photography gear. Other than getting dump-searched at the Dallas Airport right after 9-11–I had been in the air during the attacks– flying with photo gear after 9-11 was exactly the same as it was flying before 9-11. One rolling bag, one computer case, and my vest. Sometimes they checked my rolling bag carefully, sometimes they did not. And once in a very great while I got hassled about my vest. But getting through security and on the plane was and has been relatively hassle free.
After the last recent security fiasco/terrorist attempt there has once again been huge concern about the “new security measures” that will make it impossible to travel with long lenses and mutliple camera bodies. Well, aside from the line at TSA being very slow this morning, I can assure you that at least in Orlando things are exactly the same. Once it was my turn I got through security in record time: one rolling bag, one computer case, and my vest. And they did not even swab my bag. No pat down and no body scan even though they have those machines at MCO.
On a personal note, I was up till after 1am talking to a friend on Sunday night, and then up this morning at 3am to make my 6am flight. Though I am wide-eyed and alert at the moment, I am sure that I will catch some z’s on my flights. I will be back soon to post some Mark IV and 7D images.
January 10th, 2010
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| This image was created with the Canon 180mm macro lens and the EOS-1D MIII. Canopy Lodge, Panama. See below for needed help <smile> As always, you can click on the image to see a larger, sharper version. |
On Wednesday of last week I got my brand new Canon EOS-7D. And on Friday afternoon I received (just in the nick of time) my two Canon EOS-1D Mark IV bodies. I have been busy packing and getting ready to head to San Diego for the IPT and then a week-long busman’s holiday. It is cold and clear here at my office/home in Indian Lake Estates, FL this morning but I will not have any time to go down to the lake to try out my three new toys. I hope to have time to set up a tripod in the driveway and do the focus calibration for each camera with a variety of lenses. That will take a few hours. As I have never made a trip before with three brand new cameras I am very excited!
Bulletin #312
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #312 is on-line and can be accessed here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2010/01/06/birds-as-art-bulletin-312.
Here are the featured items:
- HAPPY NEW YEAR WISHES AND BAA INF
- HOME AT LAST BUT NOT FOR LONG
- POSSE NEWS: JIM NEIGER
- JPI BRADENTON GEORGE LEPP EVENT
- BPN HOT THREADS
- MONGOOSE NEWS
- SAN DEIGO IPT VERY LATE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT
- IPT UPDATES
- Here is where I could use a bit of help: I have spent the last two days creating titles for the 34 images that will comprise my upcoming Canon USA-sponsored exhibit at Bok Tower in nearby Lake Wales. I am pretty happy with nearly all of the titles. Several friends including Todd Gustafson, James Shadle, Jim Heupel, and BPN Out-of-the-Box moderator Denise Ippolito pitched in with some creative stuff.
But I am least happy with the title for the Red-eyed Tree Frog image above. If you have any suggestions, please e-mail me (no later than 5pm Sunday, January 10) at samandmayasgrandpa@att.net. Thanks!
December 30th, 2009
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| Mallard drake on ice, Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6. Fill flash with Better Beamer at -1 stop. There were lots of gulls and Mallards on the pond right outside my Mom's kitchen window in Holbrook. As I approached carefully, every bird but this one walked or flew away. |
I am posting this morning from MacArthur Airport in Islip, New York (with free WiFi). I love Southwest Airlines for a variety of reasons including lots of computer station plugs and comfortable leather chairs with outlets. No charge for bags, and no ridiculous change fees. (I changed this flight four times without hassle.)
Bulletin #311
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #311 is on-line. You can access it here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/12/23/birds-as-art-bulletin-311.
Here are the features:
- HOLIDAY BEST WISHES/BAA CLOSED TILL 2010!
- JIM LITZENBERG KUDOS
- ROBERT O’TOOLE: PHOTOGRAPHER, PHOTOSHOP GURU, & GROWTH AS A TRIP LEADER
- THANK YOU TEACHER
- LONG ISLAND WINTER HOTSPOT: MORTON NWR
- SAN DIEGO IPT LATE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT
I made it out onto the Barnegat jetty twice more on this visit. Conditions on the middle of the three visits were not as benign as they had been on my first visit but the jetty is a relatively safe one as long as you are careful with each step and avoid wet rocks at all costs. Many of the huge flat boulders near the end of the jetty, the last 100 yards or so, that had been covered with dried seaweed and were perfectly safe on that first afternoon, were–with the wind more from the south–wave splashed and slick on that second afternoon.
On my third afternoon visit, the wind howled from west at about 25 knots and a bit surpisingly, the end of the jetty was again wave-splashed and dangerous. There were hundreds of sea ducks with many of them at fairly close range, but photography was extremely difficult as they bobbed up and down in the choppy water. Species included Harlequin Duck, White-winged Scoter, Common Eider and Long-Tailed Duck (formerly Oldsquaw).
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| The drake Surf Scoter was photographed with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop (to save the whites). The hardest part of the whole deal was simply getting the central sensor on the ducks as they bobbed up and down violently in the chop. |
Thanks for dropping by. I will be back soon.
ps: Thanks to Ray Wilsson and Gene Herzberg for the ID/brain typo correction on the “White-winged Scoter.”
December 22nd, 2009
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| This image of a Northern Cardinal was created with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 320. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/320 sec. at f/11 set manually. (Should have been +1 2/3 stops….) Fill flash at -1 stop. |
Morton NWR is located in Noyac, Long Island. I was amazed to learn last year that bird feeding there is not only permitted but encouraged. After Saturday’s blizzard I was anxious to get out in the snow and put some of what I had learned from Alan Murphy’s “Guide to Songbird Set-Up Photography” to good use. Heading out to eastern Long Island on Sunday would have been borderline suicidal so I passed on that. I woke early on Monday, packed my gear and warm clothing, and headed to the refuge. Thinking that I might need to dig my way out at some point, I threw my Mom’s long-handled spade into the back seat of the car. It took me a shade more than an hour to make the trip but when I arrived, I noted that the road into the parking lot had not been plowed. I got my warm coat on, took the long-handled spade out of the back seat, and started digging my own parking space. After about 30 minutes (when I was about half finished with my one car parking lot) I was wishing that I had brought my Mom’s real snow shovel.
I stopped one guy with a plow on the front of an SUV; he stopped and was very nice but explained that it was his bosses truck and that he was forbidden to plow anything. So back to work I went. After another 15 minutes I was about 3/4 done when I spotted a bobcat with a snow plow on the front. I waved the guy down and he stopped. I asked him if I could pay him to finish plowing my spot. He said, “No. I will do it for free.” One, two three and there was a beautiful practically effortless parking spot big enough for two cars. I tried to give the guy a ten-spot for breakfast but he refused and drove off.
I wound up photographing for more than 7 hours. I created the cardinal image above just before I left at 4pm. By that time, my feet were frozen blocks of ice. I was able to utilize many of the tips in Alan Murphy’s Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography to help me create better images. The woodpecker image that follows was just one of many of those. Be sure to click on each image to see a larger sharper version.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 100. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/320 sec. at f/8 set manually. Fill flash at -1 stop. |
Tips: When I am working with songbirds at close range I remove my Better Beamer to avoid over-flashing the birds. When working in bright sun I use more fill flash than I usually do.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 250. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/200 sec. at f/11. Fill flash at -1 stop. |
This is another one that was created by following Alan’s directions explicitly. His tip on the exact piece of equipment used for placing and adjusting the position of your selected perches is priceless. You can learn more about Alan’s book or order a copy here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=33
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 25mm Extension tube and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 250. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/250 sec. at f/13 set manually. Fill flash at -1 stop. |
OK, you have read this far; now we will share some tips for photographing in the snow. If you are photographing during the height of the storm, always use flash as light levels will be very low. Once the weather clears, you will often have bright blue skies and northwest winds. Be sure to select a location that is sheltered from the wind, especially in the mornings when a wind from the north or west can kill you. During the short days of winter the sun is so low in the sky in the northeast that you can photograph in nice light all day long.
In places like Morton where the birds are accustomed to being fed, it is fun to create some images of them on the fresh snow. Do not scatter the seed about as the individual kernels will be distracting. Instead, poke a small hole in the snow and fill it with seed. Attempt to photograph the birds as they come to the seed hole or wait their turn.
Wear your warmest boots and clothing. Hand-warmers can save the day if it is in the low 20s or the teens. Work right down sun angle. In addition to Alan’s techniques, I used many of my own from the Practicalities chapter of “The Art of Bird Photography II (916 pages on CD only): https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
Important BAA Note:
HOLIDAY BEST WISHES/BAA CLOSED TILL 2010!
First off, Jim Litzenberg, older-daughter Jennifer Morris, and I would like to wish each of you a safe and enjoyable holiday season. With luck it will be filled with friends, family, good food, and at least a bit of photography.
Jennifer is flying to Islip on X-mas Eve day with husband Erik and children Sam and Maya to join the rest of the family that includes my Mom, my two sisters, her Mom, and her younger sister Alissa and her family (husband Ajiniaz and two sons, Ilyas and Idris). And me <smile>
Jim will be in the office until noon on Thursday, DEC 24th and is then taking a rare and much needed vacation. He will be able to ship or mail any order received before the close of business on Wednesday, DEC 23. Both Jennifer and Jim will be back in the office on Monday, January 4, 2010. PayPals and BAA On-Line Mail Order store orders will be processed and shipped on either January 4th or 5th.
I will be back soon.
December 18th, 2009
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| Purple Sandpiper is another rock loving winter species that is most easily photographed on rock jetties where they spend nearly all of their time when away from the breeding grounds. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stops: 1/320 sec. at f/5.6. (DPP conversion.) |
For those who thought that my warnings about jetty safety might have been a bit exagerrated, check out this link: http://www.howardsview.com/Jetty/Jetty.html. It was posted by Dave Blinder in the BPN “First Mid-Atlantic Get Together” thread. The photographer came within a hair’s breath of buying the farm and was extremely lucky to get out alive.
After reading the tale above and seeing the accompanying images I am betting that you will not be doing any jetty photography without having a photo buddy along….
December 17th, 2009
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6 L IS lens with a 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/8 set manually. One-shot AF and recompose with the central AF sensor. As always, click on any image to see a larger, sharper version. |
God bless my sister Arna. She skipped out of work early today so that she could take our Mom to therapy. That allowed me to head down to Barnegat Inlet. It was 164 miles from Holbrook to the motel in Ship Bottom, NJ; it took me almost exactly three hours with two pits stops. I arrived at Barnegat Lighthouse at about 2:30 pm and was headed to the jetty with only the tripod-mounted 800 f/5.6 and a Mark III soon after that. The 1.4X II TC was in my jacket pocket.
The wind was 20-25 from the north northwest with higher gusts. After reading the posts here: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?p=405212#post405212 about the planned Saturday BPN get-together (the weather may cancel it….) I was a bit apprehensive about the condition of the jetty. Having actually been there this afternoon for the first time I must report that the warnings were over-stated. I am a veteran jetty fisherman and while all jetties can be dangerous the jetty at Barnegat is rather tame. It is wide and the rocks are fairly flat. There were very few puddles and only a few rocks near the end were covered with (dried) seaweed. Those can be very slick when wet. I did not see any slick black rocks; those can be lethal and are to be avoided at all costs. With any wind out of the north or west the jetty should remain dry (and relatively safe).
The air temp was about 30 degrees. I wore my warmest coat, lined pants, rain pants to cut the wind, and my hiking boots with a pair of NEOS (also to cut the wind and to provide an layer of insulation). I was over-dressed on the way out but glad to be warm on the long walk back into the wind.
When photographing on a rock jetty it is vitally important to be careful. Look at where you are putting your feet with each step; do not look for or at the birds unless you stop. One mis-step can be quite costly in terms of broken bones, broken equipment, broken skulls and possible concussions, and even death should you hit your head or fall into the water. If you are at all in doubt about the safety of a given step, turn around and go back. Be especially careful near the edges of a jetty. Never step on a rock covered with wet seaweed. Avoid stepping in a puddle as they are almost always slippery, especially if the water has been standing for any period of time. And never ever even consider stepping on either a wet rock that slopes toward the water or a slimy black rock. Excpetions to any of the above rules should be made only by folks wearing ice-creepers or similar footwear designed for traversing slick jetties.
Be vary careful when putting your tripod down. No matter how beautiful an image you think that you might miss, be sure to level the tripod platform by raising or lowering the individual legs as needed (or by pulling out the leg tab and changing the angle of one or more legs to achieve the same results). When adding a teleconverter or handling any small pieces of equipment such as bubble levelsor batteries, be sure to remove your heavy gloves and to hold on to each item firmly. If you drop something and it falls between the rocks you will most likely never see it again.
The rewards of photographing from rock jetties in winter can be great, but no image is worth a serious injury; as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus used to say on Hill Street Blues, “Be careful out there….”
December 13th, 2009
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1600 at f/5.6. I had originally set +2/3 stop exposure compensation but after seeing some substantial flashing highlights on the image on the camera's LCD, I backed off to +1/3 stop. |
I have been at my Mom’s in Holbrook, Long Island, NY for almost a week now. It has been very cold. I was getting cabin fever so I went to the local golf course to photograph some Canada Geese. (As always you can click on the image to see a larger, sharper version.)
With the relatively new Canon EOS-7d proving to be a popular camera and the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV about to begin shipping, lots of folks are just plain stuck when it comes to converting the RAW iamges from these two cameras. It is my understanding that even when the ACR plug-ins for these cameras become available, only folks with CS-4 will be able to use them. And again, as far as I know, 7D conversions are not yet supported by Breezebrowser. Mark IV images will not be supported by Breezebrowser for many months.
That leaves folks using these new cameras with Digital Photo Professional, the software that comes in the box with your new camera. It had been quite a while since I used DPP for my RAW conversions and when I opened some 7D images in DPP I was pretty much lost <smile> Jerry Ward., Pro Market Specialist for Canon USA who joined us at the recent Albuquerque program, alerted me to a great DPP tutorial on the Canon Digital Learning web site.
The tutorials, expertly prepared by Elizabeth Pratt of Canon’s Professional Products Division, can be found here: http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=1228&fromTips=1. They are based on DPP v3.2. DPP v3.7.1.1 shipped with the 7D.
These are the individual tutorials: What is DPP?, Main Window, Preferences (note: To set your preferences in v3.7.1.1 you will need to click on Tools/Preferences or hit Control K), Organizing Images in the Main Window, Quick Check Tool, Batch Rename Tool, Edit Image Window, Tool Palette: RAW Image Adjustment Tab, Tool Palette: RGB Image Adjustment Tab, Tool Palette NR-Lens Tab, Trimming Tool (for cropping), Stamp Tool (dust delete data or dust spotting), Comparing Images, Recipes, Batch Processing, File Saving Options, Printing Contact Sheets, Printing Directly from DPP, and Workflow Demonstration.
If you are new to DPP, it would be wise to listen to all of the tutorials a time or two before beginning. I found these two tutorials most helpful and continue to review them: RAW Image Adjustment Tab and Tool Palette: RGB Image Adjustment Tab.
The Canada Goose image was processed with DPP and I was extremely pleased with the results. I will continue to share what I learn about DPP both here and in future BAA Bulletins.
Bulletin #308
BAA Bulletin #308 is available on-line here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/12/07/birds-as-art-bulletin-308.
Features include:
- HAPPY HOLIDAYS
- HOLIDAY GIFTS FROM THE BAA ON-LINE STORE
- ONE IMAGE/SO MANY LESSONS
- EDUCATIONAL CD UPDATES
- SCOTT BOURNE ON THE CANON EOS 7D
- The SAN DIEGO IPT
- BIRDS AS ART FINE ART CANVAS PRINTS.
The DEC 12, 2009 BAA Notes can be found here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/12/08/birds-as-art-notes-december-8th-2009. Be sure to check out this great feature: FREE ACR CONVERSION TIPS EXCERPT ON BPN THREAD.
Continue to enjoy the holiday season. I will visit again soon.
December 7th, 2009 I will be presenting “Lenses for Nature Photography BIRDS AS ART-Style for the Nature and Wildlife Photographers of Long Island group in Bayshore on December 8, 2009 at Bayshore High School. After a short break I will present an optional Photoshop session for those who wish to stay on. For directions click here: http://www.nwpli.com/photo/calendar/#directions. This program is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there.
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| Please click on this image so that you can see it larger! |
Bulletin #307
BAA Bulletin #307 is on-line and can be viewed here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/12/04/birds-as-art-bulletin-307.
I am posting this from the Orlando Airport (free internet; yipee!), Headed for Long Island and my Mom. Be back soon.
December 3rd, 2009 In response to this question from Maruthy: A very good example to understand and learn the value of pushing the histogram to the right ! Thanks for sharing ! Would it be possible for you to share the histogram of the original, to help better understand the concept ? Thanks, Maruthy
Surely. Here is the histogram as seen in Photoshop:
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| Note that the histogram is pushed almost completely to the right without showing any over-exposure. |
There is tons of great info on evaluating, understanding, and adjusting the histogram as needed in ABP II: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32.
December 2nd, 2009
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| I had fun in the snow on the early morning of Sunday, November 30. Photo copyright and courtesy of Robert O'Toole. |
It is 6:50 am on Wednesday, December 2 and I am sitting in the Albuquerque Airport headed for Denver/Orlando. I will be home for four whole days before heading to Long Island for the NWPLI program on December 8th and three weeks of winter photography and visits with my Mom and my two wonderful daughters and their families.
It snowed fiercely on Sunday morning past and I struggled to find some geese in the predawn. I added two stops of light to my exposure to push the histogram to the right. Here is what the image looked like on the camera’s LCD:
Many folks would simply delete the image, especially if they were not aware of the amazing potential of digital image files. Below is the optimized image. As always, click on the image to view a larger, sharper one.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 stops: 1/50 sec. at f/6.3 in Tv Mode. |
Simple Levels, Curves, and Hue-Saturation adjustments after an ACR conversion (as detailed in our Digital Basics File: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32) transformed the image as I knew that it would. I wish that the wind had been from the east/northeast rather than from the northwest as I would have preferred the birds flying towards me rather than away.
Gotta go! We are taking off now. I actually had an internet connection while sitting on the plane! I made some corrections and updated the post in the Denver airport.
November 29th, 2009
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| This Sandhill Crane was photographed in early morning light with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop off the yellow grasses: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6. Be sure to click on each image to see a larger, sharper version. |
Overall, photographic conditions at Bosque del Apache NWR during the second half of November, 2009 were poorer than I have ever experienced in my 15 consecutive visits at this season. That said, the two crane pools (Ed Cranepool to the south, and Harry’s Crane Pool to the north), have consistently offered excellent photographic oppourtunities virtually every morning and on some late afternoons as well. And those who worked hard and put their brains in gear were able to make some good images away from the crane pools. The huge problem is that there is no corn by the Farm Loop Road. Various explanations are about: a farmer quit; a farmer was sick; root grubs ruined the entire crop and spraying to control them was not feasible. With more than 20,000 geese present, there have been some decent morning fly-outs but those massive, loud, and thrilling mid-morning blast-offs from the corn fields have been missed by all. And that includes birders, photographers, and the folks attending the Festival of the Cranes.
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| Though we had some great pre-dawn color, the birds were still sleeping. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-1D Mark III. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/60 sec. at f/5.6. |
I remember the good old Phil Norton days when every festival was attended by huge flocks of geese roosting and feeding close to the tour loop road. This year mid-morning and afternoon trips around the refuge often resulted in very few geese (if any) seen at all and those from great distance. The present management has stated that there will be lots of corn planted near the road next year.
There were some issues last year when a woman photographer walking absent-mindedly on the railroad tracks west of the North Railroad Pond was almost struck by a maintainence vehicle. Understandably the railroad had a cow. The solution was to leave the usually productive pond dry. Last year the main impoundment was, for the first time in probably 14 years, plowed. The large expanses of blue water were a photographer’s dream. In just a year the main impoundment became totally overgrown and worse yet, the spent sunflower stalks along the western shore of the impoundment south of the Flight Deck were not cut as they had been last year. This impeded views of the pre-dawn fly-ins and fly-outs and caused over-crowding on the Flight Deck.
And for whatever reason–possibly the cold weather–the geese took flight quite late each morning. We had some very nice sunrises (and one spectacular one) but the color always faded before the birds took to the air en masse. My IPT group was great, and understanding. And we had some great chances with the ducks at various off-refuge locations. See BAA Bulletin #307 coming soon for the complete IPT report and news of the Bosque Site Guide update.
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| This drake Wood Duck was photographed with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-7D. Evaluative metering -1/3 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/7.1. Fill flash at -2 stops with Better Beamer. |
November 24th, 2009 Bulletin #306
BIRDS AS ART BULLETIN #306 is on-line here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/11/20/birds-as-art-bulletin-306 with lots of great images from my San Diego/Del Mar trip.
7D First Impressions
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| 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the Canon EOS-7D. ISO 1000. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6. |
I finally got a chance to try the relatively new Canon EOS-7D and I gotta say that I was most impressed, especially with the all new AF system. Focus on any subject with the central sensor and recompose and the system switches sensors to stay with the originally selected subject. You can actually see the active sensor or sensors change as you track the subject. AF is fast and sure; I never once lost focus on the cranes in flight. And best of all, the resulting images are tack sharp. In the image above I started with the central sensor and the bird in the middle of the frame. Even though I moved the bird back in the frame and several other birds flew by, the AF system was not fooled into losing the original subject.
This image was created at ISO 1000. There was a bit of noise that was easily controlled with Photoshop CS3’s noise reduction. As always, the best way to combat noise with any camera is to push the exposure to the right as far as possible without getting any blinkies.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6 set manually. |
AI Servo AF tracking is fast and accurate even with birds flying right at you. The noise at ISO 400 is not a problem at all. And with 18 million pixels and the 7D’s superb image quality even substantial crops will yield superb optimized files.
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To remove the two cranes in the background, I used the protect and defend cloning techniques. To level the image quickly, I used my personal Keyboard Shortcuts (as taught to me by Robert O’Toole). To smooth out the background bushes, I used the Patch Tool. To sharpen the eyes and face I used the Eye Doctor techniques along with a contrast mask. All of the above techniques are described in the recently revised, re-organized, and updated Digital Basics Flie: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
You can learn more about the 7D here: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=314&modelid=19356
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2 2/3 stops: 1/30 sec. at f/16. |
Not to beat a dead horse, but the all new 7D AF system is superb.
Overall conditions at Bosque are fair at best but the crane pools have been superb in both mornings and evenings. If you will be visiting Bosque this season, you will surely want a copy of your Bosque Site Guide: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=19. I will be sending a free update no later than very early December detailing the current conditions and hotspots.
Here is a comment from Scott Bourne on the capabilities of the 7D: “Canon is light years ahead of Nikon in the VIDEO department; the 7D produces video files as good as those from great costing many tens of thousands of dollars. I will try to post either some of Scott’s Bosque video or a link to same here soon.
November 17th, 2009
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| This Willet was photographed at LaJolla, CA with the handheld Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens and the EOS 50D. ISO 200. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/4 set manually. |
Aside from working on the eyes of most of my avian subjects, I often spend considerable time cleaning a bird’s bill. I work large, often at 500 to 800%. Tip: hit “Z” for the Zoom Tool and then click-draw a box around the area that you wish to work on. To eliminate sand, dirt, birts of food (if I opt to do so), specular highlights (I hate bill shine!), and or small areas of discoloration or damage, I usually use the Patch Tool and the Clone Stamp Tool (that often in cases where I wish to divide a larger problem area into two sections before using the Patch Tool. A times I use a Quick Mask or two and more rarely, the Spot Healing Brush. Detailed instructions on using these tools can be found in Digital Basics: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=32
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| This tight crop shows extensive areas with specular highlights. |
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| Ten minutes work most with the Patch Tool yields a nice clean bill. |
(As always, you can click on any image to see a larger version. I’ll be back soon!
November 16th, 2009
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| Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO lens handheld with the EOS-50D. ISO 250. Evaluative Metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec. at f/5. Be sure to click on each image to see a larger version. |
Wow, I was beyond swamped last week getting ready for my trip to San Diego and getting things in order at the home office or–to put it more accurately, the office home. I will be adding two rooms on the western end of the house: an exercise room and a 3rd bedroom that will serve as a storage area for prints and product. We have slowly outgrown the house so there is no choice but to enlarge it. I apologize for having been away for so long.
I did a program and a live demo on Saturday and on Sunday at Photo Expo West in Del Mar, my appearance sponsored generously by Canon USA/Explorers of Light. All of the programs were well received. I did get out each morning and created the image above on Saturday in LaJolla.
Three Marbled Godwits flew in and landed in front of me while I was photographing a Western Gull at close range with the 800 and the 1.4X II TC, head portraits actually. The godwits were feeding on a limestone shelf about three feet high. There was a narrow gap between that shelf and another almost adjacent one. My hiking boots, the ones that I will be using at Bosque in the afternoon, were protected from the salt water with my NEOS so I simply walked into the narrow gap to get right on sun angle. Then I either kneeled or sat if there was a convenient rock available to get right down to the bird’s level. A big wave splashed over the top of the NEOS on my left foot and another soaked my butt while I was sitting. If I had had only the 800 lens with me I would have had to move way back and up the sloping beach; even if I had kneeled behind my lowered tripod I would have still been well above the birds and the resulting images would not have been anywhere as pleasing or intimate as this one. The background is the Pacific Ocean.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with a 1.4X II TC and the EOS 1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/14 set manually. |
This gull was sitting peacefully on a rock. While standing behind my tripod the background was a mix of yellowish sandstone and breaking waves. To attain the Pacific-blue background that I wanted, I lowered the tripod so that the lens was about 2 feet off the ground. I was hoping that the bird would yawn but that was to no avail.
As you can see, the tripod-mounted 800 f/56. and the handheld 400 DO complement each other beautifully.
Yikes; I should have mentioned that BAA Bulletin #305 can be found online by following this link: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/11/13/birds-as-art-bulletin-305.
Bulletin #305
Here are the featured items:
- COMMON SENSE PHOTOGRAPHIC ETHICS
- ON-THE-ROAD AGAIN
- TRIPOD HEAD HELP AND INFO
- PHOTO EXPO WEST APPEARANCE/NOV 15/16
- ALBUQUERQUE APPEARANCE/DEC 1
- LONG ISLAND APPEARANCE/DEC 8
- ROBERT O’TOOLE’S APTATS II/Pre-Publication Discount Offer
- CANON 600 IS FOR SALE
- SAN DIEGO ITP
- POSSE NEWS/ROBERT AMORUSO
- IPT UPDATES
Item 1 is particularly interesting.
I will be back soon. And I head to Bosque on Thursday November 19th.
October 21st, 2009 Two days ago, Canon released information on their next professinal digital camera body. I was fortunate to have one to test about two weeks ago. You can read my initital impressions on this BPN post:
http://birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?p=365077&posted=1#post365077
The short story is that I ordered two of them immediately <smile>
Bulletin #301 & #302
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #301 can be viewed on line here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/10/12/birds-as-art-bulletin-301
These are two of the featured items:
- ALAN MURPHY’S “Guide to Songbird Set-up Photography” ($10 pre-publication discount)
- “DON’T BE TRAPPED BY A MIND-SET…”
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| If you have ever pointed a lens at a bird coming to a feeder you will find Aan's guide an amazing resource. |
You can pre-order one here and save $10: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=275.
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #302 can be viewed on line here: http://www.birdsasart.com/2009/10/19/birds-as-art-bulletin-302.
These are the most important featured items:
- DAYTON, OH PROGRAM/SEMINAR: NOV 6/7, 2009
- TOO WONDERFUL NOT TO SHARE, GALAPAGOS 2010 (looking for one lady….)
- THANKSGIVING AT BOSQUE
- “THE CLEAN LOWER EDGE,”
- THE 2009 BOSQUE OPEN WINDOWS VOLUNTEER PROJECT
A Tale of Two Nelsons, TOO WONDERFUL NOT TO SHARE
If you have already read “TOO WONDERFUL NOT TO SHARE” in BAA Bulletin #302 (immediately below), be sure to read on to see Nelson’s follow-up e-mail and to learn of the second Nelson, Nelson Serrano.
I received this e-mail this morning at 9:45am. It put a huge smile in my heart and more than a few tears in my eyes.
Hello Mr. Morris, My name is Nelson Gonzalez. I don’t know if you remember me, but you were my sixth grade teacher at P.S. 106 (Class 6-306) in the late 70’s. I’m the one who played the rich guy in the Happy Days play that we did (Cynthia, please come along, the cocktail guests are waiting at the club.”) I was browsing the net and came across BIRDS AS ART. As I looked at the pictures, I was caught by surprise when I came across a picture of you. I’m happy you followed your dream after teaching for so many years. Now I know why you always took our class on trips to Gateway National Park and to natural history museums. I just wanted to take the time to let you know that you had a big impact on my life. From all the grades, I have fond memories of being a student in your class. I remember you taking students to your home and your wife serving us spaghetti and meatballs. I don’t know how many other students have told you that you were a great teacher, but I felt the need to tell you. Although we came from a poor and rough neighborhood, you gave your students hope by teaching us that we could accomplish anything if we put our minds to work.
I wanted to tell you that I came out okay. I joined the Navy after high school and served 6 years. After the Navy, I attended Long Island University, and I now work as a relationship manager at a bank. I have been married for 21 years and have 2 daughters and a son. My oldest daughter Melissa is a junior in college. Denise is a senior in high school and Nelson Jr. is a junior. Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Mr. Morris, thank you for being my giant. Take care and I hope to hear from you. Nelson Gonzalez, U.S. Bank Corporate Trust Services
NELSON’S FOLLOW-UP E-MAIL
After responding to Nelson’s original e-mail, I received this from him yesterday:
Mr. Morris, I’m sorry to hear about Mrs. Belsky. My brother loved being in her class because she had such a gift to teach. My mom was also very fond of her. It’s funny, when my mother spoke about our time at 106, she always reminded us that Mr. Morris, Mrs. Belsky and Mr. Alexandro were the best teachers her children ever had. I think she was right. As for talking to anyone from 106, I used to talk to Jorge, who was in our six grade class (do you remember him?), but lost touch with him. Jorge also served in the Navy. After the Navy, Jorge was working as a para- professional at Bushwick High School while attending college to be a teacher. I also spoke to Pablo about 8 years ago. Pablo was also in your class at the same time I was. I don’t know if you remember him. Sadly, Pablo dropped out of school and was into drugs. It’s sad that most of the kids I grew up with ended up serving time in jail, getting into drugs, or are dead now. I remember growing up, most of these kids made fun of my brothers and me because we had a curfew. My parents were very strict and watched over us like hawks. I thank my parents all the time. I now live on Staten Island. I bought a two family home and took my parents with me. I appreciate them so much for how they managed to bring us up well despite the environment that I wanted them to live their last days in a peaceful environment. Well take care and God Bless.
P.S. I will try and send you some pictures of my kids soon.
NELSON SERRANO
Nelson Serrano was a tall Spanish kid with red hair and freckles. He was a gifted student by any standards, another member of Class 6-306 some time in the early 1980s. He was one of the most brilliant group of kids that I ever had. On the city-wide tests, he scored in the 99th percentile in both reading and math. And he always had a neat smile on his face.
Nearly a decade later I was approached by a short Spanish man while standing in the hallway outside of the office at PS 106. “Hi,” he said, “I am Nelson Serrano’s uncle. I am not sure if you have heard that Nelson has been in prison for several years now after killing two drug dealers in a deal gone bad when he was 16 years old. Would you be willing to write a positive letter on Nelson’s behalf? He thinks that you and his sister are the only two who might be able to help him; we are trying to get his sentence communted.”
I wrote the letter and a year later I received a letter from Nelson, from prision. He said something like this: “Mr. Morris, Thanks for writing the letter for me. My appeal was turned down. I would like to apologize to you. You warned us of the dangers of drugs and I did not listen to you. I am sorry. Nelson Serrano”.
It was amazing to me how some kids could be dragged under by the conditions in Bushwick while others were able to rise above it. Please feel free to share this with any of the youngsters in your life and ask them which Nelson they would like to be….
I hope to be back soon with some M IV images to post; right now Canon has requested that I do not post any of the images that I created with my pre-production Mark IV bodies just yet.
October 13th, 2009
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| This classic BAA image was created at a shutter speed of 1/30 sec. If you think that your equipment is the cause of your usharp images, please keep reading. Not sure who said this but I do agree: "Most lenses are sharper than most photographers." This print will be offered as a limited editon canvas print in several months. See the Bulletins or the BAA store here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=31 for details on this print series. |
BASIC SHARPNESS TESTING
I receive several e-mails each week from folks who state that this or that camera does not focus properly or that this or that lens is not sharp. In 99% of these 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. ( Handholding telephoto lenses can be done successfully only be a very few highly skilled folks.) I was walking around in Sabine Woods late yesterday afternoon. 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. For most folks 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! So using a 500 lens with say an EOS-50D you are really working at an effective focal lenght of 800mm, not 500mm.
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 99.99% of the time. 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. Here 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 and AI Servo AF with Canon gear or Single (S) or Continuous (C) AF 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 focus. 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. Once focus is acquired, hold the shutter button down. and make a series of images. 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. At this point you will need to send both camera and lens to the manufacturer along with a CD of the images.
You can repeat this test with various camera bodies and various lenses in an effort to determine the cause of your problem. Again, when and if 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 the great majority of cases, folks will learn that their equipment is perfectly fine but that poor sharpness or panning techniques, slow shutter speeds, or incorrect AF settings 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.
October 1st, 2009 I flew to Long Island on Monday past to visit my Mom who is recuperating from hip replacement replacement surgery. Her original new hip lasted 16 years. The surgeon found a big mess and three hours turned into six and a half. After a few days in the hospital and two months in a rehab nursing home, she is back home and doing great. Photography locally has been pretty poor both at Jones Beach and at the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
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| Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIII. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/10. |
This juvenile pectoral was one of a very few birds at the north end of the East Pond on Tuesday afternoon. A visit to the south end on Thursday morning was also challenging.
Bulletin #300
BIRDS AS ART Bulletin #300 is now on-line here: http://www.birdsasart.com/bn300.htm
The first featured item (which had pretty much nothing at all to do with photography), generated more interest than anything I have ever posted. I feel that it is so important that I am posting it here as well.
YOUR HEALTH: NONE OF MY BUSINESS
Over the past decade or so, the nature photography community has lost several stellar contributors to easily preventable diseases and conditions. All of these deaths have been needless. If you are grossly overweight or enjoy a pack or two of smokes a day and are totally happy with your life, please skip down to item 2 below. After all, your health is none of my business and I can respect that. But heck, there is a good chance that your doctor is telling you that you are in great shape anyway…. Sad but true. If you have been thinking for years that you need to make some serious changes in your lifestyle, keep reading.
First, I would like to make a preliminary comment on change. Everyone says, “Change is so hard.” That is true only if you believe your own story (Byron Katie: www.thework.com). I used to drink a 32 ounce soda with lunch and dinner. Every day. I used to eat a box of Oreos a day, that for more than 35 years. Every day. One whole box. Three rows of 12 cookies. Now I have had a total of about 7 cans of soda and zero Oreo cookies in the past 14 years. Very recently I have tightened up my diet significantly, consuming only protein and about a dozen grams of carbohydrates from some veggies and a salad each at each meal. No cookies, ice cream, cake, candy, pasta, bread, wheat, rye, rice, potatoes, potato chips, or cashew nuts. And no processed foods. Oil and vinegar on the salads. In spite of what you might think, these changes were actually very easy to make once I made up my mind.
At age 18, I weighed 264 pounds. At 40, I weighed 240. I had had high blood pressure since I was 13. Twenty years ago I was told that I had advanced coronary artery disease. I had 3-9 bouts annually of a severely irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation. I was on a ton of heart meds. 14 years ago I was diagnosed with non-insulin dependent, adult-onset diabetes and had a bleeding ulcer. Today I take no heart meds, my ulcer is a thing of the past, I am off all of heart medications, my blood pressure is 120 over 70, and I have not had an a-fib in several years. My last blood work was perfect report but for the blood sugar which continues to be difficult to control as eating 666,666 Oreo cookies and about 547 Entenmanns’s French-filled Chocolate Crumb cakes over the course of 35 years took its toll on my pancreas but I am working on that too.
What gives? I met a wonderful doctor/chiropractor/nutritionist named Cliff Oliver and followed his advice. I underwent Nutri-Spec testing which enabled Cliff to prescribe supplements designed to balance three of my body’s systems. I gave up soda and milk and began to eat protein at every meal. I began exercising as much as possible. Some of the changes were rapid, some were slow in coming, but all were dramatic.
Though many of you might scoff at all chiropractors (I did at one time in my life), I would trust Cliff Oliver with my life over any ten traditional Western doctors that I know–sorry Doc… He is concerned with how your entire body functions and understands how the various organs and systems inter-react, while modern Western medicine is most often only concerned with one organ or system–drug em and cut em is the usual cure, the former usually with suppressive medicines that are harmful to us. (Suppressive medicines prevent our organs and systems from doing what they are supposed to do, supplements help them do what they are supposed to do…)
Here is the latest on my battle with diabetes. After going off the wagon for several months about two years ago (with Brach’s chocolate-covered peanut clusters), I have been attempting to normalize my blood sugars to no avail. About six weeks ago I came home from the doctor’s office with a supply of injectable insulin. I made one last call to Cliff to discuss this new course of treatment when he stated that he had spoken to a Doctor Richard K. Bernstein about my case. Dr. Bernstein suggested that I try eating only protein for three days. I did, and my blood sugars dropped about 50 points. I immediately ordered Dr. B’s book here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316167169/ref=ox_ya_oh_product and have been following his program totally and completely. The changes have been amazing. The insulin is still in the refrigerator, unopened. I have scheduled 13 hours of appointments with Dr. B in mid-December. You can learn more about Dr. Bernstein here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_K._Bernstein or visit his home page here: http://www.diabetes-book.com/
If you think that learning more about the changes that I have made in my life might inspire you to do the same, please e-mail me at birdsasart@att.net with the words Health Basics File in the subject line. This file includes contact information for Dr. Cliff Oliver. Either way, I wish you the best.
September 24th, 2009
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When the mother bear placed her head above the cub, I knew that the moment would not last more than a second or two. My urge was to move to my left to separate the gull from the bear, but if I did that, I was pretty positive that I would miss the shot. Seeing that the gull did not merge with the bear, I created the image almost immediately knowing that it would be easy to move the gull with a Quick Mask. (See same below.)
The improved color and contrast in version 2 were a reslut of the standard levels and contrast adjustments that are part of my regular workflow as described in detail in our Digital Basics File: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=30.
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| This is the optimized image: "After". Note: as always, you can click on any image to see the larger version. |
In the optimized image immediately above, I created a Quick Mask of the gull, moved it well to our left, and then used another Quick Mask to seamlessly cover the gull in its original position. Note also that I used a series of QMs to eliminate the two rather ugly salmon heads that were lying on the shoreline. I used a variety of the Quick Masking Techniques that are described in Robert O’Toole’s APTATS CD (Advanced Photoshop Tips and Techniques). You can learn more about or order APTATS here: https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=54.
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The many gulls in the background are quite distracting so I created the two different versions that can be seen below, again using a series of QMs.
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To create version 1 above, I used a series of QMs to cover the small, out-of-focus white blobs but left the larger gulls in flight and the perched bird behind the bear.
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| Version 2 |
In version 2, immediately above, I decided to eliminate the larger gull from behind the bird and to move the single flying gull that I left to our left for better compositional balancce. Though this is my favorite version, I do appreciate the fact that some photo editors would prefer version 1 as it gives the viewer a better idea of the setting. Note the small crop in version 2.
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