Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Stuff

I spent most of Friday watching the TIVO of Tiger Wood’s first PGA tour victory in five years. And blowing lots of balloons. This blog post took more than four hours to prepare. 🙂

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details here.

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 many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the 5Ds and 5Ds R, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, the Canon 200-400 with internal extender, 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 II. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

September Sales

Ron Gates sold a Canon EOS 7D in near-mint condition for $350 in mid-September.
Will Craig sold a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $674.00and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329.00 about one week after they were listed in mid-September.
Will Craig sold an original Canon EOS 7D camera body in excellent condition (with fewer than 26,000 actuations) for $299.00 soon after it was listed in September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in like-new condition (with extras) for $2,499.00 in early September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito also sold a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition (with extras including a 2X III TC) for $8,500.00 in early September, 2018.
I sold my Canon 1.4X III teleconverter for $329.00 in early September before listing it.
Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed in early September for $249.00.
Richard Gollar sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS (the original IS model, the “old five”) in near-mint condition for $3399.00 in early September.

Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with extras!)

Shock-the-World Priced at $6,499.00!

IPT veteran Mark Overgaard is offering a Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender in excellent condition (with extras) for $6,499.00. The sale includes the rear lens cap, the lens trunk, the original tough front lens cover, the lens strap, the original lens foot, a Really Right Stuff LCF-53 lens foot, a Realtree Max4 Lenscoat, the manual and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.  

Please contact Mark via e-mail.

This is the world’s best lens for a trip to Africa. It kills also in the Galapagos and in South Georgia, the Falklands, and Antarctica. And I used mine a lot at Bosque and other dusty places where the built-in TC helps to keep your sensor clean. And I loved it in the Palouse for its versatility. Last summer, I often found myself wishing that I had taken the 200-400 rather than my 500 II on the Bear Boat Cubs IPT. Many nature photographers use it as their workhorse telephoto lens as it offers 884mm at f/8 with an external 1.4X TC added. The lens sells new at B&H for $10,999.00. You can save an amazing $4,500.00 by grabbing Mark’s lens in excellent condition right now. artie

Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM Lens

IPT veteran Mark Overgaard is also offering an EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $449.00 The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, the lens pouch, the manual, the original box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.  

Please contact Mark via e-mail.

If you are a landscape photographer looking to save weight this is the lens you are looking for. It sell new at B&H for $899.00. artie

Canon EOS 5DS dSLR (with extras)

Amazing Low Price

IPT veteran Mark Overgaard is offering an EOS 5DS body in excellent condition for the amazingly low price of $1399.00. The sale includes the front body cap, the lens strap, the CD, the original box, a Really Right Stuff B5DS-L L-plate, the manual, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.  

Please contact Mark via e-mail.

This body features a amazing full-frame 50.6MP CMOS sensor; it captures ultra-high resolution images suitable for large-scale printing and extensive, creative cropping. The Dual DIGIC 6 Image Processors provide the wherewithal to handle this abundance of information, enabling fast performance speeds and top-of-the-line image quality. The 5DS also features advanced video capability including HD 1080p capture at 30 fps and a Time Lapse movie function which takes still photos at set intervals and combines them into a full HD movie. B&H

This one sells new for $3,699.00 and B&H is offering two used ones, one in 9 condition for $2,748.50, and one in 9+ condition (like Mark’s) for $2,906.95. In short, if you are a serious landscape photographer, you can save a ton of bucks by purchasing Mark’s 5DS. artie

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM Lens

IPT veteran Mark Overgaard is also offering an EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM lens in near-mint condition for $1,299.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps, the lens hood, the lens pouch, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made. 

Please contact Mark via e-mail.  

Characterized by its unique and advanced optical composition, the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM is a wide-angle L-series prime featuring a fast f/1.4 maximum aperture to suit working in difficult lighting conditions. Its optical design incorporates a Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics element; a specially developed element that helps to nearly eliminate chromatic aberrations and color fringing for notable clarity and color accuracy. In addition to this, an ultra-low dispersion element and two aspherical elements are also featured to further control various aberrations and distortion for great sharpness and resolution. Individual elements also feature a Sub Wavelength Coating to suppress flare and ghosting for high contrast and color fidelity when working in harsh and backlit conditions. B&H

If you’ve been lusting for this lens, you can save a quick $500.00 by buying this one now; a new one goes for $1,799.00. artie

Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender (with extras!)

Charlie Curry is offering a Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender in like-new condition (with extras) for $7,199.00. The sale includes the lens trunk with keys, a RRS LCF-53 lens foot, the front and rear lens caps, and the original lens foot. Also included: the lens manual, the lens strap, and insured ground shipping via FedEx to US addresses only. Cashier’s check only.

Please contact Charlie via e-mail or by phone at 1-407-448-7797 Eastern time.

This is the world’s best lens for a trip to Africa. It kills also in the Galapagos and in South Georgia, the Falklands, and Antarctica. And I used mine a lot at Bosque and other dusty places where the built-in TC helps to keep your sensor clean. And I loved it in the Palouse for its versatility. Last summer, I often found myself wishing that I had taken the 200-400 rather than my 500 II on the Bear Boat Cubs IPT. Many nature photographers use it as their workhorse telephoto lens as it offers 884mm at f/8 with an external 1.4X TC added. The lens sells new at B&H for $10,999.00. You can save a neat $3,800.00 by grabbing Charlie’s like-new lens right now. artie

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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 — your purchase includes a free 64gb XQD card and the XQD reader!). He also has two Nikon 180-400s in stock. And he is taking pre-orders for the new Nikon 500 P and the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera body as well as for the Canon 600 III. He already has two BAA blog orders for the new Canon six.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on the early morning of September 23, 2018. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 500mm) and the blazingly fast Nikon D5 (with Dual XQD slots). AUTO ISO 360. Matrix metering +1 .7 stops (should have been at least +2.3 stops): 1/60 sec. at f/5.6 in Shutter Priority mode (S in Nikon, Tv with Canon). AUTO1 WB at 7:32am with clouds on the eastern horizon blocking the sun. Center group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed. The left AF point in the array just caught the base of the tern’s left wing. The lower point just caught the tail. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Image #1: Royal Tern, pre-dawn blur — Much too BLUE. Or not? Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Too Blue?

Out of camera, the RAW file for this image was too dark, too muddy, and much too BLUE. Plus 2.7 stops would have been best in the field. I optimized the image taking all of the BLUE out (by de-saturating the BLUE channel on a Hue-Saturation layer). While preparing this post I noticed that there was still a big color cast in my first optimized version. Keep reading to see the solution …

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on the early morning of September 23, 2018. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 500mm) and the blazingly fast Nikon D5 (with Dual XQD slots). AUTO ISO 360. Matrix metering +1 .7 stops (should have been at least +2.3 stops): 1/60 sec. at f/5.6 in Shutter Priority mode (S in Nikon, Tv with Canon). AUTO1 WB at 7:32am with clouds on the eastern horizon blocking the sun. Center group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed. The left AF point in the array just caught the base of the tern’s left wing. The lower point just caught the tail. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Image #2: Royal Tern, pre-dawn blur, color corrected Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A Great Tip for Taking the BLUE (?) Out

Just as we can often create more accurate GREENs by reducing the YELLOW saturation, I realized that the problematic channel with Image #1 was CYAN not BLUE. So I brought the optimized TIFF file back into Photoshop. Working on a separate layer (Command J) I reduced the saturation of the CYAN channel by 60%. But the image still looked a bit dingy so while still working on the CYAN channel only, I tried moving the Lightness slider to the right. Voila! That resulted in beautiful clean WHITEs. That was the first time I ever did that but I can assure you that it will not be the last …

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on the early morning of September 24, 2018. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 500mm) and the blazingly fast Nikon D5 (with Dual XQD slots). AUTO ISO 1600. Matrix metering +2 stops (could have been been +2.3 stops): 1/30 sec. at f/5.6 in Shutter Priority mode (S in Nikon, Tv with Canon). AUTO1 WB at 7:10am on what would become a clear morning; sunrise was at 7:21am. Center /Single Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Image #3: Gull/tern pre-dawn blast-off blur Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Bosque at the Beach

We were blessed by more than a few gull/tern blast-offs both in the early mornings and the late afternoons. Ironically, both images were created at 500mm.

Shutter Speed Question

What is the general principle that explains why I went with 1/60 sec. for the image of the single tern but with 1/30 sec. for the flock blur?

Degree of Blurring Question

Considering that the shutter speed is the same :), why are the birds in the top half of the frame more blurred than the birds in the bottom half of the frame?

Shutter Priority for Pre-dawn Blurs

Try this simple approach for creating pleasing pre-dawn blurs:

• 1-Put your camera in Shutter Priority mode (S in Nikon, Tv with Canon).
• 2-Set the ISO 10 100.
• 3-Set Auto ISO (unless you have set ISO Safety Shift with your Canon body — that gives you Auto ISO whenever you need it without having to set it).
• 4- Set the Exposure Compensation to at least +2.
• 5-Make one image of the birds just sitting there, check your histogram, and adjust the EC as needed.
• 6-Fire away if you are lucky enough to get a blast-off. By working in Shutter Priority you can actually experiment with different shutters speeds during a single blast-off by rolling the shutter speed dial. For distant blast-offs I might try anything between 1/4 and 1/30 sec.

The One or the Many?

Which of today’s featured images do you prefer, #2 or #3? Please let us know why you made your choice.

A Guide to Pleasing Blurs

Learn everything there is to know about creating pleasingly blurred images in A Guide to Pleasing Blurs by Denise Ippolito and yours truly. This 20,585 word, 271 page PDF is illustrated with 144 different, exciting, and artistic images. The guide covers the basics of creating pleasingly blurred images, the factors that influence the degree of blurring, the use of filters in creating pleasing blurs, and a great variety of both in-the-field and Photoshop techniques that can be used to create pleasingly blurred images.

Artie and Denise teach you many different ways to move your lens during the exposure to create a variety of pleasingly blurred images of flowers and trees and water and landscapes. They will teach you to recognize situations where subject movement can be used to your advantage to create pan blurs, wind blurs, and moving water blurs. They will teach you to create zoom-blurs both in the field and during post-processing. Artie shares the techniques that he has used and developed for making blurred images of flocks of geese in flight at his beloved Bosque del Apache and Denise shares her flower blur magic as well as a variety of creative Photoshop techniques that she has developed.

With the advent of digital capture creating blurred images has become a great and inexpensive way to go out with your camera and have fun. And while many folks think that making successful blurred images is the result of being a sloppy photographer, nothing could be further from the truth. In “A Guide to Pleasing Blurs” Artie and Denise will help you to unleash your creative self.

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 :).

Stuff

Tuesday morning started off really slow at DeSoto. I did well at 840mm on the tripod with flying Laughing Gulls. On the way back to the car we found some ibises and ducks in a big rain pool and spent a productive hour with them. We all came up with some really near bathing White Ibis images. That afternoon we were greeted by another huge thunderstorm. I went to my one of my favorite sunset spots to see if we could shoot from the vehicles. The wind was howling and the rain was torrential. With the wind from the north gusting as high as 40 mph it took me a while to figure out how to position the car correctly. Lighting was smashing all around and the rain was coming down in sheets. I worked with the 200-500 and ISOs ranging from 1600 to 3200. I got some superb stuff. Ed and I persevered and head to East Beach in hopes of some clearing. We did quite well and eventually came up with a new type of silhouettes … I will be sharing images from both of those situations with you here soon.

We did well on Wednesday morning with a nice feeding spree and several spoonbills. I went off the wagon for lunch: I had a small salad in the room and followed that up with one slice of peanut butter pie at the Neptune Grill in Gulfport … We took it a bit easy that afternoon spending most of it photographing at Noel Heustis’s piling spot. We’ve been blessed every afternoon as the east wind has shifted to west, at least before the thunderstorms have hit. I head home after our Thursday morning session. In retrospect it has been was amazing how much Ed Dow learned in such a short time and how much better his images have gotten.He is very glad that I went with one. I hope to follow the previous comment up with a story and some of Ed’s photographs.

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details here.

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 many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the 5Ds and 5Ds R, the old Canon 500mm, the EOS-7D, the Canon 200-400 with internal extender, 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 II. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

September Sales

Ron Gates sold a Canon EOS 7D in near-mint condition for $350 in mid-September.
Will Craig sold a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $674.00and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329.00 about one week after they were listed in mid-September.
Will Craig sold an original Canon EOS 7D camera body in excellent condition (with fewer than 26,000 actuations) for $299.00 soon after it was listed in September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in like-new condition (with extras) for $2,499.00 in early September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito also sold a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition (with extras including a 2X III TC) for $8,500.00 in early September, 2018.
I sold my Canon 1.4X III teleconverter for $329.00 in early September before listing it.
Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed in early September for $249.00.
Richard Gollar sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS (the original IS model, the “old five”) in near-mint condition for $3399.00 in early September.

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Price Reduced $1,000 on September 25, 2018.

Ramona Boone is offering a Canon 600mm IS II in like-new condition for $7,699.00 (was $8,699.00). The sale includes the lens trunk, the front lens cover (R 185B), the rear cap, a RRS LCF 53 foot (installed), the original foot, a Real Tree LensCoat, the lens strap, an AquaTech ASCC-6 Soft Cap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Ramona via e-mail or by phone at 1-719 231 5874 (Mountain time).

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 could get it to my location, it was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new one going for $11,499, you can save a cool $3,800.00 by grabbing Ramona’s pristine lens now. artie

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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 as well as for the Canon 600 IIi. He already has two BAA blog orders for the new Canon six.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on the morning of September 23, 2018. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 500mm) and the blazingly fast Nikon D5 (with Dual XQD slots). AUTO ISO 1000. Matrix metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Shutter Priority mode (S in Nikon, Tv with Canon). AUTO1 WB at 7:37am on a clear morning. Center group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Image #1: Laughing Gull, juvenile in flight Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Laughing Gulls Had a Great Year

The number of juvenile Laughing Gulls at Fort DeSoto was unlike anything I have ever seen. I would estimate that there were at least 10,000 Laughing Gulls present with well more than half being hatch year-birds. That would indicate that the adults have moved somewhere else. This species breeds on nearby Egmont Key. It is possible that many of the birds came from colonies farther to the north … Interestingly enough, a large percentage of the Laughing Gulls present on the weekend had left the sandbar at North Beach by Tuesday …

Taking the RED Out

The RAW file for this image was even too RED for me, too much early morning light. Reducing the RED saturation on the HSL tab during the RAW conversion did not do much so I tried reducing the YELLOW saturation. The results were the same. (Note: both of these techniques often work well and are surely worth trying). I did go to a lower color temperature and then converted the image after adjusting the usual sliders. Once in Photoshop I worked on a new layer and reduced both the RED and the YELOW saturations about 60 points. This left the image looking much more neutral but still showing a bit of the early morning light look.

This image was also created at Fort DeSoto Park on the morning of September 23, 2018. Again I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 410mm) and the blazingly fast Nikon D5 (with Dual XQD slots). AUTO ISO 1400. Matrix metering +1 2/3 stops (should have been +2/3 stops!): 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Shutter Priority mode (S in Nikon, Tv with Canon). AUTO1 WB at 7:48am on a clear morning. Center group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed. Be sure to click on this one to see the larger version. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Image #2: Royal Tern with flatfish Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

A Mistake …

We were creating (hopefully) pleasing blurs of the pre-dawn gull and tern blastoffs using my shutter priority method: S (or Tv with Canon) mode, AUTO ISO with the ISO set to 100, and +2 1/3 stops of EC. When the sun came up I went with the same method to create sharp images of the tern in flight: I set the shutter speed to 1/2000 and the EC to +1 2/3 stops. But when I saw this Royal Tern dive for a fish, I did just what I teach folks to do: press the shutter button. With a blue water (rather than a sky) background, the image was of course well over-exposed. The water was much darker than the sky and caused the camera to set much too high an ISO. Some of the RGB values were as high as 255, but I was able to save the image by reducing the Exposure during the RAW conversion. I was not, however, thrilled with the final result.

This image was also created at Fort DeSoto Park on the morning of September 23, 2018. Again I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 360mm) and the blazingly fast Nikon D5 (with Dual XQD slots). AUTO ISO 1400. Matrix metering at about +1 stop (should have been +1/3 stop or zero …): 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 7:51am on a clear morning. Center group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Image #3: Snowy Egret, downstroke flight Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Mr. Dickhead

Over the past two years, a guy would show up here preaching — in a rather obnoxious manner — that my practice and teachings with regards to bringing Canon RAW files into Photoshop with the WHITE RGB values in the mid-230s were all wrong. Note: with my Nikon gear, I like the WHITE RGB values in the mid- to low 240 range. “You are all wrong,” said Mr. Dickhead (for lack of a better name), your WHITE RGB values should be at 254 because you are looking at the JPEG. And you need to switch to a RAW converter to see the true values. The first time or two that Mr. Dickhead posted to the blog, he quickly became nasty and seemed hell bent on insulting me. So I spammed (banned) him.

In the “You Owe It to Yourself” blog post here about two weeks ago, someone posted similar comments basically stating that my approach was all wrong and that I should not be teaching folks to underexpose so severely. If you read all the comments there, you can surely figure out Mr. Dickhead’s name, or not. As you will see when if you continue reading. I posted something that in effect asked him is he was the same guy as before. In response, the guy whom I now am calling Mr. Dickhead starts e-mailing me and we have a few civil exchanges and I am thinking that maybe he is right about exposing even more to the right and that I should try it in the field. (The Work teaches us to consider if there is truth in criticism instead of immediately going into defend and attach mode. Anyhoo (as my Dad, the late PFC Robert E. Morris used to say), the guy admits that he is the same guy and that he always posts using an alias. So I ask him why he routinely goes online using an alias. His response was that everyone does it and that he in particular needs to do it “to keep from getting bashed.” If you think about it, That is a very telling comment …

He did take the time to tell me that I had banned him several times unfairly and that I simply deleted comments made by anyone who disagreed with me. I begged to differ. I told him that there were many times that I left comments opposing my point of view stand and that the only time that anyone was banned was when they got mean and nasty. He did the several times. Mr. Dickhead did have some redeeming qualities. In one e-mail he took the time to answer a load of high level questions dealing with exposure and light. And for that I thanked him.

At some point I asked him what his real name was and he said that if I told him that I would spoil his fun. Thus, I decided that for this post I would, — after giving the matter much thought — simply call him Mr. Dickhead. Mr. Dickhead, if you are reading, you are no longer welcome here. If you show up again with your crappy attitude, you will be banned. And no worries, I will not be responding to any of your e-mails.

And best of all, I tried pushing my exposure far to the right as with Image #3 — the RGB value for the WHITEs were all in the 250s. And, as I had predicted, it was a bear restoring detail in such hot WHITEs. I used his method on several morning and as things, turned out, I simply do not like the look of the optimized image files when you expose too far (my words) to the right.

The Lesson

If you are going to trash me on the blog, please use your real name.

This image was also created at Fort DeSoto Park on the morning of September 23, 2018. For this one I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III (at 700mm) and the blazingly fast Nikon D5 (with Dual XQD slots). AUTO ISO 1400. Matrix metering at about +1 stop (should have been +1/3 stop or zero …): 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode. AUTO1 WB at 8:02am on a clear morning. Center group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure as originally framed. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +7. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. IMAGE #4: Royal Tern looking for fish Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Adding Diagonals

Any time that you can include strong diagonal lines in your image design they will usually strengthen it. In image #4 we have the diagonal of the wings in tilted flight and the parallel diagonal of the bill created by the look-back head turn. Combined, they add drama to the image, at least for me.

Your Favorite?

Which of today’s four featured images do you think is the strongest? Please let us know why you made your choice.

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 :).

Stuff

As noted yesterday, we had a killer-good morning at DeSoto and as expected, a great working lunch at the Neptune Grill in Gulfport. Our Airbnb condo is absolutely wonderful.

A big low tide revealed a substantial fish kill along a creek that leads into the lagoon. The number of different species of fish involved was quite eye-opening, but the carnage was nothing like what had been encountered in the Sarasota area in July and August. If anyone can supply a good link showing a relationship between red tide and global warming, I would appreciate their leaving a comment.

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details here.

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. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

September Sales

Ron Gates sold a Canon EOS 7D in near-mint condition for $350 in mid-September.
Will Craig sold a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $674.00and a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329.00 about one week after they were listed in mid-September.
Will Craig sold an original Canon EOS 7D camera body in excellent condition (with fewer than 26,000 actuations) for $299.00 soon after it was listed in September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in like-new condition (with extras) for $2,499.00 in early September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito also sold a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition (with extras including a 2X III TC) for $8,500.00 in early September, 2018.
I sold my Canon 1.4X III teleconverter for $329.00 in early September before listing it.
Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed in early September for $249.00.
Richard Gollar sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS (the original IS model, the “old five”) in near-mint condition for $3399.00 in early September.

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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.

This image was created at Fort DeSoto Park on the morning of September 22, 2018. While seated, I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 450mm) and my back-up Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering at zero: 1/3200 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Natural Auto WB at 8:32am on a mostly clear morning with a bit of an edge off the sun. One up and to the left of center group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The upper point of the array was on the bottom of the bird’s chin. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Great Egret with young American Eel (I think …) Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Getting My Butt On the Ground …

When we stayed back a bit and did full body shots of the egrets and herons catching the still-alive fish, our images included the tire tracks of a park vehicle that had driven right along the edge of the Gulf, and lots of ugly white sand … . After a while I realized that I needed to get my butt on the ground and get a lot closer. So that is what I did. Getting low makes it less likely that you will scare the bird as you approach and results in a more pleasing background — as it did with today’s featured image — by effectively moving the background farther from the subject.

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 :).

Stuff

I spent much of Thursday getting ready to head over to Tierra Verde for the upcoming six-day Fort DeSoto road trip. We will be driving over after lunch.

Trivia

Who is two-four-six-oh-one?

News on the Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime Limit: 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo-Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details here.

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. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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.

This image was created on the gannet boat on 7/10/18 near Bass Rock, Scotland. I used the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR lens with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III (at 280mm) and my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 8000. Matrix metering +1/3 stop as framed: 1/5000 sec. at f/6.3 was perfect. NATURAL AUTO WB at 8:33am on a cloudy bright morning. Center Group (grp)/Continuous (AI Servo in Canon)/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure; the left and bottom points of the array were on the gannet’s back. Click on the image to see a larger version. Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +2. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Northern Gannet hitting the water

Why Did I Add the TC-E14?

I have absolutely no idea why I added the 1.4X TC to the 70-200 f/4. The birds were so close that I was making lots of images of single birds with the 24-120! But in any case, after seeing this image I am glad that I did. I purchased the lightweight 70-200 f/4 just so that I could make images for the whole two hours without suffering too much fatigue; the action is pretty much nonstop — shop till you drop!

Name This Image

Please put your thinking caps on and leave a good title for today’s featured 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. 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 be staying at the Lobster Pot by Marston’s Inn, just fifteen minutes from Bempton Cliffs. After 3 1/2 days of photography 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.

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 own 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.

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 :).

Why I Go With One …

My long-time policy has always been to go with one photographer on US IPTs. Why? If you are interested enough in learning and are willing to take time off from work and travel (often by air) to the location, I never want to disappoint you. That is true even if I break-even or lose a few bucks. The 3 1/2 day DeSOto IPT just might be the first IPT where I have actually gone with one.

Note: international trips that require substantial deposits from the operator, that being me, are often posted with a minimum number of participants. For good reason. Two currently scheduled trips that fit that bill are the just announced 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT and the Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime.

Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in late September. 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.

It’s Never Too Late

First-timer Ed Dow took advantage of the largest-ever offered late registration discount and signed up yesterday for the complete DeSoto package. He is traveling from California to learn to use his new used Canon 500 II. Multiple IPT veteran and good friend Indranil Sircar is joining us for the weekend. If you would like to join us on the weekend or the full IPT or both, or would like to join us for a single day, scroll down for the details and shoot me an e-mail. Don’t forget to ask me about the huge late-registration discounts or try me on my cell at 863-221-2372.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this September. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

• The 2018 Fort DeSoto Fall Weekend IPT/September 22-23, 2018: 2 FULL DAYS: $949. Limit 8/Openings 6.
• 2018 Fort DeSoto Fall IPT/September 24 (MON) through the morning of September 27 (THURS), 2018: 3 1/2 DAYS: $1749. Limit 8/Openings 7. Meet and Greet at 7:30pm on the evening of September 23 (SUN)

Please e-mail for late-registration discount info and/or for single-day rates.

Zebra Swallowtail i-Phone Image courtesy of and copyright 2019: Amy Novotny

The Most Beautiful Creature Ever?

Yesterday afternoon Jim called Amy and me to his butterfly garden in the backyard just outside the pool cage to see my first-ever Zebra Swallowtail. Even with the naked eye, I could see that it was one very beautiful creature. It was flitting around drinking from some small white wildflowers. Wanting a better look, I hustled to the car to grab my Leica 8×32 Trinovid binoculars. The butterfly was still there but rarely sitting still for more than a fraction of a second. Still, I enjoyed amazing views of what was likely — aside from a very few women — the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. It had just emerged from its chrysalis as every scale was perfect and both tails were intact. The reds and the blues were incredible as were both the upper and under sides.

Amy grabbed her cell phone — she is never without it — and amazed Jim and me by easily getting within two feet of the butterfly, sometimes even closer. In a pretty much impossible situation she made the very decent image that you see above. After watching this exquisitely beautiful insect for more than ten minutes, I finally decided to try to photograph it. I got my Nikon 80-400 VR with a 20mm Kenko extension tube and was all excited. But when I got back to Jim’s butterfly garden the immaculate Zebra Swallowtail was gone.

Binoculars

While I almost never head afield with bins, I do keep my Leica 8x32s in the car and often do my health walks with them. They are lightweight, super-bright, and super sharp. And they focus inside of 6 feet which makes them a great butterfly and dragonfly glass.

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 :).

Stuff

I found a beautiful feather on my morning walk and spent about an hour photographing it. What fun. Have you ever lost ten days or a month’s worth of images? I have. If you would like to avoid doing that or something similar, keep reading. If you would like to join me at Fort DeSoto next week, click here to learn about the late registration discounts.

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. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Pierre Williot

I would encourage anyone who wants to sell some of their photographic equipment to contact Art. High-end photographic equipment can be difficult to sell. Art, with is widely read daily posts, will allow you to sell your equipment fairly easily for a reasonable price and commission. Please, seriously consider the price that he suggests as it can be hard to face the reality of the actual value of well loved equipment! Art is well aware of the current market for second-hand photographic equipment.

Used Gear Page News

After a month or so in the summer doldrums, sales on the Used Gear page have been red hot for the past month or so:

Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body in like-new condition (with extras) for $2,499.00 in early September, 2018.
Anthony Ardito also sold a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in like-new condition (with extras including a 2X III TC) for $8,500.00 in early September, 2018.
Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed in early September for $249.00.
Richard Gollar sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS (the original IS model, the “old five”) in near-mint condition for $3399.00 in early September.
I sold my Canon 100-400 L IS II in very good plus (almost excellent) condition and in perfect working order for $1399.00 in late August.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II body (with extras) in like-new condition (less than 41,000 actuations)for $3,999.00 in late August.
Roger Williams sold a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM lens in like-new condition (but for a single faint scratch on the front element)for the “it’s-your-lucky-day” price of only $899.00 a week after it was listed.
Dane Johnson sold a Canon EOS 40D kit with the body converted to Deep Infrared by Life Pixel in near-mint condition for $549.00 in August, 2918 on the first day it was listed.
Jamie Baker sold his Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III in near-mint condition for $299.00 in late August.
John Lowin sold a (men’s extra large) Xtrahand Magnum vest by Vested Interest for $229.00 within a day or two of listing it in late August, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens in like-new condition for BAA record-low by far price of $449.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $1,499.00, his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $1,099.00, his Canon Speedlite (flash) 600EX-RT flash in like-new condition for $399.00, his Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens (for Canon mount) in near-mint condition for $250.00, and his Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon EF mount in like new condition for $399.00, all with a day or two of their being listed.
Pierre Williot sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II in mint condition with less than 75,000 actuations (rated to 400,000) for $4,199.00 in late August.
Todd Koudelka sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens (“the “old five”) in very good plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $3199.00.
Pierre Williot sold his canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM lens (the original 600 IS) in very good to excellent condition for $3999.00 in mid-August.
Todd Koudelka sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in near-mint condition (but for a few tiny, barely visible scratches) for the BAA record-low-by-far of $2249.00 (was $2449.00) in early August.
Ron Gates requested that the listing for his Canon 70-200mm lens be removed and kindly sent me a check for 4% of the original asking price.
Julie Brown sold her Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS lens (the original version) in excellent condition for $2099 in early August.

You can see all the listings here.

New Listings

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Robert Sabin is offering a Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens in new condition (never used) for $9,999.00. The sale includes a Kirk low foot, the original Canon foot, a LensCoat, the rear cap, the heavy duty front lens cover, the lens trunk, and insured ground shipping via major courier.

Please contact Robert 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 could get it to my location, it was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new one going for $11,499, you can save a cool $1500.00 by grabbing Robert’s never used lens now. artie

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens

Ramona Boone is offering a Canon 600mm IS II in like-new condition for $8,699.00 The sale includes the lens trunk, the front lens cover (R 185B), the rear cap, a RRS LCF 53 foot (installed), the original foot, a Real Tree LensCoat, the lens strap, an AquaTech ASCC-6 Soft Cap, and insured ground shipping via major courier. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Ramona via e-mail or by phone at 1-719 231 5874 (Mountain time).

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 could get it to my location, it was always my go-to weapon. It is fast and sharp and deadly alone or with either TC. With a new one going for $11,499, you can save a cool $2,800.00 by grabbing Ramona’s pristine lens now. artie

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM

If you are a blog regular who is planning on getting your hands on the new Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM please use this link to pre-order from B&H. The faster you order, the faster you will have your new lens in your hands.

The new version tips the scales at only 6.71 pounds, nearly two pounds lighter than the 600 II and even lighter (by slightly more than 1/4 pound) than the 500 II. Best of all for the extremely weight conscious, the tripod collar is removable! In addition, it focus down to 13.78 feet, one foot closer than the 600 II. If I were still using Canon I would be the first one on the pre-order list …

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details here.

BIRDS AS ART

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

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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.

Via e-mail from Anthony Ardito

FYI, I got a D850 & a 200-500 from Bedfords using your BIRDSASART code at checkout. Plus, Steve Elkins gave me a discount and some nice XQD freebies. I have to thank you for that!

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.

Be Careful Out There

Remember. Be careful out there. That was the trademark phrase of Sergeant Phil Esterhaus (played by Michael Conrad — 1925–1983) that was in the opening of each episode of Hill Street Blues.

Rule #1: You need to back up your images every day. Your images should be saved in at least two different locations before you clean your card.

Rule #2: Your backup or backups should be kept in a different location or locations when traveling. Since I keep all of my new images on my laptop that means that my I should not keep my back-up disk in my laptop bag with my computer.

Oops #1: A participant on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT was trying to find an image for a friend and put it on a thumb drive. He wound up formatting the single hard drive that had all of his images from the trip. They had not been saved to another location. He did not follow Rule #1. He spent seven or eight hundred dollars to try to recover the images but only a very small percentage of his photos were rescued.

Oops #2: One of the crack moderators in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographersNet recently travelled to Spain. When he got back, I got this e-mail from him:

Had a blast with the family and birding. Got about 30 lifers and took some kick-ass photos. Bad news is that the last day there my car was broken into and all my camera gear got stolen. Along with all of my images. The most heartbreaking of which were practically full frame Lammergeier shots: banking and fighting with perfect light and eye contact. A real bummer man. Dream shots and all gone.

I learned later that he was not traveling with a back-up drive; all of the images were on CF cards … He followed neither Rule #1 nor Rule #2.

An Excerpt from All IPT Confirmation Letters

I strongly recommend traveling with a reliable laptop computer and downloading and editing each day. I travel with a reliable Macbook Pro with Retina screen and several Western Digital Passport external hard drives for back-up. If you have a routine that works well for you and protects your images, by all means, use it.

The letter had of course been sent to Mr. Oops #1 …

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 :).

Stuff

Wednesday was business as usual. With my knee continuing to improve, I am walking two to three easy miles each day concentrating on form: belly out, shoulders back and down, chin down, and striking first with the heel. This blog post took 2 1/2 hours to prepare on Thursday morning. It is now 9am and I am heading out for my walk.

I would love to hear some more opinions on the questions posed in Tuesday’s Bempton Cliffs Part VI: What To Do With Wind Against Sun Flight Conditions … And Ageing Gannets blog post here.

Both Fall Fort DeSoto IPTs are wide open — please click here for more info. Please note that there have been no red tide problems at DeSoto or anywhere north of Bradenton. Details for the 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT will be announced here soon. We will be visiting Seahouses for the puffins and other seabirds and both Bempton Cliffs and Dunbar (two boat trips) for the gannets. If you are interested in the pre-publication details, please shoot me an e-mail. Limit: 10 photographers.

Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM

If you are a blog regular who is planning on getting your hands on the new Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM please use this link to pre-order from B&H. The faster you order, the faster you will have your new lens in your hands.

The new version tips the scales at only 6.71 pounds, nearly two pounds lighter than the 600 II and even lighter (by slightly more than 1/4 pound) than the 500 II. Best of all for the extremely weight conscious, the tripod collar is removable! In addition, it focus down to 13.78 feet, one foot closer than the 600 II. If I were still using Canon I would be the first one on the pre-order list …

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details here.

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. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Pierre Williot

I would encourage anyone who wants to sell some of their photographic equipment to contact Art. High-end photographic equipment can be difficult to sell. Art, with is widely read daily posts, will allow you to sell your equipment fairly easily for a reasonable price and commission. Please, seriously consider the price that he suggests as it can be hard to face the reality of the actual value of well loved equipment! Art is well aware of the current market for second-hand photographic equipment.

Used Gear Page News

After a month or so in the summer doldrums, sales on the Used Gear page have been red hot for the past two weeks:

I sold my Canon 1.4X III teleconverter for $329.00 in early September before listing it.
Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed in early September for $249.00.
Richard Gollar sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS (the original IS model, the “old five”) in near-mint condition for $3399.00 in early September.
I sold my Canon 100-400 L IS II in very good plus (almost excellent) condition and in perfect working order for $1399.00 in late August.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II body (with extras) in like-new condition (less than 41,000 actuations)for $3,999.00 in late August.
Roger Williams sold a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM lens in like-new condition (but for a single faint scratch on the front element)for the “it’s-your-lucky-day” price of only $899.00 a week after it was listed.
Dane Johnson sold a Canon EOS 40D kit with the body converted to Deep Infrared by Life Pixel in near-mint condition for $549.00 in August, 2918 on the first day it was listed.
Jamie Baker sold his Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III in near-mint condition for $299.00 in late August.
John Lowin sold a (men’s extra large) Xtrahand Magnum vest by Vested Interest for $229.00 within a day or two of listing it in late August, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens in like-new condition for BAA record-low by far price of $449.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $1,499.00, his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $1,099.00, his Canon Speedlite (flash) 600EX-RT flash in like-new condition for $399.00, his Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens (for Canon mount) in near-mint condition for $250.00, and his Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon EF mount in like new condition for $399.00, all with a day or two of their being listed.
Pierre Williot sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II in mint condition with less than 75,000 actuations (rated to 400,000) for $4,199.00 in late August.
Todd Koudelka sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens (“the “old five”) in very good plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $3199.00.
Pierre Williot sold his canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM lens (the original 600 IS) in very good to excellent condition for $3999.00 in mid-August.
Todd Koudelka sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in near-mint condition (but for a few tiny, barely visible scratches) for the BAA record-low-by-far of $2249.00 (was $2449.00) in early August.
Ron Gates requested that the listing for his Canon 70-200mm lens be removed and kindly sent me a check for 4% of the original asking price.
Julie Brown sold her Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS lens (the original version) in excellent condition for $2099 in early August.

You can see all the listings here.

New Listings

Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM Lens

Will Craig is offering a Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens in excellent condition for $674.00. The sale includes the front and rear lens caps and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only.

Please contact Will via e-mail or by phone at 1-540-810-7108 (Eastern time).

I owned and used this great lens for several years. It is a great flight lens and I always loved its close focusing abilities 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

Canon EF Extender 1.4X III (teleconverter)

Will Craig is also offering a Canon EF Extender 1.4X III in near-mint condition for $329.00. The sale includes the front and rear caps,the carrying pouch, the original box and paperwork, and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only.

Please contact Will via e-mail or by phone at 1-540-810-7108 (Eastern time).

As folks know, I always travel with two 1.4X teleconverters because they are an important part of what I do every day. artie

Canon EOS 7D

Will Craig is also offering an original Canon EOS 7D camera body in excellent condition (with fewer than 26,000 actuations) for $299.00. The sale includes a Canon BG-E7 battery grip in near-mint condition, two Canon batteries, the strap, the original charger, a 32gb SanDisk compact flash card, and a compact flash reader to USB port. Also included is the original battery grip box and insured ground shipping via major courier to US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.

Please contact Will via e-mail or by phone at 1-540-810-7108 (Eastern time).

Will’s used Canon EOS 7D would make a great and inexpensive starter camera body for anyone wishing to explore the possibilities of digital photography. artie

Airbnb

For the past few months, I have been hearing folks use the word Airbnb, most notably, Amy Novotny. Out of curiosity I asked a few questions. What I learned amazed me. Join Airbnb and become part of a community that connects global travelers with local hosts across the world. Find a place to stay and discover things to do. Airbnb lists more than 4.5 million homes across 200 countries; you’ll find spacious, affordable options for every occasion. With Airbnb you will travel with confidence as reviews from past guests help you find the right fit. Once you do, our secure messaging makes it easy to coordinate with your host. And Airbnb support teams are available 24/7. Last night I made a reservation for an Airbnb apartment for my upcoming January San Diego visit: 13 nights with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.

Yikes. I almost forgot the best part: Airbnb rates average less than half of even the least expensive chain hotels and motels. If you would like to save $40 on your first booking sign up by using this link: Airbnb. Airbnb does charge clean-up and service fees that make short stays less attractive bargains than long stays.

Those who prefer to stay in a motel or hotel are invited to use the Booking.com link below to save $25.00.

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for their Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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.

Via e-mail from Anthony Ardito

FYI, I got a D850 & a 200-500 from Bedfords using your BIRDSASART code at checkout. Plus, Steve Elkins gave me a discount and some nice XQD freebies. I have to thank you for that!

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.

These two images were created on July 8, 2018 on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens and the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III (at 550mm) with the Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (w/Dual XQD Slots). ISO 800. Matrix metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec at f/9 in S (Tv in Canon — shutter priority in both systems) mode. AUTO1 WB at 11:01am on a nicely cloudy morning. Just above center D-72/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point in the first image was on the fish. In the second image, it was too our left of the bird’s head. As with Canon’s Expand and Surround, it is not possible to ascertain which AF point was active at the moment of exposure. This is a weakness in both systems that could easily be fixed with a software update. Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Each: Atlantic Puffin with sand eels Images copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Situation

I was headed back to the landing spot to let several members of the group know of an excellent opportunity near the Info Shed. As I got to the top of the landing this puffin flew in with a mouthful of fish for its young. I had been set up for fly-bys in Shutter Priority with +1 EC and center Group (grp) AF so I simply dialed down to +2/3 with the soft light and the blue water background and made a few images.

I had been experimenting with upper d-72 (only when working vertically) for tall-in-the-frame seabirds. As I was handholding my framing was not perfect, nor was my placement of the selected AF point. That said, I have pretty much gone back to d-9 as my go-to vertical AF mode — d-72 offers too much slop, i.e., you do not know which point is actually active … In any case, the first image, 3788 had the best framing. In the second image,3789, the bird was too far to the right side of the frame but the baitfish and the puffin’s face were sharper. My plan was to make a vertical pano from the two images. See below for the post-processing details.

This image is a composite of the two images above that were created on July 8, 2018 on the 2018 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens and the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III (at 550mm) with the Nikon D5 DSLR Camera (w/Dual XQD Slots). ISO 800. Matrix metering +2/3 stop: 1/1000 sec at f/9 in S (Tv in Canon — shutter priority in both systems) mode. AUTO1 WB at 11:01am on a nicely cloudy morning. Just above center D-72/Shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point in the first image was on the fish. In the second image, it was too our left of the bird’s head. As with Canon’s Expand and Surround, it is not possible to ascertain which AF point was active at the moment of exposure. This is a weakness in both systems that could easily be fixed with a software update. Focus peaking AF Fine-tune: +3. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Atlantic Puffin with sandeels/the optimized version Images copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Image Optimization

I converted both images in Camera Raw using the same settings. Then I expanded canvas on the right side of 3789, took a narrow slice off the right side of 3788 using the Rectangular Marquee Tool, placed that on its own layer, and used it to fill the empty canvas on the right side of 3789 using the Move Tool (V). Working very large, I lined up the selection pixel to pixel using the up and down and left and right arrows to move the introduced layer. Last was a crop back to the original ratio, 2X3.

Is the Nikon 80-400 VR with the TC-14E III (teleconverter) a Viable Combination?

My answer is a resounding yes. Both versions of the 80-400 have been unfairly much-maligned over the decades (as was the original Canon 100-400). And thus, many folks assume that you cannot create sharp images when the TC-14E III is added to the 80-400. I will, however, be using this combination a lot more in the coming months, especially on the San Diego IPT. The Canon 100-400 II with the 1.4X III TC is also capable of creating sharp images in the right hands. And both are extremely versatile. The close-focusing advantage goes to Canon by a mile.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II). You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a Paypal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

Your guessed it, everything mentioned above and tons more is covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Do note that you will find the RGB Curves Adjustment Color Balancing tutorial only in the new e-guide. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

The two most recent and many of the older MP4 Photoshop Tutorial videos releases go hand and hand with the information in DB II):

• The Wingtip Repairs MP4 Video here.
• The MP4 Crow Cleanup Video here.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here.

Though I have become more proficient converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw, I continue to optimize my Canon images in DPP 4. You can learn how and why I converted (and still convert) nearly all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. And, yes, I still have many Canon images to work on. 🙂 The RAW conversions for all three of today’s featured images was straightforward once I entered my camera/ISO specific recipes (as detailed in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide). You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated sharpening and (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.

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 :).

Stuff

Been watching lots of sports on the tube and on TIVO this weekend. The BMW Championship, the US Open tennis, and lots of NFL games coming this afternoon on NFL package 🙂

I was glad to learn that Amy Novotny’s Nikon TC-E-20 (teleconverter) sold the first day it was listed.

Both Fall Fort DeSoto IPTs are wide open — click here and scroll down for more info. Details for the 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT will be announced here very soon. We will be visiting Seahouses for the puffins and other seabirds and both Bempton Cliffs and Dunbar (two boat trips) for gannets (and more). If you are interested in the pre-publication details, please shoot me an e-mail. Limit: 10 photographers.

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details here.

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. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Pierre Williot

I would encourage anyone who wants to sell some of their photographic equipment to contact Art. High-end photographic equipment can be difficult to sell. Art, with is widely read daily posts, will allow you to sell your equipment fairly easily for a reasonable price and commission. Please, seriously consider the price that he suggests as it can be hard to face the reality of the actual value of well loved equipment! Art is well aware of the current market for second-hand photographic equipment.

Used Gear Page News

After a month or so in the summer doldrums, sales on the Used Gear page have been red hot for the past two weeks:

Anthony Ardito sold his Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens in like-new condition for $999.00 in mid-August.
I sold my Canon 100-400 L IS II in very good plus (almost excellent) condition and in perfect working order for $1399.00 in late August.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II body (with extras) in like-new condition (less than 41,000 actuations)for $3,999.00 in late August.
Roger Williams sold a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM lens in like-new condition (but for a single faint scratch on the front element)for the “it’s-your-lucky-day” price of only $899.00 a week after it was listed.
Dane Johnson sold a Canon EOS 40D kit with the body converted to Deep Infrared by Life Pixel in near-mint condition for $549.00 in August, 2918 on the first day it was listed.
Jamie Baker sold his Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III in near-mint condition for $299.00 in late August.
John Lowin sold a (men’s extra large) Xtrahand Magnum vest by Vested Interest for $229.00 within a day or two of listing it in late August, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens in like-new condition for BAA record-low by far price of $449.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $1,499.00, his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $1,099.00, his Canon Speedlite (flash) 600EX-RT flash in like-new condition for $399.00, his Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens (for Canon mount) in near-mint condition for $250.00, and his Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon EF mount in like new condition for $399.00, all with a day or two of their being listed.
Pierre Williot sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II in mint condition with less than 75,000 actuations (rated to 400,000) for $4,199.00 in late August.
Todd Koudelka sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens (“the “old five”) in very good plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $3199.00.
Pierre Williot sold his canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM lens (the original 600 IS) in very good to excellent condition for $3999.00 in mid-August.
Todd Koudelka sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in near-mint condition (but for a few tiny, barely visible scratches) for the BAA record-low-by-far of $2249.00 (was $2449.00) in early August.
Ron Gates requested that the listing for his Canon 70-200mm lens be removed and kindly sent me a check for 4% of the original asking price.
Julie Brown sold her Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS lens (the original version) in excellent condition for $2099 in early August.

You can see all the listings here.

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.

Via e-mail from Anthony Ardito

FYI, I got a D850 & a 200-500 from Bedfords using your BIRDSASART code at checkout. Plus, Steve Elkins gave me a discount and some nice XQD freebies. I have to thank you for that!

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for there Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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 June 30, 2018 at Bempton Cliffs, UK with 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 my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 800. Matrix metering +1 2/3 stops off the grey sky: 1/5000 sec. at f/6.3 in Manual mode. Natural Auto WB at 4:43PM on an absolutely clear afternoon. Center group (grp) Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The upper point in the array was on the top of the gannet’s head; that is about as good as I can do. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +5. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Photo Mechanic screen capture Northern Gannet top shot, Bempton Cliffs, England, UK Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Northern Gannet Top Shots with Blue Water Backgrounds, a Dime a Dozen

While the unusually clear, sunny, warm weather made things tough on us on several mornings, the afternoons were spectacular. The gannets consistently fly by below eye level offering unlimited chances for spectacular top shots, images of birds in flight showing the dorsal wing surfaces. On some winds you can use your hand held intermediate telephotos and do just fine. On other winds a longer lens is often the best too.

Though I did try to create some vertical originals, today’s featured image is a crop from a horizontal original.

Another High Level Exposure Question

As of 10:48am no one has come up with the exposure question in Friday’s blog post that dealt with the underexposure of the Razorbill’s middle-toned, amber colored iris. Today’s question is pretty much the same: why is the water rendered a much darker blue than it was in life? (I have a feeling that even though the question is the same that for some reason, this one might be easier for folks to understand …

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 :).

Stuff

My work on my 2017 taxes is finished. All data and printouts are being sent to my accountant today. 🙂 Hooray! This blog post took 2 1/2 hours to create.

Both Fall Fort DeSoto IPTs are wide open — scroll down for more info. Details for the 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT will be announced here soon. We will be visiting Seahouses for the puffins and other seabirds and both Bempton Cliffs and Dunbar (two boat trips) for the gannets. If you are interested in the pre-publication details, please shoot me an e-mail. Limit: 10 photographers.

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details here.

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. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Pierre Williot

I would encourage anyone who wants to sell some of their photographic equipment to contact Art. High-end photographic equipment can be difficult to sell. Art, with is widely read daily posts, will allow you to sell your equipment fairly easily for a reasonable price and commission. Please, seriously consider the price that he suggests as it can be hard to face the reality of the actual value of well loved equipment! Art is well aware of the current market for second-hand photographic equipment.

Used Gear Page News

After a month or so in the summer doldrums, sales on the Used Gear page have been red hot for the past two weeks:

Anthony Ardito sold his Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens in like-new condition for $999.00 in mid-August.
I sold my Canon 100-400 L IS II in very good plus (almost excellent) condition and in perfect working order for $1399.00 in late August.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II body (with extras) in like-new condition (less than 41,000 actuations)for $3,999.00 in late August.
Roger Williams sold a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM lens in like-new condition (but for a single faint scratch on the front element)for the “it’s-your-lucky-day” price of only $899.00 a week after it was listed.
Dane Johnson sold a Canon EOS 40D kit with the body converted to Deep Infrared by Life Pixel in near-mint condition for $549.00 in August, 2918 on the first day it was listed.
Jamie Baker sold his Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III in near-mint condition for $299.00 in late August.
John Lowin sold a (men’s extra large) Xtrahand Magnum vest by Vested Interest for $229.00 within a day or two of listing it in late August, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens in like-new condition for BAA record-low by far price of $449.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $1,499.00, his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $1,099.00, his Canon Speedlite (flash) 600EX-RT flash in like-new condition for $399.00, his Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens (for Canon mount) in near-mint condition for $250.00, and his Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon EF mount in like new condition for $399.00, all with a day or two of their being listed.
Pierre Williot sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II in mint condition with less than 75,000 actuations (rated to 400,000) for $4,199.00 in late August.
Todd Koudelka sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens (“the “old five”) in very good plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $3199.00.
Pierre Williot sold his canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM lens (the original 600 IS) in very good to excellent condition for $3999.00 in mid-August.
Todd Koudelka sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in near-mint condition (but for a few tiny, barely visible scratches) for the BAA record-low-by-far of $2249.00 (was $2449.00) in early August.
Ron Gates requested that the listing for his Canon 70-200mm lens be removed and kindly sent me a check for 4% of the original asking price.
Julie Brown sold her Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS lens (the original version) in excellent condition for $2099 in early August.

You can see all the listings here.

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.

Via e-mail from Anthony Ardito

FYI, I got a D850 & a 200-500 from Bedfords using your BIRDSASART code at checkout. Plus, Steve Elkins gave me a discount and some nice XQD freebies. I have to thank you for that!

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for there Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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 June 28, 2018 at Bempton Cliffs, UK with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the much maligned Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II, and my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering +1/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Natural Auto WB at 6:23am on a clear morning. One to the left of center Single Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. Surprising, the selected AF point was on the black feathers of the bird’s neck … Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Click on the image to see a larger version and note that even then you cannot see the bird’s eye. Photo Mechanic screen capture Razorbill with chick under wing, Bempton Cliffs, England, UK Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Invisible Eye

First note that the histogram is absolutely perfect, pushed well to the right in an effort to get as much detail as possible in the very dark feathers. As is often the case, even with a perfect exposure, the dark eyes in images of birds with very dark heads often come out of the camera invisible. This problem is exacerbated with birds that have black heads or faces along with some bright white feathers. Yes, like Razorbills and many species of terns, especially those of the genera (or genuses) Sterna and Thalasseus. The former includes Common, Roseate, and Forster’s Terns. The latter includes larger terns like Royal and Elegant.

An Unsharpened Tight Crop of the Face and Eye of the Optimized Image

Opening Up the Too-dark Iris

In sunny conditions, the irises of Razorbill appear very dark bordering on black. When viewed in soft light however you can see that they are a middle-toned amber. To open up (lighten) the iris of the bird in today’s featured image, I used Tim Grey Dodge and Burn — I have that saved as an action. After opening it, I hit B + D + X (Brush, Default, Reverse default). Then I hit 2 to set the brush opacity to 20%. (Thanks to Denise Ippolito for that tip.) I lightened the iris to taste with several brush strokes. Almost forgot: I used a tiny Lighten brush set a 50% opacity to lighten the whitish ring around the pupil.

Sun Angle Question

How can you tell from the tight crop above that I was working slightly off sun angle?

A High Level Understanding Exposure Question

Simple question: why was the middle-toned amber-colored iris rendered much too dark in the RAW file?

Don’t know? Check out the diagram on the bottom of page 62 in the original (soft cover) The Art of Bird Photography. Though this book is based on film images, the information on Applied Exposure Theory (pages 58-63) is 100% relevant for digital folks. I urge all serious nature photography students to master the concepts in this section. Most folks have not …

This image was created on July 1, 2018 at Bempton Cliffs, UK with the Induro GIT 304L/Mongoose M3.6-mounted Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens, the much maligned Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II, and my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 400. Matrix metering +1/3 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/9 in Manual mode. Natural Auto WB at 6:23am on a clear morning. One to the left of center Single Continuous (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. Surprising, the selected AF point was on the black feathers of the bird’s neck … Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +1. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Click on the image to see a larger version and note that now you can just make out the eye. The vast improvement would be much easier to see if you were viewing the master file or a large print. This is the optimized version of today’s featured image, Razorbill with chick under wing, Bempton Cliffs, England, UK Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Bempton Cliffs: It Ain’t Just Gannets!

While the gannet photography (flight and otherwise) is superb at Bempton Cliffs there are several other species that are easily photographed (especially in flight). Those include Razorbill, Herring Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake, and Northern Fulmar. In addition, Wood Pigeon and several species of small passerines can be photographed around the visitor center by those who wish to try something different.

The Optimized Version

Above is the optimized version of today’s featured image. During the RAW conversion I opened up the Shadows just a bit after checking the WHITE and BLACK points. Both were close to perfect right out of camera. I also moved the Highlight slider a bit to the left for a bit of additional detail in the white feathers.

Once the image was in Photoshop I made a careful selection of the bird and the chick, feathered the selection one pixel, put that on its own layer, and applied my 40-40 NIK Color EFEX Pro recipe. Then I merged that layer, made a copy of the whole image, and ran a fast and dirty NeatImage noise reduction on the entire image with the Y slider at 55%. You can learn these advanced techniques only in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly).

To soften the early morning light I reduced the contrast with my saved “Reduced Contrast Pre-set.” Last I painted a Quick Mask of the chick’s face and sharpened it with a Contrast Mask at 15, 65, 0.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II). You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a Paypal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand.

The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)

Your guessed it, everything mentioned above and tons more is covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Learn more and check out the free excerpt in the blog post here. While the new e-Guide reflects my Macbook Pro/Photo Mechanic/DPP 4/Photoshop workflow, folks using a PC and/or BreezeBrowser will also benefit greatly by studying the material on DB II. Do note that you will find the RGB Curves Adjustment Color Balancing tutorial only in the new e-guide. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.

The two most recent and many of the older MP4 Photoshop Tutorial videos releases go hand and hand with the information in DB II):

• The Wingtip Repairs MP4 Video here.
• The MP4 Crow Cleanup Video here.

Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here.

Though I have become more proficient converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw, I continue to optimize my Canon image in DPP 4. You can learn how and why I converted (and still convert) nearly all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. And, yes, I still have many Canon images to work on. 🙂 The RAW conversions for all three of today’s featured images was straightforward once I entered my camera/ISO specific recipes (as detailed in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide). You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair. Folks can learn sophisticated (NeatImage) Noise Reduction techniques in the The Professional Post Processing Guide by Arash Hazeghi and yours truly.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this September. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

The 2018 Fort DeSoto Fall Weekend IPT/September 23-24, 2018: 2 FULL DAYS: $949. Limit 8/Openings 7.

If you would like to combine the above with the 3 1/2 Fall Fort DeSoto IPT, please e-mail for the substantial discount information.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. 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 we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We may very well get to see and photograph the amazing heron/egret hybrid that has been present for three year. And we should get to do some 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.

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).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with the hotel information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel (rather than at home or at a friend’s place).

Payment in full is due now. Credits cards are OK. 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 we will meet early on Saturday morning. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in late September. 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. 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 at 9:30am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving ….

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 :).

Stuff

I got a lot of work done on Sunday on my 2017 taxes. The left knee and the left shoulder are feeling pretty good. I saw the first kingfisher of the season on my morning walk. For the first time in weeks it did not rain at all here at my home in central Florida on Saturday (and then again on Sunday despite some thunder and lightning).

Details for the 2019 UK Puffins and Gannets IPT will be announced here soon. We will be visiting Seahouses for the puffins and other seabirds and both Bempton Cliffs and Dunbar for the gannets. If you are interested in the pre-publication details, please shoot me an e-mail. Limit: 10 photographers.

News on the Galapagos Front/Limit 12/Openings: 3

Right now I have nine folks committed to the 2019 Galapagos Photo Cruise. A friend who had committed to the trip learned that he and his wife might not be able to attend. Thus, I have room for a couple or for two same-sex roommates, and for a male single. If the archipelago is on your bucket list, please get in touch via e-mail asap with questions. If you might be registering with a friend or a spouse do ask about the two at a time discount. See the complete details here.

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. You can always see the current listings by clicking on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.

Unsolicited, via e-mail, from Pierre Williot

I would encourage anyone who wants to sell some of their photographic equipment to contact Art. High-end photographic equipment can be difficult to sell. Art, with is widely read daily posts, will allow you to sell your equipment fairly easily for a reasonable price and commission. Please, seriously consider the price that he suggests as it can be hard to face the reality of the actual value of well loved equipment! Art is well aware of the current market for second-hand photographic equipment.

Used Gear Page News

After a month or so in the summer doldrums, sales on the Used Gear page have been red hot for the past two weeks:

Anthony Ardito sold his Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens in like-new condition for $999.00 in mid-August.
I sold my Canon 100-400 L IS II in very good plus (almost excellent) condition and in perfect working order for $1399.00 in late August.
Anthony Ardito sold a Canon EOS-1DX Mark II body (with extras) in like-new condition (less than 41,000 actuations)for $3,999.00 in late August.
Roger Williams sold a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM lens in like-new condition (but for a single faint scratch on the front element)for the “it’s-your-lucky-day” price of only $899.00 a week after it was listed.
Dane Johnson sold a Canon EOS 40D kit with the body converted to Deep Infrared by Life Pixel in near-mint condition for $549.00 in August, 2918 on the first day it was listed.
Jamie Baker sold his Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III in near-mint condition for $299.00 in late August.
John Lowin sold a (men’s extra large) Xtrahand Magnum vest by Vested Interest for $229.00 within a day or two of listing it in late August, 2018.
Anthony Ardito sold his Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens in like-new condition for BAA record-low by far price of $449.00, his Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $1,499.00, his Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens in like-new condition for $1,099.00, his Canon Speedlite (flash) 600EX-RT flash in like-new condition for $399.00, his Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens (for Canon mount) in near-mint condition for $250.00, and his Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon EF mount in like new condition for $399.00, all with a day or two of their being listed.
Pierre Williot sold his Canon EOS-1DX Mark II in mint condition with less than 75,000 actuations (rated to 400,000) for $4,199.00 in late August.
Todd Koudelka sold his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens (“the “old five”) in very good plus condition for the BAA record-low price of $3199.00.
Pierre Williot sold his canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM lens (the original 600 IS) in very good to excellent condition for $3999.00 in mid-August.
Todd Koudelka sold a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV in near-mint condition (but for a few tiny, barely visible scratches) for the BAA record-low-by-far of $2249.00 (was $2449.00) in early August.
Ron Gates requested that the listing for his Canon 70-200mm lens be removed and kindly sent me a check for 4% of the original asking price.
Julie Brown sold her Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS lens (the original version) in excellent condition for $2099 in early August.

You can see all the listings here.

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.

Via e-mail from Anthony Ardito

FYI, I got a D850 & a 200-500 from Bedfords using your BIRDSASART code at checkout. Plus, Steve Elkins gave me a discount and some nice XQD freebies. I have to thank you for that!

Booking.Com

Several folks on the UK IPT used the Booking.Com link below for there Edinburgh hotels, got great rates, and saved a handsome $25.00 in the process. If you too would like to give Booking.Com a shot, click here and to earn a $25 reward on your first booking. Thanks to the many who have already tried and used this great service.

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 June 29, 2018 by Peter Kes at Bempton Cliffs, UK with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 142mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 400. Evaluative metering -1 stop: 1/1600 sec. at f/22. WB: 7000K at 6:24am on a dead-clear morning. Northern Gannets backlit at sunrise, Bempton Cliffs, England, UK Image courtesy of and copyright 2018: Peter Kes

Oh Those Sunny Days

At various times over the past decade or so, I have opted to sleep in or to stay on the ship for various reasons. Most times my reasoning has been justified. But on several occasions I have wound up looking like a dumb ass. (Can you say “Macaroni Penguins in the snow” or “Dovekies”?) On our third pre-trip morning at Bempton Cliffs the forecast was for bright sun and clear blue skies. Summers in northeastern England are typically cloudy and drizzly or foggy, great for photography on east-facing cliffs. Taking everything into consideration I decided to stay at the hotel and take a long health walk down to the harbor. I waved the group good-bye and sent them off in the good hands of co-leader Peter Kes. When I made it down to the harbor, the dead-clear skies assured me that I had made the right decision. There was zero chance that anyone could make a good image at Bempton in those conditions.

I would learn later that Peter, however, had come up with a great plan: photograph the backlit gannets against the super-bright ocean. As above. He instructed those who were with him on how to figure the exposure and how to set the White Balance; those folks made some great images too. While I walked and rested.

This image was created on June 29, 2018 by Peter Kes at Bempton Cliffs, UK with the hand held Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens (at 349mm) and the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops of the white sky: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6. WB: 7000K at 8:02am on after the fog rolled in. Northern Gannets with nesting material, Bempton Cliffs, England, UK Image courtesy of and copyright 2018: Peter Kes

And Then The Fog Rolled In!

I met the bus when the group got back, sure that I would learn that they had had a lousy morning. First they told me about the early morning silhouettes. I was glad for them. When they told me that out of nowhere a huge for bank had rolled in and provided perfect conditions for more than an hour until the sun broke through, I simply did not believe them. But …

My Thoughts

I took solace knowing that I had taught Peter to shoot into the blasting highlights, and in the fact that he had taught others. Spreading the wealth (and the knowledge) is always a good thing. Even when you are not there. 🙂

The Lesson

The lesson here, one that I have failed to learn despite many chances to do so, is that you cannot make any images if you decide to stay in. We are doing nature photography and even when things look bleak, you might figure out how to make a great image, or, conditions can change. Or both!

This image was created on June 30, 2018 at Bempton Cliffs, UK with the hand held Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens (at 500mm) and my souped up Nikon D850. ISO 100. Matrix metering at -1 stop: 1/5000 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. AWB at 6:31am on a dead-clear morning. Converted at 7400 K. Center group (grp) Continuos (AI Servo in Canon) shutter button AF was active at the moment of exposure. The lower point in the array was on the bird’s hind neck. Phase detection AF Fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here. Northern Gannet, backlit at sunrise, Bempton Cliffs, England, UK Image copyright 2018: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

The Next Morning

The next morning, I, and the rest of the group who had not been with Peter the day before, had our turn. Thanks to Peter Kes for inspiring me.

Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All of the images in this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this September. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version. Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.

The 2018 Fort DeSoto Fall Weekend IPT/September 23-24, 2018: 2 FULL DAYS: $949. Limit 8/Openings 7.

If you would like to combine the above with the 3 1/2 Fall Fort DeSoto IPT, please e-mail for the substantial discount information.

Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With luck, we may get to photograph two of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit and the spectacular Long-billed Curlew. 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 we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. We may very well get to see and photograph the amazing heron/egret hybrid that has been present for three year. And we should get to do some 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.

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).

There will be a Photoshop/image review session after lunch (included) each day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.

This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with the hotel information. Do know that it is always best if IPT folks stay in the same hotel (rather than at home or at a friend’s place).

Payment in full is due now. Credits cards are OK. 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 we will meet early on Saturday morning. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.

Obviously folks attending the IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of sunrise and sunset colors. The good news is that the days are relatively short in late September. 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. 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 at 9:30am on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving ….

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 :).