Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What’s Up?

I was thrilled on Tuesday to learn that multiple IPT veteran Malcolm MacKenzie signed up to join Shonagh Adelman and me on the 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, and Red Kites IPT; Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! That done, I committed to the trip and purchased my flights. See below to join us. If you are at all interested, or if you would like the IPT veteran and couple’s discount info, please contact me via e-mail or call my cell at 863-221-2372..

I met Malcolm in Lakeland on a very cold (45 degrees F with a brisk north wind) Wednesday morning. The White Pelicans were much more skittish than they had been but we did enjoy some good chances with these huge birds. In addition we photographed the White Ibises along with Ring-necked Duck and Lesser Scaup. We also had a tame Limpkin. But the highlight of the day was a pair of totally tame Green-winged Teal. Photos to follow.

Just as I was about to start micro-adjusting, I realized that I did not have a copy of FocusTune on my new laptop. I was able to download and install that with some help from Michael Tapes. Thank you Michael. If you have a new MacBook Pro and are having problems installing the newest version of FocusTune click here for help.

Lakeland In-the-Field Morning Sessions

If you would like to join me in Lakeland for a morning of great photography next week — I am free on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, March 12, 13, and 15 — please get in touch via e-mail or call my cell at 863-221-2372. Limit three photographers/session.

Morning Session — 7-10am: $250.00
Morning Session with a working lunch including image review and Photoshop: $350.00

IPT Updates

Despite lots of recent interest I still need three folks for the Galapagos trip. Please shoot me an e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount on the Galapagos trip.

• The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 2. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL. Free morning session on WED 17 APRIL.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 8. This trip is a go. Co-leader with more than 6 participants: Peter Kes.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 13 photographers/Openings: 3. Please e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount for this trip.

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Important Used Gear Note

All sales include insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only.

Recent Used Gear Sales Rocking!

Karl Schneck sold a Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II USM zoom lens (the new 1-4) in excellent condition for $1,299.00 in early March.
Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman sold his Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon F in like-new condition for $699.00 (was 799.00) in early March.
John M Wright sold his Canon 24-70mm f/4L IS lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $488.00 in early March.
Errol Bellon sold his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8 G VRII N-ED Lens lens in new condition for a very fair $1125.00 (was $1296.95).
John Bowden sold his Sony a7R III mirrorless camera in mint condition (only 136 actuations!) for $2298.00 one day after it was listed.
Dick Bernard sold his Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM zoom lens (the new 1-4) in excellent condition (with an original 1.4X TC) for a BAA record-low-by-far $1,198.00 about 30 seconds after it was listed.
John Bowden sold his Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS lens in like-new condition for $998.00 the first day it was listed.
I sold my barely used (shutter count 16,263) Nikon D5 in excellent to near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $4,496.95 (was $5,496.95) and my Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens in excellent plus condition for only $1,499.00 (was $1799.00), both in late February 2019.
John M Wright also sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS lens in near mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $488.00and his Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR body in near-mint condition with 28,567 shutter actuations for $1999.00 in mid-February.
I sold my Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 lens in pretty close to near-mint condition along with the the RRS Collar Foot Package for a silly low $1099.00.
Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Paul Reinstein sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM in excellent plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $6,599.00 in mid-February.
Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman sold his Nikon D850 DSLR for $2699.00 just days after listing it in early February.
I sold my Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II in near-mint condition for a BAA record low price of $299.00 in mid-February.
Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman sold his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens in like-new condition for $10,996.95 his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens in like-new condition for $475.00, his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens in like-new condition for $910.00, and his Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III in excellent condition for $385.00 all within a day of listing them in early February.

Price Drops and More

Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens

Price reduced $50 on March 5, 2019

John Bowden is also offering a Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS lens in near-mint condition for $798 (was) $848.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it: the front and rear caps, the lens shade, the soft case, the instruction manual and insured ground shipping via UPS to the lower 48 after their check clears.

Please contact John via e-mail or by phone at 919-358-5717 (Eastern time zone).

This outstandingly sharp versatile lens is a landscape and general photographers dream for fill frame Sony camera bodies. It sells new for $1248.00 so you can save $450.00 by getting in touch with John now. artie

Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Multiple IPT veteran Morris Herstein is offering a Canon 600mm f/4 L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the incredible BAA record-low price of $7,999.00. The sale includes the rear cap and the front lens cover, the lens trunk, a Kirk low foot, the original lens foot, a LensCoat, and insured ground shipping via Fed Ex to US lower 48 addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Morris via e-mail.

The 600 II has been the state of the art super-telephoto for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many years. When I was using Canon and needed the reach and could get it to my location, it was always my go-to weapon. It is the same now with my Nikon 600 VR. All are fast and sharp and deadly alone or a TC. With a new one going for $11,499, you’d better grab this one quickly and save a cool $3500.00 by grabbing Morris’s lens now. artie

Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens

Hussein Aliyu is offering a Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens in near-mint to like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $3999.00. The sale of this gem-of–a-lens includes the original box and everything that came in it including the rear cap, the front cover, the lens strap, the lens trunk, a LensCoat (an $80.00 value), an off-brand low foot (a $99.00 value), and insured Worldwide shipping via DHL to all US lower 48 addresses. Most will want to make this purchase via wire transfer. If by check, your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Hussein via e-mail.

This one is a gem; super-sharp, hand holdable for almost everyone, great for flight and action photography, and great as well with both teleconverters for portraits and for flight. It has long been the favorite focal length of the world’s best hawk photographers. As it sells new for $5,496.95, Hussein’s near-mint, latest-greatest Nikon version of this lens is priced to sell. Save almost $1500.00! artie

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

This image was created on Wednesday, March 6 at Lakeland, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter (at 800mm) and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 400: 1/800 sec. at f/13 in Manual mode. Highlight Exposure Mode with Zebras. AWB at 8:41am on a sunny day. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: White Ibis tight head portrait

White Ibises in Lakeland

There are about a zillion White Ibises in Lakeland right now. They are all tame as there are folks feeding the waterfowl all around town. Many of the White Ibises are coming into full breeding plumage; their bills are going from flesh pink to red and both sexes develop a distended, naked throat pouch that is typically larger in females (as seen in Image #2) — from the Birds of North America No. 9.

This image was created on the Saturday-past Lakeland in-the-field session. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and my souped up back-up Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about zero: 1/2000 sec. at f/9. NATURAL AUTO WB at 9:59am on a clear day. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. One up and to the right of the center Group (grp)/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on bird’s cheek right on the same plane as the birds eye. Image #2: White Ibis > full breeding plumage/tight head portrait

I would love to hear your comparative thoughts on today’s two featured images. Feel free to comment on image quality, color, fine detail, specular highlights and sheen on the bill, image design, and anything else that suits your fancy. Note that the dark feathers on the back of the head of the bird in Image #2 were the result of a shadow cast by some blowing leaves. Note also that I did some bill clean-up with each image.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All of the images on this card were created on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT

The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Seahouses, Bempton Cliffs, and the Dunbar, Scotland Gannet boat to Bass Rock! Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers. Co-leader: Peter Kes.

Join me in the UK in late June and early July 2019 to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet, Red Kite, and more both in flight and at close range. We will also have great chances with Arctic and Sandwich Terns, both with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many of those chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks; plus Grey Seal. There will be tons of great flight photography. As on all IPTs, if you pay attention, you will learn a ton, especially about sky conditions and the relationship between light angle and wind direction and their effects on flight photography.

Why go all the way to Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine, endure a two-hour boat ride, and have to photograph Atlantic Puffins from a cramped blind usually in bright sun (and well off sun angle) when you can hop a red-eye flight from Newark, NJ and be in Edinburgh, Scotland early the next morning. First we drive down to Bridlington for easy access to Bempton Cliffs where our primary targets will be Northern Gannet in flight. We will also get to photograph Razorbill, Northern Fulmar, Herring Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake. While in Bridlington we will spend one afternoon visiting a Red Kite feeding station that should provide lots of flight photography action.

While in Bridlington we will staying at the Lobster Pot by Marston’s Inn, just fifteen minutes from Bempton Cliffs. After 3 1/2 days of photography at there, we drive down to Seahouses in Northumberland to the two lodges that will be our home base for a week. After a short boat ride each day we will have hundreds of puffins posing at close range all day, every day — usually in ideal cloudy-bright conditions. While we are in Seahouses we will do six puffin/seabird trips, all weather permitting of course; last year we did not miss a single landing. In five years we have averaged losing less than one half day per year to bad weather. We land at Staple Island in the mornings and then sail over to Inner Farnes for our afternoon sessions. In addition, we may enjoy a session or two photographing nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes at eye level from a rocky beach in Seahouses.

In Seahouses, we stay 7 nights in gorgeous, modern, upscale lodges with Wi-fi. They are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The bedrooms are decent-sized. Each lodge has one double bedroom and two twin bedrooms. (See the single supplement info below.) At the lodges we cook our own breakfasts each morning and prepare our own lunches to be brought on the six puffin boat trips. For dinners we will alternate cooking in the lodges with fine dining at several excellent local restaurants. We stay two nights at the Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. We will enjoy a fine-dining Thank You dinner at the Dunbar Hotel on the Tuesday evening before we fly home.

On the morning of Monday, July 8, 2019, the plan is to sleep late, pack, and head up to Dunbar Harbor, Scotland for lunch and an afternoon gannet boat chumming trip: flight photography until you cannot lift your camera. The next morning, Tuesday July 9, we will enjoy our second gannet boat chumming trip (both weather permitting). On both trips we will enjoy great views of the huge gannetry at Bass Rock. Included will be two nights lodging at the Pine Martin by Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. Very early on the morning of Wednesday, July 10, we will drive up to Edinburgh Airport so that everyone can make their flights home. No moaning please. You will need a flight that leaves at 8:30am or later. Not too much later is generally best. Note: this trip needs a minimum of four photographers to run.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All images were created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT

The Details

This IPT is all-inclusive except for your airfare and alcoholic beverages. All ground transportation, lodging costs, meals, your National Trust membership, and all boat, entry, and landing fees are included. Weather permitting, we will enjoy three and one-half days (at least six sessions in all) at Bempton Cliffs, an afternoon with the Red Kites, six full days on the puffin boats, one amazing afternoon gannet chumming trip, and one spectacular morning gannet chumming trip. The trip cannot be finalized until I have at least six deposits as we will be renting a lovely 15-passenger bus with our private professional driver who happens to be my web-master, Peter Kes, who is also a skilled photographer and my co-leader 🙂

IPT Details

If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome, heck, we actually need two couples — please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on February 28, 2019. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855.

Please shoot me an e-mail if you are good to go or if you have any questions.

Single Supplement Info

Single supplement rooms in Bridlington and Dunbar are available for those who register early. The cost of the single supplement for those six nights is $600.00. Single supplement rooms at the lodge may be available on a limited basis but only if the trip does not fill with ten photographers. The single supplement fee for those seven nights is $700. If you would like your own room in Bridlington and Dunbar, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement with your deposit: $2,600.00. The single supplement deposits are non-refundable as I will need to make the reservations well in advance.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

I truly hope that you can join me on this exciting venture.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

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Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

I spent Sunday morning on Lake Kissimmee with good friend and many multiple IPT veteran Clemens Van der Werf. It was a beautiful day on the water but with an at-first gentle breeze out of the northwest, conditions for flight photography were less than ideal. We saw lots of Snail Kites and had some decent chances. We also enjoyed lots of Osprey flight photography. For the kites I used my Nikon stuff, the hand held 500 PF and the tripod mounted 600 VR with the TC-E14, both of those with my back-up D850 with the grip. My main D850 is in the shop as the rear LCD pretty much quit last week. If you read the repost from NPS repairs you would think that I ran over the body with a tractor trailer truck. Normally the images with my Nikon stuff is razor sharp. Heck, I used the 500 PF with the back-up D850 on Sunday in Lakeland with and without the TC-E14 and everything was razor …

In any case, none of my Nikon images were sharp even though my back-up D850 was Focus Fine-tuned with both combos. The image files were very strange, looking almost as if there is was VR problem. But that does not make sense as the VR is in the lens and I used two different lenses … Maybe I had a really bad day. 🙂 I will be re-Fine-tuning both of the aforementioned rigs today and will advise of the results. I went with my SONY gear for the Ospreys and got many sharp, fine images.

I was glad to learn that Dick Bernard’s 100-400 II sold immediately as did John Bowden’s SONY 24-105 and that the sale of John’s a7R III is pending.

IPT Updates

Despite lots of recent interest I still need three folks for the Galapagos trip. Please shoot me an e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount on the Galapagos trip.

• The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 2. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL. Free morning session on WED 17 APRIL.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 8. This trip is a go. Co-leader with more than 6 participants: Peter Kes
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 13 photographers/Openings: 3. Please e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount for this trip.

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Important Used Gear Note

All sales include insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only.

Recent Used Gear Sales Rocking!

Dick Bernard sold his Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM zoom lens (the new 1-4) in excellent condition (with an original 1.4X TC) for a BAA record-low-by-far $1,198.00 about 30 seconds after it was listed.
John Bowden sold his Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS lens in like-new condition for $998.00 the first day it was listed.
I sold my barely used (shutter count 16,263) Nikon D5 in excellent to near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $4,496.95 (was $5,496.95) and my Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens in excellent plus condition for only $1,499.00 (was $1799.00), both in late February 2019.
John M Wright also sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS lens in near mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $488.00and his Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR body in near-mint condition with 28,567 shutter actuations for $1999.00 in mid-February.
I sold my Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 lens in pretty close to near-mint condition along with the the RRS Collar Foot Package for a silly low $1099.00.
Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Paul Reinstein sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM in excellent plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $6,599.00 in mid-February.
Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman sold his Nikon D850 DSLR for $2699.00 just days after listing it in early February.
I sold my Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II in near-mint condition for a BAA record low price of $299.00 in mid-February.
Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman sold his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens in like-new condition for $10,996.95 his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens in like-new condition for $475.00, his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens in like-new condition for $910.00, and his Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III in excellent condition for $385.00 all within a day of listing them in early February.
John Svendsen sold a Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED lens (the original version) in near-mint condition for the BAA

Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens

Hussein Aliyu is offering a Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens in near-mint to like-new condition for the BAA record-low price of $3999.00. The sale of this gem-of–a-lens includes the original box and everything that came in it including the rear cap, the front cover, the lens strap, the lens trunk, a LensCoat (an $80.00 value), an off-brand low foot (a $99.00 value), and insured Worldwide shipping via DHL to all US lower 48 addresses. Most will want to make this purchase via wire transfer. If by check, your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Hussein via e-mail.

This one is a gem; super-sharp, hand holdable for almost everyone, great for flight and action photography, and great as well with both teleconverters for portraits and for flight. It has long been the favorite focal length of the world’s best hawk photographers. As it sells new for $5,496.95, Hussein’s near-mint, latest-greatest Nikon version of this lens is priced to sell. Save almost $1500.00! artie

Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III

Price Reduced $50 on January 18, 2019.
Price Reduced another $50 on February 24, 2019.

Arthur Morris is offering a rarely used Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III in near-mint condition for a money saving of $249.00 (was $349.00). The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it including the front and rear caps, and insured ground shipping via United Parcel Service.

Please contact artie via e-mail or on his cell at 863-221-2372 (please leave a message if no answer).

I successfully used this 2X TC with the 600 VR. It will go perfectly with Hussein’s 300 f/2.8 immediately above. It sells new for $496.95 artie

Lakeland American White Pelican In-the-Field Morning Sessions

If you would like to join me in Lakeland for a morning in-the-field session during the next ten days or so before the tame White Pelicans head north, please get in touch via e-mail or call my cell at 863-221-2372. Limit three photographers/session. The weather looks a bit iffy at times and I am busy for a few of those days.

Morning Session — 7-10am: $250.00
Morning Session with a working lunch including image review and Photoshop: $350.00

Via e-mail from Bob Matyas

Thank you for the session in Lakeland today. I enjoyed the opportunity to photograph the White Pelicans and other birds and enjoyed our time together. It was enlightening and gave me some pointers and ideas to pursue. I was also pleased that so many of my pictures were sharp. Best regards, Bob

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

This image was created on the Saturday-past Lakeland in-the-field session. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and my souped up back-up Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about zero: 1/2000 sec. at f/9 was perfect. NATURAL AUTO WB at 9:05am on a clear day. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. One up from the center Group (grp)/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the near-edge of the bird’s lower mandible right on the same plane as the birds eye. Image #1: American White Pelican head throw

Lens Too Long — Birds Too Close

The American White Pelicans in Lakeland are extremely tame; this species is usually quite skittish. You simply need to approach slowly. With today’s two featured images I was very close and thus very tight. For each of the photos I followed my own advice: when unexpected action happens push the shutter button! You might be pleasantly surprised. Yes, a zoom lens might have been better but then I would have missed out on the incredible detail in both images. Image #1 immediately above was a small crop from above and from the left as it is better to cut than clip (which I did in the original capture).

The bill pouch cleaning image (#2 below) is often a sign that the pelican is about to do a head throw (as in #1 above). Today’s two featured images were of different birds made more than an hour apart.

Your Call

Which if either do you like best? And why? If you do not like either image, let us know why.

This image was also created on the Saturday-past Lakeland in-the-field session. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped up back-up Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering at about zero: 1/4000 sec. at f/5.6 seemed perfect. NATURAL AUTO WB at 10:16am on a still clear day. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. One up from the center Group (grp)/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the near-edge of the bird’s lower mandible right on the same plane as the birds eye. Image #2: American White Pelican cleaning bill pouch

Still More on WHITEs

Do you prefer the WHITEs in Image #1 or the WHITEs in Image #2? Which image has more detail in the WHITEs? Which image has the cleanest WHITEs? Note the time that each image was created … Since I got my new laptop I have been having some problems optimizing images with bright WHITEs made in full sun. Why? My old laptop was a bit on the dark side; now I can (once again) differentiate all the tones on the Calibration Strip at the bottom of each BPN page …

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All of the images on this card were created on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT

The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers. Co-leader: Peter Kes.

Join me in the UK in late June and early July 2019 to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Northern Gannet, Red Kite, and more both in flight and at close range. We will also have great chances with Arctic and Sandwich Terns, both with chicks of all sizes; Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls, many of those chasing puffins with fish; Black-legged Kittiwake with chicks; plus Grey Seal. There will be tons of great flight photography. As on all IPTs, if you pay attention, you will learn a ton, especially about sky conditions and the relationship between light angle and wind direction and their effects on flight photography.

Why go all the way to Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine, endure a two-hour boat ride, and have to photograph Atlantic Puffins from a cramped blind usually in bright sun (and well off sun angle) when you can hop a red-eye flight from Newark, NJ and be in Edinburgh, Scotland early the next morning. First we drive down to Bridlington for easy access to Bempton Cliffs where our primary targets will be Northern Gannet in flight. We will also get to photograph Razorbill, Northern Fulmar, Herring Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake. While in Bridlington we will spend one afternoon visiting a Red Kite feeding station that should provide lots of flight photography action.

While in Bridlington we will staying at the Lobster Pot by Marston’s Inn, just fifteen minutes from Bempton Cliffs. After 3 1/2 days of photography at there, we drive down to Seahouses in Northumberland to the two lodges that will be our home base for a week. After a short boat ride each day we will have hundreds of puffins posing at close range all day, every day — usually in ideal cloudy-bright conditions. While we are in Seahouses we will do six puffin/seabird trips, all weather permitting of course; last year we did not miss a single landing. In five years we have averaged losing less than one half day per year to bad weather. We land at Staple Island in the mornings and then sail over to Inner Farnes for our afternoon sessions. In addition, we may enjoy a session or two photographing nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes at eye level from a rocky beach in Seahouses.

In Seahouses, we stay 7 nights in gorgeous, modern, upscale lodges with Wi-fi. They are beyond lovely with large living areas and lots of open space for the informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The bedrooms are decent-sized. Each lodge has one double bedroom and two twin bedrooms. (See the single supplement info below.) At the lodges we cook our own breakfasts each morning and prepare our own lunches to be brought on the six puffin boat trips. For dinners we will alternate cooking in the lodges with fine dining at several excellent local restaurants. We stay two nights at the Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. We will enjoy a fine-dining Thank You dinner at the Dunbar Hotel on the Tuesday evening before we fly home.

On the morning of Monday, July 8, 2019, the plan is to sleep late, pack, and head up to Dunbar Harbor, Scotland for lunch and an afternoon gannet boat chumming trip: flight photography until you cannot lift your camera. The next morning, Tuesday July 9, we will enjoy our second gannet boat chumming trip (both weather permitting). On both trips we will enjoy great views of the huge gannetry at Bass Rock. Included will be two nights lodging at the Pine Martin by Marston’s Inn in Dunbar. Very early on the morning of Wednesday, July 10, we will drive up to Edinburgh Airport so that everyone can make their flights home. No moaning please. You will need a flight that leaves at 8:30am or later. Not too much later is generally best. Note: this trip needs a minimum of four photographers to run.

Images and card design copyright: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART. All images were created on the 2017 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT

The Details

This IPT is all-inclusive except for your airfare and alcoholic beverages. All ground transportation, lodging costs, meals, your National Trust membership, and all boat, entry, and landing fees are included. Weather permitting, we will enjoy three and one-half days (at least six sessions in all) at Bempton Cliffs, an afternoon with the Red Kites, six full days on the puffin boats, one amazing afternoon gannet chumming trip, and one spectacular morning gannet chumming trip. The trip cannot be finalized until I have at least six deposits as we will be renting a lovely 15-passenger bus with our private professional driver who happens to be my web-master, Peter Kes, who is also a skilled photographer and my co-leader 🙂

IPT Details

If you are good to go sharing a room–couples of course are more than welcome, heck, we actually need two couples — please send your non-refundable $2,000/person deposit check now to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on February 28, 2019. Please make your check out to “Arthur Morris” and send it to Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855.

Please shoot me an e-mail if you are good to go or if you have any questions.

Single Supplement Info

Single supplement rooms in Bridlington and Dunbar are available for those who register early. The cost of the single supplement for those six nights is $600.00. Single supplement rooms at the lodge may be available on a limited basis but only if the trip does not fill with ten photographers. The single supplement fee for those seven nights is $700. If you would like your own room in Bridlington and Dunbar, please request it when making your deposit and include payment in full for the single supplement with your deposit: $2,600.00. The single supplement deposits are non-refundable as I will need to make the reservations well in advance.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options. Included with the Elite Option or available as an upgrade to the Basic & Plus Options you can also purchase Cancel for Any Reason Coverage that expands the list of reasons for your canceling to include things such as sudden work or family obligation and even a simple change of mind. My family and I use and depend on the great policies offered by TIS whenever we travel. You can learn more here: Travel Insurance Services. Do note that many plans require that you purchase your travel insurance within 14 days of our cashing your deposit check or running your credit card. Whenever purchasing travel insurance, be sure to read the fine print carefully even when dealing with reputable firms like TSI.

I truly hope that you can join me on this exciting venture.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

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Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

There has been lots of interest and many varying opinions and comments on Thursday afternoon’s What am I, chopped liver? blog post here. In retrospect, it is likely that I screwed up a bit. Or maybe not. Check out the comments and my responses if you like.

Cheap Gatorland Saturdays

A Saturday Location (and Time) Change

You had been invited to join me at Gatorland on SAT 2 MAR as below. But when Robert Matyas signed up for this Saturday I asked him if he was interested in going to Lakeland to do the point blank White Pelicans instead and he replied in the affirmative. As the pelicans will be leaving for the prairie provinces and points north to breed soon, you might wish to join us. I have room for two more. We are meeting at 6:45am.

I will be offering these sessions at Gatorland from here on until further notice. If you are interested in this Saturday (in Lakeland) or any upcoming Saturday, please get in touch via e-mail or call my cell at 863-221-2372. Limit three photographers.

Morning Session — 7-10am: $200
Morning Session with working lunch including image review and Photoshop: $300.
(All of the above with a late afternoon session from 4pm till closing: $400.)

Canon 100-400mm L IS II USM Zoom Lens

Karl Schneck is offering a Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM zoom lens (the new 1-4) in excellent condition for $1,299.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the front lens cap, the lens hood, the lens foot, the lens case, the original product box, a LensCoat Lens Cover in Digital Camo, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower 48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Karl via e-mail.

Y’all know how much I have missed this amazingly versatile lens and its great close focusing ability. With a new one going for $2,049.00 Karl’s lens is a steal! artie

Canon 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Multiple IPT veteran Morris Herstein is offering a Canon 600mm f/4 L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for the incredible BAA record-low price of $7,999.00. The sale includes the rear cap and the front lens cover, the lens trunk, a Kirk low foot, the original lens foot, a LensCoat, and insured ground shipping via Fed Ex to US lower 48 addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Morris via e-mail.

The 600 II has been the state of the art super-telephoto for birds, nature, wildlife, and sports for many years. When I was using Canon and needed the reach and could get it to my location, it was always my go-to weapon. It is the same now with my Nikon 600 VR. All are fast and sharp and deadly alone or a TC. With a new one going for $11,499, you’d better grab this one quickly and save a cool $3500.00 by grabbing Morris’s lens now. artie

This image was created on February 14 at Lakeland, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter (at 740mm) and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 400: 1/1000 sec. at f/11 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:04am on a sunny day. Be sure to click on the image to see a larger version. White Pelican bill detail

Clean, Tight, and Graphic

I said those words many times during the Lessons From the Field program at the Orlando Camera Club on Monday evening. I just love working close for tight head portraits and at times, creating really high images of bird’s bills, feet, and feathers. Things are even better when you can work against a background of still, blue water.

SONY Image Quality

SONY image quality remains the single biggest question for me. Whenever you create images with a new system the RAW and master TIFF files will have a different look to them. It often takes a while to get used to them. I would not expect the 24.2MP A9 files to provide as much fine feather detail as files from the 30.4MP Canon 5D Mark IV or the 45.7MP Nikon D850. But I would expect them to compare favorably with image files from the Nikon D5 and the Canon 1DX II. At present, I am actually happy with the image quality of the SONY images. But I have lots more comparisons to make; so far, I have only scratched the surface. At present, I am using two systems often going to the SONY system for its great close-focusing and the results with the 2X TC. With the A9 focusing across 93% of the viewfinder with or without either TC in place the A9/100-400 OSS combo is deadly at close range. BTW, that 93% AF coverage encompasses virtually the entire frame as the missing 7% is around the edges of the image … It is possible that over time I will wind up going with two systems.

How does the image quality in today’s featured image look to you? (Be sure to click on the image to see the larger version.)

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

Disaster Averted

I arrived early on Monday evening past for the Orlando Camera Club presentation: Lessons from the Field/BIRDS AS ART-Style. As we were setting up it dawned on everyone that we did not have the proper cable connectors, we could not hook up my new computer to the projector … My one and only photographer teacher, old friend Milton Heiberg, was in attendance so I turned to him for help. It took a while but he came up with the perfect solution. He advised that I export the Keynote program as a PDF. We copied the PDF to a thumb drive and stuck that into an ancient PC that was hooked up to the projector. My Logi-tech mouse worked! And even better, the images looked great. The show was well-received by the more one hundred folks in attendance.

What Else?

Today’s post features some great images made on the February Spoonbill Boat IPT by many times over multiple IPT veteran Anita North of Toronto, Canada. Please leave a comment letting us know which of Anita’s five images is your favorite. And why. Many tanks!

This image was created by Anita North on the February Spoonbill Boat IPT. She used the the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. Image #1: Roseate Spoonbill walking on white sand beach Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Anita North

A Student’s Great Work!

Anita North has been on many IPTs. She has worked very hard for several years improving her skills. On the spoonbill boat IPT she pretty much killed me … Sometimes the students simply get too good; can you say Loren Waxman, Clemens Van der Werf, and George Golumbeski among others?

This image was created by Anita North on the February Spoonbill Boat IPT. She used the the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II, and my souped up (9 fps) mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. Image #2: Roseate Spoonbill braking to land Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Anita North

Shooting Flight with a Tripod-Mounted Super-telephoto Lens

Shooting flight with a tripod-mounted super-telephoto lens is a difficult skill to master. I am still working on improving in that area. Anita has long professed that she “couldn’t do it.” But here she did quite well …

This image was created by Anita North on the February Spoonbill Boat IPT. She used the the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. Image #3: Roseate Spoonbill bathing Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Anita North

Bathing Spoonbills

Getting to photograph a bathing spoonbill is a rare treat. Here Captain James Shadle was in the water maneuvering the Hooptie Deux into perfect position. Anita did the rest!

This image was created by Anita North on the February Spoonbill Boat IPT. She used the the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR.. Image #4: Roseate Spoonbill in flight Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Anita North

Flight Photography at Alafia Banks

There is lots of great flight photography on the spoonbill boat IPTs. Mornings are mostly off the tripod while in the water, afternoons are mostly hand holding with intermediate telephoto lenses or zooms.

This image was created by Anita North on the February Spoonbill Boat IPT. She used the the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and the mega mega-pixel Nikon D850 DSLR. Image #5: Roseate Spoonbill pre-dawn blur Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Anita North

Pre-dawn Blurs

Many IPTs allow for the creation of pre-dawn blurs. On those trips I teach the Tv (S with Nikon) Shutter priority Auto ISO (or ISO Safety Shift) with Exposure Compensation (EC) technique. That works perfectly if the birds are flying only against the sky. But when the birds are flying low with vegetation in the background it is mandatory to go to Manual mode to keep the meter from overexposing the subjects. And that is just what Anita did to create this quite pleasing blur of an early morning spoonbill.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

I finished my program for tomorrow night and am excited about the presentation. I hope to see you there.

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Orlando Camera Club Program Sponsored By Bedford Camera

On February 25, 2019, I will be presenting “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style” for the Orlando Camera Club. They told me that they did not want to see beautiful images as they would rather learn. I told them that I would need to show them lots of beautiful images during the course of the lessons. 🙂 I have been having a ton of fun for three weeks creating this brand new program. The meeting begins at 6:15; my program is scheduled for 6:15 – 8:00pm at the Marks Senior Center, 99 E Marks Street, Orlando, FL 32803. The meeting is free and open to the public. If you learned about the program through the blog be sure to come up for a hug.

Huge thanks to Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera for sponsoring my appearance and to Holly Manus for the invitation. Click on the logo-link above or check out the Money Saving Reminder feature immediately below to get acquainted with Bedford.

From the OCC website here:

Arthur Morris will present “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style”. This slide-illustrated lecture will feature hundred’s of Artie’s spectacular photographs. As he shares images from his favorite locations around the globe he will be telling us about the birds and other creatures that he photographs and about the equipment and techniques that he uses to create his images. Topics to be covered include getting close to free and wild birds, flight photography, getting the right exposure, and image design. A selection of books and CDs will be available.

Lazy, Lazy, Lazy

I posted the image immediately below and nobody even ventured a guess. Now is your second chance.

This image was created on the Spoonbill Boat IPT on February 16, 2019 at 5:47pm. Please get in the habit of clicking on all horizontal images to see a larger inexplicably sharper version. Image #3: Brown Pelican banking

A New System/Focal Length/ISO Quiz

As I have not yet loaded NeatImage onto the new laptop, noise reduction to the background only was applied using Filter > Blur > Surface Blur.

Be sure to click on the image to see the larger version before getting into the water. Then, go ahead:

SONY or Nikon?

What was the focal length?

What ISO did I use? (Yes, it was Auto but don’t be a wise guy.)

Comments on perceived image quality are welcome as well.

My Nikon Price Drops

Nikon D5 DSLR camera body with Dual XQD Slots

Sold on FEB 25, 2019

Arthur Morris is offering a barely used (shutter count 16,263) Nikon D5 in excellent to near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $4,496.95 (was $5,496.95). The sale includes the original box and everything in it including the front lens cap, and insured ground shipping via United Parcel Service.

Please contact artie via e-mail or on his cell at 863-221-2372 (please leave a message if no answer).

You can save a cool $2,000.00 by grabbing Nikon’s blazingly fast, top of the line professional digital camera body right now. It was the D5 autofocus that switched me from Canon to Nikon in point three seconds … artie

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Lens

Sold on FEB 25, 2019

Yours truly is offering a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens in excellent plus condition for only $1,499.00 (was $1799.00). The sale includes the original product box and everything that came it including the front and rear caps along with insured ground shipping via United Parcel Service.

Please contact me via e-mail or on my cell at 863-221-2372.

The 80-400mm VR lens served as my main lens on both the Emperor Penguin and Falklands trip. Focus fine-tuned with both of my D850 bodies this body produced some of the sharpest images I have eve seen. This versatile lens sells new for $2,096.95 …artie

Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III

Price Reduced $50 on January 18, 2019.
Price Reduced another $50 on February 24, 2019.

Arthur Morris is offering a rarely used Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E II in near-mint condition for a money saving of $249.00 (was $349.00). The sale includes the original product box and everything that came in it including the front and rear caps, and insured ground shipping via United Parcel Service.

Please contact artie via e-mail or on his cell at 863-221-2372 (please leave a message if no answer).

I successfully used this 2X TC with the 600 VR. It sells new for $496.95 artie

What’s Up?

Setting up a new computer is never without challenges. I have already downloaded and installed Photo Mechanic and Photoshop (Adobe Photoshop CC/20.0.3 release). I got my samandmayasgrandpa e-mail address set up in Apple Mail. All of the above after many, many hours of phone support and re-setting passwords. As I type, I am installing Nikon NX-D so that I can display AF point and access the Focus Fine-Tuning info. Today I will work on downloading and installing Capture One. Lots more on that soon. I am happy with the progress that I have made so far.

In addition to the set-up stuff, getting used to the vagaries of a new keyboard is also quite challenging …

I was excited to receive the enclosure from Amazon on Wednesday afternoon so that I could access the data off of the SSD (Solid State Drive) from my old computer. We triple-checked with Apple to make sure we were ordering the right enclosure but they misdirected us … The one they advised did not work. On Wednesday afternoon I drove into Lake Wales A local computer guy went online and was able to find what I hope will be the correct enclosure — the one he found for me is a 12/16 pin model that is good for all MacBook Pros from 2012 to 2017. It should work … Kein ayin hora (Yiddish for “without the evil eye). I already have copied much of my data in the form of Documents and Photos from my Carbon Copy Cloner back-up disk and am hoping to access the old SSD so that I can restore about a week’s worth of Photos (many made with the SONY gear) and the last saved copy of my Orlando Camera Club program. The new enclosure is supposed to arrive on Friday. If it does not get here on Friday or if it is not the correct model, I do have an earlier version of Lessons From the Field BIRDS AS ART Style on the new machine. But if I need to work from that one I will have about three hours of work that needs to be re-done. Time will tell.

Be sure to click on the featured Brown Pelican image below to view the spectacular larger version.

IPT Updates

I still need three folks for the Galapagos trip, and the UK Puffins and Gannets trip is wide open with only a single registrant. Please shoot me an e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount on the Galapagos trip.

• The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4. Please e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount for this trip.

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Orlando Camera Club Program Sponsored By Bedford Camera

On February 25, 2019, I will be presenting “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style” for the Orlando Camera Club. They told me that they did not want to see beautiful images as they would rather learn. I told them that I would need to show them lots of beautiful images during the course of the lessons. 🙂 I have been having a ton of fun for three weeks creating this brand new program. The meeting begins at 6:15; my program is scheduled for 6:15 – 8:00pm at the Marks Senior Center, 99 E Marks Street, Orlando, FL 32803. The meeting is free and open to the public. If you learned about the program through the blog be sure to come up for a hug.

Huge thanks to Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera for sponsoring my appearance and to Holly Manus for the invitation. Click on the logo-link above or check out the Money Saving Reminder feature immediately below to get acquainted with Bedford.

From the OCC website here:

Arthur Morris will present “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style”. This slide-illustrated lecture will feature hundreds of Artie’s spectacular photographs. As he shares images from his favorite locations around the globe he will be telling us about the birds and other creatures that he photographs and about the equipment and techniques that he uses to create his images. Topics to be covered include getting close to free and wild birds, flight photography, getting the right exposure, and image design. A selection of books and CDs will be available.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Recent Sales

I sold my Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 lens with the RRS Collar Foot Package (a $250 plus the shipping value) for only $1099.00 in mid-February.
John M Wright also sold his Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $488.00 and his Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR body in near-mint condition with 28,567 shutter actuations for $1999.00 in mid-February 2019.
Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Paul Reinstein sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM in excellent plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $6,599.00 in mid-February.
Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman sold his Nikon D850 DSLR for $2699.00 just days after listing it in early February.
I sold my Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II in near-mint condition for a BAA record low price of $299.00 in mid-February.
Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman sold his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens in like-new condition for $10,996.95 his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens in like-new condition for $475.00, his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens in like-new condition for $910.00, and his Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III in excellent condition for $385.00 all within a day of listing them in early February.
John Svendsen sold a Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED lens (the original version) in near-mint condition for the BAA record low price by miles of $1499.00 in early January.

Canon 300mm f/4L IS USM Lens

Allen Dale is offering a Canon 300mm f/4 L IS USM lens in near-mint for a BAA record-low $624.00. The sale includes the original box and everything that came in it including the front and rear lens caps, the tripod mount ring, the tough fabric lens case, and insured ground shipping via UPS to US lower 48 addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Allen via e-mail or by phone phone at 1-956.961.4140 (Central time).

I owned and used this great lens for many years. It is a great flight lens and I always loved its close focusing ability that made it great for flowers, frogs, and dragonflies. I firmly believe that it is a far better bird photography starter lens than my beloved old “toy lens,” the 400mm f/5.6L lens. Why? It is image stabilized and it does great with all AF points with a 1.4X TC. Grab this one while you can as the price is right. artie

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

This image was created on the third afternoon of the Spoonbill Boat IPT. I used the handheld Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens, the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III, and my souped-up Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering plus 1/3 stop off the sky: 1/2500 sec. at f/8 was more than a stop under-exposed. (Even though the skies were clear, it was late in the day; the light was very soft and, in addition, it was a bit hazy.) NATURAL AUTO WB at 5:27pm on a clear afternoon. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: 0. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Center Group (grp)/Continuous (C in Nikon/AI Servo with Canon) AF was active at the moment of exposure. The array was centered on the bird’s face; good on me. This image is perfectly sharp on the eye. Brown Pelican — forward-facing/turning left flight pose

Flight Poses and Wings Positions: Part I of Many

With the incredible autofocus tracking accuracy of my Nikon D850 and my SONY A9, producing sharp on the eye flight images has become child’s play for me. When I saw a great pose while editing my Canon flight images, I would always say a prayer asking that it be a sharp one. Most times I was disappointed. When I switched to Nikon and now that I am experimenting with SONY, judging the flight poses and wing positions goes to the fore-front as nearly 100% of the images are sharp-on-the-eye in the absence of operator error. With apologies to all of my Canon friends out there, these are the facts for me. If you use Canon gear and are making completely sharp flight images then my hat is off to you. And I am very glad for you.

The Forward-facing Turning Flight Pose

The forward-facing turning flight pose is one of my very favorites. Note that while the bird in today’s featured image is turning to its left, we have a great look at the bird’s face and its right eye. Note that he underwings are completely and evenly lit. Note that the sun is from over my left shoulder thus lighting the right side of the bird’s face. This is a full-frame image; I was lucky to fit the whole bird into the frame.

In short, for me, this is a perfect image of a bird in flight.

The Biggest Lesson

Be sure to photograph the bird just as it is turning toward you. Once it turns away, quit pressing the shutter button.

The 500 PF/TC-E14/D850 Combination

Many have been asking about the still-almost-impossible-to get 500 PF with the TC-E14 and the D850 (or the D5) for flight photography. I had a good chance to test it out with the D850 on the spoonbill boat and I was impressed. Do realize that when you are handholding telephoto lenses at long working focal lengths that there are several accompanying problems:

• 1- Panning with and properly framing your subject with focal lengths of 700 or 800mm is a challenge for most folks including and especially me. That would include rigs like the Nikon 500 PF/TC-E14, SONY A9/2X TC, and the Canon 400DO II/2X III combinations. It ain’t as easy as it might seem. Again, for most folks. Especially from a rocking boat.
• 2- With these long working focal lengths come smaller wide open apertures like f/8 and f/11 (the latter with the SONY 100-400 and the 2X TC). And with these smaller apertures and the fast shutter speeds you need and want for flight photography come higher and higher ISO settings …

I do hope to get back the photos that were not backed up as there are some pretty neat SONY flight images in those files including remarkably some made at 800mm with the SNON 100-400 and the 2X TC …

Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in full breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull landing on the head of Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull in flight, Reddish Egret sunrise silhouette, Great Blue Heron with needlefish, Yellow-crowned Night Heron with ghost crab, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling in breeding plumage, and white morph Reddish Egret in glorious breeding plumage.

The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for a great variety of migrant shorebirds, gulls, terns, and passerines in Spring. Many of the gulls and terns will be courting and copulating. There the migrants join hundreds of Florida resident egrets, herons, night-herons, and pelicans on the T-shaped peninsula. We should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and many of those will be in their spectacular breeding plumages. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is a strong possibility. We may get to see and photograph the amazing heron/egret hybrid that has been present for three years. And we should enjoy some great Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two. Yikes, I almost forgot to mention that nearly all of the birds are ridiculously tame!

Yes, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, Laughing Gull vertical front-end portrait, Laughing Gull with prey item, landing on head of Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Royal Tern displaying, Royal Terns — pre-copulatory stance, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a rare treat, a breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.

Just some of the stuff you will learn …

On the IPT you will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

Again, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull in flight, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandwich Terns copulating, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret with reflection, breeding plumage Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, white morph Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret in a marsh.

What we do

There will be seven shooting sessions in all: four 3+ hours morning session and three 2 1/2 hour afternoon sessions. There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (lunch is included) on each of the three full days. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with the hotel/lodging information.

You got it, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Roseate Spoonbill, immature Brown Pelican in flight, the heron/egret hybrid, American Oystercatcher feeding, immature Royal Tern on railing, Great Egret morning silhouette, Black Skimmer in the surf, and underside head portrait of Great Blue Heron.

Signing Up

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please remember that the meet and greet will take place on the evening of WED 17 APRIL. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Early and Late

Getting up early and staying out late is pretty much a staple on all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours; on this particular trip, we will get lots of sleep as the days are short. Being in the field well before the sun comes up and staying out until sunset will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers arrive.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

Morning Two on the Spoonbill Boat IPT was even slower than morning One. That said we made some really good pre-dawn blurs and Anita North nailed a landing, braking spoonbill with her D850/600VR/TC-E17 rig on a tripod. Anita and John Dupps, another multiple IPT veteran, nailed an Osprey in flight carrying a nice-sized, fresh-caught weakfish. Both afternoons have been great for flying pelicans when I have been experimenting with the SONY 100-400 with the 2X TC. You might be surprised by the results. I was …

IPT Updates

I still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip, and the UK Puffins and Gannets trip is wide open with only a single registrant. Please shoot me an e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount on the Galapagos trip.

• The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4. Please e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount for this trip.

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Orlando Camera Club Program Sponsored By Bedford Camera

On February 25, 2019, I will be presenting “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style” for the Orlando Camera Club. They told me that they did not want to see beautiful images as they would rather learn. I told them that I would need to show them lots of beautiful images during the course of the lessons. 🙂 I have been having a ton of fun for three weeks creating this brand new program. The meeting begins at 6:15; my program is scheduled for 6:15 – 8:00pm at the Marks Senior Center, 99 E Marks Street, Orlando, FL 32803. The meeting is free and open to the public. If you learned about the program through the blog be sure to come up for a hug.

Huge thanks to Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera for sponsoring my appearance and to Holly Manus for the invitation. Click on the logo-link above or check out the Money Saving Reminder feature immediately below to get acquainted with Bedford.

From the OCC website here:

Arthur Morris will present “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style”. This slide-illustrated lecture will feature hundred’s of Artie’s spectacular photographs. As he shares images from his favorite locations around the globe he will be telling us about the birds and other creatures that he photographs and about the equipment and techniques that he uses to create his images. Topics to be covered include getting close to free and wild birds, flight photography, getting the right exposure, and image design. A selection of books and CDs will be available.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Recent Sales

I sold my Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II in near-mint condition for a BAA record low price of $299.00 in mid-February.
Multiple IPT veteran, dear friend, and BAA technical advisor Patrick Sparkman sold his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens in like-new condition for $10,996.95 his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens in like-new condition for $475.00, his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR Lens in like-new condition for $910.00, and his Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III in excellent condition for $385.00 all within a day of listing them in early February.
John Svendsen sold a Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G IF ED lens (the original version) in near-mint condition for the BAA record low price by miles of $1499.00 in early January.
John M Wright sold his Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR body in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $949.00, a Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR body in excellent plus condition for $799.00, and a Canon Extender (teleconverter) EF 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $265.00 in mid-January.
Brooke Miller sold a Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM in excellent condition for $1,199.00 (was $1,449.00) in late January, 2019.
Charlie Curry exhibited great patience and finally sold his Canon EF 100-400mm L IS II lens in like-new condition for a very low $1445.00 in late January.
Judy Helderman sold her Canon 500mm f/4L IS USM lens in very good condition for $2,799.00 and her Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM lens (the original IS version) lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $799.00.
John Wright sold a Canon 500mm f/4 IS USM and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X II, both in very good plus condition for $3399.00 in mid-January.
IPT veteran Mark Overgaard sold hisCanon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM lens in near-mint condition for $1,299.00 in mid-January.
John M Wright sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens in excellent to near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $6,950.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of 1,299.00, a Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L lens in excellent condition for the BAA record-low price of $599.00, his Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS lens in near-mint condition for the BAA record-low price of $499.00,
and a Canon Extender (teleconverter) EF 2X III in near-mint condition for $265.00, all within days of their being listed.

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

This is a Photo Mechanic screen capture of the two RAW files.

Which One was the SONY Image? Which One was the Nikon Image?

In the SONY or Nikon? Can you judge the Image Quality? blog post here, I posted the following with regards to the two images (now below):

The Playing Field

Both of today’s featured images were created within minutes of each other. One was made with my new Sony gear, one was made with my Nikon gear. Both were converted in Capture One. There was no selective sharpening, no NIK, and no sharpening at applied to the resulting JPEGs.

I have tried many times to create identical images with different camera bodies for comparative purposes. I have always failed miserably even when I photographed a sign with the gear on a tripod! With a bird, it is pretty much impossible. But I tried.

SONY or Nikon?

Please enlarge each image to view a larger, inexplicably sharper version. I ask that you judge only the fine feather detail on the breast, the folded wings, the back, and the head. Do note that when created Image #1 the sun was a bit brighter than when I created Image #2. Please therefore do not concern yourself with differences in color or contrast. Both of those in large part are more a function of the photographer’s personal tastes and their choices both during the RAW conversion and later in Photoshop. Similarly, do not choose the “best” image based on your favorite pose. As above, my only concern here is to see if anyone can note image quality differences in an unsharpened 1200 pixel wide JPEG.

If you need some help, you can check out my very similar BPN post here.

So, which One was the SONY image and which one was the Nikon Image?

The SONY RAW file is on the left with the designation “.ARW.” — I often wonder if the person who named their RAW files was dyslexic … The Nikon file on our right is designated “.NEF.” The optimized versions of each are below as they appeared in the original post.

It should be obvious to most folks that the Nikon AW file was a better capture than the SONY RAW file, that due to the fact that the sun came out briefly when I made the Nikon image with the 500 PF and the fact that the SONY image was underexposed.

Equally obvious is that the subject in the original Nikon image was larger in the frame then the subject in the original SONY image. I had been at 400mm with the SONY 100-400 so when I “borrowed” my 500 PF from Anita North I stepped back two big steps. But that was not enough to equalize the subject sizes …

This image was created after the conclusion of the 2019 San Diego IPT. ISO 400: 1/800 at f/6.3 was an underexposure. Image #1: Pacific race Brown Pelican on rock

The Optimized SONY File

Image #1 above was the made with the SONY gear, the 100-400 with the A9 without a TC. The image was converted in Capture One and brought into Photoshop where I did not do much to it. On the surface, I actually like the color and the brightness of the Nikon image better than what I did with the SONY image above. But, and this is a very big but, when I examined the breast at 200% it was obvious that the SONY image had better fine feather detail (FFD). Could that be due to the superiority of the SONY file as compared to the Nikon RAW file? Surely not. Both images were made hand held so equipment shake and/or poor technique could have skewed the results … I do not think that the processing was a factor but there is no way to know for sure.

This image was created after the conclusion of the 2019 San Diego IPT. ISO 400: 1/500 at f/5.6 was perfect. Image #2: Pacific race Brown Pelican on rock

The Optimized Nikon File

As above, the Nikon file started from a much better place due to the aforementioned moment of sunlight. Of the two optimized images in this exercise, I prefer the Nikon file. Opinion however, was about 50/50. Remember however that I asked only about image quality and fine feather detail. The folks who commented specifically on that were also about 50/50 with a slight edge to the SONY file. Things were the same on the BPN thread linked to above.

These comments on the BPN thread by my friend Joe Przybyla were somewhat telling. First he wrote:

My guess would be Sony for both. To my old eyes neither looks like a Nikon file.

Then he came back with this:

Good Morning Artie. After reading your most recent post I had a go at the two images again. I imported both into Lightroom so I could look at them side be side for comparison. I assume your Nikon gear is your D850 with 47.5 mp, the Sony A9 only has 24.2. So not really a fair comparison. Looking at the images closely and zooming them up I would say the first image is from the Nikon D850, the resolution on the breast and the head is better, color is better IMO. The second image has smudging on the breast noticeable when zoomed up, and there is slightly more blue in the white areas of the bill. That said, I am ready to find out I am wrong.

Joe has become quite a skilled photographer by hanging around BPN for the past few years. He uses Nikon gear with the D500 and is quite familiar with the look of Nikon images. When I posted my first SONY image he agreed with many folks in feeling that image quality of the SONY files was clearly and obviously inferior to image quality of the Nikon bodies … I think that lots of folks on BPN jumped on that bandwagon agreeing in part with Arash who stated that Sony was garbage.

Likewise, Jim Gindorff was equally emphatic on the blog when he posted:

I am guessing that the first image is Nikon and the second one is Sony. For one, there appears to me to be more feather detail in the breast feathers of the first image (with the larger sensor) and two, the dynamic range of the first photo appears to me to be wider – a characteristic of the Nikon over the Sony according to the DXO sensor ratings (but not by much).

So Jim too thought that the SONY image was the Nikon image …

The Truth of the Matter as I See It

There were lots of insightful comments on the original post and on the BPN thread and my summary here will reflect many of those. Thanks as always to those who commented and voiced an opinion.

1- It is pretty much impossible to determine which system an image was created with based on a 1200 pixel wide JPEG (on the BAA Blog) or even on the 1920 pixel wide JPEGs on BPN. I must say that the 1920 wide JPEG of the SONY image on BPN looked pretty good, much better than the 1200 wide JPEG on the blog did.

2- #1 is even more true when you consider the differences in monitors and in the post-processing techniques and decisions made by the photographer.

3- The best way to check on image quality is by viewing RAW files at 100% (that said even though we can never see a RAW file — we can view full sized TIFFs or PSD files created from RAW files). Those would be best viewed on large, quality external monitors. Since I began doing digital photography just after the turn of the century I have reviewed and processed my images only on laptops. At present (and for the past 4 years plus), I am and have been quite happy with my MacBook Pro (Retina display, 15-inch, Mid 2014), so happy that I would love to purchase another brand new one exactly the same. Do understand that many pixel peeping photographers scoff at me and my laptop ..

3- In general good photographers will create good images with whatever gear they have in their hands.

4- Based on the opinions of those who commented both here and on BPN it seems that SONY is more than capable of creating quality images when viewed as 1200 or 1920 wide JPEgs. Many saw little or no differences in the two files.

5- The general consensus seems to be that SONY was not as bad as those with pre-conceived notions had thought …

What else was there to learn?

Several folks commented in the obvious differences in the two backgrounds. The background of Image #2 was softer without as much detail as the background in Image #1 as a longer focal length was used (as I tried to keep the subject size roughly the same.) groob used the differences in the background to figure that Image #2 was created with the Nikon 500 PF.

Color casts might be perceived (or mis-perceived) for a great variety of reasons including personal bias, differences in monitors, and differences in viewing conditions. Different folks attributed different color casts to both of the images in question …

Stay tuned for lots more on SONY, Nikon, and even the occasional Canon image.

Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, many in full breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull landing on head of Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull in flight, Reddish Egret sunrise silhouette, Great Blue Heron with needlefish, Yellow-crowned Night Heron with ghost crab, Roseate Spoonbill, Sanderling in breeding plumage, and white morph Reddish Egret in glorious breeding plumage.

The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for a great variety of migrant shorebirds, gulls, terns, and passerines in Spring. Many of the gulls and terns will be courting and copulating. There the migrants join hundreds of Florida resident egrets, herons, night-herons, and pelicans on the T-shaped peninsula. We should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher almost guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and many of those will be in their spectacular breeding plumages. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is a strong possibility. We may get to see and photograph the amazing heron/egret hybrid that has been present for three years. And we should enjoy some great Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two. Yikes, I almost forgot to mention that nearly all of the birds are ridiculously tame!

Yes, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: breeding plumage Dunlin, dark morph Reddish Egret displaying, Laughing Gull vertical front-end portrait, Laughing Gull with prey item, landing on head of Brown Pelican, breeding plumage Royal Tern displaying, Royal Terns — pre-copulatory stance, Laughing Gulls copulating, Laughing Gull head portrait, breeding plumage Sandwich Tern with fish, and a rare treat, a breeding plumage White-rumped Sandpiper.

Just some of the stuff you will learn …

On the IPT you will learn basics and fine points of digital exposure and to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it).

Again, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Laughing Gull in flight, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Sandwich Terns copulating, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egret with reflection, breeding plumage Short-billed Dowitcher, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, white morph Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret in marsh.

What we do

There will be seven shooting sessions in all: four 3+ hours morning session and three 2 1/2 hour afternoon sessions. There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (lunch is included) on each of the three full days. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with the hotel/lodging information.

You got it, Fort DeSoto in spring is rife with tame birds, most in breeding plumage. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left around to center: Roseate Spoonbill, immature Brown Pelican in flight, the heron/egret hybrid, American Oystercatcher feeding, immature Royal Tern on railing, Great Egret morning silhouette, Black Skimmer in surf, and underside head portrait of Great Blue Heron.

Signing Up

A $500 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check after you register. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with eight folks so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please remember that the meet and greet will take place on the evening of WED 17 APRIL. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Folks attending this IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.

Early and Late

Getting up early and staying out late is pretty much a staple on all BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tours; on this particular trip we will get lots of sleep as the days are short. Being in the field well before the sun comes up and staying out until sunset will often present unique photographic opportunities, opportunities that will be missed by those who need their beauty rest. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers arrive.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

The SONY gang had a great time on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning with tons of learning going on along with some great chances. See below for some of those. The Spoonbill Boat IPT group is all headed for our Meet and Greet dinner in Brandon. We will be getting up very early and everyone is excited!

Please leave a comment and let us know which of today’s featured images you wish was yours and why. Tanks!

IPT Updates

I still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip, and the UK Puffins and Gannets trip is wide open with only a single registrant. Please shoot me an e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount on the Galapagos trip.

• The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4. Please e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount for this trip.

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Orlando Camera Club Program Sponsored By Bedford Camera

On February 25, 2019, I will be presenting “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style” for the Orlando Camera Club. They told me that they did not want to see beautiful images as they would rather learn. I told them that I would need to show them lots of beautiful images during the course of the lessons. 🙂 I will be working hard on this brand new program for the next three weeks. The program is scheduled for 6:15 – 8:00pm at the Marks Senior Center, 99 E Marks Street, Orlando, FL 32803. The meeting is free and open to the public. If you learned about the program through the blog be sure to come up for a hug.

Huge thanks to Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera for sponsoring my appearance and to Holly Manus for the invitation. Click on the logo-link above or check out the Money Saving Reminder feature immediately below to get acquainted with Bedford.

From the OCC website here:

Arthur Morris will present “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style”. This slide-illustrated lecture will feature hundred’s of Artie’s spectacular photographs. As he shares images from his favorite locations around the globe he will be telling us about the birds and other creatures that he photographs and about the equipment and techniques that he uses to create his images. Topics to be covered include getting close to free and wild birds, flight photography, getting the right exposure, and image design. A selection of books and CDs will be available.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

This image was created on February 15, 2019 with my SONY gear in Lakeland,FL. Sony A9. ISO 500: 1/500 sec. at f/11 in Manual mode. As always, the exposure was fine-tuned using the Zebra feature. Image #1: Limpkin calling/head portrait

Head-hunting Fun with Sony!

Thanks again to BPN friend Joe Przybyla for sharing his Lakeland hotspots with me last month. The SONY group joined Anita and I for a great morning of learning exposure with SONY, using the best Focus Area, working on getting on sun angle, and on getting close. The Anhinga below kept us photographing until after 11am on a sunny morning. You can bet that we made sure to stay right on sun angle 🙂

This image was created on February 15, 2019 with my SONY gear in Lakeland,FL. ISO 400: 1/800 sec. at f/14 in Manual mode. As always, the exposure was fine-tuned using the Zebra feature. Image #2: Female Anhinga in breeding plumage

More Questions

Consider that both of these images are razor sharp and try to figure out the lens, the teleconverter used, and the focal length for each image. Not easy but worth a try. The SONY or Nikon question from the SONY or Nikon? Can you judge the Image Quality? blog post here will be answered on Monday. There has been a whole lot of good thinking put into the comments and there will be a whole lot of learning on Monday …

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

I’ve been walking and swimming every day and am sleeping and feeling great. I am getting ready to head over to the west coast (of Florida) for the Spoonbill Boat IPT and more.

IPT Updates

$200 late registration discount on the Spoonbill Boat IPT! Scroll down for the details.

I have room for two folks on the spoonbill boat and still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip. Please shoot me an e-mail to learn about late registration discounts for both the Spoonbill Boat and Galapagos trips.

• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2. $200 late registration discount
• The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4. Please e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount for this trip.

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

Roseate Spoonbill sandbar wing stretch

Traditional Fine Art Photographic Prints

All BIRDS AS ART images, both film and digital, are available as traditional Chromagenic photographic prints on luster paper as below. Your print will be hand-crafted by Reed Art & Imaging, Lakewood, CO.

You may purchase an unframed print of any BAA image that you see in a book, on the web site, or on Blog. All prints are digitally prepared, color corrected, and fine-tuned and are signed digitally. The sizes given are the actual image size — the image will be border to allow for easy matting so the paper size will be larger with 2 inch borders all around. Prices are for the print alone, shipped rolled in a sturdy tube via UPS ground. We do not offer matting or framing services. A fee of $15 will be added to the price of your print to cover shipping and handling. To order your print, or for info on larger sizes or special orders, please contact us via e-mail. Thanks for your interest in my work. artie

Print Size	Price
12 x 18″	$149.00
16 x 24″	199.00
20 x 30″	$274.00
24 x 36″	$349.00

Fine Art Canvas Prints

For 1.5 inch thick Gallery Wrapped Canvas prints, please add 40% to the prices above. Our ready-to-hang canvas prints offer rigid, warp-resistant construction, an enclosed back, and all necessary hanging hardware. Your canvas prints will be created by Canvas On Demand, Raleigh, NC.

Thanks!

Big-time thanks to Keith Kleeman and Amy Baskin for their recent print orders. Keith ordered a huge (48X 32″ each) pelican triad for his home in Naples, FL and Amy a 12X18″ print of the spoonbill image above.

A Thank You From Luis

From the Comments section of the Louie’s Life-changing IPT blog post here.

Luis A. Grunauer. February 10, 2019 at 4:04 pm

First of all, I wanted to thank Artie for letting me share both my photos and my IPT experience with all of you; and to all of you for your wonderful comments. What you see in the photos is a true reflection of the teachings and wisdom of Arthur Morris.

Because of my deep love for the animal kingdom, I tried bird and wild life photography since the time when the Canon 5D MK II was released. Early in 2018, when I made a serious commitment to take it to the next level. It all began with the purchase of A Canon 800mm super-telephoto lens and a few weeks later that was followed by an innocent email I sent to Artie inquiring about a tripod selection for that lens. As he suggested on his emails which followed, I joined his blog, watched all his videos on YouTube, took notes of his teachings on line, purchased his books and some equipment from the BAA store , used his store affiliate links, and closely followed his advice. I became fascinated about bird and wildlife photography and at the same time I became a student and a loyal follower of Artie.

Now, my next steps for me was to learn how to “place that rapid flying bird in the camera’s frame…” and how to “come up with a decently exposed and properly focused photo” … I ultimately fulfilled my lifetime dream and attended my first IPT at San Diego – La Jolla in January of 2019, and it was a life changing experience for me, which I humbly had the privilege to share it with all of you. It was a life destiny that I needed to be in that San Diego IPT and meet my lost Big Brother Artie (he is more like a father and a mentor to me). In four and half days, I learned so much about bird photography, stuff that I could have never learned on my own in a lifetime. In short, that is my story.

If you never been on an IPT before, please make your best effort to attend one and you will never forget nor regret the wonderful experience, as it was for me. I promise you that your photography will be elevated to the highest-level and you will gain hands on knowledge and experience from the Best in the Business! I do hope to see you all in a future IPT, so you can not only learn one-on-one from the Father of Bird Photography, but so I can have the privilege to shake your hand and thank you for your wonderful comments and encouragement.

I know this gets kind of old, but Thanks again Artie. I could never thank you enough!

With lots of Love and sincere Appreciation …

Luis “Louie” Alberto Grunauer

This image was created at ILE on February 10, 2019. I used the hand held Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 1.4x teleconverter (at 218mm), and the beyond remarkable Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless Digital Camera. Auto ISO set ISO 125. Highlight metering at +2 stops: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode was about one stop under. (I am still learning to work with Highlight metering …) AWB at 6:01pm right after the sun had set. Little Blue Heron sunset silhouette

I Can’t Believe I Left Out the Best Part!

Since I purchased the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens and subsequently the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens I have been having more fun with my bird photography than in many years. The freedom of hand holding as opposed to lugging around a 600 f/4 has brought me a new joy. Now with the SONY gear I have a rig that is even smaller and more than 1 1/2 pounds lighter than the 500 PF and a D850 with the grip . And I have great focal length range with both TCs. And the AF performance with the SONY gear is superb; it is fast and sure and accurate. Canon AF at f/8 was better by far than Nikon AF at f/8 and SONY AF at f/8 (with the 1.4X TC) blows away Canon and only the SONY A9 autofocuses with the 2X TC at f/11 (on the 100-400). Combine all of the above with a quiet frame-rate of 15 fps with tracking AF( AF-C) and with seemingly instantaneous initial focusing acquisition there are times when I am absolutely giddy in the field when I am using my SONY gear. It is just too much fun.

Photography and Health Walks

For the past few weeks I have been walking one to two and a half miles each morning along the lakeshore and another 3/4 mile on some evenings. I’ve been carrying the SONY rig that I used to create today’s featured image with me on every walk. On Sunday evening there was a halfway decent sunset. I had walked to the end of the pier and happened to glance behind me. A Little Blue Heron was flying right through the color right over the pier. I would not have tried even with my Nikon gear but I raised the lens and fired off three quick images. I is hard to describe almost instantaneous initial focus acquisition but when you experience it it is pure joy. One of the images had a light pole in it. All three frames were sharp and as fate would have it, the best wing position — the full downstroke, had the bird in the brightest most colorful part of the sky.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

Facebook

Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).

What’s Up?

I have really been enjoying my swims each afternoon along with Florida’s gorgeous weather.

Being open to seemingly serendipitous encounters and following through on them can have some wonderful results. IPT participant Luis Alberto Grunauer is in the process of experiencing just that. You will surely find his story below interesting and possibly inspiring. Feel free to leave a comment for Luis. Also, let us know which of Luis’s images is your favorite. And why.

If you would like a copy of the Health Basics File, please get in touch via e-mail.

IPT Updates

$200 late registration discount on the Spoonbill Boat IPT! Scroll down for the details.

Unsolicited via e-mail from multiple IPT veteran Donna Bourdon

Thank you Artie for another amazing trip! The setting and the access to such spectacular wildlife was more than we could have hoped for. And you, yourself are remarkable. I am always touched by your selflessness in sharing your professional talent and knowledge. Not many working pros would be willing to share their intellectual property as you do. And the group experience was such fun. It was good to make new friends and enjoy food, fun and fellowship together! I hope to meet up with everyone again soon for another “over the top” adventure. with love, Donna

Unsolicited via e-mail from IPT veteran Eugen Dolan

Arthur, Thank you very much for your overwhelming infectious enthusiasm that helped get me up on some mornings. Also, your ability to express yourself- and explain in great detail why you like or may not like an image – was very helpful in allowing me to better analyze my images. Eugen

I have room for two folks on the spoonbill boat and still need three or four folks for the Galapagos trip. Please shoot me an e-mail to learn about late registration discounts for both the Spoonbill Boat and Galapagos trips.

• The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 2. $200 late registration discount
• The 2019 Fort DeSoto Spring IPT/THURS 18 APRIL through the morning session on SUNDAY APRIL 21, 2019: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1549. Limit 8/Openings: 4. Meet and greet at 7PM on the evening of WED 17 APRIL.
• The New, Expanded 2019 UK Puffins, Gannets, & Red Kites IPT. Thursday June 27 (from EDI) through Tuesday, July 9, 2019 (on the ground; fly home on Wednesday July 10.): $9,999. Limit 10 photographers/Openings: 9. This trip needs four to run. Co-leader: Peter Kes.
• The GALAPAGOS Photo Cruise of a Lifetime IPT/The Complete Galapagos Photographic Experience. July 23 to August 6, 2019 on the boat. 13 FULL and two half-days of photography: $14,499. Limit: 12 photographers/Openings: 4. Please e-mail to learn about the huge late registration discount for this trip.

BIRDS AS ART

BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART

Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D and 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock with the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Price Reduction

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens/with Extras!

$300.00 Price Drop! New BAA Record-low Price

Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Paul Reinstein is offering a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM in excellent plus condition — it would be near-mint but for a few small paint chips on the bottom of the lens foot — for the BAA record-low price of $6,799.00. (was $7099.00). The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, the instruction manual, the original product box, a LensCoat,a LensCoat Hoodie that has been modified to make it easier to install over the LensCoat, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Photos are available upon request. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Paul e-mail or by phone or text message at 1-310-946-9031 (Pacific time zone).

The 500 f/4 super telephoto lenses have long been the world’s most popular for birds,nature, wildlife, and sports for many decades. Canon’s Series II version is light, fast, super-sharp, and produces amazing images with both the 1.4X and 2X III TCs. The 500 II is relatively small, easily hand holdable for some folks, and is much easier travel with, focuses closer than, and costs a lot less than the 600 II. Lastly, and you might find this amazing, the magnification for the 500 II is the same as it is for the 600 II: .15X. How is that possible? Magnification is calculated at the minimum focusing distance of the lens — 12.14 feet (3.7 meters) for the 500 II and 14.77 feet (4.5 meters) for the 600 II. Simply put, the 500 II focuses more than two feet closer than the 600 II. The seller for the last one that sold here had five calls the first day; the first four folks quibbled on price. The fifth one jumped right on it … Please do not tarry if you are seriously interested in Paul’s lens as it should sell almost instantly. Or not 🙂 As the 500 II goes for $8999 new you will be getting an almost new lens while saving $1900.00. I loved my 500 II 🙂 artie

Orlando Camera Club Program Sponsored By Bedford Camera

On February 25, 2019, I will be presenting “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style” for the Orlando Camera Club. They told me that they did not want to see beautiful images as they would rather learn. I told them that I would need to show them lots of beautiful images during the course of the lessons. 🙂 I will be working hard on this brand new program for the next three weeks. The program is scheduled for 6:15 – 8:00pm at the Marks Senior Center, 99 E Marks Street, Orlando, FL 32803. The meeting is free and open to the public. If you learned about the program through the blog be sure to come up for a hug.

Huge thanks to Steve Elkins at Bedford Camera for sponsoring my appearance and to Holly Manus for the invitation. Click on the logo-link above or check out the Money Saving Reminder feature immediately below to get acquainted with Bedford.

From the OCC website here:

Arthur Morris will present “Lessons from the Field – BIRDS AS ART Style”. This slide-illustrated lecture will feature hundred’s of Artie’s spectacular photographs. As he shares images from his favorite locations around the globe he will be telling us about the birds and other creatures that he photographs and about the equipment and techniques that he uses to create his images. Topics to be covered include getting close to free and wild birds, flight photography, getting the right exposure, and image design. A selection of books and CDs will be available.

Money Saving Reminder

If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body.

SONY A9 On Sale!

The SONY A9 went on sale at both B&H and Bedford yesterday with a $500 instant rebate. Please consider purchasing your A9 from a BAA affiliate.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are–out of ignorance–using the wrong gear especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads… Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.

This image was created on January 22, 2019 on an afternoon San Diego IPT photo session. I used the hand held i-Phone 8+. Luis Alberto Grunauer at the beach at sunset Scroll down to learn about Cliff Oliver’s The iPhone Photography e-Guide.

Luis “Louie” Alberto Grunauer

Luis’s first contact with BIRDS AS ART was in April 2018 when he wrote for info regarding the right Induro tripod for him and his Canon 800. Soon thereafter he expressed an interest in making this summer’s Galapagos Photo Cruise of a Lifetime. I am still working on him on that one. 🙂 In October he signed up for the San Diego IPT.

All of the e-mails below (including the somewhat personal ones and my commentary) are printed here with Luis’s permission and my sincere appreciation.

This image was created on January 20 on the first afternoon of the 2019 San Diego IPT. Luis used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens with the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR. ISO 1250. Evaluative metering at zero: 1/800 sec. at f/8 in Av (Aperture Priority, A in Nikon) Mode. Pacific Race Brown Pelican vertical head portrait with dark background Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Luis Alberto Grunauer/Silvia’s Jovial Photography

Louie’s Canon 800

An 800 is a very long lens when working on the cliffs at La Jolla. For the image above, Luis moved back as far as he could but his technically perfect image is a bit too tight in the frame. Luis liked to work in both Av and Tv modes; I am still working on getting him to use the much more reliable Manual mode …

This image was created on the morning of January 21 on the 2019 San Diego IPT. Luis used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens with the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR. ISO 100. Evaluative metering -2/3 stop: 1/500 sec. at f/7.1 in Av (Aperture Priority, A in Nikon) Mode. Minus .7 stops EC was needed to keep from burning the light pink legs. Black Oystercatcher sleeping on rock Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Luis Alberto Grunauer/Silvia’s Jovial Photography

Luis’s Intermediate Zoom Lens

Intermediate telephoto zoom lenses are deadly on the pelicans with or with a 1.4X TC. Luis really concentrated on executing the principles that we were working on every day. In the image above the framing and the head and bill angle are dead-solid perfect with the pelican’s bill parallel to the back of the camera.

This image was created on the morning of January 20 on the 2019 San Diego IPT. Luis used the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens with the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 560mm) and the Canon EOS 6D Mark II DSLR. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/400 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Av (Aperture Priority, A in Nikon) Mode. Sub-adult Pacific race Brown Pelican preening Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Luis Alberto Grunauer/Silvia’s Jovial Photography

Luis’s Thoughts (via e-mail) after the IPT

Artie…

My first IPT experience with you was nothing short of an amazing and extraordinary experience; it will be with me for the rest of my life.

On just one IPT (San Diego – La Jolla) I learned so much more about bird photography than I learned in all the years I tried it on my own. I can’t thank you enough for your teachings, your professionalism, your wisdom, your relentless enthusiasm, and for helping us to get better and better in doing what we love. I loved those times that you came to my tripod and worked with me one-on-one to help me to get better sun angles, better compositions and framing, and the right camera settings (among others). And thanks for all the times you called my attention (busted me!) for either staying in just one spot without moving of for not listening! I loved every single second of it!

When you mentioned the words: “You will learn exposure, whether you like it or not” you were 1000% exactly right. After the San Diego IPT I not only learned exposure, but also learned the meaning of the words “You nailed it!” For all of you reading this message, if you are extremely serious about improving your bird and wildlife photography, if you want to take your photography to the next level and learn from the very best in the business, this is where you need to be: on an IPT as soon as possible!

Lastly, I can only wish I still have that magic energy and that endless will that keeps you going on strong when, if God allows me, I grow older. You are truly so blessed!

With lots of Love and sincere appreciation and already looking forward to my next IPT!

Luis

This image was created on the afternoon of January 22 on the 2019 San Diego IPT. Luis used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens with the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR. ISO 400. Evaluative metering probably +2/3 stop: 1/640 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual (hooray!) Mode. Whimbrel walking Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Luis Alberto Grunauer/Silvia’s Jovial Photography

Luis, You are killing yourself with food …

The moment that I met Luis he seemed as if he were my long-lost little brother. I was very comfortable working with him as it was really obvious that he loved bird photography and that he loved life. He is affable and friendly. Near the end of the IPT I felt secure enough in our new friendship to say the following to him: Luis, you are a sweet wonderful man but you are killing yourself with food. I know because I went down that path for about 40 years. I am fine if you tell me to shut up and mind my own business but I think that I might be able to help you. May I send you my Health Basics File?

Luis was open to my suggestion and we talked about our mutual love of food especially sweets. And we talked about our mutual love of sports. I was not surprised to learn that Luis was a baseball catcher. I subsequently sent him the Health Basics File. During one of our lunches at Cafe Vahik Luis met Dr. Cliff Oliver, the man who inspired me to start eating well and taking care of myself about 25 years ago. Cliff remains a great friend. After reading the file that I sent, Luis decided to contact Cliff. Learn more about Cliff here.

Dear Doctor Oliver

Good evening Dr. Oliver,

My name is Luis Alberto Grunauer, Jr. I had the privilege of meeting you last week during lunch during Artie’s San Diego – La Jolla IPT. I was truly inspired by Artie’s experience 20+ years ago in which you saved his life by helping him to change many aspects of his life, particularly his eating habits. This has had a great impact on me, as I can relate to Artie because we both like food, in particular sweets.

I am a food addict, and have been all of my life. I just love the taste of food and eat many times out of pleasure. My weakness are sweets and tasty foods. What has helped in the past from not dying of obesity, diabetes, or a heart condition is that I was a very competitive athlete in my younger years and played competitive baseball and football. I was also a competitive bodybuilder. I spent lots of hours on the fields and at the gym. Although I always ate healthy, I never stopped eating after I quit playing sports. My weight ballooned from 185 lb. at 9% body fat to 245 lb. at 40% body fat, and then lowered to 210 lbs. I have never gotten below 210. I became pretty much sedentary, in part because of injuries to my knees, shoulders and neck. I did power walk and hiking, but had to stop due to injuries. I do not take any opioid pain killers and often use ice, massages and liniments to relieve pain, and occasionally take Tylenol or Naproxen.

At the suggestion of Artie, I recently picked up a book titled Pain Free by Pete Egoscue, and started doing some of the exercises in the book to address my chronic pains, and will continue to do that indefinitely.

If possible, I would like to meet with you to discuss my issues in detail. I will be in the La Jolla area during the next two weeks (weather permitting) and perhaps we can have lunch at the salad place where we met. If there is a consultation fee, please let me know.

Look forward meeting you again.

Sincerely, Luis

This image was created on the early morning of January 20 on the 2019 San Diego IPT. Luis used the tripod-mounted Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens with the blazingly fast Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR. ISO 6400. Evaluative metering + 2/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/5.6. Pre-breeding Pacific race Brown Pelican flapping Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Luis Alberto Grunauer/Silvia’s Jovial Photography

The Flapping Pelican

The image above is my favorite of the images that Luis sent for the post-IPT critique. To create it, he remembered my advice, “When unexpected action occurs, push the button. You just might get lucky and come up with something special.”

Life Goes On

Dear Artie,

Thank you for everything you have done for me! The IPT was more than a photography experience for me. It marked a turning point that have allowed me to make drastic changes in my life. I was truly inspired by your story and how you overcame sweet addiction and pain, and by IT participant Matt Feldkamp’s story about eliminating his sugar intake. Today is my 7th day without eating ANY sugars! Also, I have constrained myself to two servings of salads or veggies and a small serving of protein (salmon) at lunch and dinner. And I am drinking lots of water. I have felt the craving for sugar, but I am committed to curbing this craving.

Hopefully, I will meet with Dr. Oliver in the next two weeks.

Take care Art, and see you soon! Sincerely,Luis

Thanks Luis!

Thanks Luis for allowing me to share your images and story here, for your more than kind words, for your enthusiasm, and for your friendship. I wish you luck with improving your health and eating habits. Remember that it is important to think of this process as a new life. If you think of it as being on a diet you are doomed to fail. I fall off the wagon on occasion and thank you also for re-inspiring me to eat better. I am looking forward to seeing you again on the Fort DeSoto Spring PT and to eating some healthy meals at our table. with love, artie

ps: You can see some of Luis’s Los Angeles and travel images on his website here.

The iPhone Photography e-Guide To order your copy of the The iPhone Photography e-Guide please click here. The PDF is sent link by e-mail for downloading: the file is relatively huge at 216 MB.

Hard to Believe

Yes, Cliff has a great eye and wonderfully creative vision. Yet it is still hard for me to believe that he can make so many great images with “just“ an i-phone. Almost more amazingly Cliff captures with his iPhone and does all of his post-processing on the phone! In this great new e-Guide written for BIRDS AS ART you will learn to use set up you iPhone quickly and efficiently and how to to use it. In addition, there are dozens and dozens of tips on Cliff’s favorite apps and his favorite gear. Scroll down to the bottom to see the Table of Contents.

The iPhone Photography e-Guide: $20.00.

To order your copy of the The iPhone Photography e-Guide please click here.

From left to to right clockwise back to the center: Brown Pelican, Roseate Spoonbill downstroke, Brown Pelican sunrise silhouette, Double-crested Cormorant pre-dawn blur, Roseate Spoonbill flapping after bath, Brown Pelican taking flight, Roseate Spoonbill taking flight, Reddish Egret white morph breeding plumage in flight, and Reddish Egret dark morph breeding plumage in flight. All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks on the February 2018 trip. You can click on each card to enjoy a larger version.

2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT — FEB 16 thru 19, 2019: $2599.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 1.

3 1/2 days on the boat including four morning photo sessions and three afternoon sessions via customized pontoon boat.

Price per day Reduced from the 2018 rates! $200 late registration discount!

We will be leaving the dock very early for the morning sessions (weather permitting) in hopes of photographing the pre-dawn American Crow and White Ibis blast-offs. All sessions are planned for the Alafia Banks Roseate Spoonbill Rookery. We might consider other options in the unlikely event of horrific weather. There will be lots of opportunities for flight photography of several species including and especially Roseate Spoonbill. Also likely for flight photography are nesting Brown Pelican, both morphs of Reddish Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, White and Glossy Ibises, and Double Crested Cormorant. We should have some good chances with birds carrying nesting material. This IPT includes all boat and guide fees, in the field instruction, chest waders (feel free to bring your own of course to assure a perfect fit), and three working lunches on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. For the most part we will be standing in mid-calf to knee high water behind our tripods. We help you get in and out of the boat with your gear. This is likely not the best trip for folks with mobility or balance problems. Note however that some folks opt to stay on the boat to photograph. They usually have lots of chances for flight photography of spoonbills and other species but are almost always pretty far away from the spoonbills that land.

All images on this card were created by me on the Hooptie Deux at Alafia Banks

The Timing and Tides are Perfect!

I recently saw a similar trip advertised two months too late for breeding plumage spoonbills … The 2019 Hooptie Deux/Roseate Spoonbill Boat 3 1/2 DAY IPT represents an incredible opportunity to photograph Florida’s most wanted species. I do hope that you can join us. There will be a meet and greet at 7:00pm sharp on the evening of Friday February 15, 2019. All of the images on the card were made on the Hooptie Duex during the last two weeks of February, prime time for the spoonies in mega-breeding plumage. Many folks have written expressing interest so please do not tarry.

Please e-mail to hold your spot. Then you may either secure your spot by calling Jim or Jennifer at the office at 863-692-0906 and leaving the $500 deposit on credit card or sending your check for payment in full to us as follows with the check made out to:

BIRDS AS ART and sent here via US mail:

BIRDS AS ART
PO BOX 7245
Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855

If you call to leave your deposit you will be asked to mail your check for the balance asap.

Images courtesy of our guide; copyright 2017 Captain James Shadle (aka Froggie). All of the images here were created at Alafia Banks. Card creation and design by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART.

Everybody Loves Spoonbills!

Roseate Spoonbill is one of if not the most sought after avian photographic subjects in Florida. They are generally hard to find and somewhat difficult to approach. They are relatively easy to find at Alafia Banks—heck, you can’t miss seeing them, but even there they can on some days be somewhat difficult to approach. On some days we may be able to get ridiculously close to them. The huge incentive to get out to Alafia Banks in mid-February is the chance to photograph this species at the height of its spectacular breeding plumage…. with long telephoto lenses. A 500 or 600 with a 1.4X TC is perfect for this trip.

Mornings to Alafia Banks for spoonbills and Brown Pelicans (with lots of flight photography often with the birds likely carrying nesting material), Double-crested Cormorants, ibises (both Glossy and White) in breeding plumage. Some of the White Ibises may be sporting their spectacular, distended, red, naked (un-feathered) throat pouches—typically larger in the females. In addition we may get to photograph egrets including Great and Reddish, both in full breeding plumage, shorebirds, and more. There will be lots of flight photography opportunities. Afternoon trips will most likely be back to Alafia Banks for the spoonbills with an option to visit a more sheltered inland rookery location for a variety of nesting birds. In the event of horrific weather artie will either take the group to Fort DeSoto or will conduct an extensive image review/Photoshop session. This IPT includes lunches on the full days with small group image sharing and review and some over-the-shoulder Photoshop instruction.

Help Support the Blog

Please help support my efforts here on the blog by remembering to click on the logo link above each time that you shop Amazon. That would be greatly appreciated. There is no problem using your Prime account; just click on the link and log into your Prime account. With love, artie

If In Doubt …

If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.

Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the New BAA Online Store 🙂

To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.

As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.

I would of course appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.

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Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right. Tanks a stack.

Typos

In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).